John Wiens' legacy in Ukraine

John baptizing our Maxim Rudei 2 years ago in the Dniper 

As we start this new year, we are sadden by the loss of our friend and the visionary behind the trade school, John Wiens, who passed away on January 14th. He fought a six week battle after discovering he had cancer. John was the missionary with a dream to help orphans by starting a trade school, it is so good that he was able to see the first school year. John and Ev had signed up for ten years of service in Ukraine, and in the six years they were here had founded a church New Hope in Zaporosia and worked with orphans and started an outreach to graduated orphans in the city, and the trade school, where John hoped to have more tracks than the dairy one, he was very excited about a possible baking track in the future. He once told us he had three things he'd like to do in Ukraine, establishing the church, the trade school and a rehab center for alcoholic men.

John spent several months this fall traveling Canada  and speaking in churches and to groups raising money to complete the barn renovation so the school can restart this fall with the needed facilities in place, and we excited to report that the barn will proceed as planned. One of the reasons for the barn is that the students will not only have the experience of working on the farm, but that the milk sold will help pay the daily expenses of running the school in the future.

Here is a link to an interview John did with an American dairy contact this fall about the trade school
 http://dairyline.com/wpbackend/?p=7043

and here is an article recently published in the Mennonite Brethren magazine about John and Ev and their work in Ukraine (John was with their mission organization)
http://mbherald.com/dairy-farms-and-church-plants/