Mykola is an Assistant Academic Dean at a theological college in Eastern Europe. Mykola shared with Langham how the translation of Langham-published book Tackling Trauma into his local has impacted him and others.
Langham Partnership Australia was proud to be a significant part of fundraising to enable this project. Thank you to those who supported the project, we hope you are encouraged to hear from Mykola.
The need for local evangelical literature
Historically, published evangelical resources in Eastern Europe have been challenging to come by, and regional events has only added additional challenges for Christians to be equipped and supported.
Mykola shares, “I cannot emphasise the importance and the need that my region has for Christian literature. Over the years, most of the resources that have been published and available in [other languages]. And even those resources were very scarce and far in between.”
This is a need that Langham Partnership is acutely aware of, and the Literature team with the support of various global teams, have been working with the college to translate and create much needed books.
Mykola further explains, “There are very few resources in my country, especially from an evangelical background. So we are really struggling right now to find books that we can assign to students, or to find books for people to read in our local churches.”
As Mykola highlights, books accessible in your language are not just for academics or a small portion of students, but rather for pastors, students and the church at large! While it is a challenging position to be in, Mykola also has a joyful perspective for the work of God.
He shares, “In one sense it puts us in a difficult situation, but in another sense, I find it a very exciting prospect because what we can do is we can produce solid materials that will be the first books that people would encounter. And so to think that we have a chance to establish a solid foundation of literature textbooks and books about Christian living for the next generation is very exciting. I’m looking forward to what God is going to do with that.”
Tackling Trauma both pastoral and psychological
In early 2023 Langham Literature published the translation of Tackling Trauma, edited by Langham Australia Board member Rev. Dr Paul A. Barker, in conjunction with the Eastern European Institute of Theology.
Talking about how he has seen the book impact Christians Mykola says, “The Tackling Trauma book has been a tremendous resource. As I’ve said earlier, there are virtually no resources available in my local language, and I couldn’t think of a more relevant resource right now that has an immediate need, and immediate impact than books dealing with trauma and counselling people that have gone through trauma.”
What makes Tackling Trauma such a useful book for anyone who reads it is how it combines both medical and biblical information.
In this book, a team of experienced and informed Christian professionals from around the world promote a deep biblical response to trauma through clinical and theological wisdom and their first-hand experience of witnessing and experiencing trauma. The contributions provide practical responses to people’s trauma, rather than mere descriptions of the problems, making it an ideal resource for pastors, counsellors, humanitarian workers and students.
Mykola says, “And so the Tackling Trauma book is very good because you can find a lot of psychological medical material, but as believers, we want to also present the truth. And so the book does a very good job of focusing on certain passages in the scriptures and using great illustrations from the Bible. Like looking at people who have gone through trauma like the story of Joseph.”
Personally, Mykola has found the sections of the book on the Psalms and wisdom literature the most impactful. He reflects, “Seeing the perspective of different writers from around the world, some who have been in our context right now, who have gone through trauma, who have experienced it and who have dealt with it – it also provides a very valuable benefit to the book.”
While resources in general are needed, Mykola is particularly thankful for the translation and publication of Tackling Trauma right now. He says, “Overall I would say just having a book produced from an evangelical context on trauma is good enough. But this book in particular has so many interesting perspectives, and good solid Bible teaching that addresses that God is with you in your trauma and that God can take you through the process of healing.”
Partners in ministry across the world
As an Assistant Academic Dean Mykola is often being asked by professors what book they can assign, or students what they should read. It is challenging to respond with so few resources for their context and language!
He is very thankful for the partnership with Langham and how through Langham Literature they can resource their libraries with a growing number of contextual books in their country’s language.