Ukraine Missions
Our Mission Trips / The First Three Ukraine Trips
From November of 2002 to August of 2003, Rita and Sarah made three missions trips to Ukraine with
Family Aid International based in Grove, OK and Kiev, Ukraine. [ http://www.familyaidinternational.com ]
In Ukraine they ministered in churches in Kiev, Kherson, Odessa, Nikolayev, and Chernigiv in churches
associated with the Embassy of God church in Kiev. [ http://www.godembassy.org ] The Embassy of God
Church is

Rita realized a burden for the Russian people in 2000 but had no idea what that burden would foster in
the future.  But as it was God who placed that burden on her heart, it was God who made it possible for
her to go to Ukraine. (former Russian state) However, even when it is God telling us to do something,
doing it often costs us something. Rita was able to fund all three trips by selling personal assets, bake
sales and other fund raisers. All three trips became possible only with a lot of hard work.

Nothing happens by accident in God's kingdom, so through God ordained acquaintances and contacts,
Rita was able to make the necessary arrangements to go on the first trip to Ukraine. After ministering in
the churches there, the venues for subsequent trips fell into place as Rita and Sarah seemed to
naturally connect with the Ukrainian believers there.

Their ministry there included teaching worship dance with tambourines, flags and banners to the
worship teams in the various churches, street witnessing, house to house witnessing, and intercessory
prayer. Rita shares her testimony about worship dance etc, in her article "Restoring Dance....A
Testimony"
Pastor Anatoliy and Nadezhda (Nadya)
Belonozhko are on the Apostolic Council of
Embassy of God Church in Kiev. Rita worked
with them on all three trips and became very
good friends with them. They are remarkable
people.
Back row, L to R: Rita, ?, Pastor Anatoliy.   Middle row: Sarah, Tanya
(now living in US, partly Rita's doings) Pastor Oksana, and ?
Front row / middle: Pastor David Tinney. In Mikolyiv, Ukraine.
Rita, Sarah and Jesse Adams in Odessa, Ukraine. Jesse
went on the second trip where he met Tanya the
translator. Later he went back to Ukraine for several
months to do a stage production and to court Tanya, who
eventually came to the US where they were married.
They now have a son and live in Springdale, AR.
Sarah passing out tracts in the streets of L'vov, Ukraine.
Rita and Kitty. Rita is a real "people" person, which is
why she is so well suited for communicating with people
even when they don't speak the same language.
Rita and Sarah with believers in Kherson, Ukraine, Aug. 2003
During the period of time that Rita was traveling to Ukraine, she discovered her Ukrainian and Jewish ancestry. While in
Ukraine, she was afforded the opportunity to travel to the village where her ancestors were likely to have lived. There she did
discover the gravestones which bore the names "Abrams" and "Stark" Is it any coincidence that her initial burden for the
Russian people drew her to Ukraine? Rita is rightly proud of her Ukrainian heritage and her people.