Kyiv, Ukraine

John and Maria Peace sent this report.

Thank God Spring is here in Kyiv, Ukraine. It has been a very cold and long winter. Thank you for all your prayers for us. I want to report on God's wonderful work in our son. Last year he was diagnose with severe depression and he attempted suicide twice. He was failing all his classes. By God's grace the counselor at the school noticed all the warning signs and we were able to begin therapy. We also sent an e-mail requesting for prayer for him. God has heard our prayers. Last semester he got all A's and now he casted in the school play. He also started a business in school making muffins, earning about $30 a week. He wants to be a chef and already began applying for colleges and looking for scholarships on his own. We are studying the Bible together which has been a joy and delight for both of us. We can never stop giving thanks to God and to all of you who prayed earnestly for us.

Also we want to thank God for his work in our spiritual son Sergiy who lives with us. God has been growing in his heart as well. Last week he told us the article he wrote won 2nd place in a German Scientific Journal for Inorganic chemistry. The first place winner was from America. When he wrote this article he was only 19 years old. He just turned 20. He is very gifted. Last semester he received all A's in all his classes. He was even invited to attend a meeting with Chelsie Clinton. Only 50 students were invited from the whole university. He considers our family his family. When he was born his mother became very ill and was hospitalized. He only saw her twice in his life. His father abandoned them right after she became ill. His grandmother could not take him because she had no gas line to heat her home. So the state took him and placed him in an orphanage.


Many days he remembered standing by the fence waiting for his grandmother to visit him. His grandmother worked hard trying to raise the money to get him. She was afraid someone would adopt him. But though she worked her boss didn't pay her. Finally she raised some pigs and sold the meat so that she could get a gas line and then she was able to get Sergiy out of the Orphange. He was then 5 years old. His girlfriend Tina, who is now our missionary PhD student in Switzerland brought him to Bible study. When we first studied the Bible he cried. He couldn't believe that Almighty God could care for him. Recently he told us his life was changed since he met Jesus. Maria Joy says that Sergiy is like her little brother. We do everything together as a family. We dance together playing wii dance 2 and 3. We have daily bread together and we worship together.

Thank you for all your prayers for us. Here is a link of our recent Winter Retreat: http://bestatpodil.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=13037887 Johnny couldn't go because that day was the audition for the school play.