Profiles: Alex from Ukraine, Igor from Russia

Alex Pastushak
Broadcaster, Response Team Leader

“Thousands of people prayed for my survival when I was 11 years old,” says Alex, now 28. “My friend got a new bike and I asked if I could ride it. Excited, I did not see the car coming towards me. The hematoma in my head was so dangerous that no one dared to operate on me. Finally, one doctor agreed to do it, but he gave little hope to my parents. He said, ‘Please prepare to buy a coffin or, if we are lucky, a wheelchair.’ We were not lucky, we were blessed. Not only did God protect my life, but I was able to walk.”

God has blessed Alex in many other ways, He was able to get a university degree in economics, and then, feeling that God could use him in ministry, he was admitted into a Kiev Theological Seminary.

Today, he is leading several important radio projects, sharing the Good News and doing it as a conversation between himself and his listeners.

In addition to the programming, Alex works with people who have responded to our broadcasts.

“We are putting together a new strategy on how to lead people to Christ through our follow-up efforts. We really need your prayers, so the Holy Spirit would work through us as we share the Gospel in these one-on-one conversations.”

We receive thousands of responses every month, and our main goal is to connect these people to local churches.

Alex also hosts some programs with his wife, Nadya. Together, they create honest, real dialogues about living our lives according to God’s grace. And people respond.

“I came to know Christ through your programs,” said Anna, a Ukrainian listener. “At first, all these religious things were kind of strange to me, and now I cannot imagine my life without Jesus. He is the source for life, my best friend.”

Igor Popov
Broadcaster

Igor is a host of several FEBC programs – about the Bible, literature, and children with physical and mental challenges.

“My dad was an engineer, and my mom was a French language teacher. As a child, I read a lot, and always wanted to talk about books.

“Soon, like everyone else, I was drafted into the Soviet army. There, facing mindlessness and humiliations that the Soviet army was famous for, I first turned to God in prayer.”

After the army service Igor became a student at Moscow State University, studying journalism. At that time he began looking for spiritual answers, and ended up in the central Baptist Church of Moscow. He met his wife there, and now they have two daughters.

“Our 17-year old just made a commitment to Jesus through water baptism; we are so happy! And our 6-year-old has autism. This challenge sometimes feels unbearable, but it also helps us feel God’s provision and His love every day.”