By Kevin Shannahan
Pastor Andrii Andriichuk, his wife Viktoriia and children Ivan and Sviatoslov visited FUMC Natchitoches’ United Methodist Men’s October meeting. The family is originally from Bila-Tserkva in the Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion, Rev. Andriichuk was pastoring a church when Stephanie Chanthavilay came over from the U.S. for a mission trip in 2019. That trip was to change quite a few lives. She was working at a church camp when she met a group of orphans staying there.
Ms. Chanthavilay felt an immediate connection to the orphans and was able to get them to the United States in 2023. As the war continued, the Andiichuk family’s hometown was caught in the middle of the fighting with drones and artillery striking the city. Victoriia and the children were able to leave, making their way to Western Europe by way of Romania. Friends were able to eventually get them to America and Andrii was able to follow later.
When Stephanie Chanthavilay set out for a mission trip in Ukraine in 2019, she could not know the far reaching effects that decision would have. A group of orphans would have a chance to find a family and a family would find safety from a war on their doorstep.
