Last year, five years after the Orange Revolution, Viktor Yanukovich was elected president of the Ukraine. Although, I can't say that former President Yushenko was a great president, (he proved to lack the leadership skills needed to run the country), his presidency was nice for Americans. Yushenko's wife was at one time a US citizen, and while he presided requirements for Americans residing or visiting in Ukraine, were very relaxed.
Ukraine's new president, President Yanukovich has never hidden the fact that his loyalities lie with Russia. And many felt that the enterance of Yanukovich as president would be the end of democracy in Ukraine. At the moment it's still too early to tell, but let me give you a few examples of what's happened here within just the past few weeks.
The last Saturday in October is election day. 2010 was an election year for local city council members and mayor. After the votes were counted in Irpen, (the city we live in), the only people that won spots on the the city council turned out to be members of the Party of Regions, (our president's political party). The man that received the most votes for mayor, did not recieve the position, instead it was given to a man representing the Party of Regions. A week later, President Yanukovich removed the elected mayor of Kiev, and replaced him with one of his appointees.
What does this mean for evangelical believers and specifically for missionaries in Ukraine? I don't know. I do know that in the last few years the doors have begun closing on evangelical mission work in in Russia. It is almost impossible for a missionary to enter Russia with a religious visa, missionaries usually have to go "incognito" as a language teacher or business man. Is this what lies ahead for Ukraine?
In the past 10 years of ministry here in Ukraine we have been blessed by the openness of the people and government. We had the opprotunity to share the Gospel pretty much everywhere. Please pray that we will be good stewards of our time, using theses days of freedom ( that we still have) to their fullest.
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