Living Through War in Ukraine with Kristy Williams

How do you hold onto hope in the midst of war? In this episode, Kristy shares how the team in Ukraine is doing after three years of full-scale, active war. At the end of the episode, she also shares specific ways you can continue to pray as we ask the Lord to bring peace and end the war. You can also support Ukraine by clicking on the following links: Help Ukraine - General Fund Get to Know Our Missionaries in Ukraine Help a Frontline Worker in Ukraine Send a Ukrainian to Summer Camp Kristy and her husband, Ben, have served in Ukraine for 18 years. Their first introduction to Josiah Venture was when they served as high school students in the Czech Republic at English camps. That exposure to peer evangelism started them on a journey with Josiah Venture to share Christ with the youth of Central & Eastern Europe. In 2002, they served as summer interns in Czech before marrying in January 2003. For the next three consecutive years, Ben and Kristy led short-term high school teams from southern New Jersey to the Czech Republic for camp ministry. During these summer trips, they felt God calling them into full-time missions. Josiah Venture suggested that they help launch a new team in Ukraine, and in January 2007, they moved there. After serving as camp directors and in a local youth group for several years, they began leading the Josiah Venture Ukraine team, Epokha, in 2011. Ben and Kristy serve in a dynamic local church, train Ukraine's youth, volunteer with the Department of Education, and teach and equip leaders across Central and Eastern Europe. They live in Lviv, Ukraine, with their children, Marissa and Dylan. 00:00 Introduction to Christy Williams 00:37 Journey to Full-Time Missions 01:07 Life and Ministry in Ukraine 02:19 Family and Personal Background 04:00 Passion for Youth Ministry 05:20 High School Sweethearts and Early Missions 06:09 First Mission Trip to the Czech Republic 09:59 Transition to Ukraine 13:45 Early Days in Ukraine 17:05 Impact of the Ongoing War 27:11 Holding on to Hope in the Midst of War 27:30 The Power of Psalms and Prayer 28:05 Eternity and the Life of Christ 30:13 Team Ukraine's Mission and Resilience 31:33 Stories of Resilience and Transformation 32:41 Challenges and Opportunities in Ministry 37:30 Mental Health and Trauma Care 42:02 Unity Among Churches in Ukraine 45:50 Prayer Requests and Final Thoughts   Learn more about Josiah Venture Social Media: @josiahventure Contact: [email protected] Josiah Venture Prayer Room: pray.josiahventure.com Josiah Venture Prayer Room APP: josiahventure.com/prayer-room-app