A Tribute to Polina

February 9, 2010

Dear Friends of EEM and Polina Polyakova,

We have never done this before.

However, so many of you have contacted us in the last few days that we have decided to send out a special notice about Polina Polyakova, our beloved employee in our Donetsk, Ukraine office. Many of you know her as a camp team member, friend, co-worker, and interpreter. It is with great sadness we report to you that Polina passed away Sunday February 7th, 2010. On her way home after work, on the 3rd of February, she was struck by a bus while standing on a "island" at a bus terminal. She suffered many serious injuries and underwent immediate surgery. She was put on life support in the critical care unit of the hospital in Donetsk, but unfortunately never regained consciousness.

Polina was a full time EEM employee and a translator for EEM involved in many areas such as; youth camp teams, the Harding University Seminars – which have been held in Donetsk over the last several years, host and translator for the Lubbock Christian Choir during their Ukraine tour, and more. She also achieved certification in The Kids for Kids Character program from Character International. Polina was a University trained translator who worked in EEM’s office helping coordinate many projects to help deliver EEM Bibles and Biblical literature all across Ukraine. She was baptized at the fall 2009 Ukraine church planting seminar, which EEM helps sponsor. We will very much miss the dedication, positive attitude and energy with which she carried out her duties.

 “What will be missed

Additionally, Polina was the main source of support for her family. Her father is gone and she lived with her mother, grandmother, grandfather and her fourteen year-old brother, in a one bedroom apartment.

Polina’s mother works at the University for a low salary and both of her grandparents are in ill health. It was also Polina’s dream to provide her brother with a good education and she was working toward that goal. All this while she was working on a second degreeas a Manager of International Tourism (Polina had a primary degree in languages). As you can see, that’s full-plate for a 26 year-old. We would like to do all we can for her family who depended so much on Polina.

Since so many of you have asked what you can do for Polina and her family we have decided

to do the following:

1.    Accept gifts to help with the following expenses:

·         Medical, funeral and burial expenses

·         Aid to her family – Polina was the primary financial supporter for her mother, grandmother, grandfather and others. We would like to help them through this difficult transition time.

2.    Provide a way for you to send messages of encouragement to Polina’s family and our EEM family in Donetsk. If you would like to send cards or notes directly to Polina’s family their address is:

32-85 Razdolnaya Street,

Donetsk, Ukraine.

Or you may send them to the Ukraine EEM office:

EEM

PO Box 5727

Donetsk 8301 Ukraine

We will get them translated and delivered to the family for you.

You may also send cards and notes to our Dallas EEM office at:

P.O. Box 670928,

Dallas, TX 75367

P.O. Box 670928 · Dallas, TX 75367 · 1-800-486-1818 · www.eem.org

E-mails can be sent to Natasha at: natasha.t@eemvienna.org

They will be translated and your message will be delivered to Polina’s family.

3.    Accept gifts for the EEM Youth Camp Program children’s workbook. As an honor to Polina we are going to include a tribute section to her in the EEM Youth Camp Program children’s workbook that is currently being prepared for this summer.

If you would like to honor Polina, by helping her family and by helping to provide for her tribute with the Youth Camp Program children’s workbook you may send a gift to EEM at P.O. Box 670928, Dallas, TX 75367. Please mark your gift with this notation: Polina

Our current estimate of how much the medical and funeral expenses will be is about $25,000. We do not have a specific amount designated to give the family, but we would like to generously provide them with enough to help them make it through this difficult time and provide for them as they seek to find other sources of income. This is not easy task in Ukraine. We would like to do as much for them as we possibly can.

Polina will be greatly missed. She began doing translation for us, youth camp program teams and other groups connected to the Church several years ago. Her association with our people helped bring her closer to the Lord and last September she was baptized. So, even in this tragic time there is joy knowing she is with the Lord. Even though her work with us was for just a short time the impact of her efforts will last for a long time. We are grateful for her. Thank you for your good hearts and care for people even in other lands. We are grateful for your partnership in God’s Word and His love.

In Him,

George Miller, President EEM Board of Governors

Mike Armour, President EEM

Richard Baggett, Vice President for Advancement

All of the EEM Staff and Family

PS. We hope you enjoy the pictures interspersed with this letter. Perhaps you can see some of why we will miss her so much.