The beginning...

To Our Family and Friends,

As you may already know, we (Mike and Annie Hallenbeck) have traveled to and volunteered in Ukraine together for the past 5 years.  What you may not know, is that we have finally decided to move to Ukraine and serve God there in full-time ministry!

During the course of our short-term mission trips, we have developed a great passion for serving and bringing the love of Christ to the people of the Transcarpathia region of Ukraine. For the past 5 years, we have been praying and seeking the counsel of our pastor to be sure that this is really God’s plan for our lives. This past May 2010, we realized that God had prepared the way for us to serve full-time. We have set January 2012 as our date of departure. Over the past few years we have begun preparing for this transition. Mike has been studying the Ukrainian language along with the history and culture of Transcarpathia for 3 years.  Annie has been studying the Russian language for 1 ½ years.

Mike first traveled to Ukraine in March 2003 on a short-term mission’s trip with the River Church. Since then, we have traveled together four additional times, volunteering through teaching English, working with orphans and children living on the streets, and participating in various ministry outreaches. During our last trip in May 2010, Annie was able to utilize her training in occupational therapy to provide treatments to a 2 year-old boy with hydrocephalus, a young woman with cerebral palsy, and 3 people suffering from back pain.

So, what will be doing over there? We believe God has given each of us unique abilities which make us well suited to serve in this area. Annie has been working in the field of occupational therapy for 4 years and will be getting her master’s degree in June 2011. High quality medical care is a luxury which the vast majority cannot afford. Annie plans to meet that need by providing therapy free of charge. We have also developed close relationships with various ministries, with whom we will be able to serve in a variety of capacities- most which relate to children and young people. These include teaching English classes, a transition home for young girls coming out of orphanages, a soup kitchen /church geared towards children living on the streets, and orphanages for the physically and cognitively disabled.

We have seen Gods hand guiding us and believe He will provide for our needs, but we also covet your prayers. We would greatly appreciate your prayer support and encouragement as we prepare ourselves to depart in less than a year. Please keep up-to-date on our progress through this blog and through our upcoming newsletters.

- a & m