from Ukraine

Please, allow me to introduce you to Maria Kryzhanivska. Maria is from Lviv, Ukraine and works as a campus minister at the Ukrainian Catholic University. I bumped into Maria at an Evangelization conference in the Czech Republic. She quickly captured my attention by her bright-eyes and joyful smile. Right away I knew that this girl could easily become a good friend. The day after meeting Maria, the Lord put us at the same breakfast table and she asked me a random question, “Have you ever talked to a Jew who wants to know Jesus?” I was shocked to hear this after the many ways that God has put our Jewish brothers and sisters on my heart since living in Europe. Little did I know that Ukraine has the largest Messianic-Jewish community in existence. Maria knows a professor at her University who wants to be a Christian but struggles with his desires because he is Jewish. The two of us spent hours discussing Judaism and about the miracles God is performing in Ukraine. Maria and 4 other people single-handedly arranged an ecumenical Prayer meeting at the Danylo Halytsky square during their past presidential election. Thousands joined Maria to pray for peace, unity, and justice in the freezing ice and snow. President Yushchenko, a justice man, was elected in a re-vote in December after the country's Supreme Court threw out flawed November elections. Many know Yushchenko because of his disfigured face, which is the result of someone’s attempt to kill him by dioxin poisoning. God Bless Maria, a servant of God who will stop at nothing to see God’s people come to know that He is Merciful and King of all Nations.