Yesterday I visited the new church plant in the village of Lemani. This is a medium sized village just off the Black Sea coast between Odessa and Nickolaev. This is the first church this village has ever had. There are not even any churches in the surrounding villages so it is a great place for a church plant.
Pastor Anatoliy and his wife Alla have been working tremendously hard over the last year and a half to get this church started. Anatoliy graduated from the CMI several years ago and is also the pastor of Philidelphia church about 2 hours away in Odessa. He regularly spends 3-4 days a week working in the village of Lemani.
I must say I was very impressed with what they have been able to accomplish in just about a years time. This is tremendously difficult work. Villagers have even started to spread some rumors about the church. Nevertheless God is at work. It is extremely exciting to see the birth of a new church being done almost completely by Ukrainians.
