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Friends And Family
Conversations from the studios of God's Way Radio in Miami, FL.
WAYG-LP | 104.7FM
Friends And Family
Bringing Hope To Ukraine’s Front Lines Through Orphan Care, Chaplaincy, And Courage
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The headlines moved on, but the war did not—and neither did the people called to serve there. We sit down with Vitali Smolin, founder of Open Door Foundation in Ukraine, for a rare, unfiltered look at courage, compassion, and the kind of faith that runs toward need. His journey starts in a California hospital room with a second chance at life and a promise to God, then fast-forwards to a one-way ticket to Ukraine, orphanage visits, and an unexpected role as a dental assistant so kids wouldn’t fear the chair. Ten years into it, his marriage nearly collapsed—until God rebuilt it and turned that pain into marriage conferences and counseling that now hold families together under sirens.
When 2022 widened the war, their plans shattered and reformed overnight. A children’s jacket factory designed to employ orphans aging out of care pivoted to sew body-armor carriers for chaplains and first responders. Partnerships with Far Reaching Ministries and Samaritan’s Purse opened corridors for aid and the gospel across a 1,200-kilometer front. Jackets for kids returned with winter’s bite, each stitched with Numbers 6:24 as a quiet blessing. Vitali calls chaplaincy a ministry of presence: bring IFAKs, generators, and a listening ear, and let the questions find you. In a Lviv train station field clinic, an elderly woman’s final words became a prayer—proof that God writes mercy into the last pages of a life.
We talk honestly about missiles and drones, how to pray for protection over pastors and volunteers, and why comfort can be the most seductive idol. Vitali’s challenge is simple and sharp: faith is risk. Don’t wait for a committee to bless what God already put in your heart. Feed someone. Visit the lonely. Mentor a teen. And if you’re moved to help in Ukraine, pray first—and consider supporting the work that brings hope to orphans, families, chaplains, and those living in the shadow of war.
Welcome And Scripture Framing
SPEAKER_00You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's way radio exclusive where we introduce you to some amazing people. In John chapter 15, verse 15, Jesus says, I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. That's our aim, that God would be made known to you. Stay with us until the end of our conversation for more information on this program and other unique offerings from God's Way Radio.
Meet Vitali And Ukraine’s Current Reality
SPEAKER_03Well, we have a very special treat here. You know, God's Way Radio is blessed. I mean, uh our sending church, Calvary Chapel, Miami, and then all the connections that Calvary Chapel, Miami has, uh, you'll see in a moment, especially with missions and outreaches, and and we then have other connections in the community, and uh it's amazing. Today we are with uh a brother who whom I'm just meeting today, Vitali. Vitali, thank you for being here. Awesome, thank you so much. And we're with Pastor Chris, because Pastor Chris has to help me out here. He he he just spent time with Vitali and is getting just the heart of what God's doing and and so much, right? This this is kind of like missions ministry uh exclusive here. It's a great opportunity. I couldn't pass it up. I had to call it I'm excited. I'm excited. So Chris said, Man, can we interview this guy before he goes to the airport? I said, Man, uh that sounds amazing. So, Vitali, I thought the way we could start. Uh you live in Ukraine. Yes, sir. Your ministry's in Ukraine. Yes, sir. And you know, at the time of this recording, I don't want to name drop too many things, but there's another country that's in the news right now.
SPEAKER_05Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03And that's just the way the news is, yeah, right? It's advertisers, it's media. We're not gonna go down that rabbit trail. But there's still things going on in your country, there's still things going on in Ukraine, there's still children, there's still people, there's a whole world out there that we don't see on TV anymore.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_03So can you give us just currently what's going on? How's it going? Just kind of like the big picture perspective.
SPEAKER_04Awesome. Uh well, I want to thank God for first, because this is an amazing opportunity, and I love how God works. Like this is nothing we talked about with Chris, but we're after we're done having lunch and just fellowship, and he's like, hey, let me just let me let me try to do something. And so I'm always excited when I see God's on the move. And this is one of those things. So thank you for the opportunity. At the same time, my name is Vitali Smolin, and uh I represent Open Door Foundation in Ukraine, and uh our ministry is all about Jesus. Everything we do is about Jesus and bringing the good news of Jesus. But as you mentioned, uh news are you know two, three days and it's over. But the war in Ukraine um it got worse. It didn't get better, it didn't get uh quieter, it got a lot worse. We're we're suffering a lot more than we used to three years ago. We just celebrated four years of active war as of a couple days. Wow. So the pain, the suffering, the anxiety is so real every day because as I was sharing with Chris too, I mean I showed him pictures, uh, missiles and bombing right outside of my window, less than a mile outside of my window. Wow. And that's something that we live on a daily basis, and something that the the scary part about it, I think, is we're so used to it. It became uh a norm for us. Uh just because the news doesn't show it, but like let's say this winter, this winter has been um one of the worst winners for the last 10 years on record. We had just the climate, you know. Just the climate. Wow. We're not even gonna talk about the war, but the climate. And then what the Russians did is they they destroyed all pretty much major infrastructure of electricity in the country, not it just in the country, so people froze to death bit just because of that. We had water uh pipes that burst because when it dropped down to negative 28 Celsius, yeah, that's cold regardless of who you are or where you're at. You know, uh, and so you know, my house had at least ways deep of snow that I had to shovel in and out. So uh taking that into perspective and putting war on top of it, it just makes everything difficult. So our heart is always with the people of Ukraine. Uh we do want to help them, but we want to give them something that's eternal, that's forever. And it's so amazing, you know, when we go to places to bring food, to bring generators, to bring uh wood, whatever it is that we God blessed us with to share and to be a blessing with, um, they always ask why. Like all the normal human beings don't come here.
SPEAKER_03That's the open door right there. Oh, let me tell you why.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. Yeah, I I always say if you're gonna ask me why, I will share why. And same with all the uh kids' ministries, because we're big about the future of the country.
SPEAKER_03Well, let me let me interject there just a couple questions already that come to mind. And and forgive my ignorance. When you say four years of active war, what was life like before that in Ukraine? Did you have the ministry before that? Is the ministry something that came after?
Life Under Missiles And Drones
SPEAKER_04So we've been in Ukraine since 2009. And so we we've been there uh when the initial war started back in 2014. Okay, and I've been uh at the front lines since 2014, uh we could say. Uh but you know, in the beginning I couldn't understand why God is connecting me with certain people and why do I need this more than everybody because the war was pretty isolated to the east side of the country. Okay. But when 22 exploded and the entire country got affected, uh, God has used all of those connections and the blessings through the government, through all sorts of agencies to be an open door, to be able to help um other organizations that we partner with, like FRM, uh, to be able to go through that red tape and to get help and aid and the gospel right to the front lines.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, for those listening, FRM is far-reaching ministries. You you've heard Wes Bentley on the radio. If you're friends of Calvary Chapel, you know Wes Bentley and FRM, and so this is a a friend of a friend, a brother in Christ. So this is cool. Um, so so Vitali, you would say that there there was also always kind of you know that that war front or that conflict or that tension with Russia, but then in 2022 is when it really uh consumed the whole country.
SPEAKER_04Yes. So in 14 it consumed uh I want to say three states of of uh of the country. Now pretty much every state in the country is is affected one way or the other. Some a lot more because they're occupied, some are just with missiles and drones. Okay. But every single part of the country is affected.
SPEAKER_03And and again, I I know that I'm really digging deep on this one thing, and we'll talk about several things in the time we have. Uh, but I you know, I really I don't I don't like I don't look at a lot of news, I don't look online, I'm just kind of discouraged with the whole thing. Uh, but that's why I treasure these opportunities because I can hear personally from someone. You know, the drones, the missiles, I mean, is it is it I'm not trying to be funny or sarcastic, I just have no idea. Is it like like like drones flying around while you're getting your coffee? Is it every few days? Is it give us a little bit more personal, like what it's like day to day in Ukraine right now?
How To Pray And The Cost To Pastors
SPEAKER_04So it depends where you're at. Uh unfortunately, I get to travel through the entire country. So the closer you get to the east, north, or south of the east of the country, you have drinking coffee and you're flying around. And I mean, we're talking from just uh, you know, those regular drones that you are used to seeing the the that people use for fun. What they do is an Ukrainian does the same thing. Will it they'll attach um uh a payload to it uh anywhere from about five to six uh pounds, and it basically it's a kamikaze drone, or it has a latch, it releases and throws something at you. So that those are the most dangerous ones because there's no way to get around that. But then we're talking about the huge drones, they weigh you know a couple hundred uh kilos and they have a payload that destroys buildings. So the the big ones is you could hear them, it's like a flying moped. Uh it's a horrible noise, and and uh our air space is closed in Ukraine. So when you hear jets or plane, that's not that that that's that's bad. You don't you don't, you know, like here you don't even pay attention, especially you guys are here not too far away from the airport. Like every time we come back to the country where there's jets, it just terrifies us because every time you hear that's the same noise that missile has. Exactly the same, but the a missile has a little uh like a whistling noise to it, too. Yeah, but anytime you hear a jet, it just it just rips everything inside you because within seconds you heard it, within seconds we can start counting, and you'll hear kaboom. And when there's a kaboom, people die. Yeah, so that's how real it is.
SPEAKER_03So let me ask you this. I I mean, I think that's like the whole that's a very clear picture right there. We can keep talking about it, we probably will move on. So, on that detail or on that topic, how can we be praying? Just on that topic that we've talked about so far. Because you know, people see things on the line. Oh, we have to pray for this side or that side or this politician or that thing to happen or this thing to happen. How would you ask us to pray?
SPEAKER_04You know, uh war is is is evil in every aspect of it. It doesn't matter what side. Um, I always ask people just to pray for protection, protection for the body of Christ. Because uh, one thing that uh evangelical church did in this war, uh, we've been recognized by the president administration of the president, the sole group of people that are actually responsible of helping and aiding uh this war for from the from just people, children to military, which is amazing because that's a testimony on its own. When you have an evangelical church movement moves and the president recognizes that we did something, I think that's a testimony. So by just praying that God gives wisdom and supernatural protection for us to continue to bring the good news to the front lines, for us to continue to bring hope of Jesus Christ, because when you start losing pastors, when you start losing volunteers, um you know your hands kind of go down. You don't you don't you don't want to risk it, you know.
SPEAKER_03Do you do you personally know or through the ministry pastors that have died? I I know a lot of people that have died. Um leaders and pastors? Leaders, well, pastors die. I mean anybody passing away is is horrible. But you mentioned pastors.
SPEAKER_04They get executed. If they got caught on the other side, they get executed. Um because they know um the way they blame it, it's the Western religion, and they're not they they call us American spies. So again, evangelical pastors.
SPEAKER_03Again, I'm learning, right? And and and and you know what you're saying as a person that lives in Ukraine and serves the Lord in Ukraine is if the Russian military, the Russian troops capture a Ukrainian pastor, they execute them.
SPEAKER_0490%, yes, that's the end of that story. Unless God supernaturally intervenes. We actually had one of my pastor chaplains uh get captured in Mariupol in the beginning of the war. Um he was on a mission to do something for us. We're not gonna go into details, but he was in the basement for three years, and we had the entire, you know, I don't know how many thousands of people praying, and they released him. But that's a miracle story. That's one in a million. Yeah, uh, most of the time it's it's a it's it's it's a done deal. Yeah. Uh because they just it's evil. There's nothing to do, there's not no way to explain it, and that's just you know.
SPEAKER_03No, again, I appreciate it. I appreciate the transparency, and and again, that's what I was hoping for out of this part of our conversation. That man, this is now again, somebody could say, Well, I know somebody that says it's not like that. Okay, well, I know one person that says that's how it is.
SPEAKER_04You know, so it's always gonna be like that.
SPEAKER_03So so we have that information. Chris, any any question or comment on that topic before we move on? And we might come back to it.
SPEAKER_02It's just an incredible blessing to um have I mean, I I view this as an as a great opportunity. You know, we're here fairly insulated from any of this conflict. And to have the opportunity as the body of Christ and and and all of you as a listener to be able to have a first hand view, um, you know, a peek behind the curtain, uh, to be able to pray for for people that are Christians or brothers or sisters um that are going through heartache and pain is an incredible opportunity. And uh and to recognize that like, you know, when your life is on the line and and in the balance, uh, when there's tremendous suffering that's at stake, um, you know, all the more urgent need um for for evangelism, for the truth to reach uh those who are hurting um because the situation is dire. So I thought, you know, this would be a great opportunity and and and I think it it is being a great opportunity to be able to hear what's going on in the lives of other people uh halfway across the world and pray for them and and pray about you know how the Lord would have us, you know, bear them in our hearts uh and pray for them.
SPEAKER_03What's the website for the ministry telling you?
SPEAKER_04So it's actually smolinc-f dot org.
SPEAKER_03Smolin, how do you spell that?
SPEAKER_04That's my uh S M-O-L-I-N-C-F.org.
SPEAKER_03Great, great, great. And we'll make sure to to give that again later in the conversation. Um Hey, look, he's on the computer. So we great. Yeah, I I wanted to make sure not to forget that. Um so let's go to this next topic. Tell us all about the ministry. What's the main things you guys do? Uh how's the Lord how did it start? How's the Lord led uh you know this many years that it's been going? Tell us all about open door.
Calling, Marriage, And A One-Way Ticket
SPEAKER_04So um, you know, God is just amazing. I almost died when I was 26, and uh and I I grew up in California, uh Sacramento, to the greater the greater area of Sacramento. And you know, I grew up in a Christian family, and uh knowing about God and knowing God is two different things. Uh and I was when I was 26 married, I have a I had a baby girl already. Uh I was dying. Uh, and I asked God for a second chance that I don't deserve. He heard me, he gave me a second chance, and I promised him I'll find him, dedicate my life, and do whatever he tells me to do. Two years later, after I served in church, I was playing drums, uh on the worship, doing sound, uh being a youth pastor, um God called us to Ukraine. Uh we quit our careers, sold everything we ever had, bought one-way ticket to Ukraine, didn't have ascending church, didn't have ascended mission. We just felt the God of uh calling us to do something great. And we moved to Ukraine in 2009, August of 2009, and been there ever since.
SPEAKER_03Now, here's the thing: this is where uh radio is amazing. Now I'll do another interview of why radio is the best. But one thing is you can't see uh Vitaly's face. He's like beaming, like, we bought a one-way ticket, and he's just smiles getting bigger and bigger. Why? What what where what's the joy of just leaving everything and going to Ukraine?
SPEAKER_04Well, you know how the Bible says to who is much forgiven loves much. That's my story. Uh I was dying, I had no chance. Uh, doctors said uh you're not getting out of the hospital. At 26, that sucks. Yeah, you know, like that's just too young.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh now it'd be a blessing to die because the Bible, you know, the Bible says to die is to gain. You know, so I mean, I'm gonna go see my king, my creator, everything I pray for and love for, and then and and you know, but back in the days, that's not how I see it, that's not how I looked at it. And to get a chance, a second chance, knowing you don't deserve it, that's where mercy and grace plays a huge role in life. I I'll never be the same. Uh, and and the opportunity that God gave me to do something that I can't even explain. I wake up every morning with the greatest joy of my life because I get to do something with my Lord, I get to do something for the kingdom, I get to be a blessing, I get to be a to give hope to somebody that's hopeless. I I get to bring the good news of Jesus. It's it's priceless. There is nothing like it. Yes, but it's only real when you actually live it. It's only real when the Holy Spirit and the Jesus that's inside of you is beaming and actually living through you. You know, there's a big difference between knowing about Christ that and knowing Christ, like I said before, but when he lives in you and you let him to be the center of everything, it's amazing. You know, he'll even give you the desires of your heart.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh your wife, you were sick. How long were you married?
SPEAKER_03Do you remember? Uh, I was married at that point, uh, I think four years. Was she um like the similar where you were at spiritually, or she was more No, we were completely uh no God, uh, and we were actually going through divorce.
SPEAKER_04Wow.
SPEAKER_03So God saved your life, your marriage, your family.
SPEAKER_04Everything.
SPEAKER_03So I mean you jumped from there to God called us to Ukraine. So I guess both of you just the Lord filled both of you at the same time.
SPEAKER_04God gave me calling. I was in China uh in 2009, May of 2009, but and he said to be in Ukraine by uh September. Well, I didn't share that part with my wife when I came home. I just told her the calling and I asked her if she could pray about it. Uh if she could uh just just just that's it. We're never gonna talk about this. We're not moving, we're not going anywhere. This is it. And she did pray, and God gave her the same calling and and said to be there by September.
SPEAKER_03So that was So you didn't tell her the time frame, but God told her. Yes.
SPEAKER_04That's awesome. And and that, you know, I always tell in marriages, God doesn't call one person to the to a ministry, he calls the family. So if if it's just you or your wife has an urge to go do something for the glory, that's 99.9% is not God. Because for God, marriage is sacred. There is nothing between him and marriage. No church, no ministry could ever be between him and and marriage, because that's not his plan.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, now now I know why Chris brought you to the radio. I'm I'm being very personally encouraged by your story. Uh uh, hopefully I could finish the the interview. Um Chris, maybe you have a something for him.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, it's it's awesome to see how the Lord does uh things like this. And you know, I think sometimes it's easy for us to get caught up in the day-to-day and to forget these lessons that are taught to us through scripture and how real they are. And when we see, you know, I I was blessed listening to Vitali and and and what the Lord is doing through him uh and what the Lord has done in the past uh through his family. Um but sometimes I think it's it helps to hear how um the Lord has the lessons of marriage uh and obedience in marriage uh play out in incredibly different circumstances, you know, as uh you know, you I I I as a pastor, you know, having opportunities to minister to people in their marriage and and and in their relationship with their spouse and how God uses that in ministry, um, and then seeing how you know I was having a conversation, I was telling him like this earlier in the day with someone else, and and encouraging them on how you know marriage is two people that are very often very, very different, brought together, um, but on purpose, because the ministry and the purpose and and the fulfillment of the calling only happens together. Um, you know, you could do a lot. I mean, one person by themselves can do a lot, but when there's a marriage together, you get like a whole person, and um and it takes a lot sometimes for us as men to realize that.
SPEAKER_03So I got so so blessed by your testimony uh there uh in the beginning I I almost lost track of where we were going. So you're called to Ukraine and you're seeking the Lord Lord, right? I guess of what do we do here? What do you have for us? So what happens next?
Orphans, Dentistry, And Early Ministry
SPEAKER_04So we landed and we uh joined youth with the mission, which is why we went through their discipleship training school and then just kind of started our own nonprofit. We have a we had a big heart for working with the orphans, the kids, uh, and just just being hands and feet of Jesus, you know, less talk, a lot of action, and let um let your you know good deeds glorify your heavenly father. And so uh we suffered for 10 years. Uh I mean, just completely suffered, but you know, when God calls you, uh it's something that you can't make up. It's not a feeling, it's a calling. So if it's real and it's from God, He'll sustain you. But at the same time, He takes you through all sorts of things to make you stronger, to make you wiser, to make you more knowledgeable. So you are ready when He launches you, you are ready to take what's ahead of you. And that's amazing, especially it wasn't amazing when we were going through it, but looking back, it's super amazing what God has done in those 10 years of our suffering, if you want to call it that way. More more of a blessing in teaching. Uh, but at this point, where we are so uh blessed to be able to help so many in marriages, in counseling, in in orphanages. I mean, we we work a lot with kids, like I said, and uh especially in the war to be able to just sit down and talk, you know, just let them uh tell you their story, what they've been to. I don't think any kid in the world should ever have to talk about war and what happened to their parents. But unfortunately, we are blessed to be able to do that because we have some training for we call it's called um the uh day car uh day uh daycare trauma. And so it's it's basically just letting the child tell their story, how they see what they live through. And the more they share it, the the the that trauma they'll get healing of it.
SPEAKER_03That's like two words you'd never think would be in the same sentence. No, but you but there is but it's a min it's a whole ministry.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's a whole ministry.
SPEAKER_03Wow. So what was some of the first things that open door did as a ministry? I'm I'm guessing there was some personal, you know, little God appointments, but but when the ministry was established, right? What was like the first thing that the ministry did?
SPEAKER_04So the first things we did is we started visiting orphanages and and just loving on kids, doing little Bible studies, fun things, and at the same thing we started a dental ministry for the orphans. So we had an American dentist that came over. I'm the farthest person away from dentistry, never did anything like it, not a medical person, but our um dental assistant that was uh was helping him, uh I was kind of making sure everything runs and and and the you know, the driver, you name it, I did it, but I wasn't assisting him. But she got sick, and uh Dr. Marv's like, hey Vitali, put on a gown, put on glasses or gloves, you're gonna assist me. I can't do this by myself. So within uh you know, first five years of the ministry, I became fully fully blown dental assistant. So, and and the most amazing part about And when my daughter got older, she started doing that. And now she actually she moved back to the States and she got married and she lives in Oklahoma. But she became a dental assistant because of the ministry. She loved it and she God is using it for you know for his glory.
SPEAKER_03That's amazing. So let me keep track of the family here. I'm I'm sure you don't want to give everybody's exact name and age and everything, but so your wife, uh, you have uh you you said you have two children still in Ukraine? Two in the children in Ukraine, one in US. And so an older one in US. Wow, wow, wow, wow. So it started with uh you becoming a dental assistant. Uh and what other things I'm I'm trying to track a little bit, and you know, we might get to the end of the story and then rewind and then look at some other things. So that was the beginning, and then what are some other things that developed? What what year is that, the dental assistant story?
SPEAKER_04So it started in 2010.
SPEAKER_03And so the dental assistant story is 2010 or 11? Is that that early?
SPEAKER_04The the my my story? Yeah. No, that was back in 2006-7 when I almost died.
SPEAKER_03No, no, no. Uh when you had to be a dental assistant.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah, 2010.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's when I when I when I started. Okay, got it. That's when I started because he that was his first trip, and he he called me one day and he said, Hey, I always had a dream to go overseas and to do dentistry as a dental clinic in Washington State. I said, Marv, I have no idea what you're talking about. Like, I'm so far away, but I could set it up. Let me know what you need, I'll set it up. And that's pretty much all it all it took. And it's it's it's been an amazing event to be able to love on kids in a way that you can understand. Because in the Soviet Union, the trauma of dentistry is just it's it's fear to know other because there's no painkillers, they don't give you any uh what's that word medicine to numb you up. Yeah, it's all life.
SPEAKER_03Oh, it's called no Novacaine? No.
SPEAKER_04Novocaine, yeah. Novocaine, ladocaine, all the canes. So like they don't have any canes, they do have it, but you only the rich people could afford it. Orphans and people like that don't get to get that, so it's live.
SPEAKER_03This this is another thing with the radio. Now they can't see him cringing over here.
SPEAKER_02I'm cringing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Wow, wow. Learning, learning, and and hearing so many testimonies. Um, so that's the beginning, that's like around 2010. When when would you say that it really grew? That there was like maybe it was two years later, five years later, ten years later, when it was like, wow, it has gotten so big. So, what happened there?
Marriage Crisis, Restoration, And Counsel
SPEAKER_04Ten years later, well, um uh we almost um the enemy, you know, one thing that we don't realize, the enemy has a way of destroying things that God will use it for for his glory. Um, so um I was running around the whole world saving the sinners, uh preaching the gospel, uh, but I had three girls and a wife, and I totally um my understanding of ministry was a little bit different, you know. And I tell sometimes pastors and people uh ministry in church could become an idol too, and that's what happened in my life, and we almost divorced until end of 2018. Wow. Uh but God supernaturally saved it, recovered it, and really kind of showed me what it means to love your wife as I love the church and give my life for it. Because a woman has a gift of multiplying. You give her something you can't see, and she gives you something so precious, she gives you life. We can't do that. We're just there's no way, no how. And so the reason God said to love her is when you love her, she'll take that, multiply it, she'll give you honor, respect, care, love, and multiplication. But when you don't love her, when you d uh disrespect her, when you don't spend time with her, when you ignore her, when you're rude, she takes that, multiplies, and gives you right back to you. So there you go. It's not her, it's just it's it's it's what's how she'd build. Um so when when kind of when God saved our marriage, that's when we grew another ministry. We started doing marriage conferences, pre-marriage counseling, marriage counseling, and we started using that pain and that suffering that the enemy was trying to destroy us. Uh, I'm speaking very lightly, like maybe not emotional about it, but that was the most hardest point of my life. Yeah. Uh, but when God saves, restores, it gives opportunity to actually take that pain and use it for his glory, and that's what we do.
SPEAKER_03How how did your kids respond to that valley and that victory?
SPEAKER_04So uh the kids were still in in their young stage, and my wife is a is a very wise woman. So she did not um we didn't speak for two months, but she did not let that uh kind of spill out into the family yet. Uh the kids understood there was something wrong, but she did not just destroy the family over her emotions, she used wisdom, God's wisdom, to see where it's gonna go. Uh and so I'm very I'm blessed and uh you know honored that God has given her wisdom and that she, regardless of of our relationship, she did not uh traumatize the kids. Yeah, yeah. So amen.
SPEAKER_03Grace, a lot of grace and mercy there.
SPEAKER_04Amen.
SPEAKER_03Let's fast forward. You know, my understanding, and this is where Chris maybe will fill in some gaps or give some commentary. My understanding is you have partnered or currently partnered with Far Reaching Ministries. Yes, sir. And that's kind of how Calvary Chapel and Chris got connected with you. So, what what are some of the most recent projects uh you've been doing with open door ministries?
SPEAKER_04So the one thing that we um FRM and Wes and Vicky have been a huge blessing is uh I might have mentioned I'm a law enforcement chaplain for the country of Ukraine. I'm one of the founders that God has supernaturally created this ministry to help the law enforcement because you know everybody needs Jesus. And so FRM has came alongside and really helped the chaplains, really helped some of the ministries, especially like Open Door Foundation. They've been supporting um jackets that we have a coat factory, that we make children's jackets, winter children's jackets, and we have uh every jacket has a numbers, uh worse from the Bible, number 624. May the Lord bless you. So it's it's a ministry of its own because I believe in God's word, and if you read it, if you touch it, there is a blessing. And and we give them only to the kids that can't afford it or kids that don't have parents.
SPEAKER_03So this fact, how did this factory what what's the the story there?
SPEAKER_04So the story is is a is a miracle of its own. Uh my um deputy director of the foundation now, he wasn't there. Uh he was going through some rough uh patches of his life, and God has really put it on my heart to see what we could do together to number one help him, and number two, do something uh for the ministry. So we we prayed about it. I I got money to open up a cove factory so uh we could the the whole point before the war, because that's when it started, was to be able to run a factory, hire orphans that are 18 plus, and when they get out of the system to give them opportunity in to learn how to um business, marketing, sales, management, whatever it is, just to give them opportunity to do something with their life more than just drugs, drinking, yeah, um, human trafficking, because that's what happens. The girls kind of get involved, they get pregnant, the babies go right back right into the system. It's a vicious circle that never ends. So we always have a big heart. How do how can we break that cycle? Maybe just one percent, maybe a couple lives, but not give you like do something.
SPEAKER_03You you've mentioned it a couple times orphanages, orphans, orphanages. Is that like a a big issue in Ukraine? Is that a human thing?
SPEAKER_04It's not, I wouldn't say it's a big issue. Every country has its big issues, is just here, it's a foster system, there it's an orphan system. So uh when kids lose their parents, they go into a big building that has a bunch of kids from so from uh so there's like the from newborn till about four or five years old, it's a one orphanage, from five till they're 18, that's another orphanage. They're state run, and so um not the not the best place for the children, right? But that's all they have. Uh so we've been working with uh Christian uh foster families and building them homes, uh huge homes, so they could actually take these kids, and and some families have up to 18, 20 kids at this point. So we have a heart not just to kind of go and feed them and play with them, but actually give a permanent solution to that. And so that was the whole point of the factory. But the war broke out two uh four days before uh was a grand opening of the factory. So everything we planned.
SPEAKER_03This is the 2014 the 2022 full-blown war.
Partnering With FRM And Chaplaincy
SPEAKER_04Yeah, wow. And so with that said, you know, we had big dreams. We we believed God was calling us to do something, but then the war broke out. But God has supernaturally did something. We started a factory in April instead of March, and we started sewing uh body armor carriers instead of jackets, because that was the biggest need. Uh, and so we were passing out to the chaplains, to the volunteers, to the law enforcement, to the military, and we would um contract another company that would make the plates. Yeah, and so it was a huge blessing and testimony too, because they knew who we are, it's a Christian organization, and here we're sowing body armor carriers to save lives.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know, one of the things that I love that that if you read the Bible, you see it, but a lot of people that, you know, maybe they don't read their Bible or or they're not tracking with with who God is, right? I think thus far what I've seen from the ministry from your life is is so much of the complete character of God taking care of babies and and and uh uh uh producing body armor carriers, and it's the Bible. He's a father to the fatherless and he's a warrior, yes, right? And so it's like, man, to to folks, you know, I imagine, right? You gotta tell me yes or no, or or give us even another testimony. But I imagine, man, man, you know, you show up or men show up, oh, we want to help kids. What do you know? Wow, they're so gentle, they're so loving. And then by the same time you go to minister to the police and they're going, oh, these Christians, you know, lovey dovey and you go, hey, here's your body armor, dude. You know, I gotta imagine it's a testimony on either side.
SPEAKER_04It is, it is a huge testimony and opportunity to show God in a way most people can't see because it's not about you know chaplaincy and and chaplains out there know exactly what I'm talking about. It's a it's a ministry of presence. Nobody's asking you to talk, nobody needs you to talk. They just want you to be there. They want you to be there, they want you to listen to you, and if they ask you questions, be there to answer those questions. That's pretty much it. And here, we were the people that brought body armor carriers, we brought IFAXs, which is the medical kits, we brought generators, we brought helmets, we brought things that like, yeah, that's what what are you talking about? Like that you're a Christian Christianity. Exactly, you know, but it's like I look at it, it does that save life. Yes, it does, and it's a testimony of itself, too. So, I mean, we went from just, you know, um a small mom and pop's organization helping orphans and doing something for the glory of God, to God stretched us so wide and so far to everything, because everything we touch is in the name of Jesus, everything we do is in the name of Jesus, and to be able to be there and answer those questions and them knowing that you're a believer uh is just been a testimony of its own. We you know, we had opportunities when when I when we got in here, you know, you asked, you know, when they ask you why. You know, when we we we we go to places sometimes where there's no humans outside of the ones that live and it's super dangerous, and they know that only stupid or very very stupid person would come here because it's just dangerous, just front lines of the war. And they would ask us, why are you here? Everybody that had a chance to run away, they're gone. Why are you here? And I'm like, because Jesus loves me and gave me a chance on my life, and I want to tell you about him. And he called me to be here, he called he told me to come and help you. And I'm, you know, especially with the elderly, I'm pretty sure I said you had sleepless nights where you were crying out to the Lord, Lord, help us, we're dying. Well, this is the answer to your prayer. We're here because God sent us here. You know, and it's just beautiful because you could see them crying, you could see them understanding like my my my my scream out to the Lord, the way I understood it, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, doesn't matter. The Lord heard my prayer. Yeah, you know, that's a huge testimony. Like God became real at that moment for them. Yeah, and they'll never forgive that because I say we could bring food, we could bring januaries, we could bring jackets, whatever, medical. But if you bring the hope of Jesus Christ, that's eternal, that's forever. That's right. You know, and that's the most like I'd say most beautiful part of this whole story to be able to be the hope, of to bring that hope to them.
SPEAKER_03Yes. You know, you mentioned something interesting. Um, uh you probably encounter uh a lot of different people, right?
SPEAKER_04Is uh would you say Ukrainian is mostly uh Eastern Orthodox or Catholic or mix or it's it's it's a good mixture of uh Eastern Orthodox and Catholic, and the evangelicals have a small chunk in it too. Uh it just depends what part, because Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe, so it just all depends where you're at on the map. The more Easter you go, the more orthodox it is, the more western you go, the more Catholic it is, and then evangelicals are kind of mixed all to that.
Jacket Factory, War Shift, And Body Armor
SPEAKER_03Gotcha. So I want to ask you um uh again, not to boast, right, but just to again learn, right? Give a picture. Tell us a little bit about the size of the ministry if you can. I know you maybe have some more private or secret areas of it uh with with being on a war front, but but tell us about the size and scope of the ministry where it's at now. Do you guys have a staff or you're operating in different places?
SPEAKER_04So God has truly blessed us and and grown us to to where it's sometimes even scary for me. We went from before the war, just uh I would say about uh uh 10, 15 uh full-time uh volunteers to where we're over a hundred volunteers at this point, and we have 20 employees, and we operate uh in the entire front line of the war, which is twelve hundred kilometers. Wow. So uh we we have partners, pastors, chaplains, churches that we partner to. Uh we bring a lot of like last year we had over 20 uh over 43 um big rigs that came with humanitarian aid, not including uh containers from 43. Wow. So that's more than a couple uh a month. Uh so and that and that's amazing because that has nothing to do with me, or it's just God has supernaturally built relationship and trust of different organizations that just came alongside and say, hey, we want to be part of this story too.
SPEAKER_03Um let me ask you this, and this is maybe more for my own curiosity. Have you guys ever worked with Billy Graham? Uh yeah, I I I work with Samaran Peirce and Billy Graham Association too. Because some of the way you talk about chaplaincy is is I it sounds like for some of their training.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so we we've been privileged. Uh honestly, it's God's story where uh I was one of the first people to actually partner with Samaran Peirce on the ground and help him to get into Ukraine and establish, and it was just a huge blessing to see their heart, how they operate, and it just bring you, you know, like because you don't run into a lot of uh organizations that that kind of say it's the Lord in a way, they still kind of boast about how good they are, but they were just so so amazing to see how big they are, how much resources they have and influence, but it was just like it's Jesus, it's Jesus, it's Jesus. I personally got to meet Franklin Graham and the way he you know responded when people thanked him. Uh, he just said, Don't thank me, thank God. Yeah, and that was just you know kind of humbling experience because it's like it's it's you. I mean, you took the time to come here, you took time to do it. But that was his heart, and that was a blessing too. And same with Billy Graham um association with their chaplaincy program and all that, they're phenomenal. I mean, they love the Lord and they try to spread it as wide as far as they can.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Billy Graham Association, B G E A, Billy Graham Evangelical Association, it's a sweet ministry and and legacy. Yep. You know, I think I don't, I mean, people forget so quickly. They set up like like a like several field hospitals and like a town in France. It was like it was like the worst hit. I don't know if Chris remembers, he has a great memory. It was like the worst hit town in that whole country during a season of COVID, and it was like all elderly. Yeah, Italy. Oh, Italy, okay. And it was like a level whatever field hospital. They just go set up, finish, break down, leave. Wait, what about the book? What about the movie? No, no, no.
SPEAKER_04Well, they did that in Ukraine, they set up huge three field hospitals right in the war zone.
SPEAKER_03There you go.
SPEAKER_04And I was there, I was part of that. You know, uh, it was just phenomenal. I mean, I got to experience that.
SPEAKER_03Let me ask you this. Going back to some of the topics we covered already. First of all, give us the website again, please.
SPEAKER_04It's smolinc-f dot org. Smo-lincf.org.
SPEAKER_03Great. And we'll put it wherever we post this, we'll try to put the links as well. Um, do you have you know, people love God stories, miracle stories, you know? Whether it's from the frontline or or working in orphanages, I mean, man, could is there any that come to your mind right now to share with the listeners? Like amazing God stories.
Scale Of Operations And Partners
SPEAKER_04You know, um, since we were on the roll of Samaritan Pearce, uh, something that changed my life forever. Um, I was they set up a clinic uh right us right inside of the train station and leave, which is the western part of Ukraine. If you can imagine this train station uh at a at the busiest point ever, it might handle about 25 to 30,000 people in 24 hours. When we were there, the over 300,000 people going through the state train station. It was it was something you can't even take it out of the movies. Uh people were dying, people were going crazy, people were giving birth. I mean, it was all happening right there in that train station. So uh Samaran Purrh set up a just a field clinic right there just to ease the pain and help any way they can. Uh and I was there and an elderly lady got rushed in, and that was the IV pole, and they were trying to do everything to save their life, to save her life. And um, I remember Dr. Laura, she kind of she was working the patient and doing everything she can. She looked up at me without saying anything. I dropped the IV, I got her head, and I said, repeat after me. And I said, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins, and I accept you as my personal savior. That was the last word she ever said. She just passed away right in my hands, as messed up, that is, and painful. I don't I didn't know who that person was, but I I trust me, it doesn't it doesn't feel good to have somebody die in your hands. But what was the most amazing part of for me, and it's such a God story for me, it changed my life. You know how it says God does not want anybody to perish, He loves and saves everyone wants to save everybody. That was the opportunity for me to see like how amazing He is. And if I'm willing and I'm be willing to be inconvenienced, willing to go and SP2, we have an opportunity to see how great our God is because this lady didn't know about him. She didn't she didn't deserve to die. And you know, we could blame the war, but God loved her so much that He put He connected all the dots for us to be there and to be able to tell her about Jesus right at the last seconds of her life. And she's with the King of Kings, you know, like that's just phenomenal. I mean that there's there's as as painful as it is, as as scary as it is, but at the same time, I have seen and felt God's love in a way that you could never ever explain or understand.
SPEAKER_03You know, I I I feel like that's r w what Chris was alluding to earlier, right? Where uh or you or both of you where you're saying, Man, until you step out, you know, or or you miss it in the day-to-day, you know, and then when you see it from different angles or see it worked out in different ways. I mean, I I guess Chris, I would ask you maybe this sounds like a strange request, but I pray that the Lord would do it. Like almost if you could give commentary to that story, it's like I I you know, it we right, we work together. It's like we have uh hardly any way to relate to that. But in that that kind of connecting it back to what you said earlier, man, the day to day, the the ministry, the the Lord in the day to day.
SPEAKER_02I think what comes to mind the most is something that Pastor Zach shared at uh in Calvary Chapel, Miami in the last uh service I was in, um just to not date the uh the radio broadcast. But um but uh he mentioned how in in John chapter 16 Jesus doesn't just promise to you know take away the difficulty or the hardship or the tribulation and to replace it with joy, he'll convert the hardship into something that is joyful. And that's an incredible and so so much of a greater miracle to take the thing that is a thing of pain and suffering and and loss, and then from it to have produced life and hope and purpose. And uh and that's what I hear so much in in all the the stories and and um uh the time that I've been able to share with uh with uh Vitaly has been um how God will take even the difficult things, the painful things, he'll take war, it'll take death, suffering, uh heartbreak, um, and he will make it into something that you'll thank him for one day if you're willing to give it into his hands because you see that God allowed it uh for his own glory.
SPEAKER_03Amen. You know, Amen. Thank you, Chris. Uh Vital, I just have a couple couple more questions. We'll we'll kind of wrap up here soon. Do you have any encouragement or maybe a challenge? Maybe it's more of an exhortation, right? Um, to to believers listening, right? Most of our listeners are gonna be American Christians. We actually have a guy that listens from Australia, pretty cool. He calls pretty often. But you know, most people that are not in current war zones, right? And and you I think you know where I'm going with this, man, that they would be bold for the Lord, that they would serve the Lord, you know, wherever they are. What comes to your heart and mind?
Field Hospital Stories And Salvation
SPEAKER_04So my my thing is always you don't have to be a missionary, you don't have to go to a war zone, you know. But we're all called to go, we're all called to be the witness, we're all called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And you know, uh, I think it's a lot harder for people living here to do that than for us in the war zone because there it's it's a life and death situation every day. But I want to just encourage and say, you know, like if God is tugging on your heart to do something great, don't ask your pastor or don't tell your pastor or don't tell your church or congregation, hey, we should go feed the homeless, hey, we should go visit the elderly, hey, we should do that and there, here and there. No. Get up, go do it. Trust God that He's gonna take that that's inside of you and make something amazing, but it's the dedication, it's the willingness to be inconvenient. Because our biggest idol in US is comfort. We don't want to give up comfort. We want that safety, we want the you know, what's gonna happen? We got the savings, we got the checking, we got all that. I don't want to mess with that. I want to be comfortable for the rest of my life. Well, that's not Jesus' story as far as I'm concerned. And if you're willing to actually say, God, I don't know how, I don't know when, I don't know anything, but I love you and I want to have faith, give me the faith. Of a mustard seed. You know, I tell people, how do you spell faith? It's not F-I-A-T-H, it's actually R-I-R-I-S-K. It's risk. Because faith is risk. We got to risk something to believe in something. And there you go. If God is tugging on your heart and you know that you know it's God, jump. Do something. Don't just sit there and make somebody feel bad about it. Go do something. I did it. It's an amazing way of living. It's just, I can't. There is no money in the world that could I would someone could pay me to go back to this country and do something here unless God tells me to.
SPEAKER_03Amen.
SPEAKER_04But that's the whole point of faith. It's not about uh just reading and going to Sunday and just making yourself feel good about something. That's not faith.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Faith is risking something. I always tell people if your dreams don't scare you, you're not dreaming with God. If you could do this by yourself, you don't need God. How about letting God room where you can't do this? This is insanity. This is completely nonsense. That's God. Just walk it and He'll do amazing things. Amen. Man, I'm ready to let's go right now.
SPEAKER_03Let's go right now, son. I'm encouraged, truly, man. You know, probably after the interview, we'll chat and as we say bye and everything. There's so many just personal encouragements coming through. Um oh man, yeah, definitely inspired and encouraged. Um, I want to ask you, and again, maybe maybe this is you know, some people aren't comfortable with the with this part, but man, I wanna I wanna uh let people know how they can participate, how they can give, what the needs are. Let's talk about that a little bit.
SPEAKER_04So, I mean, it's it's a war zone, you know. Um and this would be all online, the the opportunities you can do. There's a bunch of information. We don't we're we're we're a tiny organization, so we don't invest a lot into our website. We try to do as best as we can. Plus, with there's a Facebook and Instagram, that's more information uh updated almost every day, every other day. Uh God's story is what we're doing.
SPEAKER_03And what's the addresses for those?
SPEAKER_04Um, it should be on the website. Um uh it should be there, so because I don't I'm I'm not I'm not uh I'm not that savvy with it. Uh but it should be there.
SPEAKER_03Okay, we'll find it and we'll put it on on our stuff online.
SPEAKER_04Yep, I'll send uh if anything, I'll just send it to Chris and he could forward it to you and you guys could. Yeah, but that's another way of following us, and then uh no, there's emails and you could always ask. Um there you go. You just clicked on it, I think. Did it work?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's coming up. It is drum roll.
SPEAKER_04There you go.
SPEAKER_03V-N-N-E-A-S molin. Something like that, yeah.
SPEAKER_04V-An S. And you could you could pull it up from the website and it'll just take you right in there and you could see the things that we're a part of. So um perfect. That but yeah, so that that's uh and I mean number one, pray. We need all the prayer in the world because we believe in you know in in two loaf two two fishes and five loaves. Uh that's what we have, but God has a way of multiplying. And and we our life is a miracle. The fact that I'm alive is a miracle, and uh I I yeah, if God puts on the heart to do more than just prayer, we'd be honored. And uh, you know, and and and we're kind of talking to Chris, maybe one day God's gonna have you know um Calvary Chapel, Miami come and hang out with us. That would be amazing too. But you know, uh we always look for a partnership by prayer, by support, by boots on the ground. Amen. Uh it is safe enough where you know I'm crazy, I'm not stupid. My family's there, so it is a war zone, but we take precautions and we we try to make sure that everybody's safe.
SPEAKER_03Amen. Amen. Chris, any any comments or questions that that maybe uh I didn't get to before we conclude our time together?
Exhortation: Risk, Faith, And Obedience
SPEAKER_02I I think the only comment I would have is just the encouragement to be and just echoing what what was already said, but just the encouragement to be obedient to what God tells you to do, even if you don't have the full picture. Um obviously I think it's a wonderful thing to um to get counsel, get advice, pray it through, have a plan, know what God's telling you, and have good reasons and everything. That's great. The encouragement is if you walk in obedience to what God tells you to do, he'll cover all your bases. You might you might get there the short way, you might get there the long way, but you'll get there eventually. Amen. Uh because God is faithful to those who know uh that they're walking in obedience to God. Um, you know, so I I think it's an incredible testimony to that, see what the Lord has done. Um and uh and just to encourage the listener, you know, a couple things, just to encourage the listener to be to be obedient and and take those steps of faith. I think more and more in the day and age in which we live, the kind of Christianity that doesn't really um uh doesn't really do anything with the faith that we profess. I don't even know if that ever was a Christianity, but but more and more the culture in which we live in, it's not gonna be enough. I think I think the lines are being uh defined more and more clearly where if you have put your trust and faith in Jesus, you have to do something with that. And uh and so the only counsel or advice I'd give towards that is be obedient to the Lord, be obedient to the scriptures, live your life out the way that the Bible says to live it. Um and uh and then and then also just you know in in hearing these stories to encourage the listener to to be in prayer for the church in in Ukraine, um for the people of Ukraine, yeah, um, and and that are going through um that are going through this incredible hardship, and there's people all over the world going through this. Um but but let's be in prayer and not neglect people uh or become the victims of whatever the new cycle is uh as Christians or as a church, but to care about what the Lord cares about because we have his spirit within us and there are brothers and sisters in Christ.
SPEAKER_03Amen. Vitaly, any closing thoughts on your end, my brother, before we pray and wrap up?
SPEAKER_04Uh I'm just honored to be in this beautiful uh city and state of Florida, Miami. Uh and and the fact is, uh I've been here before and it wasn't the best experience, but now Chris and Calvary Chapel, Miami has redeemed it. So um, you know, we'll be back, and it's just awesome to come from a negative, negative uh degrees and snow and ice to something, flip-flops and shorts. You guys are lucky, you have no idea. And to have a peaceful sky, you know, that's something that we uh we took for granted in Ukraine, and most people take that for granted. So um, you know, just uh I'm I'm thankful to God for this amazing opportunity to share how amazing He is. Yeah, count your blessings, guys.
SPEAKER_03Amen. So again, the website for the ministry is smolin-s-m-ol-l-in-c-f dot org. Uh, you can always rewind here as you're listening on the podcast, if you're hearing it uh on Godsway radio during our programming schedule, right? Radio or app, and you can't pause it, just reach out to us at Godsware Radio. There's all those contact information of Godsway radio so that we can get you the information that you need. Uh Vitali, I just want to end praying for you, uh, my brother. God, we just pray right now for Vitali, uh Lord, for his family. Thank you, God, that you've rescued his family not once, but twice. Uh, Lord, you've you've kept the schemes of the devil away. You've you've frustrated the plans of Satan, uh, Lord, uh, that were towards his family twice, Lord, at least in a big way that we can see, that he can testify to, uh, Lord. And in a sense, you do it every day, Lord. You help us, you give us love, you give us patience. But thank you for that, Lord. Thank you how you're using him and his family and this ministry. Uh, thank you, Lord, for all that they're doing in Ukraine and for the uh for uh everyone that they come into contact with, Lord, from uh small children to elderly, Lord, from victims of war to the frontline soldiers, Lord, thank you uh for all that they're doing. Continue to strengthen them and empower them by your Holy Spirit, continue to provide for them miraculously and tremendously, and God continue to give him and everybody that works with him that singular focus that it's all about Jesus, as he has said already. We pray, Lord, if you would even give us a greater grace, Lord, that we could uh see each other again soon, Lord, and just develop that relationship and that partnership. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. God bless you.
SPEAKER_00We hope you enjoyed Friends and Family, unique conversations recorded and produced in our studios where you get a chance to hear what God is doing in people's lives. Jesus tells us in John 15, verse 15, I have called you friends. For all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. So that's why we love to share these exclusive interviews with you. Our hope is that through their stories, God will be made known to you. But you can only find them here on God's Way Radio. Just check godswayradio.com for our full program schedule.