the de Vuyst Pages      

George, Sarah, Abigail, Matthew & Elizabeth de Vuyst

Serving with Christian Reformed World Missions in Ukraine

Together with our partners in Ukraine, we are training church leaders in Ukraine’s post-Soviet, post-Christian, and post-atheist society

in order to develop healthy churches with a biblical understanding of Christianity so that the Kingdom of God may transform all spheres of life and society.

Here is the 5 minute video we prepared in 2009 to give a short overview of our ministry in Ukraine.

Church Retreat

The Christian Reformed Church in Mukachevo's 6th annual church retreat was once again a blessed time of fellowship and learning.  Forty people participated on the two-day retreat.  We learned about the "seven deadly sins" and how they identify sin in all of us, the root of which is pride.  The study included practical suggestions for getting rid of the sin in our lives. 

Besides the great teaching, we had a wonderful time of building relationships with one another through games, conversation, leisurely walks, roasting marshmallows, and baking potatoes in the fire.

Easter Traditions

Easter is the biggest religious holiday of the year in Ukraine.  94% of Ukrainians consider themselves Christians (83% Orthodox) and Easter is the one Sunday when nearly everyone in the country goes to church.   Unfortunately, for most Ukrainians Easter only means preparing a special basket with a sampling of food and wine to be blessed by the priest and then breaking the Lenten fast with two days of feasting and drinking.  The true reason for Easter has been lost in the mixing of pagan and Christian traditions. 

Our partner church, the Christian Reformed Church in Mukachevo, defies the cultural traditions surrounding Easter but seeks to embrace the truth of Jesus as our living Lord and King.  The Sunday service included a play by the Sunday school children on the real reason of Easter.  The sermon centered on what Jesus has done for us.  Now that is a reason to celebrate!  (Watch a video of the children's Easter program here.)

Prayer Missions Team

 We enjoyed a short, one-day visit by a team from North America who came to Eastern Europe to pray for World Mission's missionaries and their ministries.  They prayed with Pastor Robert and the elders of the Christian Reformed Church in Mukachevo.  They saw and prayed over the property where the congregation would like to build a church.  They worshipped with us on Sunday and prayed for us as we transition to leave Mukachevo, spend home service in the States, and move to Kiev.

Our Future

This is a time of transition for our ministry and for us as a family.

In July we expect to return to the US for our scheduled home service and continued education (July 2012-May 2013). From August through December, George will be participating in a Clinical Pastoral Education program as part of his continued education.  We will be visiting our partner churches from January through April. The children will have their first school experience and introduction to American culture by attending a Christian school in Michigan.
 

In May/June 2013, we will move to Kiev—a new city, a new home, a new job description, a new school.  Through Christian Reformed World Missions, George will serve in leadership development, particularly by leading Timothy Leadership Training. The children will attend Kiev Christian Academy, an international Christian school founded to serve missionary families, and Sarah will teach in the elementary school. (Teachers are not paid by the school in order to keep tuition down for missionary families.)
 

As we prepare for two transitions, we look forward to what God has ahead for us.  Please keep us in prayer as we experience a lot of changes and face a lot of unknowns.  Especially pray that God would provide a partner organization in Kiev through which George can develop Timothy Leadership Training.
 

website updated: May 4, 2012

Mailing address:  2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560

email: gdevuyst@crcna.org

Links to: Christian Reformed Church in N. America   and  Christian Reformed World Missions