Strength and Beauty in Ukraine
The Outreach Foundation has noted the courage of several Christian servants over the course of the war in Ukraine. Today we share the story of Lludmyla (Luda) Rusyn. Luda joined her husband, Ivan, president of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv, on their recent visit to the U.S. She comes from the eastern part of Ukraine, and her family has been refugees twice. The first time was when they fled Donetsk in 2014 and the second time occurred when they fled Bucha, north of Kyiv, in 2022.
Luda attended seminary with Ivan twenty years ago, tutoring him in Greek. Ivan says, “She’s definitely the smarter one of us.” For the next few years, she taught Greek to the seminary students. However, once Ivan entered ministry as a pastor in the nascent evangelical tradition of Ukraine in Kyiv, they decided Luda would enter the business world so they could make a living. Luda has always been drawn to cars so she launched a career with Toyota.
Luda has proven herself a capable leader, so that now she is the General Manager of Ukraine’s largest Toyota dealership. Her position places her in important spaces both with Toyota’s Japanese executive team and the Ukrainian government. Susan Montoya from First Presbyterian Church, San Diego, was sitting with us during our conversation and revealed that she recently retired from Human Resources. Luda quickly hugged Susan and said, “Oh I love the Human Resources people!” Common ground.
Days after the outbreak of more robust military activity in 2022, Luda and Ivan were huddled in their apartment in Bucha. Bucha was made famous early on by the discovery of mass graves and stories of Russian atrocities upon the population that could not flee. Luda looked out of their windows and saw several children and some of their mothers looking lost in the streets. She took immediate action and for the next few days led them out of Bucha and into Kyiv — without Ivan. “It was a difficult and scary journey through the forests. Several times Russian soldiers almost discovered us.” She mapped their secretive journey by GPS and sent it to Ivan, who shared it with several others and as a result many, including Ivan, were able to escape.
Ivan and Luda lived in office space of the UETS until weeks later the seminary endured several missile attacks. They were forced to move again, this time to the offices of the Ukrainian Bible Society. All the while, Luda continued to work at her dealership. I asked her why she would not leave the country. She looked directly at me, and her words gripped my spirit. “Leaders do not run from conflict. Leaders stay. What type of leaders would we be if we had abandoned our staff, our people?” Ivan smiled and nodded.
Many business leaders abandoned Ukraine before the war started. Our friends in Poland recalled seeing many luxury vehicles laden with luggage in the first wave. Aneta Montano of the College of Theology and Social Sciences in Warsaw reflected, “We knew then something bad was going to happen.” Ivan and Luda stayed.
Our conversation shifted to what Luda has been doing while Ivan has led the seminary in its significant relief work. “I have been working!” My face exposed my puzzlement. “People have been buying cars?” Here’s the story.
Early in the war, Luda convinced Toyota executives to let her purchase many more cars and as many parts as she could find. “They thought I was crazy then. Now they are very happy.” Today Luda’s dealership is the only one still open and selling vehicles. Because they bought so many cars, Toyota was able to provide the Ukrainian military with over 50 large SUV’s at no cost. Also, they service all military vehicles with parts at no cost.
As Russia intensified attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, hospitals, schools and residences, Luda purchased a large generator for the dealership. Consequently, when the cold set in and power became available for only 8-10 hours a day, her business remained open to anyone needing warmth. Now, “People drink coffee and tea, eat food, charge their mobile phones, and just sit and talk together here.” Luda transformed her dealership into a refuge and set a precedent for businesses to follow. Someone from our table asked where she came up with these ideas. “The church! Ivan was doing this at the seminary, and I said we can do the same thing.”
Another example of her servant leadership in action came as she negotiated with her executive team in Japan and the Ukrainian government to temporarily suspend all tariffs and taxes on Toyota vehicles. This enabled multiple families to purchase a single large car. Here is Luda’s explanation. “Today cars are not luxury items. When there is no power, people can use them to stay warm, charge their phones, blow dry their hair, and provide immediate remote shelter. When the war gets worse, families will be able to escape Ukraine.” Brilliant.
We have spent a few days with Luda, and her stories have inspired many people. Yet all this pales by comparison to what comes next. We have learned that Ukrainians are expecting full mobilization of all men and women of fighting age in the coming weeks. Ivan informed us, “The worst is coming soon,” and the news indeed seems to support this assessment. Luda could stay here in the U.S. as a refugee. Yet she will be returning home following her visit to First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa. “Leaders do not run away. When it is difficult, leaders stay.” We are in the presence of a modern-day Bonhoeffer.
Rev. Dr. Tom Boone
Associate Director for Mission
THE OPPORTUNITY
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