My Story

My story begins in Philadelphia as a second generation Ukrainian American.  My younger brother and I spent plenty of time with my grandparents and aunts on the green outskirts of town, and drove up to Canada for summers on Pigeon Lake with my mom’s side of the family.  Being of hardy immigrant stock, we ate out of overflowing Ukrainian gardens and root cellars and feasted on the fish we caught with my grandpa.  Shortly after I turned six, our family moved to Japan for my father’s engineering work.  And there we remained until I graduated from high school.  I grew up surrounded by different cultures and languages, saw much of the world, and was deeply challenged and fascinated by it.

For as long as I can remember, I knew God was real and we talked.  When I was 11, I decided it was time to make my commitment public.  From then on, my heart for the downtrodden and needy grew, as did my desire to reach out (though I’m told by my aunt that it started long ago during bed-time prayers as a young tyke, when I used to cry over the needy African children I saw on TV!)

After finishing my BS in secondary Social Studies Education and a brief dip into teaching in the Dominican Republic, I started working at a home for single mothers as a counselor and case manager.  At the same time, I began investing in junior high students through discipleship ministry at New Life Glenside.  I filled my free time with painting, reading, playing piano, coaxing up a garden, and researching opportunities to serve in developing countries.

This season awakened in me a deep joy and purpose in coming alongside people in their various walks of life and bringing the light of the gospel to bear as we walked, learned, and grew together.  But I needed to help to do it well, so in time, God led me to study biblical counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary.  Towards the end of my studies, an internship with the WHM Bundibugyo team confirmed that my desire to bring hope and help to those in the developing world was also God's, so I joined the Massos in Sudan in the winter of 2009.

My first year in Sudan was spent mostly out in the market, streets, and homes of our town, getting to know folks and picking up as much of two languages as possible (Moru & Arabic).  Soon I was teaching English, then agriculture, and finally biblical counseling at our newly resurrected local bible college.  Through my own experimentation and practically inhaling the instruction of a local agricultural missionary, God opened the door for me to help start a school farm project - both for putting class instruction into practice, and helping to feed the students.  I love it!  I’m tremendously excited to play a part in the training of students that are or will become community and church leaders and pastors.

I am blessed to call Miri-Kalanga, a lovely local church, my spiritual home.  I have had the great pleasure of getting involved with children, young women, and older ladies there and around town.  This afforded me the opportunity to do some bible storying with kids in Moru, host a women’s cooking/baking exchange, and participate in many other community events.  In time, my prayer is that these relationships will lead to opportunities for more intentional and consistent discipleship of youth and young women through small group bible study and sharing.    God changes us through His word and His people, and I pray that in many ways, God will do this as I share life with my Sudanese brothers and sisters - encouraging and challenging, and being encouraged and challenged.