Last Bell Staff

Andre and Oksana Pankyeyev, Shelter houseparents, came into ministry in August of 2007. They attend Loving Community Church. They are both leaders in the church. Their family currently lives at the Shelter. By their examples, they show the kids how a godly marriage works and how to raise small children. Their children are Daniel, five, and Margarita, eight. They also love the Shelter kids as their own and work hard to take care of the needs of the graduates. Many of the kids consider them their parents.

Abram Krivoruchko, assistant housefather at the Shelter, joined the staff in 2007. He is a member of Loving Community church in Zhytomyr. He works with the Shelter housefather, taking care of construction projects, maintaining the Shelter building and grounds, and teaching boys how to take care of a home and property. They are examples to the boys of what godly men are like, protecting those around them and showing godly character through actions. They learn the needs and problems of the Shelter boys and spend time with them.

Ira Mikityook, assistant housemother at the Shelter, joined the staff in 2006. She is a member of Central Baptist Church in Zhytomyr. She worked at the post office for the previous six years. After a year of fasting and prayer about full-time ministry, she was introduced to Last Bell. She has been studying law and wants to use her education to defend the defenseless. In her first year with Last Bell she worked at the orphanage, leading clubs and teaching culinary skills to the oldest classes. As an assistant houseparent, she works in the house, mothering, cooking and teaching kids to cook, and meeting with girls one-on-one to counsel and get to know them. She ministers at the orphanage weekly.

Tanya Unguryan, nanny and assistant houseparent, joined the team in 2007. She is a member of Central Baptist Church. She began work for Last Bell as a nanny for the Pankyeyevs’ two children, Daniel and Margarita. In the summer of 2008 she coordinated the Last Bell summer camp at the orphanage. She also went to the Black Sea as a leader for the graduate camp while Oksana stayed home with the children. Now she works full-time as an assistant housemother at the Shelter. Throughout the week she ministers to individual graduates during “off hours.”

Olga Antonova, administrative assistant, joined the staff in October of 2008. She is the mother of two boys and a baby girl and the wife of a pastor of First Baptist Church in Zhytomyr. She and her husband dream of someday planting their own church in a village outside Zhytomyr. Her work for Last Bell includes helping keep financial records, running errands, helping with business processes, and translation work. She manages the prayer partnership program on the Ukraine side, and translates letters between kids and prayer partners.

Vasya and Luba Yaroshuk, Haven houseparents, joined the staff in 2009. They attend Central Baptist Church. Vasya and Luba both felt a calling to minister to orphaned and neglected children before coming to work for Last Bell. Luba was raised in a Christian family; her father is the pastor of a village church. Luba’s sisters Olga, Lena, and Anya also work in the Haven. Vasya became a believer at the age of 25. Luba is educated as a teacher. Vasya and Luba have two children: Daniel is six, and Sophia is three. They work hard to offer love, care, and understanding to the Haven kids.

Vitya and Lena Andrusenko, assistant houseparents at the Haven, joined the staff in 2007. They attend Central Baptist Church. Both were raised in Christian families. Lena began ministering to children as a Sunday School teacher, then began visiting the orphanages to minister to kids there. Vitya is in charge of musical activities and worship, and works with the kids doing one-on-one counseling. Lena cooks at the Haven and works with the Haven girls. They had their first child in August of 2011, a girl, Paula. Together Vitya and Lena provide a good example of a Christian marriage and family. They try to develop good relationships with all the kids, leading them to Christ.

Olga Nikolayenko, ministry coordinator at the Haven, joined the staff in 2007. She attends Central Baptist Church. In her early years she was taught the Christian principle of love, caring and serving. She received Jesus when she was 13 and was baptized two years later. Olga is educated as a teacher. She previously had experience ministering in shelters and orphanages for abandoned kids. Olga is married and has a six-year-old son.

Anya Cherniy, nanny for Haven leaders’ kids, joined the staff in 2009. She is the oldest of the sisters who work at the Haven. All together they can set a good example of sisters’ relationships for the kids. Though her primary responsibility is nannying, she has established good relationships with kids of all sizes and shows everybody how to treat little children with patience and love.

Yulia Los, support staff, joined the staff in 2010. She is a member of Jesus Christ Covenant church and is a youth group worship leader. She teaches English to the graduates and leads crafts for Shelter, Haven, and orphanage ministry. In 2011, at the request of the orphanage director, she will be teaching a Christian independent living curriculum at Orphanage #4.

Liz Millikan, director, is a founding member of Last Bell Ministries. After having served orphans in Ukraine through several short-term trips and one year-long stay, she moved from the United States to Ukraine in 2006. She is a member of Loving Community Church in Zhytomyr. She began to work as the director in 2006, and also worked as a houseparent for the residential program from the spring of 2006 through 2007. Now that Last Bell has a full staff, she directs the Shelter and Haven and other Last Bell programs and plans ahead for the ministry on the ground.