Mykola Faryga , GCA’s Director of Central Europe, (Ukraine) grew up in Ukraine under the oppressive rule of communism. In his mid-twenties, he was sentenced by the KGB to eleven years in prison along with many others for opposing communism. During his incarceration, he contracted a life-threatening lung disease that resulted in his conversion to Christ. While still in prison, someone secretly gave him a Bible. He soon began leading numerous prisoners to Christ and secretly discipling them. Later he was given permission to build a church building in the yard of the prison (still there today) for the worship of those he was evangelizing and discipling. Incredibly, he planted his first growing church while in prison. After being released from prison in July, 1991, Mykola joined the Ukrainian Center for Christian Collaboration through which he planted new churches in five Ukrainian cities. While in the USA for theological studies at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, he planted a Russian speaking church in Kissimmee Florida.  He also worked for Ligonier Ministries as a Ukrainian translator of many major theological works such as Calvin’s Institutes, works of Jonathan Edwards, etc. which he is now planning to use in Ukraine for training emerging church planters and pastors. Mykola recently completed the construction of the first phase of the new GCA Central European headquarters building located very near the geographical center of Europe. This building is already being used for not only training Ukrainian church planters but also as a place for the worship and ministry of his latest church plant. He has been ordained as an “Evangelist” by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Tennessee Valley Presbytery. Mykola and his wife Myroslava have four children.