Getting to Ukraine

Friends, family, kind strangers – I pray this finds you enjoying a beautiful summer day!

It has been a month since I returned to the States and began preparation for my move to Ukraine. I’ll be honest, my expectations for this time have had to be adjusted a lot. I expected to have more time, energy, and momentum than I feel right now. I’ll begin with a bit of an update...

Unfortunately, I continue to experience complications from having Covid back in April. My energy levels are low and respiratory issues persist. I’m combating this with extra sleep, vitamins, and prayer. I am also experiencing thyroid issues, which are also affecting my energy levels. All this is to say, I’ve had to readjust priorities and manage my energy and capacity differently.

God remains faithful and plans are still moving forward! I continue my work with Global U – heading up our recruitment and logistics for three upcoming launches. While I will not be joining the team on the field, I feel so hopeful for how God continues to move through this program and the team. The next class begins in October!

In three weeks, I’ll pack up the few physical possessions I have and make my way across the USA! Moving from Gainesville, GA to my family in Chester, CA is the epitome of bittersweet. Gainesville has been my home base for three years and the backdrop for many of my most pivotal moments. But getting to spend a few months living near my parents, grandparents, and much of my extended family will be a special type of home I have never experienced before.

This is all part of the roadmap to get to Ukraine! My goal is to get back over there by late January or early February 2022 – which is so soon!

I’ve written several other posts and letters about my heart for Ukraine, but I don’t know how well I’ve done at painting the picture going forward. So here I invite you into the developing mission God has called me into.



What do you think when I say the term “Orphan Crisis”?

Perhaps you think of the nearly 400,000 children in the foster care system nationwide in the United States. Maybe the term takes you back to a mission trip where you visited at-risk youth and street kids. Or perhaps you’ve had your attention on the 75,971 children under three years in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Simply put, our world is experiencing an Orphan Crisis. There are more children without a home, family, or support system than we could count. And working on this issue anywhere in the world would be noble and righteous. God called me specifically to serve the orphans of Ukraine.

The first step to serving the children, orphanage workers, and families well is for me to get some serious training. Yes, I’ve lived internationally for about three years in total and was equipped with a lot of valuable skills and insight during that time – but moving my life to one location to serve children who have experienced unimaginable trauma requires it own kind of training, I want to do this well.

I’m looking at attending Mission Training International in Colorado this fall for their Compass Pre-Field Training. I would really appreciate prayer around this decision, as it’s both a financial and time commitment that I don’t want to mess up.

Once I get to Ukraine, I hope to come alongside some incredible people who are already working on systemic change within the institutionalization of children. While learning from their experience and wisdom, I’ll work on building relationships with the children, the orphanage workers, the local churches, and whoever else wants to be my friend.



In my next letter I get into the different ways we might be able to advocate for real change for the children and ways I see myself fitting into the greater narrative God has been working on for generations.

I really wish I could just sit with each of you and tell you in person how honored I am to be called to serve in this way and share the BIG dreams brewing in me, but for now, I pray these letters convey even a little of my heart to you!

Thank you all for your continued support of God’s wild plan for my life. I didn’t expect this life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I pray you feel encouraged by the role you’ve played in making this move a reality! Please reach out with any questions!


with love,
Lina