Pastor Jeff Orluck and Anatolii Tarasiuk
Brian: Today is a very special day for us here. Instead of try and do the introduction, I'm going to have Pastor Jeff come and do this introduction. Pastor Jeff has been to the Ukraine on several occasions, and he has had a translator there in the Ukraine. This translator happens to be with us here today. You take it from there.
Jeff: Okay. I'm going to divest myself of a few things here. And this is Anatolii. Welcome on Anatolii.
Anatolii: Thank you. Thank you so much.
Jeff: In the middle years of 1990s, my spiritual father, went to Ukraine, not too long after Perestroika. There were people in the US who had an understanding that that was the moment to transplant and to begin to serve the church in Ukraine and to see a blossoming of the work of God there. My spiritual father's name is John Matthews. He had a very clear understanding that, as much as ___ and many of you may know or may not know, but Ukraine has probably some of the richest farmland in the entire world. They've been called oftentimes the bread basket of the world. My father, John, understood that not only was Ukraine the physical bread basket of the world, but God had a calling on that nation to be a spiritual bread basket.
He went with a team and worked with a pastor named Gregory to plant a church called the Church of Praise and Krivoy Rog, which was a mining town down in the southwest part of Ukraine. It was a town that was a hundred miles long, built along 18 iron mines. And then he started inviting pastors to go. That's how I ended up there. I think I went there, I don't know, eight or nine times. We served in the church. We would travel to the outlying churches and minister there, and we would serve in the Bible school. At that time, Anatolii was a worship leader. He was among several young men who were rising leaders in that church. He was one of our translators.
Now, miraculously he is here and he happens to know many of us in Minnesota from our trips to Ukraine. Actually, it has been 18 years since my last trip and the last time we saw each other. Since that time, he went and got himself married. His wife is here with us and three children. Yeah. And three children. Yeah. So a lot has happened since I've seen him last and there are a lot of stories to tell. We are going to do a similar format that we did with Nick and Joelle Lembo. We are going to do a little interview format, but before we do Anatolii, you'll see a lot of art in the back that he is an accomplished artist and he is also an amazing worship leader. And he wants to sing for us. Joel has a track queued up; the words are in Russian.
Anatolii: I will read whatever translation it is because it's really complicated song. This type of a song is really not quite popular at the church because it's from, Revelation. I will read couple lines from a song so you would understand the whole message of it. Heaven in Earth will pass away. All kings will fall from their thrones. The sea gave up those whom it swallowed and death and hates delivered its death. And they were judged, each one according to God's commitments. This is the second death for those who are not found written in a book of life. The second word speaks about love. If you think you love somebody, but really not able to forgive that person, your love does nothing to you. It's just empty sound, like a sound of symbol. So let me sing it for you.
[music 38:38 - 41:54]
Anatolii: Thank you. It's a tremendous blessing to write songs for God.
Jeff: Yeah. He actually has a YouTube channel that you can subscribe to. I punched the first song and my heart got stirred and I thought, I have to subscribe to this.
Anatolii: Just Anatolii [inaudible 42:13] That’s all you have to know to
Jeff: [Inaudible 42:19]
Anatolii: Yeah, that's absolutely. Double I in the first name Anatolii double I. That's
Jeff: Double. I never knew that. Okay. I think we could take a lot of time. There is a lot that many miracles that this man can share with us about his life and especially much about his recent life. But let's start out, just tell us a little bit about your story. How you met Jesus, how you came into the ministry, what your ministry life was like in those years that I knew you and where God has taken you from there.
Anatolii: Right. Thank you. Well, basically, I'm joking about it. It seems like I was born in theater. I've been part of a theater team for long time. I think from, since I was 10. So always was all creative stuff happening here and there. That's why I kind of a slowly got in music, in the paintings. Somehow along the way in 1998, God knocked my door and I was able to hear that knocking. I opened the door and it was Jesus. I never thought I need Jesus. And course, I thought, well, I have my belief, whatever. But since then, it was unbelievable journey. At that time, I was working as a professional actor at one of the local theaters. And I really could not participate in services. For one year I was quite suffering, being able to only visit overnight prayer meetings. Overnight because there was only what time was available.
Somehow, I was invited to Church of Praise, kind of a check it out. I came there and I was absolutely blown away with the music. And it's not charismatic. It's so joy what was happening there during praise worship time, like I never heard before. So I've decided to stay there and I started to visit or became a part of a bible college. And then he came, That's interesting. But there was something in the importation of anointing. I don’t know how that happened. I remember you've been praying for me and little by little, we were in this prophetic music. I don't know how. You were there. How did that happen?
Jeff: What I always told the people of Ukraine back in those days is that in America, I was Clark Kent, but when I would go to Ukraine, I would become Superman. We all felt that way. There was something special in that church. There was a powerful presence of God in that, in that church. Yes. That made everything come alive in a really dynamic, very dynamic evangelistic, but also prophetic way. You just happen to step into it all
Anatolii: I remember you and the team were praying for us for our worship team. I think since then, we were absolutely transformed with the power of God. Somehow, I became a worship leader in that time. It was probably 1999. Since then, I was leading worship in that big church, Church of Praise. I was doing prophetic paintings before I got saved. I didn't know it was prophetic. I was kind of painting whatever was flowing out of me. Never been really able to name it before I got saved. I was like, what is it really? I kind of like it, but really, what is it? Only God could answer those type of questions.
As soon as I got saved and started to learn how to hear voice of God, I was sending questions to God, like, really, what is it? And God started little by little naming these paintings that was amazing. And then after a couple years God said, "Well, for now you are going to have a break time for art. You are going to do only praise and worship. You'll have so many things to do." And only in 2018 I was able to go back to prophetic art. And since then, it was amazing what God was giving to me. Basically, when I'm doing painting, starting painting, I'm not having any idea of what I'm doing, basically just feeling drawn to certain colors and that's all. And then God is simply leading me what to do, how to do.
There is one painting called the Celebration for the Cross. I didn't have much understanding. I thought, I'm going to put a kind of a bluish cross in the middle. I didn't plan to put any kind of a hell style fire on the background, but it ended up this way. So it's bright on the top and in the bottom, it's darker. But it was only me doing kind of a feeling with the paint. When I was done, I uploaded it to Facebook page and it's changing a contrast ratio. And I was shocked because on the bottom of a cross, I clearly could see risen Jesus from the dead, seated on a stone, who's about to stand up. There was almost kind of a hair above his head. I was like, What? On his left, were two white figures that could be angels?
After getting that type of a painting, you are kind of thinking God is really involved in this. You are really doing it in partnership with the Holy Ghost. I think being a worship leader was the biggest part of that. Now every Sunday morning, I'm just looking for God's presence. And by the way, worship team, you did amazing job. I really enjoyed it. God bless you. Every Sunday, I was looking for God and we were able to bring all congregation to that really deep presence of God. I have to agree with you; at that time, in beginning, beginning of the 2000s, majority of population in Ukraine were pretty much poor people. They had to trust God with everything. I mean, everything, so their prayers were really generous. They really needed God here and there in hell.
That's why we were able to corporately enter in strong calling. Church of Praise network started to grow like never before. We ended up opening many churches across Ukraine and even I think in Armenia at that time.
Jeff: Yeah. It was very dramatic. I remember in those early years, people would come to Pastor Gregory in just desperate, desperate situations, and the church had nothing to give them. They could be losing everything, but the church had no money. But in every situation, Pastor Greg would take their hands and he would pray. In the years that we would come back, we would see the people of God and that church begin to prosper, start businesses and begin to flourish in their lives because of Jesus. Yes. It was miraculous. There was no money there. When John and Jackie first started going there, the only way to get gas was to stop on the side of the road where someone was holding up a gas. You couldn't get light bulbs. People took their windshield wipers off their cars that night or they would get stolen. There was nothing. There was nothing. But there was Jesus
Anatolii: Absolutely. Yeah, Jesus.
Jeff: As we've said many times, Jesus is the big game changer. And he definitely was there. We got to be part of those early years. I did. And John, of course has continued to go back.
Anatolii: This whole thing, Bible college thing was amazing. I've went for three years of everyday, learning and studying there. It was amazing. Somehow, on the way, like halfway through, I realized I can understand English. I've never been really taught in the proper way. I went to a school, but I didn't know why I need that English then. Pastor Gregory ended up putting me on the stage as a translator for sermon translation from the stage. That was quite an experience. But God was faithful. I'm so thankful for this Canadian guy and he was using really basic English and I was like, wow, I can translate. Okay. And then another Canadian came and I was like, I really cannot translate. He was using such complicated words; I've never heard of them. Step by step. I was improving in that.
Jeff: Tell us how you met your wife.
Anatolii: Well, that's a long story.
Jeff: Well, give us a short version.
Anatolii: Again, it's all about hearing God. I have to be honest, there were some people at the church and their concern was me being single, me being 32 and still being single. What's wrong with you brother? But listen, in Ukraine, usually, people got married pretty early, like to be married at age of 18, that's not big a problem, but quite early for us. But 25 would be kind of our guideline. So me being not married when I was 32. People were asking me weird questions. Some people really tried to manipulate me, really pushed me in the marriage. No matter what they said there is something in your body that you will need in marriage life, but you are not really using it now. When you are married, that thing and not going to work. I was like, What? Is it all about that thing only? I thought it's more than that. You know what I mean?
I was right, actually. Those people, as soon as we I got married, disappeared from our lives. If I would have picked the wrong person, they would have said that was who was thinking about it. And I couldn't say, "Hey, but you were telling me I will need something." Basically, I was praying about it and I was told I have to look with my eyes. That was mistake, actually, to look with my eyes because God has prepared a person for me. Once I was driving that machuka, you know, a small kind of a bus, social transportation and one man get up from his seat. The bus was kind of a turning and I was standing to see it. But because of our gravity, I kind of end up there without doing nothing. I was like, wow.
I heard how God spoke to me just that way. It just happened. 'Your wife will come to your life. You don't have to do anything about it. You are going to sit and you'll see her in like, I will bring her into your life." And that was true because that was the moment that I saw her. God opened my eyes, actually. I was like, Whoa. Wow. She was in my choir for two years and I really didn't notice her. I didn't notice her then. We had quite a big choir. She was pretty girl then, you know, And she is still beautiful. Hey, am I getting any positive points? Sorry.
But anyway, it was like God was telling me that she is coming. She was actually praying about her marriage and God was building her image of me, but she was not sure it was me. I was wearing a ring. Americans were wearing rings of a covenant with a God for youth, kind of a silver ring. So I got a really big ring. I was wearing it and some people were thinking I'm married. It was like, what? So that was a miracle. We met and we started to send messages to one another. And then she came back to her hometown, because she studied at a medical university, and she had to be in Krivoy Rog for two years. And then she came back home. It was like, oh, I met my future wife and now she left for a different town.
We started to send messages back and forth. We didn't have any dating, no dates. We were writing just letters in old fashioned way, just letters. It was good because sometimes people can be attracted to another person because the way they look. The next morning after waiting without the makeup, the man can be, whoa, who are you? You know, that can happen, right? But it's too late, you know? It was kind of an image. We all change. I was so skinny when I was 20. This is not true. Now we are all changing. It's not about image of how the person look. It's good to have nice looking people, but it was all about soul. It's all about ability to love God, ability to forgive. It's all about those types of things.
It was a really fast thing with our marriage. We were sending letters and then invited her to come for my birthday in. I felt like it was really the right type of person. In three weeks, I made a proposal in Kiev. She said yes and I was happy. Happy. I think in a month and a half, we did a wedding.
So she never came for dating. I'm still kind of okay with that. When I was in marriage ceremony, I was questioning myself. I really don't know this person. I mean, I really didn't spend much time with her. God was telling me like, "You'll be all right. You are going to like it, you know, Trust me, you are going to like it." I never had any regrets. Listen, because I trust God and he was faithful to bring me. I think she is perfect. Second part of that, one man that God created, right?
Jeff: Yeah. I remember Cheryl telling me when the day we started our honeymoon, we were in my car. We were heading out of Minneapolis to Colorado, and she looked at me and she said, "Who is this man that I am leaving down with?" And we dated three years.
Anatolii: Oh, wow.
Jeff: Oh my goodness. So yeah. God is so faithful and now__
Anatolii: Yeah, that was my journey. Not really many can do this. Because of Bible college, all these years of education, God got me really a beautiful person.
Jeff: I know that of course, for all of us, the war in Ukraine is heavy on our minds. There is a lot of prayer and intercession of course happening here and there. I've been in touch a lot with you and also with, Olga, who was another translator, Olga and Costa. She was actually selling her art and using the funds to support men who were helping evacuate civilians from Mariupol. We've all been intimately involved in this war, carrying it in our hearts and praying. Maybe you can talk to us a little bit about how it impacted your life and what you see for Ukraine,
Anatolii: It was all difficult stuff, right? We never expected Russia to attack in such a severe way. We were in Kiev. We end up moving Kev Rog to Kiev two, two and a half years before war started. And we kind of felt we are going to be there about two years and then we were going to leave. We didn't know where we are going to go. When the war started, it was so surreal cause my mother-in-law called me and she said it started. As I was telling you before, she has kind of a prophetic understanding of that nature of Russia. When I look outside, I could hear that these sirens, many of them here and there sound. Can you imagine this kind of a surreal situation now here and there, sounding some explosions on a background.
The highway was packed, but the car is not moving. It was traffic jam because of a, probably some car crash accident somewhere there. It was a disaster. And I thought, well, kind of a__ but at the same time, I felt like God was telling me like, "I will help you. I will get you out of this." And we spend the rest of the day just enjoying our family. We went to a store. It was fine. Every shelf was kind of a full. In a week, it wasn't like that anymore. We were not there, but people were telling us there were empty shelves there because Russians basically bombed warehouses of food. And as a matter of fact, they built it in such a way that all these huge warehouses were not just for Kiev, but for more than half of Ukraine. So that was huge problem.
So anyway, here we are in Kiev, kind of a posting on Facebook, "hey, we in safety here". And Costa called me and he said, "Listen, it looks like it's safety, but it's really not because you don't know what 20 kilometers from you, there are some Russians troops landing via helicopters trying to get in the city. In the city." I was like, wow, this looks different. We started to pack as fast as possible. My wife, she was pregnant. It was eight months. She is the one in my family who is a specialist on packing. I'm just a driver, so it took quite long time to pack with a belly. Ooh, four hours. I took few of my best paintings with me. Like maybe God, you, if you can protect the rest of it. It's kind of 45 pieces of different types, different shapes. The biggest was 40 by 60 inches. So I didn't have space for that in my car.
As a matter of fact, I made a phone call to one of my friends and he lived near Kiev, just down to center, which is a safe. As a matter of fact, he said, "Listen, some other family called me just recently and they asked for housing. But I said, Listen, I cannot receive you. I'm expecting some guests." Because he said, God told me you are coming. Isn't that something? Oh my goodness. I was like, What? Yeah. He said, "God told me you are going to come.' I was amazed with that fact. So God provided, even without us understanding it's there. We went there; we spent like one week and there we decided to start try to live the country. Why try, because there was law. They came up with the law, I think in the third day of the war. No man allowed to leave country, except if they are older than 60 or they are handicapped or sick, or they have three children younger than 18.
I had two and a half children, you know, kind of almost there, but not exactly. I heard some people made it through the custom to Moldova, spoke with them over the phone. We went there and we were denied. They said, "You have to try a different one. Try it there. Maybe they'll let you out." We went there. We were denied one more time. I felt tremendous relief. I don't know why. It sounds so strange, right? You are trying to get in a safety and then if you are not there, you feel it were such a relief. Like you were trying do something against God's will.
I made a phone call to friend of mine, and she told me, "If you need some help on Western party with Ukraine, just call me. I will connect you with some churches there." I checked my kind of a range, what I can get before curfew. and I could see there was only one city and [inaudible 1:05:19] that city. She made some phone calls; people called me back. We connected, we went there, we came there 10 minutes before curfew. But you have to understand, at that time, there were so many checking points on the roads. It was not regular military. It was civilians with the guns. Some of them really were nervous. After we passed one checking point, we were quite scared because we could see people, you know, many people hiding with the rifles ready to shoot. But on the faces, I could tell that we were not skilled to hold their emotions. But we were so happy to be quickly get into that city.
Next day, a minister of a church came and he said, "God told me it will be a family for my house. I want take you to my house because I think you are the family for a provision." And you have to understand, this is this guy has housed outside of town, outside of a city, so we could not hear any sirens. That was a blessing because it's so stressful actually to hear it even. The house had everything that we needed inside that was freshly renovated. As a matter of fact, it had all piece of equipment like you have in these houses, even dryer for clothes, which is absolutely rare in Ukraine. Like dishwasher, washing clothes machine, dryer for clothes. It's amazing.
It had beautiful scenery outside, beautiful hill and some forest on the top. We ended up spending probably four months, almost four months. Not four months, less than there, three and a half, sorry. And baby David was born. Our concern was like, we, it'll be any sirens in that day because in this kind of facility, you are required to go down to the basement, to bomb shelter. But it's really not something we want to do. You are in your labor. But the mercy of God in that day, no sirens. There were no sirens. Baby David was born and everything was just fine. Except there was this chord that connects him with the mother.
Jeff: There was umbilical cord.
Anatolii: Yeah, there was a kind of a knot.
Jeff: Is it a knot?
Anatolii: okay. Yeah. There was a nod and doctor told me, Listen, you lucky because there was a knot. It was not tight. If he would move there, there would be tug, he would lose oxygen, blood flow. He could die inside. Maybe because of a stress, he was quite really active or I don't know. But that is really miracle baby because a couple times we almost lost the baby. It's our third son and God just protected him.
When the baby was born, we were free to go according to law. And we started to pray where to go because we felt like we have to go to English speaking countries since we both could speak English. We were not ready to learn as French Germany in Polish and so much stuff. We got invitation from Germany, from France, and even from England and we kind of didn't feel right about England. One friend of my friends ended up being in Canada, but they made their way to Canada and they really like it. And there were some people who I know who made it to the states and we really hate it. Because in that time they applied for the work permit and they applied in May and still they didn't get it. It's like it will be up to nine months.
So I thought, well, really don't feel like we have to go to states because it will be a step of faith, really kind of trust God in everything. Why my friend who made it to Canada was happy is because he was given $15,000 Canadian when they arrived.
They got monthly payment for each child, like $600 each child until they are 18. It's like such a big amount of money. Just come and we'll give you money. That's kind of our good stuff. But God told me, if you want to just enjoy these benefits, you can do it; you can go to Canada. But if you want to continue minister to me, come to the States. I was like, okay.
They came up with a program called United for Ukraine. And what it does, there must be persons from states who made a certain amount of money last year so they can prove they are capable to provide needs of an individual. A family of five, what I have will be like $50,000 per two years. This is a period of time and a period of a program, two years. I thought, well, it's not going to be easy, but God had something different in mind.
By that time, they didn't have any benefits included, no food stamps, no free insurance. And that was step of faith. As soon as we decided to, to go that path, government of the United States of America decided to add these benefits. They said, Okay, they are now ready so we can edit now. That was a blessing too. We applied for sponsor and there is some Facebook page who was looking for sponsor for Ukrainians. And they found one sponsor without housing because we thought we were going to go to North Carolina. There were some people who were willing to give us a hosting and then they disappeared. We were looking for some other people who couldn't host us. There was one lady and she said okay and then she disappeared too. It was like, what's going on here?
And then one of my friends went to the church called Catch the Fire [inaudible 1:12:00] rally. And they were more than happy to give us hosing for two, three months. So basically, we lived there all this time. We still didn't have money for tickets, so we were praying about it. While we were waiting for tickets, I decided to address some of my health issues, what I had in the past four years. So we, I decided to go to a city next to the town where we were in at that time. But that city was known for having biggest fuel factory in Ukraine. It was providing needs for more than half of Ukraine. It was really important place, but Russians and end up bombing that place four times.
I don't know why they were doing it again and again, spending $6 million worth missiles. The place was destroyed after first attempt basically. So I thought, maybe they were done by now. Really don't want to die know there. We prayed and we went there. Me, my wife, little David, my wife's sister with her two children, they went with us to shop there because it's a city, bigger shopping malls, bigger stores.
After I was done with my medical tests, we got her sister in the car and as soon as we left city, a Russian rocket came to the same street where we were. This time, they hit a bigger shopping mall. So many people died. They were burned alive. Sometimes there is no ashes of a person. My wife told me, "I was asking you to go to that shopper mall after we were done in medical clinic, but you say you are tired, let's go home." So it was God hand who helped us to be alive again.
Listen, I was going back after that to the town and after we got to the town, I went out from my car and I could tell I was checking because I just escaped the death, to be burned alive. and I said, 'God, you must have something for us to do because you just protect us." It's so good. So, the thing was in that medical center, they discovered I have a tumor in my rectum. They were not sure is it cancerous or not, so they took biopsy without even me knowing it.
They kind of assume I will stay in Ukraine and going to address all these things. But I was shocked when he said it took biopsy because I knew if you are going to kind of take biopsy of a tumor stage two, three or four, it will grow. It can cause growing. With me now we go into states with that medicine, what you have here, kind of insurance medicine. If you have insurance, it will be extremely expensive, right? Actually, didn't realize how expensive it will be. That was a shock to me because I didn't know what to do, but I had to trust God again.
I said, God, if you already opened this door, there must be something for us. Such a blessing." We really didn't know why we going to North Carolina. Do we have time? There is so much stuff in this, you know, miracle after miracle after miracle. I'll tell you a few things, okay? There is no time on this. I turn it off.
Jeff: Let's see if we can wrap it up in 15 minutes.
Anatolii:15 minutes, okay. We can do it because this is such a testimony.
Jeff: You guys okay with another 15 minutes?
Anatolii: Okay. Oh, thank you so much. We end up packing our stuff in the western part of Ukraine. I had to ship some of my paintings via post and majority of them were on stretch and I put them in the tubes. They were quite big tubes. And as a matter of fact, the last painting was done on really thin canvas. I was able to roll it really tightly. I put the last painting in the last available space. There was no space. It was like everything is there and there is no space. It was like, wow.
We went on the custom and we came there quite late. I could see there was line of two kilometers of cars, which were not moving. I thought it's not going to work for us with three children on the back. You know, were packed there. I was squeezing them in a car because we had so much stuff. So we decided to really do something crazy. I knew if you kind of have an infant in a car, you can break some rules sometimes, not here, of course. I went to the opposite traffic line, like facing the traffic. There were no cars; there was only one scared bus driver. It was like really maybe a three kilometers line, so they were not moving.
I went inside on a costume court and it was another line of course, and they were not moving either. So we asked the lady in front of us for how long you've been waiting here. She said, four hours. And she said in 20 minutes they are going to have a shift. So it's another hour, at least. I was like, no, we cannot afford it. At that time, baby David started to cry. I thought, well that's a perfect kind of a thing. She went outside; he was crying. I said, 'Go and ask who's in charge to give us green light." We are going to go there. I heard they were doing it. Actually, that's why I asked her to do it.
We were given permission to go there and they had like 15 minutes before their shift. So they were really quick because they wanted to go home. The guy came who was responsible for checking your luggage for, you know, national inheritance, diamonds, gold, which we had so much in our luggage of course. As soon as he opened the trunk, he was shocked, like so much stuff to check. He was like, "Oh, I'm not going to, I'm not going to be able to do it." And then he saw this tubes with the stuff and he said, "Well, what's in it" I said, "My art." He was like, "No, art." It's like he has to call some expert. It will take forever.
But I was doing my [inaudible1:19:09]. I had some pictures with the stamp from Ministry of Culture. Like, look, I have all approval. It's okay. It was like, oh alright. He just disappeared. We went through, not a single piece of luggage was checked. As a matter of fact, not in Poland, not in states. They didn't check our luggage. They didn't check art. Because as soon as you open the art thing, it will be hard to put it back because of how tightly it was rolled inside.
We made it here. Our last flight was late. We were praying again. God cause a storm in Raleigh, I believe because our prayer. Our last flight got late, so we were able to catch it. We were late in Munich for one hour sitting in a plane and then we had to do some paperwork, like something passports, given the parole, all that stuff. When we came here to North Carolina, I mean, not here, I mean just states. My friends started to knock here and there into hospitals. They were successful in, making appointment in Duke Hospital which is basically the best facility for cancer treatment on whole coast. They end up having me as a charity case because listen, whatever they were charging there, it's really hard to understand why it's, it has so many zeros in the end.
As a matter of fact, I asked one of the workers, like I was about to take 3D MRI scan and I said, "How much is that thing really?" And she said, "Oh, I'm going to send you information to your chart." And I went there, it was like before their discount, it's $220,000 for one scan only. I was like, what? I was so happy to have this charity case because I think insurance would not cover that type of expense. So I end up going next day to do the scan and the lady at the counter, she said, "Oh, I see there is some amount of money we have to pay before you do a scan." And I said, "What is it?" Well after discount, it's $66,000. I was like, Okay. Would you like to pay it now? I said no. Would like to pay some? I was kind of thinking, okay, $20. 30? I said, "I'm a charity case." And she said okay. That was easy.
I could feel I'm having a hard time with my high blood pressure. I felt I was going to die because of a heart attack now. That would be really weird, trying to heal cancer and now dying from a heart attack because of a bill. I was afraid they were going to send me the bill. I went through six weeks of chemo and radio treatment and the doctors told me my body was just getting good response. They were going to check and exam it in middle of November if it is to still there.
We believe in divine healing, so it will be gone because if it's not gone, they want to do a surgery, which is basically not just taking out the tumor, just cutting out all the rectum, which nobody needs. Hallelujah. Another very last thing that I want to share, another provision thing from the Lord. My wife was praying about this trip even in Ukraine, and God told her, "There is a house for you where you will stay for free." All this time, like for couple months we were kind of waiting for the house, but it was not coming. Some people and the leadership of the church were quite nervous about us staying there longer than two months, and me going through this treatment, so I'm not able to work kind of no income and what's now they got stuck with us.
I got a phone call from a lady. They saw our interview on tv. We were given couple interviews and she said, "Well, I saw your interview and I kind of like your art. I was searching and can I help you with anything with art?" I said, "Sure, you can buy me a canvas because I had so much paint." And she said, Okay, let's meet that the art supply store." And she came, she handed me a $200 certificate, which was nice. And she said, "Listen, will we be interested in living in a house outside of town, like a 30-minute drive from here?" I said, "Sure, why not? I like driving." She said there is a couple and the owner of the house, he is quite ill. And they went to India. His wife is originally from India. They were going for some treatment there. They are going for some treatment here and he has some problem with the muscle of the head, but they were kind of open to give any people help with housing. They had only two__ what do you call it? you have to be a Christian and you have to be from Ukraine and then you qualify to stay in the house. There were two things.
We were perfectly matching those two. We went there, checked the house. We liked the house. Without the owners, you know, they were still in India. They were thinking about giving us like three months. We said, "Listen, we need to put our children to a school, so please extend it." They ended up to giving us housings for eight months, which will be like end of June beautiful. And with zero cost, no rent, zero utilities payment because they have a well there; they have a silver panel. Everything quite provided already except natural gas.
Also, they end up giving us their third car to drive. That was amazing. Listen, God did such a beautiful job with us there. So this is our testimony. Thank you.
Jeff: Wow. When you are in an impossible situation. All things are possible with God, aren't they?
Anatolii: Absolutely. You just to be able to wait until the__ His timing is right.
Jeff: Yes.
Anatolii: That's one. Wonderful. Thank you.
Jeff: Now, we put a piece of art on the stage. you were going to tell us about this.
Anatolii: Yes, absolutely.
Jeff: Go ahead and do that.
Anatolii: This is the very last piece that I did in Ukraine before war started actually a couple weeks before started. I did it because I felt such a grief after knowing my first pastor, Pastor Gregory died.
Jeff: Yeah. Pastor Gregory passed away right before the war started. And his daughter Anya now and her husband passed the church. And I just read a recent testimony from them. Krivoy Rog has been spared majority of the shelling so far. They have sirens and things, but not a lot of destruction. But they become a place of refuge for so many people. And their church has provided food and shelter and she said thousands of people are coming to Jesus right now. So it's just an amazing work of God that he is doing through Pastor Anya and that church.
Anatolii: Yes. Absolutely. When I got that phone call, I really actually I didn't expect to be so wounded with that news. So I thought I have to do something about it. And I started to paint. My concern was what I would project my grief in the paint, you know, do such a dark thing, whatever. But God was up to something really different. When I was done, God told me what it is really. And I know it looks like Minnesota in winter time, Right?
Jeff: That's what I told him.
Anatolii: But I'm sorry it's really not. God was telling me heaven is for real. Heaven is for real. When your sun is going down, like your days are about to be over right on this planet. There will be angels of God who will take you and bring you to the presence of your creator from this river of busy life on earth. And you'll be able to enter the joy of your master. So don't cry about him. He is in a better place. He did his walk and now he is in joint presence with his creator. That was good thing because later this painting was ministered to me after that rocket attack, I was like looking at it and saying, God, really my days are not there yet. Thank you for saving me. Basically, what we have there, different kind of prints that can be unframed, framed and it starts with $30. That's going to support enough family here.
Anatolii: The art is back there and you are able to buy any of it that you want after the service here.
Jeff: Actually, if you don't like it, you can buy it as a Christmas present. There are some people who came to me and said, oh, we really don't want to buy anything, but here is a hundred dollars bill. It was like, oh, get something in return. No, no, no. You can sell it. Okay.
Jeff: In addition to the opportunity to buy his art, we do want to receive an offering for Anatolii and his family. I don't know if there is another track if you would like to sing during that.
Anatolii: Oh, really? Can I do it? Okay.
Jeff: Do you have another?
Anatolii: Oh, can I play piano? I really enjoy this piano. Can I? This is really tricky. I didn't play it for long.
Jeff: Do you have a microphone there? Do you need to sing too? You have a mic? Okay. So Joel, can you get him wired? And let's just pray and let's just trust the Lord to really bless his family in their new lives. Obviously, you can tell by the testimony that they are here for a reason. We want to see God unfold his purposes for their life and their ministry in the future. So Father, we just give to you as we give to Anatolii and to his family and to all that you've called them to in Jesus name. Amen. If you are going to give on text or if you are going to give him the kiosk do it to special.
[Music 1:31:11-1:34:16]
Jeff: Pastor Brian, you want to come up?
Brian: Thank you, Anatolii, for being here today. God bless you and welcome to your family. So good to have you here. I'd like to just take one more second if we could Anna, to, if you could just come down here and have your wife come forward. We just want to pray a blessing over you. Here is this little new bundle of joy that crashed into the world during a war in Ukraine. Wow. Look at this wonderful little child.
Anatolii: Actually, we never dedicated him. Can you do it now?
Brian: Yes, yes, yes. Ah, look at this. What's the child's name again?
Anatolii: David.
Brian: David. David. Hi David. Hi David, Sweetie. Well, we ,Lord, recognize that all life belongs to you. And this little gift is on loan to Anatolii and his wife and to all of us, but he belongs to you. But we do present them back to you and we dedicate his life and his future to you. And we know that very special people are born during very special seasons. And that, Lord, when you want to bring your love to the world, you bring it through usually the birth of another child. And so we just bless little David and we bless Anatolii and his wife.
We bless this family and their other two children and we pray favor over them, Lord, Your hand has been on them. And we pray, Lord, for a long life, for many people to be touched yes Lord by their lives. And that as we present this child to you, in the same way that Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to you, Father in the temple, we declare that this child is yours and that we Lord will do all we can to pray blessings over little David, and that we will live a legacy that will model you for this child. This is how we will commit to live, to model you, Jesus to this child.
And we also bless this family with your favor, with your provision, with your protection. And open up more doors. Now, Lord, in the US. America feels as though it's walking so far away from you. We need a return to the Lord. We need a return and an awakening to happen. Lord, in our nation. Awaken our spirits. And I pray that Anatolii and his family will be a part of that awakening, that will bring the love and reality of Jesus to all the people that they come in contact with. And just open doors, Lord, for this family. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah.
I don’t know if you can see all this baby smiling, but I think she is looking at me. I mean, he is looking at me. He, yeah. Well just stay here. Let's stand together. Let's raise our hands. I want to just bless all of you and bless Anatolii and his family.
Now, may the Lord bless you and may the Lord keep you and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord turn his face towards you and give you his peace. This we pray the name of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen. God bless you. God bless you.
Dave and Lou will be over here to serve communion for anybody who wants communion. And we have people at the altar to pray for you as well. God bless you. Thanks for being here today.
Transcript taken from the Sunday morning service 10-23-22. If you would like to watch the full service, click the link below.