We, like you, are adjusting to living life while practicing social distancing and self-isolation. Ukraine closed things like schools and the border fairly quickly after the epicenter of the outbreak shifted to Europe. Only essential businesses are open. And we, like you, have transitioned to working from home, alongside caring for our daughter and doing all of our ministry online. We are thankful to God for our health and safety and for His provision during this time.

But, we are seeing that distance is not a barrier to effective ministry.

We are actually seeing this distance open doors!

On the last day of school before all the schools were closed, one teenager we had been praying for (Khyrstya) repented with her leader after doing a four-meeting devotional that ends with an invitation to repent and believe in Jesus! Also, our discipleship meetings have all moved online. One teenager I disciple shared some really tough, private struggles she has been having when we met online this week. She said, “Usually we meet in public cafes, and I don’t feel comfortable bringing these things up there because there are a lot of people around. But now that we are meeting online, I felt safer to talk about it.” Praise God for this opportunity and the safety that online meetings can bring.

We are also trying to be creative in other ways to do online ministry. Believe it or not, we are still able to do Fusion online (Fusion is a rock/pop choir rehearsal). Teenagers can do warm-ups, play games together, practice their choir parts and hear a devotion online. We also do our English club online and are creating a series of 20 English lesson videos to send to our city’s Department of Education as an alternative to teaching English in classrooms, like we normally would do.

Overall, we are learning to adjust our expectations, hold plans loosely and still do what God has called us to do — equip young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church.

For me personally, I have never clung to worship music more tightly than during this time, and as a result, through worship and reading Psalms, God has led me through some really special times of praising Him. It only took a pandemic to get me to really practice this spiritual discipline. Our team in Ukraine even has the challenge to listen to one worship song that is special to us every day for the duration of the quarantine.

This is such a strange season, with so many ups and downs. We see how this situation is affecting so many friends and family in the states — financially, physically and emotionally. But we are clinging to God, praying big prayers and practicing praising Him.

Katie, Lee and Jesse Humerian
Lviv, Ukraine