Missionary Impacts Ukraine

Leann Peterson, a former Ellsworth student, is making her impact in the Ukraine. There are no signs she plans to change.

“I was planning to teach English,” she said.

But other plans developed as she was exposed to missionaries, Bob and Debbie Gilbertson, who were also sent from the Ellsworth area to serve in Kenya, Africa.

Peterson took a short-term mission opportunity to Africa at age 15 for a three-month visit.

Seeing the overall needs and how much help individuals needed impacted her. She says she had a “radical encounter with the Lord” during that season of her life. God set her feet on a new path.

“The only way to say it is that it was the work of the Lord,” Peterson said. “I would have gone anywhere except a Russian country. It didn’t seem interesting to me.”

As a single woman in her early twenties she attended a Bible school in Florida and joined Fire International Inc., a sending agency for international missionaries. While there, Peterson took a three-month internship with Church of Praise in southeast Ukraine.

“After that I knew,” she said.

She later joined the staff of that non-denominational church and began the process of cultural contextualization, understanding the people and learning Russian which she speaks fluently.

She observed that the greatest need among those she continues to serve is the hopelessness among the population. She identifies it as a result of living under a communist regime.

“They don’t have the idea that everyone has a sense of value or purpose,” said Peterson. “There is a high level of alcoholism.”

After 18 years in ministry in Ukraine her role has expanded significantly. She serves as a church leader, preacher, evangelist and teacher. Peterson’s responsibilities now include church planting, street evangelism, visiting children in special needs homes, providing support for single mothers and their children in dorms, teaching life skills and Bible application in colleges, and working with transitional housing and orphanages.

“My greatest rewards are seeing people’s lives change,” said Peterson. One thing I love is when I spend time with the elderly in the villages. I can see hopelessness go away from their eyes as I share with them about the love of Jesus and pray with them. I can literally see the change in their eyes.

“I also find reward in seeing young people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol being set free from these things and wanting to be in ministry themselves.”

Peterson has returned to her hometown area temporarily to raise support, report to the churches and individuals who partner with her by prayer and financial support and visit her family. She will return soon to her country where COVID is also a concern.

“It is different there,” said Peterson. “We wear masks and have lockdowns. But they are not as afraid as they are in the United States. People here seem to be terrified,” she said.

“Ukrainians are concerned. Here it is a very different sense.”

Peterson is looking forward to her return with immediate goals of getting back to church and street evangelism. She will use this time of slower work due to the pandemic to pray and see what God wants to do in the coming year.

The life of a missionary has its oddities which may confound some.

“I never really fit in anywhere,” Peterson confided. “I belong in Ukraine. When I come to the U.S., I come home . . . but I don’t really belong here.” Her grounding comes from staying connected with her missionminded peers. Peterson suggests to those who may be interested in mission work to find missionaries and talk with them, read their newsletters, check out your denomination’s opportunities for short-term mission trips and remember that “being a missionary doesn’t mean you have to be overseas. We can all help others wherever we are. Be kind and loving.”