Artur

My name is Artur. I was born in Chernivtsi, a small city in western Ukraine. I live with my father, mother and siblings. I remember my childhood as a happy period, but because my father had problems with alcohol, relationships in the family were strained. I always wanted peace and respect in my family, especially when I looked at the other families around me. One day my parents accepted God and the situation in my family improved, however my father returns to his addiction from time to time and is an ongoing struggle for him. With all of this in mind, as a teenager, I sought to rebel and began to seek out friends who were a bad influence on me.

One day a group of kids invited me to play drums in a church band. I started playing in church and later got connected to the Young Life group. At Young Life camp, I discovered many things I thought I knew about God in a new way. I was amazed by the friendships between the leaders and the love of God on display. I asked God for forgiveness and accepted Him into my life, resulting in radical change in every way.

I currently serve as a leader, reaching the teenagers in my community. I’m moving to a new city for university and am involved in growing and developing the Young Life ministry there. As a Developing Global Leader, I am pursuing a computer science degree. Thanks to the opportunity for higher education, I will be able to become a professional in my field and have opportunities to lead and influence in the work place. I will be the first person to graduate from university in my family.