Vitaliy

Vitaliy, is an energetic young man who was born and raised in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. He grew up in a large family, living with his parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle and sister. His father and other relatives were fond of drinking alcohol, so there were often fights at home. His grandmother took care of him, but when she passed away, his parents divorced, and he was left with his mother alone. When he was thirteen, he was forced to change schools because of the bullying he faced there, and at his new school he made friends who introduced him to smoking and alcohol.

As a teenager, Vitaliy met a group of people who invited him to youth groups and church services. He was amazed that strangers, who did not smoke or drink, were interested in him as a person. He heard about Christ, but refused to believe and did not want to accept God in his life, although he recalls moments of praying as his first step towards meeting Jesus. “One day,” Vitaliy shares, “I went to Young Life camp which was my next step towards Jesus and the point at which my life changed, because I firmly decided not just to turn to Him, but to be His follower.” After camp, he joined the ministry and began to grow in faith.

As a Developing Global Leader, Vitaliy is studying telecommunications and computer science. He is passionate about sharing the Gospel with everyone around him and dreams of creating an IT company for Christians.