Building Faith, Family and Hope in Ukraine

Laying the Foundation through Language - From Classroom to Ministry

After arriving in Ukraine, I first served as a professor in the Department of Korean Language at Kyiv National Linguistic University for 8 years. At the same time, I started a Korean language and cultural ministry, intending to evangelize university students in the Korean language department. When I first began, due to financial constraints, I used a room in my apartment as both a classroom and a place of worship.

Director of YANA Ukraine: Young-yeon Jo Young-yeon Jo (left), Sun-hee Jung (right) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.   -James 1:27-

Then, in September 2015, I rented a space on the first floor of the university dormitory, where I continued teaching Korean and holding worship services for young students.

Today, some of the students who were evangelized during their first year at Kyiv Linguistic University have graduated and are working with me as teachers at our Korean language school. Since then, I have helped build churches in two regions, Vyshchev Vyzyvets and Radekhiv, which are 180 kilometers away. These churches have since been passed over to local pastors. During the process of building a third church, the war broke out, so the construction is currently on hold. During holiday seasons, we also conduct relief work for the less fortunate in areas served by local pastors. 

Serving Amid Loss and War - Being Teacher, Family and Shepherd

I am currently working with my disciples to teach Korean to young students and adults, while also striving to share the gospel. This year, I began teaching Korean again at Kyiv National Linguistic University, providing more opportunities to engage with Ukrainian youth. About 25% of my students have fathers or brothers who have been conscripted to the war, and many of them are dealing with the loss, disappearance, or injury of their loved ones, so I am doing my best to offer comfort and support. I am also collaborating with local pastors in rural villages to carry out continuous relief efforts for struggling residents. In particular, I focus on helping widows and children who have lost their fathers due to the forced conscription of poor rural men into the military.

Additionally, I support Sunday schools at partner churches, helping local children become more involved. Sometimes as a teacher, sometimes as family, and sometimes as a missionary, I will continue to support, uplift, and serve each precious soul.

Ukraine Vision Center Korean School

Looking Ahead: Building Faith, Family, and Hope

Together with the disciples currently working with me, we are gradually expanding our Korean language teaching efforts, reaching young students and working professionals. Through cultivating relationships, we aim to share the Gospel and broaden this outreach. We are striving to promote a healthy Christian marriage culture among the younger generation in a country that ranks first in divorce rates in Europe.

Our goal is to establish a healthy model of Christian families. While the youth ministry remains a priority, supporting faithful local pastors in different regions is also a key part of our future ministry. We are working to provide assistance—whether through ministry support, financial aid, or relief supplies—at least partially. After 19 years of missionary service, I have come to understand that people are the true treasure.

It is my hope that our family will be used as a tool to raise up faithful Christians, one person at a time. The wounds of Chernobyl and the ongoing attacks from Russia have caused political and economic instability, driving many young people to leave Ukraine for Europe. However, for those who remain here, we aim to share that the Lord is the only true hope.

Through worship and ministry, we seek to create warm, familial relationships where they can experience genuine love and connection.

YANA Ukraine