Odessa Mission Updates

08/31/2026

Blessed to have been invited by Gethsemane Church in Mechanicsville, VA to update them recently on how their generosity is touching so many lives. Many thanks to Gethsemane and to all our loving supporters for all you do in Jesus’ Name ❤️

Here I am at Gethsemane wearing traditional Ukrainian attire to commemorate Ukraine’s Independence Day, which was on August 24th. And next to me is Teressa Pearson, a faithful member of Gethsemane who for decades has devoted so much of her time and strength to the advancement of world missions. God is good!

08/12/2026

Through our benevolence initiative, “Love for Ukrainians”, Volodymyr and Mariana’s service van in Uman, Ukraine has been fully repaired and is now back in business. Many thanks to all of you who made this possible ❤️

07/29/2026

There's a remarkable couple in Uman, Ukraine attending Salvation Church. Volodymyr and Mariana Vakula spend the bulk of their time running a multifaceted ministry involving benevolence outreach and faith-based rehabilitation programs for men battling alcohol/substance abuse, while sharing the love of Jesus with the visually impaired throughout the surrounding region. One key tool in their arsenal happens to be a service van used for the purpose of transporting many of these folks to worship services, to small group gatherings, and elsewhere. So, when we heard that their van broke down and that there were no available funds to fix it we didn't hesitate to step in and meet that need. What's more, their Kingdom efforts have resulted in seven baptisms over the past month. God is good!

Wanting to help Ukrainian ministries like this one? Just use the following link and choose the “Odessa Mission” option to send your tax-deductible gift today: https://giving.myamplify.io/app/giving/gethsemane

06/06/2026

Dear friends, if you would, please keep us in your prayers. Our "Love for Ukrainians" benevolence fund, which uses 100% of its income to help Ukrainians in desperate situations, is running low and in need of stable funding. It presently has no recurring support but we're hoping and praying that'll change soon. Thankfully, online giving is now available through Gethsemane Church of Christ in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Just head to the online giving portal on their website and choose the "Odessa Mission" option.

If, by chance, you'd rather have your donation(s) support the Odessa Mission's general fund instead then please contact us here on Facebook to let us know. Otherwise, we will assume you're wanting to support the LFU benevolence fund. Thank you and may God bless you all!

"Do everything in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14).

05/26/2026

Serhii began working in construction and preaching to some of our personal friends at Odessa's Christian Life Center after his family fled advancing Russian forces in the east, that is, until he was forcibly mobilized this year. Before long his family's debts were piling up in the wake of what seemed like a never-ending string of bad news. Eventually, though, we learned about a potential opportunity for Serhii to serve part-time as a military chaplain and operate away from the front as a Signalman. The caveat was that Serhii had to buy his own equipment, which was infeasible now that his family was two months late on the rent, that is, until our “Love for Ukrainians” fund paid their outstanding debt in full. Thanks for keeping Serhii safe and please pray for him as he serves both God and country.

Want to help Ukrainians like Serhii? Just click on the following link and choose the "Odessa Mission" option to make your tax-deductible donation: https://giving.myamplify.io/app/giving/gethsemane

03/26/2026

Well, I know many of you have been praying for Anna Prokopova who’s been facing stage 3 cancer. And thanks to your love and generosity we’ve also been able to come alongside her family with some monetary support during this long-fought battle. Never once, in all my interactions with Anna, have I ever sensed her faith waver or her hope wane. Never have I sensed her questioning “Why?” Throughout all the surgeries, rounds of chemo, and radiation, though her body may have shown weakness her spirit exuded remarkable strength and resilience.

Today, we joyfully celebrate the results of her most recent biopsies, which indicate that Anna is finally CANCER FREE 🙏❤️🙌 Many thanks to all of you and thank you Jesus for answering our prayers!

03/10/2026

A number of people from Evangelism Church in Kharkiv have now emigrated to Germany and formed a small church there including former pastor, Vitalii Lakh, who's ministering to them with his family. Others from E.C. are still in active duty on the front lines. The rest are in Kharkiv serving their community.

Dmytro Gritsenko, a deacon at E.C. and founder of Mercy House Rehab Center, is now serving as the interim minister along with his wife Irina. Thanks in part to your generosity four M.H. graduates who were baptized in the past two years are now serving in leadership roles at E.C.

Though circumstances forced us to close down M.H. Dmytro says that conditions have improved such that they're considering re-opening the center. Please keep that in prayer if you would.

Dmytro, with our financial assistance, successfully switched the church vehicle's gas tank to a natural-gas based system instead, which greatly cuts costs and allows them to do considerably more outreach and benevolence within the community. Glory to God!

02/25/2026

Today marks the four-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion but God is good and in Him we hope and place our trust 🙏❤👍 Thank you, God, for everything!

We also thank our faithful supporters who give the Odessa Mission the ability to continue providing temporary relief and lasting hope to Ukrainians affected by the war through our benevolence fund called: "Love for Ukrainians".

"Do everything in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/04/2026

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus repeats these words: “Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Mt.6:4, 6, & 18). Some seek the spotlight; others work behind the scenes. Though God loves them both Jesus reminds us that special rewards await the latter group. Denise Flynn served as my first forwarding agent in 1994 when I headed off to Kharkiv. Following my move to Crimea in 1996 Karen Atkins graciously filled that critical role. Then Allen Kunkel took the baton after the Odessa Mission was born in 2003. Bill and Diane Ware gladly assumed the task in 2008 for nearly a decade but theirs was an especially tall order because Iryna and I had just opened a business in Odessa requiring considerable heavy lifting back in the USA. At some point, my Dad, Emmett Murphy, functioned in the interim until Steve and Rhonda Dunham cheerfully answered the call to sacrifice much of their time over the coarse of several years. These are the unsung heroes. Rarely are they ever mentioned. Seldom are they seen. Never do they get the credit they deserve. But God is watching and He promises that their reward will be great! We thank each and every one of them for their innumerable selfless acts, the effects of which only God Himself can measure! Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude for their dedication and for their friendships! In this vein, and without further ado, please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new forwarding agents Glenn and Carol Lewis!

01/31/2026

Please continue praying for our Christian brother, Serhii Lytvynenko, who’s currently stationed in one of Zaporizhia’s hot spots. He’s still in need of some decent protective gear so hopefully we’ll be able to get that to him in the coming days.

A good bulletproof vest costs about $550 and that would be a real blessing. As you may recall, the one we bought for Ivan Yegorchenkov actually wound up saving his life.

As always, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued prayers and support!