Many leave winter retreat wanting to know more
By G.K. in Ukraine
Before our family moved to Ukraine, we seldom thought of how resistant many Central Asian countries are to the sharing of the gospel and the acceptance of religious workers. People in such places often live their whole lives without ever encountering a Christian or hearing the Good News of Christ. And yet, thousands of Central Asians are studying and living in Ukraine!
God opened the doors for us to meet several of these international students. After a few months of having them over each week for dinner and games, we took many of them on a winter retreat.
Three American families attended the retreat, eating, playing, and talking with atheist, agnostic and Muslim students from Central Asia and Ukraine. We did the program in Russian, with translation going on in the back for guys from the Middle East who knew English well but understood almost no Russian. It thrilled us to see this diverse group reading the Scriptures and hearing the story of Christ for the first time!
We looked at Christmas according to Hollywood, and then at Christmas according to the Bible. The retreat provided a good balance of free time, games, great food, skiing, sledding and interacting with the Scriptures during our group sessions. We explored reasons for Christmas from biblical, philosophical and personal perspectives. Here are a few comments summing up the weekend:
• When one of the more closed students was asked what he thought about the kind of sacrificial love demonstrated by God and talked about in 1 John 4:10, he responded, “It gives me goose bumps up my arm. This is such a good book; I want to read this book.”
• When one of the more closed students was asked what he thought about the kind of sacrificial love demonstrated by God and talked about in 1 John 4:10, he responded, “It gives me goose bumps up my arm. This is such a good book; I want to read this book.”
• After watching the Jesus film in two languages, a young woman from Asia said, “I never knew Jesus did so much for us. I didn’t know the gift He gave us. Now I love Him, too.” She prayed the prayer at the end of the film.
• When asked about the Jesus film, two other students responded, “It was a good story; I learned many things I never knew.”
• During our discussion, another student stood up and described the whole of the gospel in detail, though he had never heard it before camp. He has since returned to his home country where most people have never heard the story that he so remarkably retold to our group.
We’re so grateful to those who prayed for this camp! Please continue to pray for God to work in the hearts of these students and others from hard-to-reach countries. Ask Him to bring together a multi-cultural community of new believers focused on reaching outward and growing in His mercy, grace, truth and love!
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
