Filled with Joy
Nastya was very dissatisfied with her life. She had gotten married at a young age and now there were problems in her marriage. She wondered what she could have done with her life if she hadn’t gotten married. She dreamed of traveling and was searching for some kind of fulfillment or purpose for her life.
Then Nastya met MB Mission workers John & Evelyn Wiens through an English class that John was teaching. She was introduced to the Ukraine TREK team soon after they arrived in Zaporozhye. Team members Sarah Baffa and Jackie Waine spent the whole evening talking to her and they could tell that she felt lost. It was Jackie’s birthday in two days and she felt God prompting her to invite Nastya to her birthday party.
Even though they hardly knew Nastya, she was eager to come to the party and also brought along her four-year-old daughter. She was very quiet at the party, but the team could tell that she really enjoyed being there.
Over the next few weeks, Sarah and Jackie often met with Nastya for coffee. They shared the gospel with her and Nastya asked lots of questions. They could see that she was searching for the truth and that her heart was opening more and more.
A few days before Christmas, missionary John Wiens ran into Nastya one morning at a coffee shop. After meeting and talking together, Nastya made the decision to follow Jesus!
Nastya’s life has been transformed and the TREK team was encouraged as they saw incredible growth in her during their time in Ukraine. Although there are many difficulties in her life, Nastya is so filled with joy and it is evident that the Holy Spirit is working in and through her. She is excited to tell other people about the changes that God has made in her life.
When Nastya lost her job, she told the team, “If this had happened a few months before, when I didn’t have Christ in my life, I would have been a mess. But because I have God, I could just get up and carry on with my day. It just didn’t bother me; that’s God working in my life!”
Pray that Nastya will continue to be on fire and passionate for Jesus. Praise God for bringing John & Evelyn and the TREK team into her life at a time where she was open and ready for the gospel. Pray also that Nastya’s husband will be drawn to Christ as he sees the amazing change in her life.
“We pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” - Colossians 2:11-14
Click here to watch a video from Ukraine