From Service to Salvation: Sasha’s Journey in Borodianka, Ukraine
Sasha joined as a helper, but through simple acts of service, she encountered the Gospel in action—and made a life-changing decision. Read how God is working in Ukraine!
When a new year begins, we look forward to reaching the goals we set. In Borodianka, Ukraine, the team had a number of hopes for 2024 which focused on reaching out to children, young people, families and the military.
And they succeeded in many ways through 90 children’s meetings, two baptisms, a summer camp with 100 attendees, and retreats for military personnel.
But often, even when we are most focused on our target audience, God is at work among the helpers. Local churches received much help from the local community, and one such helper was Sasha.
“During this year of service, I have received wonderful blessings from God,” Sasha said. “I was filled with the courage to make a very important decision to accept Jesus Christ into my heart.”
It was through simple acts of service with believers that Sasha was able to not only hear the Gospel, but see it in action in her own community.
Praise God for the many lives that have been changed through the believers in Borodianka. Let’s pray that many more people, like Sasha, put their trust in our savior, Jesus Christ in 2025.
The Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia have a combined average 4.3% evangelical population, which is above Europe’s average. Even so, the need is acute, so our desire is to serve this region where we currently have no ministry presence. 
A five-week sabbatical became an opportunity to strengthen churches, encourage believers, and serve alongside ECMI worker Eberson in Portugal. It is a reminder that even a short-term mission trip can leave a lasting impact. 
When war in Ukraine devastated the communities around Irpin, relief centres became places of refuge for those in need. But something even greater happened. As people encountered the love of Christ through practical care, new communities of faith began to grow. Today, Illia and Iryna lead one of those church plants.