Eric & Beth Yodis
Facilitating Church Planting & Evangelism
WorldVenture - Ukraine

The Ukrainian and European headlines ran: "Will Ukraine elect a clown?" and "The only qualification Zelenski has is playing the role of president on a television program", but when 73% of the Ukrainian population overwhelmingly voted for this well-spoken and highly loved actor/comedian, even the press had to change its tune. Many people wondered how the sitting president was displaced by such a wide margin, while others wondered how a president with single-digit ratings could muster 24% of the vote. This ARTICLE is the best I've read to explain Ukraine's current politics (free registration might be necessary).

Politics aren't the only things changing in Ukraine. The denomination we principally work with is undergoing transition as well. New, younger leadership will soon take the helm and we look forward to working with them. Eric will be spending time helping some of the new leadership get caught up on the four directions of the national ministry of church planting (Vision/Strategy, popularization, structure, and training). During the past year, Eric has been putting together a team of Ukrainian nationals united in their love for the Lord and their passion for church planting. Please pray for this group of leaders and for those who have yet to be added. Pray they would form a tight-knit group and become a highly effective team and through their work, that many church planting leaders would be raised up, that the lost would be saved and that many churches would be started throughout Ukraine.

Our Take on Ukraine's Politics

Eric and Beth moved to Ukraine in 1995, so they have been there for 24 of Ukraine's 28 years of independence. How did this election produce such interesting results. Eric provides a bit of historical perspective. Click here.

More Praise and Prayer Requests:

We praise God for blessing yet another church planter training session in May.
Pray for Eric as he travels to Norway in June with five Ukrainian nationals to receive training in a church planting training program called M4.

We praise God that Beth has had much opportunity to exercise her gift of hospitality with a new church plant which we are helping, by welcoming new neighbors as they move into our new (mostly empty) apartment building and caring for a colleague's child for a couple weeks.

Please continue to pray for the peace of Ukraine.

We praise God for a fair and transparent election in Ukraine and a peaceful change of governance. We ask for prayer as the new administration continues to take shape.

Pray for our summer travels as we visit people, churches and places throughout Ukraine.

Eric and Beth Yodis
WorldVenture - Ukraine

https://www.facebook.com/ericbeth