Angel Wings

I promised you that I would write about the 10 day outreach trip with Healing Hearts Ukraine.  Below is the update.  Happy reading !

For those who may not know, Healing Hearts is a ministry designed to minister to the needs of post abortive women.  Healing Hearts is an international ministry with its headquarters situated in America.  Approximately fourteen years ago, the Lord placed it on my heart to take this ministry first to Russia, and then in the last four years, to Ukraine to share the same hope and healing that many women in America have received, with Ukrainian women.  The Lord impressed upon me that an abortion is an abortion no matter what a nationality you are, or what country you live in, and that women in the former Soviet Union needed to hear about the love, forgiveness, hope and healing that only the Lord can bring just as much, if not more, than the women in America.  As a result the Lord has given me the opportunity to minister to many women all over the former Soviet Union.  The fruit of this is that the ministry has seen Ukrainian women begin to take on leadership roles, sharing about the ministry in their churches, Women’s Bible Studies, and Church conferences.  Therefore the time had come to turn the ministry over to Ukrainian nationals, which meant that my role as director/coordinator of Healing Hearts Ukraine would come to an end. 

During our recent Healing Hearts Ukraine conference, three leaders from the ministry, in America including the mission’s director, plus myself were able to travel to four different cities (Kiev, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Pervomaysk-Lugansk region).  Our journey started in the north with Transformation Baptist church in Kiev, Ukraine and ended in the south with Vozrozhdeneyea Baptist church in Pervomaysk, Ukraine. Our goal was to encourage Ukrainian leaders who are actively involved in the ministry within their churches, as well as sharing about the ministry along with local churches and ministries such as women’s Bible Studies and local Pregnancy Centers.

Our journey was adventurous as we traveled 17 hours from Kiev south to Pervomaysk, Lugansk region on an old Soviet styled train that made 41 stops within that 17 hour period.  Our journey was filled with His Spirit as we experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  In each city we held a general conference where we shared information on post abortion trauma, as well as information on the ministry.  We gave the opportunity for post abortive women to take home a copy of the study to do themselves or to give to a friend who is post abortive.  As we witnessed women coming forth to receive the Bible Study tears ran down their cheeks as they shared their individual stories and repented of their abortions before the Lord.  Through the outreaches in these various cities, we were able to share with approximately 180 women about His love, healing, hope and forgiveness.  We were also able to share with Pastor’s and women’s ministry leaders in each city to educate on the effects of abortion in a women’s life as well as to encourage them to use the Healing Hearts Bible Study as an evangelism tool within their ministries. One Pastor in Pervomaysk sat in the balcony of the church during the entire five hour women’s outreach in which Ukrainian Healing Hearts leaders participated in the outreach with teachings, testimonies, songs and poems of repentance/forgiveness as well as a drama on abortion.  He later shared his full approval of the ministry inviting us to return again.

In Pervomaysk, we were able to share with 21 of our leaders from that area, in a one day seminar designed to equip the leaders further in their ministry.  The leaders also shared with us on the growth of the ministry in their areas, including testimonies of healing. We all felt the Lord draw us all closer together, at times dropping the language and culture barrier, as we ate together, stayed in their homes, and shared with each other the Lord’s work. 

Although it is very exciting to see and hear of all the Lord has done in this ministry over the past years, at the same time as the leadership was handed over, I felt mixed emotions, much in the same as a mother might have watching her child grow up, go off to college, and then get married. 

I have since then moved from Kiev, Ukraine to Poltava and will continue to minister to post abortive women as the Lord leads (currently I have one young lady that is going through the Healing Hearts Bible Study). I will also be ministering at the Pregnancy Center in Poltava, teaching the volunteer counselors how to counsel women, especially post abortive women, ministering to special needs orphans, and directing the Poltava drama team.  The Lord is not done with me yet here in Ukraine, and just as I am looking forward to how He will use Ukrainian Healing Hearts leaders to continue the growth of the ministry, I am also looking forward to how He will work in and through me as I have broadened my areas of ministry. 

Please keep the ministry of Healing Hearts Ukraine as well as the ministry in Poltava in your prayers.  I know the Lord’s mighty hand is on both of these ministries, as He guides and directs us to share about Him, so that others may taste and see that the Lord is good. 

And don’t forget to keep listening. You never know when you might hear the sound of Angel wings…

Blessings~

Vanessa-Poltava, Ukraine

(For more information on the ministry of Healing Hearts, you may go to their web-site at www.healinghearts.org)