My name is Andrii Meleshko. Born in Smila, 20 kilometres west of Cherkassy, into an unbelieving family, I grew up without my father, who had left the family when I was just one. At age 6 through to 15 there was a man, a sort of non-official husband of my mom who, in sometimes assumed the role of father.
When I was 13, a friend invited me to attend a Bible study group. After some hesitation, I began regularly attending this group and a youth group. By learning the Word of God and developing relationships with believers I was learning more and more about God's character and His wish to have a personal relationship with every human. When I was 15, I asked God for this relationship and accepted Christ as my Savior.
The following year, (1996) I was baptized in Smila Baptist Church by Pastor Vasil Fartushnyi and became church librarian. That time I also started to study at our regional Bible institute (Buzivka Bible institute according to BEE International program). According to the system of that institute, every church member, who finished one course and goes on to study next, may teach the course that they have just finished. For the next 6 years, I studied at BEE and taught courses in Smila, Kamenka, Gorodische, Chervona Sloboda. In 1997 I was appointed, church youth leader. For the next four years, as they became available, I took several secular jobs Feeling God's call to ministry in sphere of teaching theology, I studied in Donetsk Christian University. (2002-2006) There, I learnt not just doctrines but many things about relations with God and people, and got practice teaching in church and school. I was fortunate to meet many interesting people, and participated in summer missionary projects in Kostroma region and Yaroslavl.
A month before my graduation, I received an invitation to work in North Caucasus Bible Institute (Prokhladnyi, Kabardino-Balkaria). Thus in 2006-2007 I taught Dogmatics and Old Testament survey. I also participated in church ministries and taught in a couple of smaller schools: Sinbirsk Missionary Collage (Ulianovsk) and Maikop Bible School (Maikop, Adygea). Nevertheless, I felt that my education was insufficient, so I entered International Baptist Theological seminary in Prague (Czech Republic), where in 2010 I receivedMagister degree (Czech equivalent to MTh). After that, I returned to North Caucasus, where I work now as a teacher of Dogmatics and Ethics. I am the course-leader of MA program, which we have in cooperation with Moscow Theological Seminary of Baptists.
Every summer I return to my home-city and my church in Smila and usually I participate in a church camp, which we have together with South Isanty Baptist Church, Minnesota, USA. In 2009 during a camp, I met a girl who came from Cherkassy to Smila to meet her friend from South Isanty. It was Lenochka. I noticed that she is pretty and she is a nice person, but firstly I thought that she is too young for a relationship. Very soon, I went to Prague for my last study year but we continued to converse by internet. During these communications, we learnt a lot about one another and became more interested in one another. We spent a lot of time together during my Christmas break, celebrated New Year 2010, and, after my graduation, spent the whole summer together. Before I went back to North Caucasus in September 2010, I made a proposition to Lenochka and we got married December 25, 2010. I believe that God will bless our life and ministry wherever He will send us. In addition, I ask everyone for your prayers.
Our address for the nearest year is Proletarskaya-str., 70/1 Prokhladnyi, Kabardino-Balkaria Russia Andrei Meleshko (Andrii Meleshko according to my passport) and Lenochka Bazhinova (Olena Bazhinova according to passport)
For any question you may contact me by e-mail: meleshko.a@gmail.com
Some will say she is far too young to marry at eighteen, but in the
Ukrainian culture, it is not unusual and, I dare say, there are many
older Americans reading this letter who married as young and will
testify to long and happy marriages
