Sometimes Our Dreams Come to Our Doorstep
When I was a young teen, my first trip overseas was to the former Soviet Union. In my youthful enthusiasm and naivete, I made the usual cultural and language blunders as I tried out some newly acquired skills. I discovered a people who were warm, once you were introduced by a friend, and who were deeply devoted to worshipping God despite the unpopularity of Christianity and opposition they faced. I was humbled to contrast this with the ease of my life and religious practices in the US. I returned with a greater desire to know and worship God and to be a part of seeing more people in that nation come to know Jesus and experience the hope and transformation of the gospel. And so I prayed, “God, is this what you have for my future?”
In the decade that followed, in the midst of college and grad school, I made four more trips to Russia and Ukraine, partnering with brothers and sisters, building friendships and bridges in our shared hope, and sharing the gospel with others. My love for these friends and desire to be a part of what God was doing to build his kingdom in the former Soviet Union led me to keep asking “God, is this what you have for my future?” Instead, He led me into other areas of ministry--deepening my roots in my local church and seeking to be a conduit of the gospel in a secular workplace as I studied to become a professional counselor.
Fast forward a few years, after working at a faith-based counseling center in Asia, and God brought me to Western Seminary to train professional counselors who partner with the church as instruments of hope and catalysts of gospel-centered transformation. I began to hear of a significant Slavic population in the Portland area, and wondered again whether God might reunite my desire to serve that community here in the US with the experiences and skills I had gained along the way.
Over the past year and a half, God has brought four Ukrainian students into our program to train to be counselors. These students all have hearts to serve those the Slavic church. I recognize that this is significant for several reasons. Under the former Soviet Union, mental health counseling was nearly nonexistent. Mental illness was treated solely within a medical setting, often in an oppressive manner, and as a means of squelching political dissidence (Yakushko, 2005). While the Soviet era ended some time ago, these negative experiences still breed caution for immigrants here who fled political or religious oppression. Their church and community are their primary source of support for mental and emotional needs, but the training and resources are often limited by the same fears, mingled with suspicion about how counseling fits within their religious framework.
“I am grateful that God has brought those dreams from long ago of serving the Slavic people right to my doorstep in Portland.”
The Slavic community may be considered “hidden immigrants.” Many experience prejudice, racism, economic barriers, and educational disparities similar to other people of color even as they have become a significant part of the local population (Curry-Stevens, 2014). Last year, Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting destruction has brought a new generation of Ukrainian immigrants seeking safety and peace in the Pacific Northwest. These recent events have also sparked tensions and splintered relationships within an established Slavic community once marked by similarity with each other, but now finding themselves with differing perspectives on critical and traumatic events in their motherland (sometimes even within families). It is a great honor to be a part of these students’ journeys in developing skills to serve their churches and broader communities in ways that are consistent with their faith and culture.
This spring, God opened another door to serve this community when one of these students invited me to be the guest speaker for her church’s women’s event. As I spoke on Restoring the Feminine Heart, with my student translating into Russian, I shared biblical truths which have become even more precious to me as I interact with the stories of women in the counseling room.
We spoke of God’s design for women beginning in Genesis to enjoy the beauty and fullness and safety of relationship with God Himself and with man—as Adam and Eve enjoyed it in the garden. Today, our hearts are often broken or buried by the separation from God caused by sin, and by hurts and difficulties of life in this world, because of the Fall. We are in need of restoration to God through Jesus Christ and transformation, healing, and renewal. That sometimes looks like healing from abusive experiences where a person was treated as unvaluable and bore the brunt of another person’s anger or selfishness. It may look like addressing struggles with anxiety or depression, or being weighed down by the cares of the world and finding that we are welcome to share our burdens and be loved.
It was a great honor to worship with these women, each with her own story, and to share in God’s design for us and our common hope in Him. It was a joy to tangibly partner with the local church in this way. I am continuing to explore how God is at work in the local Slavic community and am looking for ways to serve through equipping others. I am grateful that God has brought those dreams from long ago of serving the Slavic people right to my doorstep in Portland.
