Ukraine: Update from Ron Younker
I have been to Ukraine once a year for the last 11 years. Through the leadership of our own Wayne Morris, our team has been able to teach business seminars on various subjects including Marketing, Finance Human Resources, and Leadership. Through this teaching we have the opportunity to share our faith as we speak of values and ethics in business.
Over the last few years we have focused on speaking to college students on these topics. My topics have focused on leadership skills needed to be successful in business. Our trips last a week and we speak in 2-3 universities such as the National University of Ukraine, Ukraine Technical University and University of Culture and Arts. Our ability to get into these universities has been nothing short of a miracle from God.
We have focused on reaching college students as we know they are the future of the country. We weave into our messages the importance of moral and ethical values and explain that for us, these foundations come from the Bible. At the end of the week we partner with the Kiev chapter of CRU, (formally called Campus Crusade for Christ) to host a party on Thursday night and invite students from all of the universities to come and learn more in a fun and relaxed environment off campus. In 2016, we spoke to 500 students during the week and over 100 came to the party.
I had the opportunity to share my testimony at the Thursday night party. Now this wasn’t just any party. It had the theme of an “American Party”. It was quite hilarious to learn that Ukrainians think of cowboy hats, country music and Michael Jackson Song/Dance videos when putting on an American Party! Get the picture: 125 Ukrainians in cowboy hats and blue jeans speaking and singing in Russian!
Among the 100 attendees was a college student named Dima. It would not be until Thanksgiving Day, 2017 when I received a Facebook message from him saying that he was celebrating his one year salvation anniversary that I learned God had allowed me to play a big part in his salvation. Dima said my story was where he was right then and he began to think “I need this Jesus Ron speaks of.” A few days later he accepted Christ as his Savior! Praise God! What God has taught me over and over is that all He asks us to do is be available and go share our story of what Jesus has done in our life. Who can argue with that??? I am humbled God allowed me to be a part of Dima’s spiritual life through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Trips to Ukraine are coming up in March, September, and November 2018. Contact Wayne Morris at for more information.