Dima is a busy man. He is sought after by multiple churches and like-minded organisations to help organise and lead sports outreach. He leads a small group Bible discovery group with Muslim boys and girls he met on the street and in parks at different sports venues. He asked them to consider coming to a club he was running that would investigate what the Bible was and how it applies to their young lives—and they came!
In fact, they come every week. If they don’t do their homework, they aren’t allowed to talk at the meeting. So, most of the time, they are prepared and are actively reading scripture and applying it to their lives.
Dima is one of the original team members from Ukraine and has been an outstanding leader. He actively engages youth on the street, coordinates the Youth for Christ sports outreach, and is mentoring the two guys starting Youth for Christ in Kazakhstan.
Recently, Dima and his team organised a painting evangelism event in the center of Bishkek. Around 30 people stopped to listen to the good news. Although it was considered an extreme thing to do in this region, God protected and everything went really well. The team was able to hand out a lot of literature and videos with the Jesus movie.
Another of Dima’s passions is sports. He recently helped Youth for Christ in Kyrgyzstan run an interchurch ping pong tournament. It was a big event for the young people who attend the Youth for Christ sports clubs, enabling Youth for Christ to connect with other young people and Christian sports men. However, the tournament was just the beginning. Dima continues to lead ping pong sport clubs, in which he meets with boys twice a week to play ping pong. At the end they drink tea and Dim shares from God’s word with them. He says, “I like the way it all turns out. I see how many start to rethink their life.” He is already starting to see some results from his efforts. A few boys are attending church already.
Sometimes, the young people Dima meets in through sports and street outreaches become involved in a small Bible study group. He says he likes that they can deeper subjects and can study the Bible as well. “One young man told me that he wants to lead many young people to Christ. I am very glad for Pasha, I see him coming to church and sincerely seeking God.”
Twice a week Dima also plays volleyball with non-believers. He doesn’t preach there. He’s just trying to build relationships with them. He invites them to his house occasionally.
Dima moved from Ukraine in June 2005 to be part of the Central Asia Team as part of “Operation Silk Road.” Since that time, a new team has started in Almaty to reach out to youth in Kazakhstan. Dima is currently overseeing this expansion, helping to train seven local volunteers who minister full-time. Ministry in Kazakhstan includes work in orphanages and with teens at risk. He also wants to start a Christian Sport Gym in the future to do sports with teens and to preach the Gospel through that. Dima is mentoring Pasha and Maxim who are working in schools and actively evangelizing youth in Almaty, using clubs, small groups and seminars on AIDS, alcohol and drugs.
Dima asks that you pray for current and prospective volunteers for these ever-expanding ministries, as well as unity within the team and good rental places to host the Youth for Christ clubs.