Sunday worship was proceeding normally on September 24 at Temple Terrace United Methodist Church until near the end, when Rev. John Legg had a surprise for the congregation. He motioned for two young adults to come to the stage.

What happened next was one of those moments that reminded us that sharing the love of Jesus is a Christian's primary responsibility.

Dima and Daria Vyshniak had recently arrived in the United States, fleeing the war in their native Ukraine. Their home had been leveled by Russian missiles, but they were able to immigrate to the U.S. through a federal program called Uniting For Ukraine.

They arrived at the Orlando International Airport late on the night of September 2, greeted by TTUMC members Kim and Keven Woodard. They had only one suitcase and backpack each. They left everything else behind.

Keven welcomed them, using the Ukrainian word as the greeting.

Now, it was Dima’s turn to share how he and his wife felt about their new home. He nervously came to the front of the church and began to speak as the congregation listened intently.

“War means tens of thousands of people have been left without a roof over their heads,” he said.

“War is when you cannot see and hear your relatives. War is when rockets fly into civilian homes, train stations, hospitals, and schools. War means thousands of lost lives. War is when everyone comes together and helps each other to be free. 

Rev. John Legg introduces Dima and Daria Vyshniak to the congregation (Shannon Bollinger photo)

“We want to thank Pastor John and his family and everyone for this opportunity to come here and build our family in a safe and free country.”

And he added, “Since the beginning of the war, we have lost everything. Now, we only have each other and the support of your community and this beautiful church.

“In the short period of the time we have been in the U.S., you (the Woodards) have become a second father and mother to us. Finally, we only want to say one thing: take care of each other and love each other.”

Then, at Rev. Legg’s urging, the congregation came forward and laid hands on its two newest friends in prayer.

The service concluded with the praise song “Walking Free.”

Free indeed.

“I was very proud of them. I think they put war in its proper perspective for those of us not living through it. I just want people to know how grateful they are for the opportunity and everything the church is doing for them,” Keven said.

“It’s a genuine appreciation. I can’t keep Dima out of my yard. He wants to pay me back and the only thing he can do right now is yard work. I keep telling him not to worry about it. Kim and I have been blessed by God our whole lives. And we know them coming to us is a gift from God.”

What follows is an account of how the couple was able to migrate and what happens next. The story concludes with a Q&A that Dima and Daria worked on together.

A reason to say yes

While he was a pastor in Orlando several years ago, Rev. Legg became acquainted with Vitaliy Bezrodnov, the founder and coordinator of RCF. The organization specializes in international performing arts and cultural exchanges.

The Radost dance team in Ukraine is part of the program, and in 2019, it performed at TTUMC shortly after Rev. Legg arrived there.

Radost means joy in the Slavic language.

Dima and Daria aren’t part of the dance team, but they heard that Bezrodnov, through his connections, might be able to help them get to America.

They called him.

He called his old friend, Rev. Legg.

The first step in the process is finding an American sponsor willing to provide support while the couple adapts to their new home. Bezrodnov had reached the limit of how many people he could sponsor, so he asked Rev. Legg if he would consider sponsoring the couple.

“When things cross your desk and there’s no reason to say no, then say yes,” Rev. Legg said.

But he first needed to talk it over with his wife, Latrice.

It didn’t take long.

“I didn’t even get halfway through what I was going tell her before she said, ‘We’re doing this,’” he said.

Working through United For Ukraine, they filled out the paperwork and met all the requirements for sponsorship. They started chatting with the couple through WhatsApp, and there was a video call.

‘When we first met them on video, they were very emotional,” Latrice said. “We shared with Vitaliy that they would be surrounded by a church community, so they would be set up for success.”

The Woodards are a key part of that community. They agreed to house Dima and Daria while they adjusted to their new home.

There was one last hitch, though.

They were scheduled to fly to Tampa but were delayed and missed their connection. They asked about nearby airports where they could fly, and Orlando—about 90 miles away—was the closest one.

“They said they could stay overnight where they were and get to Tampa on Sunday, and we were like, no, get here now,” Keven said.

A big adjustment

The meeting at Orlando’s airport was emotional for all involved, a mix of exhilaration, joy, and maybe a bit of certainty.
 

Kim and Keven Woodard welcome Dima and Daria Vyshniak to America

“The first thing you do, obviously, is welcome them. It was wonderful to see how open they were to seeing our hugs. Communication was important to establish. It was great to see how well they understood and could talk back to us,” Keven said.

“The ride back was very interesting. We knew this was all going to be totally new for them. We tried to explain things we were passing on the road; there’s Mickey Mouse. They were excited to be here but aware they were in a new country and didn’t know anybody.”

Food was another adjustment—for both families.

“They have made us borscht. They made us a cabbage vegetable stew. They introduced us to pickled herring,” Keven said. “I made an Italian marinated flank steak they seemed to like.”

There were some unanticipated adjustments, too.

“I had to explain a thunderstorm to Daria,” Keven said. “She saw the flashing of lightning in the sky, and we had to explain that, no, this is normal. It’s not a missile attack.”

It gets a little better each day, but, of course, there’s a long way to go.

They are on what the government calls “parole” status. Ukrainians who have been granted humanitarian parole may be eligible to apply for a U.S. social security number. They will be able to seek employment. In Ukraine, Dima was a truck driver, while Daria sold handmade crafts.

Eventually, they may become official U.S. citizens.

“They are distraught at leaving their families and their countries,” Keven said. “But even with that, you can see their real desire is to have a new start in a place where missiles weren’t falling around them.

“But it’s an oscillating thing. They can’t leave their hearts from their families.”

After the church service where Dima spoke, the Woodards treated Dima and Daria to a Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball game in nearby St. Petersburg.

Take me out to the ballgame!

“As we walked through the parking lot, Dima started jumping up and down,” Keven said. “He goes, ‘Wow! I’m an American! I’m going to a baseball game.’”

Yes indeed.

Laskavo prosymo.

Translation: Welcome to America.

In Their Own Words

Do you remember what you experienced during the first attack on your home?

My wife and I come from different cities, I was born in Western Ukraine in the town of Berezne, and she was born in the East of Ukraine in the city of Rubizhne. We got married in this city and have lived there for the last two years.

We are lifelong optimists and did not believe until the last that a war could begin, although U.S. intelligence reported that the war should begin in early February 2022

My brother, who at that time lived in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, informed me that the war had started. They started bombing Kyiv earlier, around 4:30 a.m. He called me around 5 in the morning and said, ‘Brother, the war has started, Kyiv is attacked by Russian fighter jets.’ I didn’t want to believe it. My brain didn’t understand the word war. 

After the end of our conversation, as soon as I hung up, we heard the shaking of the windows, and in a few seconds, we heard a loud explosion somewhere outside the city. It immediately became clear that this was not a bad dream, and I was not asleep. It became scary, and panic began--thousands of thoughts in my head, where to go and what to do because Russian troops were 100 kilometers from our house.

What led you to seek asylum status in America?
We were prompted to seek asylum in the United States of America by the fact that our city of Rubizhne has been under the occupation of the Russian Federation since March 8, 2022.

We were left without a roof over our heads, without any chance that we could have a normal life in Ukraine. In a moment of hopelessness, we heard about the United for Ukraine program and decided to ask for help, which was accepted by the United Methodist Church in Temple Terrace, and its pastor, John Legg.

What was it like when you boarded the plane to leave Ukraine and your family?

It was very difficult to get on the plane and understand that you may never see your family and relatives again in your life because they remain on the territory of Ukraine, which is subject to missile attacks from Russia every day. There is nowhere to hide from rockets in Ukraine. They hit residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and railway stations, and dozens of innocent people die every day.

What was it like when you saw Kim and Keven meet you at the airport?

We always remember this meeting with great pleasure. Despite the fact that we spent more than 30 hours on the road, and we were tired and very worried, but when we saw the smiling faces of Kim and Keven Woodard, our hearts felt warm and joyful.

It was especially easy and pleasant when Kevin said ‘welcome’ in Ukrainian. This is a very kind and loving family who accepted us as their own children. We thank them very much for their care, kindness, and support.

What was your family’s reaction to your decision to leave?

When we already knew that we were going to the USA and informed our family, our parents were both happy and sad at the same time. They understand that they will not see us soon, but at the same time, they wish us a peaceful and better life than during the war in Ukraine.

How do you feel God’s presence in your journey here?

It’s hard to explain, but we really felt helped. It was as if the Lord was leading us by the hand and showing us the right path. First, we found very cheap airline tickets to the U.S., which is almost impossible. And then very easily said goodbye to our former home.

And now, when we go to church and listen to Pastor John, it seems to us that the Lord is always present.

What was your church like in Ukraine?

In Ukraine, we went to the Orthodox Church. During the war, it was very difficult, because the constant sirens do not allow you to do everyday things like attending church. You hide in the shelter, and you have to stay there until the siren stops. It can be from half an hour to five hours or more/

How does TTUMC differ from your Ukraine church?
Good question. We can say it is very different. In the Orthodox Church, people are called ‘slaves of God,’ but at TTUMC we are ‘children of God.’ We like it very much because nobody in the world wants to be slaves.

The process of worship itself is also different. In the Orthodox church, there are usually sad church songs performed by a male choir. Many icons with various scenes from the Bible and many candles. At TTUMC, everything is completely different: modern and interesting songs, an interesting speech from the pastor that resonates very much with the modern world. We really like it.

Lastly, what are your impressions of America? What do you like? What do you miss?

Oh, America is a magical country. To see her, we flew across the ocean--for the first time--we saw it from a bird’s eye view, and, let’s be honest, these views mesmerized us. People are magical. Lots of smiles and friendly people ready to help you every minute.

The church is unusual for us, but we like it very much. We were also very impressed with the number of different products on the shelves, it seems that you will never be able to choose which one is best!

Regarding what we miss the most - our parents, it is morally difficult to understand that they are in danger every day. And things, as we already understood during the war, are just things; they are unimportant. We left home with two backpacks and two suitcases. They accommodated our material life.

Sometimes it seems to us that there is a lot of excess. Life is the most valuable thing.

Joe Henderson is the News Content Editor for FLUMC.org
jhenderson@flumc.org