On February 24, 2022, the world irreversibly changed for Ukrainian Fellowship of Christian Athletes wrestling coach and journalist Sasha Pastukhov. Abruptly woken up by his wife and informed of the Russian invasion, Pastukhov was forced to trust God deeper than ever before.
Stationed in Kyiv, Pastukhov and his family were caught in some of the worst of the attack. Fleeing the dangerous city, they escaped and headed towards a family home about 80 miles away. Normally a drive of a little more than two hours on country roads, the drive took more than eight hours that day because of the mass evacuation from the area.
“It was basically a line of cars filled with people trying to get out,” Pastukhov said. “We heard those big military planes flying over us. Of course, you don’t know if they’re Ukrainian or the enemy’s. But you hear them, and that noise is scary. We were not moving. There was no way for us to get out of the traffic, and I couldn’t imagine a worse-case scenario.
“There’s no way you can have any plans in that situation,” he said. “So, I just prayed to God to help us and tell us what to do.”
“When God uses circumstances that are out of our control for our good and His glory, you know He is doing a mighty work,” said Dan Britton, FCA Chief Field Officer. “God opened a door for Pastukhov and his family at the right time to go to the right place so God’s work could be done in another country. It’s amazing to see God’s plans being fulfilled in the middle of a crisis.”
Stuck in Ukraine, a fellow FCA staff member called Pastukhov and suggested that they go to Greece. Little did he know, God would do more than answer a prayer for their new home. When they got to Greece, the Pastukhov family quickly found a church where they were welcomed, and even though they didn’t understand the language, felt right at home.
“The service was in Greek. I was sitting there understanding nothing at all, and I felt so good. My wife felt that way too. We felt so loved, accepted and cared for by people that didn’t owe anything to us,” said Pastukhov.
Through the process of adapting to a new culture and engaging in FCA while in Greece, Pastukhov realized he had been missing something in his own walk with God. Back home in Ukraine, he never read the Bible. He describes his religious experience as more ritualistic.
“When I started coming to FCA meetings, I saw a very different way of worshipping God,” he said. “I started hearing about this personal relationship with Jesus and realized that God does not want any of my works, He does not want any of my accomplishments; He just wants my heart.”
Pastukhov and his family are experiencing life in a new way, with believers who demonstrate the contrast between religion and faith. But, ever the coach, he worries about the wrestlers still in Ukraine.
"Coaching is more than training athletes to be physically strong and technical,” said Pastukhov. “I’m raising up men who will be citizens of their country, protectors, treat other people with respect and love their teammates, families and opponents.”
He tells his athletes they only have a brief season with him as their coach, “but there’s a higher Coach, the main Coach, and that is God. He’s the one who’s wrestling with you on that mat. And He’s the one who gives you strength.’”
Due to the ongoing violence and unrest, hundreds of coaches and athletes were left without the proper resources to stay engaged in their sport, job and ministry. To address this urgent need, FCA partnered with Convoy of Hope to send a full shipping container (40 pallets) of sports equipment and supplies to Ukraine. The total value of the materials is over $1 million.
When the Ukrainian crisis first took place in February 2022, 14 FCA Ukraine staff members were in the United States for the FCA worldwide staff conference in Texas. The FCA leadership team in Kansas City, where FCA’s National Support Center is located, was able to help 16 family members flee Ukraine and come to America to unite with their FCA Ukraine family members. FCA then provided the group with housing in addition to clothes and other needed supplies. As a result, these 30 people were safe as war raged on in Ukraine.
FCA’s theme for 2023 is “Greater,” based on John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” FCA reminds Christian coaches and athletes that their identity and value is in Christ rather than their sport.
Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s website at www.fca.org, its Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/TheFCATeam, its Instagram page athttps://www.instagram.com/thefcateam/ or its Twitter feed https://twitter.com/TheFCATeam.