Andrii & Tanya Ivaniuk

Simeon

Andrii was born in 1989 and raised in the city of Rivne in Western Ukraine. It was a difficult period for the country. He grew up in a family with no father, and his mother raised Andrii and his younger brother alone. At the age of 13, he had the opportunity to visit a Christian children's camp. It was here that he first heard about Jesus Christ and the good news. Andrii believed in Jesus and prayed a prayer of repentance. However, when he returned home, it was all forgotten and there was no church nearby where he could continue to grow.

After 10 difficult years, God called him again and he repented at another Christian camp and promised to serve God until the end of his life. He soon joined a sports ministry at his church and many teenagers attended. God showed him that this ministry is more than just about sports—it is an opportunity to lead others to Christ. It was here that a mission and vision were born in Andrii’s heart.

In 2016, at the age of 26, he met Tanya, whom he then married. They moved to another area of their city and founded a floorball club and a youth club. Tanya helps lead the youth club and mentors girls at their local church. When Andrii’s floorball club began to participate in EDGE competitions, he met Andrii Polonnikov, who serves with JV Ukraine. This friendship and cooperation has lasted for many years. In 2022, when the war broke out in Ukraine, Andrii and Tanya gave birth to a son, Simeon. Despite all these circumstances, their family decided to stay in their city and continue to serve teenagers and young people. In 2023 he joined JV Ukraine serving in the EDGE ministry. His family is excited to be a part of such a great mission and to serve together. They hope to plant a new church in their city that focuses specifically on youth.