The story of Connections Café began fifteen years ago in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where a simple ministry center would become a cornerstone of community transformation. Through a dynamic partnership between One Collective and Church of the Living God (COLG), this space emerged as a vital hub within the Transform Uzhhorod Alliance.
Over the years, the café’s mission expanded far beyond its original scope. As COLG’s fellowship hall, it became home to a vibrant youth ministry led by Doug and Marina Landro. The One Collective team utilized the space for university outreach, sharing Christ’s love with international students from Muslim and Hindu backgrounds who found themselves far from home.
The café’s impact rippled through the community in countless ways. Alliance members regularly filled its rooms with worship during special church services and combined events. Local families marked life’s significant moments within its walls – from joyous wedding celebrations to comforting funeral meals. The Transform Uzhhorod Alliance found its meeting home here, strengthening the bonds between partner organizations.
When war reached Ukraine, Connections Café adapted to meet urgent needs. It transformed into an IDP children’s center, providing meals, online schooling support, and a safe haven for play. Its strategic location near critical infrastructure meant the lights stayed on during wartime brownouts, making it an essential resource where residents could charge devices and access the internet when other options failed.
Most importantly, these walls witnessed countless spiritual transformations. Many individuals first encountered Christ here, while others found support and community that deepened their faith journey. The café became known as a place where lives changed and faith flourished.
In October, this chapter of ministry drew to a close when the property was sold to the Armenian Church, which plans to establish a medical clinic on the site. This transition, while bittersweet, carries its own promise of continued community impact. The One Collective team looks forward to building new relationships with the Armenian Church as they carry forward a legacy of service in this location.
Fittingly, the café’s final ministry activity embodied its core values of empowerment and community partnership. Young people from the Rroma community were employed to help relocate the café’s contents to storage at IDP Velyki Lazy Community – another thriving Transform Uzhhorod Alliance initiative led by One Collective.
Though Connections Café’s physical doors have closed, its impact continues through the lives it touched and the partnerships it fostered. Its legacy lives on in the ongoing work of the Transform Uzhhorod Alliance as we bring people together to help the oppressed!