Alena Yasiuk is the Development Officer for IFES Belarus.
When did you trust Christ?
I have believed in God since my early childhood. I prayed and read my children's Bible regularly; however, I had no contact with any believers and had no idea what following Jesus meant. At 13, I went to a Christian camp, where I learned the Gospel and accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I got baptised at 16 and have been walking with God ever since.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
The earliest pivotal moment for me was at age 9. I clearly remember crying my eyes out, curled in my bed at night, having realised that I was a sinner and would go to hell. Thankfully, a few years later, I learned the truth of God's forgiveness and received the gift of eternal life. Another defining moment came from a chain of dramatic events, including family deaths and illnesses and some of my unwise dysfunctional patterns. I found myself burned out, physically and mentally exhausted, clinically depressed, with no will to live. It was a wake-up call that helped me reevaluate my understanding of who God is and what He means by calling me to live abundantly. As a result, I've been on a healing and learning journey for a couple of years.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
The previous Forum I attended gave me much-needed encouragement in my ministry and personal journey with God. I've been able to use some of the materials and books I brought from ELF in my ministry (e.g. strategy planning, training staff, etc.). This is a unique opportunity for me to network, build partnerships, and receive counselling and guidance. There are hardly any events of this kind I can participate in as a full-time ministry staff from Belarus.
What is your ministry?
I am the Development Officer of IFES (CCX) Belarus. In my role, I am in charge of fundraising, financial administration, and partnership development. I also work closely with staff and student leaders, training them in the spirituality of fundraising and providing them with tools for partnership development.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I have been a co-founder and editor of several faith-based media projects. Currently, I am also co-running a Christian arts community.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
I have struggled with raising funds for my ministry and failed multiple times. Finally, I had to accept that my inability to ask for and receive financial support for my ministry stems from guilt and fear. I was recently challenged to let God be the Lord over this particular area.
