To get to the Sidenko’s family home, you must drive into the apartment complex known as Area D which is in one of the poorest areas of town. In fact, when folks advertise for a flat to live in they specify “anywhere but Area D”. To reach their home, you will climb up a shabby, unlit communal staircase, usually to the sound of crying children above.
Vitalii the father will open the door, and you will be greeted and led through to one of the three rooms that he, his wife Ludmila and their six teenage children live in. Although the family is clearly short of money, Ludmila will have prepared a lovely meal and you will have the opportunity of learning about their wonderful ministry the family have with the hard of hearing in the region.
Their church, the Second Baptist Calvary Church in Cherkassy has been working among deaf people since 2001 and there are 14 deaf members of the church. Four newly converted people study the course of spiritual growth and are being prepared for baptism. There is a Sunday school for deaf children with two age groups (4-6 and 10-12).
The Sidenkos also visit different areas of the oblast (region) in Smila, Zolotonosha, Korsun, Uman and other villages and towns where they organize camps and missions to show that God’s love incudes those with hearing difficulties.
Vitalii writes, “Deaf people learn of the world with their eyes and in our country they are very uneducated. Just reading the Bible and Christian literature is not enough as the result always leaves much to be desired. They need visual aids. We try to get video materials and visual documents on different Christan topics. But we have a problem to show it to them. We don’t have a video projector. We wanted to raise the money here, but because of the expenses for the camps and missions we simply can’t save the amount we need. Due to their lack of education, it’s hard for them to find a job, and most of them live on government pensions.”
The Sidenko family is active in leading the ministry for the deaf. Vitalii is a deacon of the church and Ludmila supports him. Between the two of them, they lead these weekly services:
Monday Morning ladies service Tuesda Evening subject service Thursday Morning ladies service Thursday Evening prayer group Friday Evening Bible study Saturday Mission projects for deaf Sunday General church assembly, Sunday school for deaf, Mission for deaf unbelievers, Sunday school for deaf children
The specific need of the ministry is for video materials to be shown at every meeting and for every project. Vitalii finishes - “We ask you dear brothers and sisters to stand with us in prayer with regard to purchasing the equipment we need, to be sure it is His will. And our request is to pray for developing the ministry among deaf people in Ukraine and all over the world. With love in the Lord your brothers and sisters in Christ,”
Vitalii and Ludmila Sidenko
An Answered Prayer
The youngest natural child of Vitalii and Ludmila is 20-year-old Anastasia, who has been studying to become a teacher at the languages faculty. She is a very talented young lady speaking English fluently, learning French, studying to play the violin as well as playing on the university volleyball and handball teams.
For two years the family were able to pay her education fees but following the loss of Vitalii’s job at the beginning of the year they did not know how they could continue. As always they gave the problem to the Lord in prayer, and approached Hope Now to see if there was any way in which we could help. Vitalii wrote, “We pray for God’s will to be done regarding Anastasia’s study, the family and the ministry. We are sure God has all the answers, we want to let His will be done in everything.”
Within weeks their prayers were answered, because 1500 miles away in England someone approached the Southampton office asking if there was the possibility of sponsoring a student. It so warms my heart to see God working out His purposes, bringing people together from all over the world, making a real difference in the lives of those who trust in Him.
Considering the record of the Queen’s own family, another royal wedding
might be considered a triumph of hope over experience but there is no
doubting that Prince William has taken his time in getting to know Kate
Middleton.
