By: Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
After almost three years, it was time for Olek to leave us for his next season. As some of you know Oleksandr Dmytrovich Rudenko came to us as a 17-year old newly adopted young man from Ukraine, who had not adjusted well in his adoptive home.
When he arrived, he was struggling with the English language, had fallen behind in his education process, and was still challenged in the process of acclimating to life in America. He had grown up in an orphanage, so living in a home with a lot of other boys was somewhat familiar to him.
After a year at Youth-Reach, Olek earned his American citizenship, and later he was able to earn his high school diploma. He surrendered his life to the Lord in December of 2019, and it was later that he began to discuss his next season after Youth-Reach.
Online, we shared the plan for Olek to attend missions training and the Discipleship Training School with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). We were excited to discover that YWAM has a base in Ukraine where the course work is taught in both English (his new language) and in his native Russian. We were encouraged when so many of you gave specifically to this need, and on Wednesday the 10th of February, Olek boarded a Turkish Airlines flight where he had a layover in Istanbul and then a flight to Kyev, Ukraine. The YWAM base and training center is in Ternopil, Ukraine.
The lecture phase of his training will be six months long, followed by two or more months on a focused mission trip where his training will be put into practice. He then plans to return to the States, though the Lord will be in charge of that decision.
Please keep our son Olek in your prayers, that the Father will continue His process of sanctification and discipleship in this young man’s life. Pray that he will not be tempted by familiar surroundings but will remain steadfast in his faith. We are deeply grateful for everyone who generously gave so that Olek could have this unbelievable opportunity. Thank you!
