Our contact, Pastor Neal Schroeder of Divine Peace Lutheran Church in Renton, WA., has given our congregation an update on the Barnabas Project and the gifts Grace Evangelical Lutheran members have given this past year. You can follow the happenings in Ukraine at this website: Ukrainian Lutheran Weekly.

The Barnabas Project funds on hand now total over $3,400, in no small part thanks to the members of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. As Pastor Schroeder says, funds on hand are almost enough to provide airfare and food costs for Vlad Horpytnchuk to attend his first year at Martin Luther College this fall. This past year, Vlad and his sister Katrina, attended and took classes at Luther Prep and Michigan Lutheran Seminary respectively. While the language barrier was a challenge, both Vlad and Katrina did well and their English skills markedly improved while at the schools.

Pastor Schroeder will be attending Watertown, WI. for the 2011 WELS Convention in July and Perry Lund should have the opportunity to meet both Pastor Schroeder and Ukrainian Bishop Slavik to talk with them about the work with the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Bishop Slavik will give a 45 minute presentation to the delegates and visitors at the convention.

It is indeed a blessing to know that our gifts to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church through the Barnabas Project are helping training young Ukrainians to spread the gospel message there.