Bringing the Kingdom to a War-Torn Country
Memoir
Date Published: 08-06-2024
Publisher: King's Glory Publishing House
He was told to renounce his belief in God or face certain death. He chose God. In this powerful story we follow the lives of two Ukrainian natives-Peter and Irina Tkachuk, who went against the cultural norm of their country and chose to follow God. Through uncertainty and an authoritative rule, they chose radical obedience. The Tkachuks took the charge to share the Kingdom with those around them from school age children to wounded soldiers. The Ark of Ukraine is more than a missionary’s memoir. The moving testimonials and resilient faith exhibited by the people in these pages is captivating and moving. The work they did and the lives they touched are nothing short of a miracle. This book will ignite your faith and inspire you to do your part in sharing the light and life of the Kingdom. Grab your copy of The Ark of Ukraine today.
Irina’s
father, a devoted pastor and missionary, passionately spread the gospel in his
local region. He shepherded several churches, ensuring their spiritual growth.
Volodymer was a compassionate man and would regularly visit the elderly members
of the community. His faith and love for Jesus set him apart from the members
of legalistic churches which were typical in Ukraine. People aren’t known to
reach out to their neighbors in love even if they call themselves Christians,
but Volodymer was unwavering in his beliefs and worked tirelessly to share the
love of Christ with others, which left a lasting impact. His ceaseless
commitment to serving the Lord continued until his passing in 2021 at the age
of seventy-five. Unable to recover from the loss of her husband of 52 years,
Nadia Yukhimets succumbed to her illness two years later, in January of 2024.
Irina and her family still feel a profound loss.
Still, the legacy of faith endures in Irina’s family. Under Soviet Rule in Ukraine, Irina’s great-great-grandfather and his son were exiled to Siberia for steadfastly refusing to renounce their faith. His wife and daughter moved to Siberia to be close to them. Irina’s great uncle endured torture and eventually perished in a Siberian prison. Stalin caused widespread starvation in 1930-33 known as the “Holodomor, a term derived from the Ukrainian words for hunger (holod) and extermination (mor)” or “Great Famine” (Applebaum, A. (2024,3)) This was to eliminate a Ukrainian independence movement. According to Britannica, around at least 5 million perished in Ukraine during this time.
The “Great
Purge” or sometimes known as the “Great Terror” occurred in 1937-1938. This dark period in history included a mass execution of thousands of people in
Ukraine under Soviet control by Stalin, who was determined to purge his
perceived enemies. It was during this time that General Secretary Joseph Stalin
consolidated his power of the Communist Party.
To say that
the Ukrainian people have suffered greatly under Soviet Rule is an
understatement.
But the legacy
of faith lives on. Irina’s siblings are, as of this writing, serving in some
sort of Christian ministry. All her brothers are either deacons or pastors. Her
father and all his brothers were pastors. Her grandfather was a pastor as well.
Faith has sustained every family member.
Irina met
Peter at a church meeting in Ukraine in 1989 after he returned home from
serving in the army. They married on August 12, 1990, when Irina was only 16
years old!
“It was not
easy being 16 getting married,” Irina explains. “For many years I kept
everything inside me; I wouldn’t talk about it. I have learned to trust my
feelings and share them with Peter over the years. But still, if I think he
won’t understand me, I might not share my thoughts or feelings.
About the Author
Lura Hunter is an author, missionary, and heart healer. She holds a master's in counseling and special education. Lura has a passion for the lost. Her desire is not just to see them saved but to make disciples as the Great Commission commands. Lura has traveled to nine different countries: Brazil, Ghana, China, El Salvador, Ukraine, Cameroon, Papa New Guinea, Uruguay, and Indonesia. With each country she met new people and experienced God’s heart in a new way.
When she is not on the mission field abroad, Lura takes on the role of healer for many. With over ten years of experience under her belt, Lura helps people break out the things like generational curses, guilt, shame, pain, and anxiety. She helps them step into spiritual freedom through Sozo and Prophetic Heart Healing.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
https://mybook.to/TheArkofUkraine
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