Fastiv, located just south of Kyiv, Ukraine, is the site of an exciting work being planted by Mikhail Buyko. After some preliminary evangelization, the Christian youth there asked a missions team from Indiana in 1996 to help with a large evangelistic campaign. The team came and worked alongside the fledgling church there, with the result that several people accepted Christ and began attending services. At that time, the church rented an old movie theater for Sunday morning services, with Bible studies in the homes of members during the week.
It wasn't long before Sunday morning attendance reached an average of 100 - 120. At the same time, the city began discussing plans to raze the movie theater to make way for a new Russian Orthodox church. The ministry in Fastiv continued to grow, and it was clear that the church needed its own building.
Brother
Mikhail began looking for a suitable piece of land, and after a few months a
centrally located piece of property was found.
All the church members pitched in to dig the pit for the basement. It was
a special joy to see young and old working together for this common project.
As you can see here, even the older "babushkas" did their part hauling earth by hand, bucket by bucket.
Brother Zhenya Buyko, BIEM director for our ministries in Ukraine, traveled to the United States in the fall of 2000 to present the need in Fastiv to American churches. Many believers responded, and funds were raised to put up the building. As an experienced carpenter, Brother Mikhail did much of the woodworking himself by hand, with his three sons helping. Bricks were purchased at a discounted rate from a local factory.
Today, the church building has already come a long way from where it was just six years ago, when the building was started in 1999. Services are already being upstairs and downstairs, though much still needs to be done before the building is complete. Praise the Lord for His provision in the building so far!
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