UNREACHED
In Revelation 7, John shares his vision of heaven with members from every tribe, tongue, people and language standing in the throne room before the Lamb.
Yet today there are still over 7,000 unreached people groups around the world.
For the last six years, my family and friends have been on a journey to find, vet and fund the task remaining.
Come journey with us to the ends of the earth as we share the supernatural stories of God at work through the men and women he has called to reach the UNREACHED.
UNREACHED
Finding Purpose in Displacement: A Ukrainian's Journey to Missions in Texas
Rodion shares his powerful journey from Ukrainian dentist to missionary serving Ukrainian refugees in Austin, Texas.
• Grew up in a small Ukrainian village where American missionaries introduced him to Christ as a teenager
• Served as worship leader in his Ukrainian church for 15 years before war forced his family to flee
• Describes the traumatic experience of leaving everything behind with just an hour to pack
• Arrived in the U.S. through the "Uniting for Ukraine" program with his wife and children
• Discovered a community of displaced Ukrainians in Austin needing practical help and spiritual guidance
• Now leads Bible studies in Ukrainian and helps refugees navigate American systems and culture
• Transitioning from dental assistant to full-time missionary work with Reliant
• Sees his displacement as God's way of positioning him to reach fellow Ukrainians with the gospel
• Shares stories of Ukrainians coming to faith through simple, authentic Christianity
You can support Rodion's ministry to Ukrainian refugees by visiting www.reliant.org/rodion to donate or learn more about his work.
Follow @unreachedpodcast on Instagram for more!
In Revelation 7, john shares his vision of heaven, with members from every tribe, tongue, people and language standing in the throne room before the Lamb. Yet today there are still over 7,000 unreached people groups around the world. For the last six years, my family and friends have been on a journey to find, vet and fund the task remaining. Come journey with us to the ends of the earth as we share the supernatural stories of God at work for the men and women he has called to reach the unreached.
Speaker 2:Hello friends, thank you for listening to the Unreached podcast. I am Clint Hudson, your host. We are about halfway through season four and so far, throughout season four, we have traveled from South Asia to Kenya, to Somalia, to the internet it's the cloud and today we are traveling to Austin, texas, by way of Ukraine. So my guest today is someone who I have become really, really good friends with. He's currently serving as a missionary to Ukrainians in Texas and he's here to share his story with us. Welcome to the podcast, rodion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I appreciate for this opportunity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, I'm excited. Okay, so you are from Ukraine, yes, and you have been in the United States. For how long? For almost two and a half years already. So let's just start with the very first question why did you come to the States?
Speaker 3:You know I had a good living in Ukraine. I've been a dentist over there, so most of my life I spent educating myself. My wife is a wedding fashion designer. We having three kids, beautiful kids. Yeah, and life was really great like we had lots of friends, church I guess I could call it regular life, as most of you guys have.
Speaker 3:Yeah, one morning we woke up from you know the scream that war started, so and that changed a whole of our life, all the values, you know, everything that maybe you collected or thought of, maybe your plans or future. It changed just in the moment. One morning, yeah, and we pack our van, you know, with everything that you could do in, you know, in half an hour or hour, so documents and kids, and we drove to a safe place or at that time that was, was West Ukraine, the farthest spot where you could be. So we were about 10 miles from other country, romania. One family hosted us for about five months in their house, so there was dedicated Christians who helped us to just live the life over there and all of us expected that it could come to an end really soon and we could come back home.
Speaker 2:You had no context of the time, the amount of time what it? Would be like. So this family, the body of Christ, this Christian family, they host you in West Ukraine. Before you moved, you said you and your wife both had thriving careers. Your family was thriving, you guys were doing well. Talk to me about the church.
Speaker 3:I should start, maybe, with a story that happened to me long years ago and it should be kind of an encouragement for missionaries and those who support missionaries. So you know that we came from a post-communistic country, so there was no God For more than 70 years. Christians who believed to the Lord Jesus, they were persecuted or they need to hide. So when the Soviet Union broke, there was a window of opportunities. So missionaries came to countries such as Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and like post-communistic countries, and I remember a humble family, a missionary and his wife, a hairdresser. They came to my village with the population of a thousand people, so pretty small at the I don't know some wilderness you know of Ukraine.
Speaker 3:And this is when you were a kid. Yes, yes, I was a high school kid, I was in the ninth grade. Wow, there was a one-believer teacher in the whole village and she said she somehow got to know that he comes, you know, to the city. So she met him and asked to come to a village to do a bible study among the teachers you had one believer yes, in your entire community.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then, all of a sudden, this missionary and his hairdresser wife comes out of nowhere.
Speaker 3:Yes, do this so and they did a wonderful bible study for teachers and that uh lady did a free haircuts for teachers and during that you know an hour, they could communicate for teachers and during that, you know, an hour they could communicate, she could share faith, she could share.
Speaker 2:You know, christ, they're not allowed to move.
Speaker 3:Yes, they have to sit there for an hour yes so it's amazing and uh, you know, um, year after year, uh, like it was not just the stories, but it becomes something special. I saw their, uh, I saw their love to people and that was so simple. And one day he said Rodion, I want to invite your family, whole family, your parents and your brother, to Christian summer camp. Please pray for a sponsor. I've been not a religious person at that time, no relationships with God. My parents never taught me how to pray or how to obey God. But after about two months he said Rodion, the Lord provided a sponsor. You and your family might come to a Christian camp At that summer for seven days.
Speaker 3:You know there was a wonderful time. You know when, every evening there was, you know, worshiping the Lord. There was a great biblical stories, you know, sharing who Jesus is, what he did for us. And then at the end there was a calling. You know that if you felt difference, if you felt that Lord was spoken to your heart, make that step of faith. You know, come and say to him. You know that I want to dedicate my life. So, and I was filled with tears, I don't know, I felt such a relief, such a joy, you know, in even being, you know, with tears, I felt freedom, and limitless, you know, and I came to the stage and dedicated my life.
Speaker 3:My mother said, oh wow, you know, this place is kind of a really good theater and everyone is well-paid actors. Life can't be that way. Everybody's so kind, so generous, you know, so gentle. That didn't touch her as my heart. So when I came home I had a real persecutions and troubles. My mom said, oh, now you're a Christian, so you should study. Well, you should. You know, clean up your room. You should listen to me whatever I say. And yeah, there was a tough year for me. But the next year they came to summer camp again and my mom and brother made that gift of their lives to jesus christ. The next year my father and my aunt, and the next year my other aunt and my grandma came to Christ. So what I'm willing to say?
Speaker 3:the dedication of a couple that left their comfort zone their wealthy, living their goals in their life, they start to think about other people. That brought me here, clint. I'm here now and I'm honored to share this testimony that I don't know guys who listen this now, but I want to talk to your heart. Everything that you do for other people matters because I could witness that. You know, I've been at the other part of the world and the, you know, a humble family came to my village and shared the truth with me.
Speaker 3:And now I'm here and can share the truth with other Ukrainians, with other people that surround me, with my neighbors, and I could never imagine that life could, you know, bring me here to America. I never dreamt about it, but now I'm here and I don't want to lose this window of opportunity. So if you're surrounded by a neighbor or co-worker or somebody, I can tell you that we planned our life, we thought that we'll live great in Ukraine, but one day you understand that everything that you have is a moment, is one chance, and the life could be changed. So don't lose that opportunity to share your faith story. If you have some resources to sponsor a mission or go to some other country, don't lose that opportunity, because I'm witnessing right now that God, through the simple things, to the simple dedication of people, saved whole of my family, and you know, I'm blessed to be over here and really honored yeah, I'm really honored and inspired to tell this story now for you. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:You had a really unique role in the church. That's very dear to my heart because one of the ways that you and I have connected is through worship, and so what was your role like in the church in Ukraine?
Speaker 3:Since I've been 16 years old, one dedicated person. He said you know, are you willing to come to church? I know that you know a few chords. I'll teach you some Christian songs that you know that you could serve people at church.
Speaker 2:And Christian songs only have like three chords in them. So like this is great. So you know all the chords you need at this point.
Speaker 3:So, and he taught me, you know, and that's how I spent 15 years leading worship at my church, growing, you know, in relationships, building a team of people who worship the Lord, who follow Him. And, yeah, wonderful time. I remember it as one of the best times serving people with worship. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:One of the things that you told me not too long ago was about when you came over to the United States to start this new chapter of your life with your family.
Speaker 2:Not only did you have to start over from like a career perspective, but you also had to start over from even like a establishing yourself within the church perspective, like you've been leading worship for 15 years over there. You led worship for your congregation. That was there and then one of the conversations that you had with me it's almost like I'm a teenager, like I'm having to start over again type thing, and so I think probably one of my most treasured memories with you so far is us getting the opportunity to lead worship together here in Austin, texas, and singing songs both in English and in Ukrainian and leading our congregation. And it was these catalytic moments in time where I think our understanding of God is challenged, and I think for a lot of our congregation, the understanding of God was challenged in that moment for them, because they're like wait, god doesn't just exclusively speak English. How many languages do you know? Four, four, okay, all right, I barely know one.
Speaker 1:Tell me about it.
Speaker 2:I'm like tell me, I'm like OK with one, and so I mean, I think for somebody like you, you're like well, obviously, you know God understands us and he's so much bigger than this, but I think for a lot of us just to have this understanding of worship, music and songs being sung in Ukrainian and the church being led in worship in Ukrainian, which is a beautiful thought, there was a specific program by which you were able to come into the states.
Speaker 3:Yes, united states opened a program for receiving refugees from ukraine. It called, uh, uniting for ukraine. So some relatives or some supporters could apply for ukrainians to come over here as escape, you know, as get a shelter, and it's a timely program, so it's not permanent and even my status over here has limits. So, yeah, clint, it was, I would say, a frustrated and hard moment for me to escape the country. First, you always remember that God did so much through you at church and I witnessed so many miracles, how people were saved, how we were at the streets meeting with my friend, you know, just after work he calls me and says, hey, rodion, let's share gospel on the street and we would meet people and crying, praying for them, inviting to church. So many great stuff were going on. But at some point you understand that, wow, now there is a risk of leaving. My state was occupied, so lots of militaries, lots of weapons start to appear in the city. The character of the city really changed a lot. So that's why we moved to West Ukraine where it was safer. And I got that invitation from my friend. He said you know we're willing to invite you to the States. I said, yeah, ok, sure, what I should do. He said is there any possibility for you to leave the country? And there's only two ways, as I remember. There's only two ways, as I remember, if you are disabled or if you have three kids. So in my case I had two kids and a pregnant wife and we were living in somebody's house, you know, for four months.
Speaker 3:That was really hard for us. We couldn't go back because we were scared. You know, kids start to draw pictures. We kind of tried to how to say, explain to them, you know, try to control what they see and what they hear, but still they were drawing the pictures of soldiers, you know, of spilled blood, of tanks and shootings. And you know I got really scared.
Speaker 3:We've been in the West Ukraine and I've been driving my state plates scared. We've been in the West Ukraine and I've been driving my state plates and you know, once we were going to church and the military stopped my vehicle, you know, and about you know they cut off our car and about ten people with guns, you know they said get out of the car. You know, show your documents. You know, are you kind of on a military account and I showed, yes, look, I'm doing everything that should be done and kind of that really got scared me. I thought like one day they will break the law and take me to an active military. No, I won't stay with my family. So it forced me to leave the country.
Speaker 2:You and your family.
Speaker 2:Once you arrived here in the States and you started to assimilate and get engaged and try to figure out what life was going on here, you found a church Awesome Ridge Bible Church which is where I get the honor of being the worship pastor at, and come to find out you are far from the only Ukrainians in Austin, texas, which kind of leads us on the path where we are right now.
Speaker 2:And I just have to acknowledge, through the trauma, through the difficulty, through the frustration and the disruption of leaving your home country, of leaving your home and coming to a foreign place, all of the sudden you get to this place and God not only renews vision for your life, but also calling for your life and puts you in a situation where you are uniquely equipped by God because of who you are and who he's made you to minister to a group of people who are also displaced and who are also here in the States. To minister to a group of people who are also displaced and who are also here in the States. And this is one of the things that I find so beautiful about your story is how God is actively redeeming this difficulty that you're walking through. He's using you to meet with Ukrainians here in the States and introduce them to Jesus. So talk a little bit about the discovery of other Ukrainians here in the States and how that happened.
Speaker 3:You know, when we got here, we were searching for community, for friends, because we were completely alone and my kid we're in a park and he heard some Ukrainian language. So the lady came to my wife and said hey, are you from Ukraine? You know, are you kind of? Do you need any help? We could invite you to a church. You know there's a few Ukrainian families and you are welcome to come. You know there's a women's retreat. And my wife said, yeah, surely I would come. So, and when she came there with her friend, she immediately called me and said Rodion, we should come to this church. People are amazing, you know. I felt home again.
Speaker 3:You know, I felt, you know, family atmosphere again. So and we came here to Austin Ridge for the first time and we met, you know, american friends over here. We met Ukrainian families that we found over here and that became a blessing to understand that we're in a different culture. People here speak different language, they pursue maybe some different goals, you know, or live differently, but we feel at home in christ. So he's our guidance and he's the same in americans or in I don't know, new Zealand people and Russian or Ukrainian.
Speaker 3:The Lord Jesus and His gifts, you know, are amazing and we felt really warm over here. You know, I felt that the worship and the preaching really spoke to my heart, really spoke to other Ukrainians and I offered. You know I know some English and really spoke to my heart, really spoke to other Ukrainians and I offered. You know I know some English. It's not perfect but if it could help, I could translate sermons. You know, for Ukrainians that some other adult people who don't know any English that they could understand it. So that brand new opportunity. One friend of mine, xenia, and I, we both did, you know, translate sermons. So then we figured out that, wow, we could do a Bible study for Ukrainians and it pump up. So then we found out that there's lots of families who don't know Christ yet you know that never entered the door of church and we start to invite people over here. We said you know, home over here, we feel that there is a strong community, we feel acceptance. So lots of families over here start to invite ukrainians to just for dinner, you know, just to share their story. And it's really important for ukrainians, you know, to be open and to share what they've been through. You know what they struggled and what they struggle over here. There's so many categories. Some people came here and they've been tech people in Ukraine. They came here and immediately found a job. They know some English, but some categories are so vulnerable Parents that never drove a vehicle in Ukraine.
Speaker 3:You need to open a bank account, but you don't know how to do that. You need to, I know, buy some groceries and you are not able to. You know you need to make a lease agreement. You know to live somewhere, but they say, oh, you need to show your credit history or like bank history and you don't have any. So you need to find somebody who could be a referral person for you.
Speaker 3:So kind of all of these questions, you know, and even moving, buying some furniture, uh, like wow, uh, it's an incredible journey and I felt that you know there's a huge gap where we could serve people. There's a huge need that how we could, on understandable language, with for people you know, bring Christ Just doing, you know lots of, you know random things, you know to drive some furniture, to help buy some groceries to. You know, offer them to go for a Bible study and do it in Ukrainian language so that they could feel you know home, that they could feel, uh, that culture. You know share food and, uh, gathered in a hope message that god has a plan. Even being far away, you know he's near, he talks to your heart, he has a, I would say he still love.
Speaker 2:Even, no matter what you've been through, what pain or trauma you got from your life experience, he wants to recover you, he wants to use you to help others to go through some difficult situations and so just what a beautiful opportunity that, even the way that you guys discovered the community here was just in a park you overheard someone speaking Ukrainian, so I can just imagine someone here trying to get a lease agreement, trying to get furniture, trying to learn how to drive a car all these different things and it seems so overwhelming to all of a sudden hear their heart language spoken, and it happens to be spoken by a group of people who love Jesus, and so the receptivity of them to come and listen, just so they can hear their heart language spoken, just so they can experience food that is similar to their taste and so that they can hang out with people who understand what soccer teams you're talking about. And that deep need for community is bringing people right to the doorstep of being able to be presented with the gospel. And that is exactly what now you have decided is part of the calling of your life is to be a missionary to these Ukrainians here in the United States, to go and find them around Austin, texas and the extended areas and, because of their desperation for language and culture and connectivity, that you can invite them into a spot where they can come and hear the gospel. And it's such a brilliant strategy and I feel like it's something that I'm so excited about seeing happen in real time.
Speaker 2:I believe for any Christian who truly understands the Great Commission, it boils down to there are two options of who you can be. You can either be a goer or you can be a sender Because of necessity. In your story, you find yourself in a position where you are now a sender Because of necessity. In your story, you find yourself in a position where you are now a goer. You are a goer, but you are a goer in need of senders, and we're going to talk about this later, towards the end of this episode, about how we can support you in the work that you're doing, because I do feel like that is our responsibility, as God has clearly put you on mission to be here in Austin, texas, to care for the Ukrainian community that God is sending to here. Can you tell us some stories of how you've seen God at work in this community of Ukrainians here in the States?
Speaker 3:Now every Tuesday we run a Discovery Bible study for those who just start their journey, knowing who God is and a family that hosts us. They came and they have a similar story like us. So American family hosts them for seven months in their guest house. So they've been inviting them to visit church, to meet other friends and also Ukrainian families as well, and that people start to be, that families start to be open, of hearing gospel. They saw a different life. They saw a different, I would say, heart of people and they were curious and interested. So they are still on their way to getting to know the Lord clean, but they opened their house for inviting people and every Tuesday, you know wife makes a great dinner and a few families come together and read gospel and we, you know, discuss and we pray and you know they are curious and they seek, you know, more of what God is doing and that really inspires me.
Speaker 3:Also, there is a young guy and next month we plan to do a baptism for him for the first time. So he came to me and said, rodion, I've heard a sermon, you know, that really touched my heart. That was about relationships and he said now, at this life period, I live with my girlfriend and I understood that it's not right to be a Christian and be not married and live with the girl. And he said you know, I want to repent in that. I want to start, you know, a new life with God that I never had before. He said I want to be baptized. I have never been baptized before.
Speaker 3:I understood that I want to marry that girl, but I want to do it right way. And I immediately said, okay, do you understand that it should be not just the words, but could you prove that in actions? Could you stop living with that girl before you got married? And he said, yes, I'm willing to do that. I want to take care about her. But I want to take care about her, but I want to put the right basis, the right core values. You know that I want to, you know, obey and deeply a person and transform everything that he lives right now that he could say, oh, wow, I want to do it differently. I want to do it, god way, I want to do it, you know, to please the Lord. And, yeah, that really shocks me how all of these small stories, you know, shows our great God that works just among us.
Speaker 2:So there are some people that are coming here from Ukraine that have no understanding whatsoever of the gospel and again they're coming into community in some way, shape or form. But there are also a lot of people who have an understanding of Christianity but not so much an understanding of the gospel and the teachings of Jesus.
Speaker 2:Now, the predominant religion in Ukraine is orthodoxy and so, which doesn't necessarily have a deep relationship with with Christ. Lots of iconography, lots of things that you're supposed to do, but not much access to the gospel and transformation that happens from the gospel. Talk a little bit about that and what some of these Ukrainian families are, how they're coming into an understanding of the gospel now that they're here in the States.
Speaker 3:So you know, there's kind of a transformation of your mind appearing. So I guess, from when you come from our background there's lots of traditions, there's lots of rules, there's lots of things that you should obey, even not understanding why you should do that. So sometimes I remember when my grandma took me on Easter to the church lots of phimiam, lots of smoke. You know you should stand from 4 am to like 10 am just on the literature that you can't understand. So that was really hard, you know, being a kid.
Speaker 2:I thought our services were long Sheesh yeah. So I guess, when Ukrainians come here, yeah, they'll go through our like 70 minute service and they're like all right, what's so, what's, what's next, like what's the rest of it?
Speaker 3:Yes, and you know it's understandable For most of people. They thought that it's really hard to reach God, you know. But at some matter, you know it's really simple. We just read we pray. A prayer shouldn't be a learned prayer. You know that is written and you just know it by heart. But you could speak with God as a person. You know, you could say hey, I'm frustrated today.
Speaker 3:You know I had a tough day. Lord, please bring peace to my heart. You know, call my soul. I have nobody to rely on. You are the one. And when you pray for people like that, sometimes you see hot tears on their cheeks and you think, wow, that was a simple prayer for me, but for them there's something special, there's something really personal, and I think that really impacts people. The simplicity, and I think that really impacts people. You know the simplicity, the how do you call it genuine, like it's reachable? You know it's.
Speaker 2:It's honest, it's authentic yes, that's the word. It's honest to be able to hear the genuine work of how God is caring for and meeting with these people who are walking through this unexpected season of their life, and I think for all of us that are listening, we can understand that we are going to walk through trials of many kinds. James is really clear about that. James 1, consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you walk through trials of many kinds. James is really clear about that. James 1, consider pure joy, my brothers, when you walk through trials of many kinds. I am reminded today through hearing what this community has walked through and how God is meeting with them, the joy that they can experience by walking through those things together and learning more about the gospel. Talk to us about your mission and the work. This is new. This is something that's kind of new.
Speaker 2:Again, you came to the States. You were a dentist in Ukraine. You've been doing dental work here as a dental assistant. Is that right? Yeah, and then also I hear that if I have anything wrong with my car, you're the guy that I need to bring it to right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know there was a hard time when I came. You know you have this desire to work as a dentist over here because you're skilled, you know how it works, you did it for, you know, a decade and I realized that I'm not licensed over here so I can't do that. And to stay in the field. You know God blessed me to do a dental assistant job, so now I'm helping other doctors, you know, to be equipped, you know, to have these instruments, you know and so, and that's a blessing for me, to keep in the field. But also, yeah, a side job I did with my friend. We repaired vehicles. We, you know, sell them and that was fun, you know, to got to know something, you know, that you have never done before. So America is a country of opportunities. I've heard that. But in Ukraine I never changed my oil, you know, or my vehicle, so I always did it at the dealer. But coming to US, everything you know kind of, you know, a little bit costy. So I explored lots of opportunities, you know. But for all of this almost two and a half years that we are here, in my good and bad moments, I try to be focused, to invite new families, to have dinner with them to hear their life story, to share our life story, to share how we met Christ, how he impacted our life, our relationships with my wife, how he blessed us, you know, with kids and with life that we are having. And that's still a, you know, journey.
Speaker 3:The church, I guess. They saw, you know a heart of a missionary, of a person who cares about people, and they challenged me and said we see that you're hardworking in multiple jobs and could we buy your day, you know, could we help you to be more focused, more sharp on bringing gospel to you know nations, to Ukrainians and maybe, in future, other you know people who are surrounded in Austin. And I said what I should do for that? And they said we will equip you, we will help you for that, but you need to raise the support. And I'm just, oh wow. I've been a dentist. I've been always at the other side, every missionary that came to me and said I need some support, I need some prayer. So I definitely did that way. But now I'm on the other side again, you know, as a missionary.
Speaker 3:You know I came here as a missionary and you know I felt really awkward that I need to raise a support. I felt completely lonely, completely, I would say, as maybe Moses. You know, I don't own this language, I don't know this culture, and now I need to come for random people that you know. I don't know. Or maybe I just met for the first time and asked for support, you know.
Speaker 3:But at the other side, god gave me a warm thought that, rodion, this story is not about you.
Speaker 3:I'm given the opportunities to serve others.
Speaker 3:So today, I think God is really doing a lot of miracles, a lot of wonderful work through Ukrainian community and there's lots of people who are unreached and who are vulnerable, lots of people who are unreached and who are vulnerable.
Speaker 3:And if you have that opportunity to pray for Ukrainians over here, that they could find, temporary or permanently, their life over here and especially, that they could find a salvation through dedicated people, through those who could open their hearts, it will be really appreciated. And also, if you are willing to support my ability to spend time with Ukrainians, to buy that day or two of my time, that could be really appreciated. God is really restoring my life. God is really showing me the way how even if I'll be here a day or a year or 10 years, I know what I should do. I see the field of people who really are seeking, who really need to hear about the goodness of our God and, yeah, I really would love to understand and feel that I'm not doing it by myself, but I have a support team of partners who are doing it with me.
Speaker 2:We have listeners who, every month, will come on and will listen to this podcast and will hear stories of God at work in different places around the world. Around the world, we'll oftentimes ask them to pray a specific way, or we'll ask them to give in a specific way, or to just consider some idea that they've never really heard. In a strategy of reaching unreached people groups, what can we do to partner with you in this season of life? What does that look like?
Speaker 3:There's a few ways. First one is a prayer. I really believe that when we see a need and we pray for it, god finds people. God finds opportunities, you know, to reach people or to fulfill the need. I think there's lots of people who really need help. I'm finding friends, I'm finding community, I'm finding ways to buy groceries, you know, or you know simple. You know drive a vehicle and even go to DMV.
Speaker 3:So please pray for the people that, through all of this new stuff that they are going through, they could find a place for the Lord that loves them and that could help them to go through all of this new season of their life that dedicated Christians could tell them about the way of faith and trust in the Lord in the trials. Also, I'm sharing. You know what I'm doing and how I serve to Ukrainians and I have a limited circle of friends. You know that I could ask for, you know, a prayer or for financial support, prayer or for financial support, and if you have somebody that you could recommend that could you know help financially for some specific need, maybe, or for a specific family.
Speaker 2:What's the specific goal for you? What's the financial need for you right now?
Speaker 3:Financial goal is $3,000 per month that I need to raise. I'm partnering with Reliant and the Reliant organization partners with church, so I'm on their missionary side and, if you're willing to give, I need to raise $3,000 per month for serving Ukrainians and Ukrainian needs. And you could go to a website of Reliant and find Reliantorg. Slash Rodion, that's my name and you'll find my family picture and, yeah, you could make a donation.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I got it pulled up right here. Reliantorg slash Rodion, there's awesome pictures of you and your family. There's pictures of you and some of the Ukrainians that are here in the United States that you're serving. I am incredibly grateful to call you friend.
Speaker 2:I'm blown away by the work that God's done in your life and now through your life, where you get an opportunity now to care for people who have been displaced, people who have been interrupted, people who have been frustrated and who are desperate for community. You get to love them in their heart language. You get to walk alongside of them, you get to provide them with practical resources to help them hear, and then you get the opportunity to be able to share the love of Christ with them. It's really amazing and inspiring to hear the work that you're doing, and so it's a privilege for me to be able to hear your story today, and I can't wait to see the work that God's going to do.
Speaker 2:There is a beautiful worship song about the church. It's a prayer for the church in Ukraine that you told me about it, and normally we'll have our podcast guests pray in their language, but I think instead here at the end of our podcast, end of our time together. I would love to have you sing that song before you pray for us. So would you do that for us?
Speaker 4:Yeah, sure, god. I pray for Ukraine. God, I pray for you, for people. You forgive them, you save them and show us your mercy.
Speaker 3:Lord Jesus, I know that you are present right now. I know that you hear the language of our heart. No matter what we've been through, no matter what trauma or no matter what situation we've been faced, there is a way, there is a truth and there is a life. And, jesus, thank you that you go in this life journey with us and I hope that this story was encouraging for those who heard it. I pray for the audience. I pray for people who follow you, who put the trust of their life for you. I also pray for those who still don't know what they should do in you and how they are gifted.
Speaker 3:I just want to share this story about. You know random, common people that trusted you and they went to share the story, the good story of Jesus Christ, of salvation, with people that they never met, the language that they didn't know. But you were faithful and you bring fruits. So, for those who still think what they should do, just simply rejoice, just simply give a joy for the heart to trust you and follow you. For those who you know are extremely busy in their life, but they could support people.
Speaker 3:Missionaries, please inspire to understand that they are part of a big, beautiful adventure and journey. They help people to do missionary, missionary work, to reach unreached and, yeah, to be the voice, to be instruments in God's hands. I know that all of us have our life story. I know that all of us has, you know, something to share and, um, I pray, lord, that you could be with us today, that you could warm our heart, that you could open our eyes to see the needs of other people and to understand that that's a window of opportunities for us to bring your love, to bring your guidance and, yeah, to pray for people as well. All of us need you. In your name, father and Son and Holy Spirit, I pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen. Thank you for listening to Unreached. Our sincere desire is that what you've heard today will cause you to see the mission of God differently and your role in it more clearly. If this adds value for you and we hope it does would you please rate and review the podcast wherever you listen. Also, share with your family, your friends, your church, your life group, small group, dgroup, wherever you do life, and if you want to connect with us, find us on Instagram at unreachedpodcast, or email us at unreachedpodcast at gmailcom.
