I was recently asked, in a letter from a 15 year-old girl, how I knew God was calling me to Ukraine, and even further, how I chose Ukraine out of ALL the places in the world! Good questions! So good, in fact, I decided to post me reply in its own page on the website! So, here goes–but, in short, God chose Ukraine for me! Read on to find out how He did this!
My road to Ukraine, and more than that, my road to realize that God was calling me to global missions, began back in 2002, during my senior year of high school. I went on a one-week trip to Juarez, Mexico, doing a Vacation Bible School and building/construction. It was during that week that the Lord began exposing me to His global ministry, sharing His love, grace, and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with other cultures. I returned for one-week summer trips in 2004, 2006, and 2007, to the same location in Juarez.
In June, 2005, though, I went on a two-week trip to the capital city of Ukraine: Kyiv. I was apart of a group from my church who had gone to assist one of the church’s missionaries (who quickly became close friends of mine, and, as the Lord would have it, we are now on the same team in L’viv!! But, I’m getting ahead of myself) doing a vacation Bible School. I had new exposure to the mission field–this time in eastern Europe. Ministry looks a lot different from culture to culture, and the difference was easy to see, looking at Ukraine versus the past trips to Mexico.
After the two-week trip to Kyiv, I remember boarding the plane thinking, “I’ll be back someday.” 
Problem was, though, I didn’t know how, when, or what it would look like, and, honestly, as a 20 year-old at the time, and busy in college (on track for a BS in Biology with a focus in Pre-Med), I felt more that my trip to Kyiv was a “once-in-a-lifetime-experience.” I returned home with a fondness for Ukraine, but tried to move on with life as I knew it; as I was comfortable with it.
God never stopped working on me though! The pre-med track in college quickly changed the following semester to English Writing and Linguistics, once it became clear that I could not handle the sight of blood! 
My linguistics professor was named Dr. Gorlach–sounds Slavic, doesn’t it?! Guess where she is from?!!! Yep–Ukraine!
I became instant friends with Dr. Gorlach, and ended up taking about a dozen classes under her wise instruction, and, on the side, she would share her family’s Ukrainian recipes passed down from generation to generation! She also helped me begin to learn both Russian and Ukrainian! God clearly was not letting me forget about Ukraine!
In the meantime, Mission to the World somehow got my contact information, and would call me every 1-3 months to see when I would like to begin the process of becoming a missionary! My response was always confusion, as I hadn’t ever told mentioned that I would really like to be a missionary!
Finally, in January, 2008, MTW called me to the final time (or what I thought was the final time!). They said, “Hey Adam, there is an internship this summer (2008) in the western city of Ukraine: L’viv (pronounced “Luh-Veev”). We think this would be a great opportunity for you to get a stronger taste of the mission life. Please pray about it.”
I prayed, and they sent the paperwork! On Valentine’s Day, 2008, I was approved by the team (including the missionaries from Kyiv, who had since moved to L’viv) and by MTW. After all the paperwork was in, I began raising support in March.
The end of May, 2008, came, and I left Colorado, for a two-month journey to L’viv, Ukraine! The night before I left for Ukraine, though, I was in North Carolina at the internship pre-field training and an emotional meltdown washed over me. I almost hoped a flight back to CO, and actually had no intention of returning to Ukraine at that point. I prayed with two MTW staff members till the wee small hours of the morning, and, through God’s grace, God took me to Ukraine.
The first 4 weeks in L’viv were miserable. The team was great, the ministry was amazing, but my comfort levels had peaked their limits, and I wanted nothing more than to go home.
Weeks 5-6 saw a little more growth though. Things finally started getting better, internally, but in my stubbornness, I believed that God was using this experience to show me that the mission life was not for me. Really, though, He was using the internal trials to strip me from my comfort bubble, teaching me to fully rely on Him, not anything back “home.”
Week 7 brought even more feelings–I actually started to question whether or not God really was calling me to be a missionary!
Week 8-9–I felt the Holy Spirit do a 180 in my heart, and I “let myself” fall in love even more with the ministry, the people, and the fact that this place was very close to God’s heart too! In fact, I did not want to leave! But, alas, the internship was over and I had no choice: I had to say goodbye.
I got back to Colorado the day before my 24th birthday, and immediately my parents, family and friends knew I had changed: something was different.
I eagerly shared with everyone my desire to return to L’viv longer-term, and how God used the entire summer, along with the previous 6 years of short-term exposure to missions to show me what He was calling me to!
Being unsure if it was really a calling or not (I told you I was stubborn!) I waited a few months to make sure that the desire to return was still there, burning in my heart. So, in the meantime, I finished college,
received my BA in English and Linguistics in December, 2008. In January, 2009, I began coursework at Covenant Theological Seminary and began the process with MTW all over again: this time to return for a longer term.
In March, 2009, I flew to Atlanta, and was approved as a three-year missionary, after a very intense week of testings (including Bible, theology, case-study evaluations, phycological, physical, blood work–you name it, it was included!). I would be returning to the city of L’viv: the city where God called me a year before!
Right now, I’m still raising support, but hope to move to L’viv in May, 2010, to begin my three-year term. I have a hunch that God is calling me to be more of a “lifer” on the field, but one thing I have definitely learned is to really listen to what God is telling you, and be willing to do what He wants you to do, and Go where He wants you to Go.
Two verses that have stuck in my mind from my first trip to Mexico in 2002, to today as I write this, are:
Philippians 1.6
“And I know that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8.28:
“For we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
Above all, be willing to serve and move and be stretched for Him, and for the sake of His Gospel! (1 Cor 9.23)
For information on how to join with me in this exciting journey of faith, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, click here.
Blessings,
Adam
