Meet Our New Awana Ukraine National Director

For the past year, Awana East Europe Regional Director Pavils Grigas has also served as our interim Awana Ukraine national director. This past month we welcomed Olga Kravchenko as the new national director for Awana Ukraine.

Pictures (above, clockwise): Olga Kravchenko, Pavils and Anita Grigas, Brian and Sandee Rhodes, Matt, Katie and Warren Markins, and Pavils’ granddaughter Paula Yarmolatiy; (below): Olga

Olga attended Awana Ukraine in the 1990s and started serving as an Awana leader in high school. She currently directs a local club and, for the past 20 years, has served Awana Ukraine in a variety of capacities: translator, interpreter, curriculum designer and master trainer. Since the Russian invasion two-and-a-half years ago, Olga has demonstrated great resilience, stepping forward to provide leadership for the whole team across Ukraine. We are grateful for God’s calling on Olga’s life and her willingness to serve as director for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). Olga and her husband, Igor, have two sons ages nine and five.

In July, Olga traveled to Latvia with Pavils and his daughter, Anita, to meet with Awana President and CEO Matt Markins, his family, and Awana Global Advocates Brian and Sandee Rhodes. The trip gave Olga encouragement and vision for her new role, and she shared this report:

This was a unique Awana trip for me because I didn’t have to translate or lead any training. Instead, it felt like a retreat for our team! Let me explain. Before Pavils, Anita and I went to Latvia, I thought I was doing all right emotionally and coping with the challenges of the war back home. But very soon after we arrived, Anita and I realized we were reacting to every sudden sound, like doors slamming and echoing between the buildings in the old town of Riga. We soon realized the trauma of war had followed us.

The vacation rental where we stayed was very comfortable and had everything we needed. Because we were all together, we had great fellowship and meals, talking, laughing, singing, watching a movie and so much more. It was great to share life together! It was good to get to know Brian and Sandee better and share one another’s values, dreams and challenges, and the ways in which God shaped our lives and called us into ministry. It was also nice to meet Matt and his family. It was special to see a man with such an important calling and great vision also being a father and husband, and so relatable. Being together, going sightseeing, sharing meals, talking and having fun — this all was very refreshing, and at the same time encouraging and equipping for what’s coming in my life, both personally and with my new role in Awana Ukraine.

A special treat was to go to the beach and swim in the Baltic sea. We had a wonderful visit with Pavils’ brother, Yuris, and his wife, Lilya. It was a very warm and hospitable atmosphere with tasty food and talks about Lilya’s family. We learned how her Christian grandparents and parents were persecuted by the Soviet regime. Even our way home was special. Our bus broke down when we were already in Ukraine, but still seven hours away from Kyiv. All the passengers were picked up by other buses, but Pavils, Anita and I waited with the drivers until the bus was repaired. We were delayed about five hours, but we had good fellowship and shared our faith with the drivers.

I’m now settling into my new role and am focused on building relationships with the national team, planning for the autumn leaders’ conferences and preparing to cast a vision to our Awana Ukraine leaders for such a time as this. We are also preparing for day camps for kids and teens in the Cherkasy region, which will take place in the refugee center throughout August. Most of these children have been displaced by the war or have fathers serving in the military. Please pray for these camps to bless these precious children and teens.

We want children and families in Ukraine to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and find hope in Him. Please pray for me to have God’s guidance, wisdom and vision for Awana Ukraine and the people of Ukraine during and after the war. Looking forward to and hopeful of what God’s going to do in the future.
Thank you and God bless you all!
Olga

If you’d like to financially help the Awana Ukraine team continue serving their community and country, please follow the link below. Thank you.

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