This picture was taken in Kremenchuk, Ukraine in August of 2021. Little did we know that just a few short months later, the nation of Ukraine would come under attack in a brutal war that is still underway. I’m in the middle there in the red shirt. We took 6 men from our men’s team to go do a 3-day kayaking trip that was an outreach to Ukrainian men far from God. About 40 men went on that trip. The following Sunday, one of those men came to church and accepted Jesus as his savior in front of everyone. It was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life. We did leadership training, outreaches, shared worship and communion with two churches in Kremenchuk; ate with them, prayed with them, hugged, laughed, and cried when we left. We could not wait to go back and bring a larger team, including our wives.

Then the war came. 

We called them, did video calls over WhatsApp, prayed for them, sent support; everything we could. We are in contact with them now as well, and will go back when it’s possible. During the war they have not stopped ministering, meeting, baptizing, training, etc. I am in absolute awe of their courage and devotion to Jesus. The week we were there we became brothers in every sense of the word. They were impacted, but we may have been impacted by them even greater. We are connected eternally. Even as I write this short testimony I’m wiping away tears thinking about the people of Ukraine and the lifelong deep friendships I now have there in Kremenchuk.

Short term missions change lives. And this is one story. Ask someone you know who has been on a mission trip to share a story with you. Maybe next year you’ll be the one sharing a story like this. 

Check out our MISSIONS page for more information.

Kenny Koger is the Men's & Missions Pastor at The Refinery Christian Church. He thrives on long-term meaningful relationships and helping people do things for Christ they never dreamed they would do. He loves Christmas music at any time of the year, and is enthralled by astronomy.

Along with Lindsey Harden, RCC's Next Steps Pastor, Kenny has been instrumental in casting a vision and changing the format and culture of our Life Groups to be a people-loving, intentional relationship-building, disciple-making training ground where disciples make disciples who make disciples; just as Jesus demonstrated and instructed us to do.