Missionary Spotlight: Pavlo and Alina Rozhkov

August 1, 2018

Pavlo, or “Pasha” as he is more commonly known, is the newest member of the SportQuest team.  He has been… Read more Missionary Spotlight: Pavlo and Alina Rozhkov

Pavlo, or “Pasha” as he is more commonly known, is the newest member of the SportQuest team.  He has been serving in sport ministry for many years but just recently joined the SportQuest Family last Fall.  Pasha has the kind of personality that really attracts people and always brings a lot of joy and excitement wherever he goes.  His passion is rugby, and God has opened many doors for him to use this gift to impact his country.  Also, he and his wife Alina just celebrated their first year of marriage!  We asked Pasha to share a little bit more about who he is and what he does.  So keep reading to find out!

Tell a little about yourself and where you’re from.

Hello! My name is Pavlo (Pasha), and I am from Ukraine.   I was born in Rivne in West Ukraine, but for last three years, I live in Kiev — the capital of Ukraine.  Last year on July 6th, I married Alina, so we just celebrated our first anniversary.  I’m so thankful for a godly wife like her!  

What made you choose to serve with SportQuest Ministries?

God has blessed me with many talents of which the biggest is sport.  I love to play sports — especially rugby. I came to Christ through sports ministry, and ever since I decided to commit myself to sports ministry so I can point others to Christ.    The reason I chose to serve with SportQuest is because of the focus they put on making disciples.  Also, SportQuest provides a platform and resources for reaching communities through sport.  

 

What is one highlight from your ministry in Ukraine that you can share with us?

It’s really special when you meet kids years later who used to come to our rugby camps.  They don’t forget the experience and always ask when we are coming back to do another camp.  Last week I was leading a rugby championship in Dnipro, where many teams from all over Ukraine come together.  I was refereeing a game in which two of the players were from my home city.  They came up to me and started sharing memories from rugby camp and asked if I would be coming back to our hometown to do another camp.  It’s a big privilege to invest in youth and share God’s story with them through a sports camp.

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

Personally, my biggest challenge is keeping up with the details and doing the necessary administrative tasks that come along with planning rugby camps, leading trainings for sport ministry leaders, serving as a chaplain in the professional rugby federation, and organizing 4M events in Ukraine.

How can we pray for you and Alina?

  • We are praying about the right timing to start a family in the future  
  • We are currently seeking to raise our financial support level  
  • I am in the planning team for the first 4M Ukraine Xtreme Character Challenge that will take place in October.  Pray for this to be a powerful, life-transforming time for many men in Eurasia who will attend!

 

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