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Fall 2020 Choose Life Ukraine Ministry Update
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Leadership Spotlight

Luba Abramova, the current director of the Women’s Center, has been involved with the ministry of Choose Life from its beginning as a member of the steering committee that later became the board of directors. She translated for many events. She shares that God used translating for our initial post abortion healing groups to open her eyes to how serious a problem abortion is in Ukraine and its horrendous impact on women. She served as the assistant director when we opened the center in 2014 and became the director in 2017. She is an excellent counselor of clients and mentor of our volunteers. Her husband Alex teaches at Odessa Theological Seminary and leads seminars at rural churches while encouraging the pastors. (to read more about his ministry click here) They have 3 young adult children. If you would like to send a note of encouragement and/or receive ministry updates from the Abramovs, you can write to them at lubaabramova5@gmail.com.
(Alex & Luba both speak English.)
 
Specific Prayer Needs

Post-Abortion Ministry:
Ministry Director Ira Luponova.
Pray for two ladies going through the Forgiven & Set Free study this fall. Pray that it will be possible to conduct more groups in the spring.

Women’s Center:
Ministry Director Luba Abramova.
Pray for the salvation of clients currently studying the Bible. Pray for wisdom for our counselors as they connect with women by phone or online. 

Youth Ministry: 
Ministry Director Holly Friesen.
Pray that the COVID situation would improve sufficiently to allow us to schedule teaching opportunities again.  

Choose Life Board:
Board Chairman Pastor Igor Kucher
Pray for wisdom as we consider candidates for new board members. 
Our mission: Help people learn to value life from conception to death and receive God’s love, forgiveness and gift of eternal life.
God continues to bring needy clients to our center. Ukrainian government restrictions due to COVID-19 have caused us to create stringent scheduling and hygiene practices, but we are grateful that we could remain open throughout the summer and fall. Some counseling is done by phone or online to protect higher risk clients and to aid those who would have to travel a long distance on public transportation. Due to the economic impact of COVID, many families are facing desperate situations. We praise the Lord for His continued provision that allows us to give disadvantaged clients food products and diapers. 

Our spring post abortion healing groups were cancelled due to quarantine restrictions. Ira, the ministry director, was still able to meet with a new believer battling cancer and struggling to believe she was truly forgiven and accepted by God despite her past abortions. Her rapidly failing health prevented them from completing the whole Bible study. But after a few visits from Ira and praying with her, she shared that she attained peace and rest in God’s forgiveness. She recently went to be with the Lord and is now rejoicing in His presence! This fall our leaders have been able to continue the study with two of the ladies from the spring group. Please pray for their complete healing as they finish the course.
Stories of God at work
“S” has been coming to the center for several years due to multiple pregnancies. When her first child was less than a year old, she came to us for a pregnancy test. She was initially strongly abortion-minded, but praise the Lord, she chose to keep that child. Unfortunately, we later learned that she had at least one abortion between the births of her second and third children. She comes from a nominal Muslim background and initially was very closed to spiritual conversations. But, after completing all the other courses we had to offer, she finally agreed to study the Story of Hope with her counselor. She completed all the lessons and said that she believed it was true and prayed at home for forgiveness and salvation. Her counselor continues to work with her to determine how much of the Gospel she really understood and accepted. If she truly has come to faith in Christ, it would be hard for her to openly share that with her family. Pray for God to transform her heart and to give her counselor wisdom in teaching and encouraging her.
In August, our abstinence teaching team traveled to a village outreach on two different Saturdays to speak to teens about God’s plan for sexuality. They seemed to enjoy the lessons, and we pray that the truths they learned will impact their future decisions. God has given us a group of four teachers who are excited about developing this ministry. We have several invitations to teach in other villages and orphanages. However, because of COVID concerns we have not scheduled more seminars. Pray that our teachers will not lose their enthusiasm while waiting for easement of restrictions to enable them to restart teaching.
Do you want to know more about “Choose Life”?
Check out our website: ukrainemedical.abwe.org
Contact Information:
Holly Friesen, President of Choose Life – esperanza@abwe.cc
Miriam Wheeler, MD, founder & advisory board member– mrwheeler@abwe.cc

Would you like to support the ministry of “Choose Life”? 
Send gifts to ABWE P.O. Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585 or give online using this account number/link.
Prolife in Ukraine general account # 0757353

 
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Copyright © 2020 Choose Life Ukraine, All rights reserved.


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