We recently spent a few days at a village about 1.5 hours north of Odessa. They are a small town with a big heart. The pastor there is from another part of Ukraine and relocated his family about 7 years ago to make this village their mission field. There are only a handful of people attending their church, but those few people are striving for mighty things. 
There is a big desire to reach the surrounding villages. They have plans to start a church in a nearby village that currently doesn’t have one. Our task for the few days we were with them was to go door-to-door and get an idea of how these people would feel about a church starting up in their village. Some people didn’t want to talk to us, mainly because they thought we were Jehovah’s Witness. Most were willing to talk, and a few were already believers.
One house had a little old woman who broke down in tears when she saw us. She began pouring out her life story and the pain that she endured. We ate lunch in her front lawn with her and she like listening to team mate Taniuska play the guitar.
There were many stories that dug straight to our hearts. The majority of the village was elderly so they have stories from their childhood of communism and even Germans occupying their house as the story went with one sweet lady who still lived in that same house. We were told of how the tanks came rolling in and of hardships we can’t imagine. 
The hope that the prospect of a church brought was refreshing. So many were open and willing; they said they would go to church if there was one. May God move through and continue to soften their hearts as they are getting an opportunity to learn more about Him.
Below is the prayer request letter from Pastor Alexey for his village and the surrounding communities. (he translated it himself.)
We thank the God for your work for our church.
We ask to pray our needs:
1. Rescue of young people in our village.
2. Work of Christian years (summer) camps.
3. A minibus for mission in villages.
4. Money for construction of a children’s shelter.
5. Medical service
Brothers and sisters of church of village Krasnoznamenki.
Pastor Alexey.
Please help me lift them up in prayer as God has laid big plans on their hearts and they are striving to be faithful to the calling.
