President
Volodymyr Zelensky

UKRAINE

While in Ukraine, we were unable to meet with the newly elected President. However, our small delegation had a wonderful meeting with Ivan Banakov, head of (the equivalent of our) Homeland Security, who recently managed the campaign for his lifelong friend Volodymyr Zelensky.

The story of Zelensky’s election is rather amazing. He was formerly a TV comedian. (It is noteworthy that [now former] President Jimmy Morales in Guatemala was a TV star before his election, and Donald Trump was a TV sensation in his TV show “The Apprentice” prior to becoming President.)

In the TV show, Volodymyr Zelensky played the role of a high school history teacher who formed a political party called “Servant of the People,” ran for office, and was elected. Real life followed art. Zelensky was so popular that he formed a real party called “Servant of the People” and ran for office. He won the Ukrainian Presidency by 73%, who then dismissed the entire Parliament, meaning new elections were held. Almost the entire Parliament lost elections, replacing them with many extremely young parliamentarians. Our meeting with Ivan Banakov was held in a former Soviet Union KGB building used to monitor and track down Christians and Jews! (Pictures used with permission.)

Ukraine National Prayer Breakfast, Kiev, Ukraine

Economist Marc Nuttle 
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann 
Dr. Jim Garlow speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast of Ukraine 

Ukraine Biblical Principles Conference

Economist Marc Nuttle 
Rosemary Schindler Garlow
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann
Dr. Jim Garlow

Standing With The Jewish People

Well Versed unabashedly stands with the Jewish people, their right to a homeland, the State of Israel. The Jewish people are the longest persecuted people group in the history of the world. One can go to almost any country of the world and find examples of attacks on Jews.

While in Kiev, Ukraine, we visited Babi Yar. On September 29-30, 1941 nearly 34,000 Jewish children, mothers, fathers and grandparents were lined up, shot by Nazis, bodies falling into this ravine, and dirt thrown over the stacks of bodies, part of 150,000 Jews killed here. Under the green grass you see here are the remains of these tens of thousands of Jewish people. Painful to contemplate. Hallowed ground. Take a moment to look at the beautiful rolling terrain with bright green grass. Overnight – in just a few hours, 34,000 people were slaughtered – just for being Jews!

And tragically, anti-Semitism is increasing in the U.S. and Western Europe. Part of the calling of Well Versed is to stand with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.