Friends, I cannot wait for you to meet my friend Victoria Benach, wife to Henry Benach. Henry and Victoria are missionaries that our church supports and so we know them face to face quite well. God saved Victoria and then uprooted her from the Ukraine and brought her to America speaking zero to little English. She desired to be used by God to reach women for Christ but she had no idea what that would look like. She waited and prayed for God to show her. And He did just that! And what He’s doing through her now is simply amazing. I’m going to let my interview with Victoria tell you the rest. You will be so encouraged!
Question: Can you explain in a nutshell what Henry’s and your main ministry is?
First and foremost, our ministry is to share the Gospel with the Jewish people. There have been many Jewish people who have been saved over the years. We know that hundreds were saved during the 15 years Henry worked in the Ukraine. Now, we are taking short term trips to Cuba where we are holding mass meetings in local Churches. We are also starting new Baptist Churches in cities where there are no Churches. In 15 years, over 13-thousand people have made professions of faith and are being baptized and discipled.
Question: What is Showers of Blessings? When did it begin?
Showers of Blessings is a way to minister to young women with small children and also pregnant women. Before this ministry began I was searching for a way that the Lord would use me. I prayed to the Lord that He would show me what He wanted me to do. The first time I went to Cuba I saw a lot of needs. I understood the people as my country, Ukraine, had the same economic situation twenty-five years ago. Many years ago, a group of missionaries from America brought baby blankets for women in the Ukraine. At first, I thought that would be a good idea, but then I realized that Cuba is a very hot country and they do not need blankets. The idea to help young mothers stayed in my heart and we began by just bringing baby items with us and giving them away as we went door to door. We gave out the gifts and shared the Gospel in each house. As the ministry developed we to start inviting the women to come to the Church where we would hold a special meeting just for them. Little by little we started adding ideas to the meetings and decided it would be a great idea to have a Baby Shower at the Church. Each lady would not only receive special gifts of clothing, but had their pictures taken and we gave them to them when they attended the next Church service. The most important part of the Shower is a Gospel message where we invite the women to trust Christ as their Savior. So far, over 200 women have made professions of faith.
Q: How do you get the word out to women in Cuba to attend a Showers of Blessing?
We are enlisting the women of the Church to take a part in organizing the Baby Shower. We print special invitations that are handed out in the week before the event. Then when we arrive in the country we go on visitation and personally invite each woman to come with her baby and husband, or boyfriend, if they have one. The women of the Church assist with putting up the decorations.
Q: How did the idea of Showers of Blessings come to you?
To be honest I wanted to be used by the Lord in some way. I learned from several other women who were a big influence in my life. Melody Hester was a great help in showing me what she is doing in her umbrella prayers ministry. I also learned quite a bit from Reba Bowman who has a ministry called, Dare for More. As I began to learn from them, the Lord impressed me to begin a ministry that was close to my heart. When we began to search for a name of the ministry, it was my husband, Henry who came up with the idea for the name, “Showers of Blessing.”
Q: What are you learning while starting up this ministry?
I am learning what my gifts are in this ministry. The Lord is teaching me more compassion for these women and at the same time I am learning to trust Him more and let Him lead me all the way. I have taken a verse from the Bible that describes my attitude toward this ministry. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Q: What are some ways that God has provided for Showers of Blessings?
At first, we purchased baby items from local department stores. Henry was so patient to sit in the car for hours as I shopped for the items. We started sharing about the ministry in some Churches that support us and they offered to give us items. We are very blessed and thankful for all the Churches and individuals who have give us baby items. We are seeking to find Corporate sponsors who will also help us.
Q: When I first met you, 3-4 years ago, you were concerned about your ability to speak English. You are from the Ukraine and while we all thought you spoke English extremely well you were still self-conscious about it. How has speaking in front of large groups of people in a different country impacted your faith in Christ? Has it made you depend on him more? I love that you pushed through the awkward and kept on going with the calling He put inside of you with this Ministry. I’d love for you to share more about this if it’s not too personal of a question.
At first, I depended on a translator who spoke Russian and would translate my words from Russian to Spanish. I still do not feel totally confident that I can speak in English but the last trip I did not have a Russian translator and spoke in English. The translator understood me and everything went great. I am thankful for my husband for his support and his encouragement that I can do this with the Lords help. I know that without the Lords help I could not do this, but He has directed me completely. I believe God can use anyone who is willing to do His will even though they do not feel confident in their language.
Q: What has been the greatest blessing in traveling to Cuba to minister to these young Moms?
My greatest blessing is not only seeing the material needs met for the young women, but also seeing many of them come to Christ. That is the most important part. It is a great joy for me to meet new people and see how the Lord make changes in their lives. As a result of these meetings, many of the women have been baptized and are now coming to Church on a regular basis.
Q: What has been the most challenging part of Showers of Blessings?
Of course, I want to be able to speak English better. I would also like to be able to speak Spanish to communicate with the people better. I would like to be able to organize a team of Cuban women to continue the ministry after I go back to America. I pray that they will be able to follow up and disciple the women.
Q: Do you have any plans to expand this ministry?
One of the things that Cuban Churches do not have are nurseries for mothers. The mothers go with the Children to a special room and do not take part in the service. We have prayed about bringing special items to equip nurseries and God has even provided us with a paging system that can be used. I believe this idea of a nursery for the mother to take the child to will allow them to be a part of the service without worry that the child is not taken care of.
Q: How would you encourage someone who has a stirring in their heart for a ministry but doesn’t know where to start?
I would suggest that they do the same thing that I did. Pray and wait. God is faithful and know the need and the heart of the person who wants to serve Him. He will meet the need in His timing. I think those that want to be used of the Lord should evaluate what they believe their gifts are and start walking by faith. They should also be busy now in their local Church to prepare for any ministry they may have in the future. We are greatly open to taking women to Cuba with us to assist us and see how the ministry is conducted.
Q: What are your current needs in this ministry?
We need:
– babies’ summer clothes (age newborn up to 2 years)
– milk bottles
– bibs
– diaper cream
– diapers (size newborn up to 5)
– reusable diapers
– socks (size newborn up to 2 years)
– pacifiers
– teethers
– receiving blankets
– sippy cups
– travel size baby lotion, powder, shampoo
– hooded baby towels.
Q: How would someone contribute to Showers of Blessings if they wanted to?
They could go to the website and contribute there, or they can send a gift directly to our ministry at JEM PO Box 300 Graysville GA 30726. The gifts should be designated for “Showers of Blessings.” Of course, if they want to learn more, they can call me anytime @ 423-304-0504
Thank you so much Victoria for sharing with us today. I love your heart for Jesus and your humility in serving him.
Friends, here’s what I want us to think about in light of hearing from Victoria. Ministry starts with a love for Jesus and sharing with those who are around you. In Victoria’s case (and in almost all cases) it didn’t start with a hundred women gathered together with an adorable photo op. It started with her creating margin to spend time with a Mama. Then holding those Mama’s babies on their front porch. Then it grew to bringing a few needed items after seeing the specific needs. God saw fit to keep growing this ministry and he continues to do so. It’s now at a place where it can’t be sustained by one person. Isn’t that beautiful? If you are a woman desiring to influence your community or country for Christ be willing to start right where you are in the simple things and then with Rahab-like faith trust your God with every next step. He will provide. Rahab felt out of her element. Victoria feels out of her element at times in regards to language barriers but it hasn’t stopped her from doing what God has called her to do. I love this so much. Let’s be like that. Willing to push through the awkward.
If you are looking to partner with a ministry that shares Jesus Christ and meets the needs of young Moms I pray you will consider contributing to Showers of Blessings. My heart’s desire and something I’m praying about is taking a trip with Victoria to Cuba to help her in any way I can to reach these women for Jesus. Hey – you could go to! Maybe it’s not this but I do know Jesus is calling you to share his love with someone. Who is it? Pray and wait. Pray and wait some more. Then come back and tell me all about it!
Leave a Reply