So, Where Exactly Do We Serve in Ukraine...?

Good question! First, a few general facts about Ukraine. It is the second largest nation in Europe, and is roughly the size of the state of Texas. When Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, it became know as "The Breadbasket of the U.S.S.R. because of it's rich, fertile soil. Ukraine has a population of about 52 million. The official language is Ukrainian, but many people in the East and the South still primarily use the Russian language.
	Our family ministers in the Zaporozhye Region of Ukraine. You can see this general area circled on the map to the left. Zaporozhye is the nearest large city, and the center of the region. Oksana's family moved to this area of Ukraine during the late 70's. Previously, they had lived in the Cherkessk region of Russia. This area is is located on the map above (East of Turkey, North of Iran). Oksana was born there, but her family moved to Ukraine because of her parents' work. Her grandparents still live in Cherkessk.
This is a closer picture of the Zaporozhye Region of Ukraine where we minister and live when we are in Ukraine. We usually fly into and out of Dnepropetrovsk. If you follow the Dnepir River (it is pronounced NEH-per) South, you will come to our town - Dneprorudniy. It is a small town of about 30,000. The name of the town comes from two words: "Dnepir," being the river, and "Rud," being the word for "iron." The town was built to support a large iron mine nearby. This is where Oksana's father is employed. Right across the river from our town is another town called Energodar. It is the site of a huge nuclear power plant that supplies much of the energy for the region.