The year 2025 brought new challenges to Ukraine. Military pressure intensified, and mobilisation policies became stricter. Suddenly even men serving faithfully in their churches faced the possibility of military service. Many leaders and volunteers were directly affected – for our Youngstars ministry this quickly became the greatest challenge of the year.
Despite all obstacles, we witnessed God's unmistakable blessing in the Odesa region: a youth group at a local church, dormant for years, came back to life – the fruit of long-term discipleship among local young people, a process begun before the full-scale invasion.
“The moment the participants arrived, the rain stopped. Not everywhere – just around us.”
Nikolay Niuniaiev, National Director Ukraine
For a long time, only introductory trainings were possible. This year we were finally able to hold a basic training again – with more than 40 participants. The last basic training took place in 2016. Since then, our work had gone through changes, trials and – in 2022 – the complete destruction of everything we had built.
The first question: where can we safely hold the course? We needed a place without bombardment, with stable water access, far from military infrastructure. God reminded us of a partner church from before the war: a quiet village near a salt lake, far from strategic targets.
The second question: who would teach? Only two fully trained course leaders remained in Ukraine; bringing in foreign trainers was far too dangerous. In faith, we planned for 20 participants – more than 40 registered, aged 15 to 60. Instead of panicking, our faith grew. God sent financial support and a professional cook, whose help cut costs so much that our budget covered twice as many participants.
And then the weather: it rained on arrival, while setting up tents, while preparing the grounds – for days, with more rain in the forecast. We started the course exactly as planned, with no plan B. Overnight the ground dried, and the next day's hike took place under perfect skies.
Many were surprised how different youth group ministry can be: outdoor lessons, games in nature, Bible study through real-life experience and a team project that challenged everyone. Participants later shared that the six days felt like a month – a month of laughing, learning and growing together.
The course strengthened young leaders from two clubs in Odesa and encouraged the team from the Mykolaiv region, which had started a group after last year's introductory training. For 2026 we are planning a leadership training – and we pray for opportunities to open new clubs across Ukraine. Through everything, God has carried us. He opens doors no human could open.
