When did you move?
We packed up our gang + moved to Odessa, Ukraine, in April 2018.
How long are you staying?
We have committed to serve 3 years in Ukraine, praying & seeking the Lord’s plans for an extension of that time or a move somewhere else.
Are you moving back to Yura’s hometown of Luhansk?
Unfortunately because of the current war waging on in eastern Ukraine, it’s not possible for us to return to Luhansk. Yura’s parents & brother were displaced from Luhansk in 2015 & now live in Ternopyl (western Ukraine closer to Poland). His sister & her family live in Severodonetsk, a few hours northeast of Luhansk in Ukrainian territory.
So where will you live?
We are excited to be in Odessa, a beautiful, historic port city on the Black Sea! (Trading one beach town for another – ironic? 😉 I love God’s sense of humor.)
What are you doing?
Ultimately our hope is to share the name of Christ with the nations that all may worship Him. Specifically, our heartbeat has always been caring for the vulnerable & fatherless in a way that shares God’s Gospel with them.
— We are honored to partner with a local Ukrainian organization, Heritage. They love Jesus and share the Gospel by serving children with special needs, children in orphanages and boarding schools and low-income, at-risk families.
— We are also involved with the deaf community, learning Russian Sign Language and building relationships with children and staff at boarding school orphanages for the deaf.
— Our local church is a wonderful community and support system. We hope that our church and more local churches join in serving vulnerable children and families in Odessa!
How can we support you?
We have an amazing team of partners who are investing in God’s ministry in Odessa! We would be honored to have you on our team so that more families are reached with the Gospel. Click here to read more about our sending organization Globe International & support our family!
You can also check out the Pray With Us page to see specific prayer requests & detailed needs.
How can we keep up with your journey?
Follow us right here on the blog, subscribe to our posts via email & follow our journey in pictures on Facebook & Instagram (@theperekotiys)
If you’d like to hear stories of what God is doing in Odessa, get connected here for monthly email or snail mail updates!