To our dear UBI partners,
I want to introduce you to one of our first-year students, Vanya Maidan. Vanya is from Kharkov, a large city in eastern Ukraine. He is seventeen years old and is just out of high school. He is also a new Christian, but his passion for the Lord and his desire to lead his youth group back home has brought him to UBI. I was encouraged by his recent newsletter and wanted to share some of it with you.
Right now I'm studying the Bible with my 15-year-old friend Denise who lives in Kharkov. We've known each other for nine years. He knew me before I came to Christ, and I've been able to share about my growth with him. I expressed that I wanted to study the Bible with him, and the Lord answered my prayer. We meet online every Saturday at 10:00am and are studying the Gospel of Mark. As we've studied together, I can see his sincere desire and interest in the Bible. What a blessing it is when the Holy Spirit works through you and gives you strength and knowledge. It brings me such joy and I look forward to every study.
I do another study with two young Christian guys also from my home church in Kharkov. We are going through the basics of Exegesis and Hermeneutics using the book "Biblical Interpretation" by Charles Speer. I would like to make the group bigger and give non-Christians a chance to sit in a study and hear the Word and understand its importance for today.
I am grateful to God for this opportunity to serve him and my brothers in Christ. The institute provides incredible knowledge and opens up many opportunities for ministry. I thank God for this and for you, my beloved brothers and sisters.
I am encouraged to see how Vanya is already applying the things he's learning in the classroom. He is a joy to have at the institute, and he is just one of many students who share a similar passion for God's Word and God's will for our lives.
Dreaming About the Future of UBI
Ukraine is not the same country it was twenty years ago. As the Ukrainian Bible Institute looks to the future, we want to be aware of the changing world around us. How are our students today different from those who attended twenty years ago? What skills do they need in order to reach today's Ukraine with the gospel? What needs are there among Ukrainian churches, and how is UBI helping to meet those through our program?
Over a few days in October, we were blessed by a visit from Richard and Denise Baggett who helped facilitate conversations with our entire staff about our vision and dreams for the future of the school. It was good to hear each person share their heart and even their concerns. We were united in our common dreams and inspired (and challenged) by our unique ideas. The time we spent together was important, and we are already a better school because of it.
I want to ask you to join us in prayer specifically about the future of UBI. We will always stay faithful to the primary task of teaching God's word, but we want to do it effectively. We want to train spiritual leaders who can serve today's church and today's Ukraine in relevant ways that will grow God's kingdom and glorify His name. Our conversations about the years to come have only just begun. Please be praying for wisdom, opportunities, and partnerships that will, Lord willing, take us where we want to go.
In Closing
We are nearing the end of our first semester. Another country-wide lockdown seems to be looming, but Lord willing we will make it through the next three weeks before UBI breaks for the winter holidays.
Unfortunately, one of our staff members was sick with COVID, and so we spent the last several weeks online. This is our first week back together and, even though we are maintaining our distance, it is good to see everyone in person again.
The staff, the students, and I all thank you for your partnership in the gospel through your support of UBI. We pray for you regularly and thank you for your ongoing prayers for us. May God bless this unusual upcoming holiday season in amazing and unexpected ways.
Sincerely and with love,
Brandon Price