What does it look like to live out and share the redemptive work of the gospel in your life?
For the McGowan family, it means returning to Ukraine to continue sharing the hope of Christ that they carry in their hearts, and implementing new, creative ways to wrap around vulnerable families during this continued time of war and deep cultural grief.
“The McGowans have made an undeniable impact on the vulnerable populations of Ukraine through multiple organizations focusing on the word of God and spreading joy and peace through His message.”
History:
Harris and Leah McGowan have been working with faith-based organizations in western Ukraine together since 2018.
Leah came to know Jesus Christ as her personal savior at a young age. She grew up in a church that was involved in foreign missions, which planted the desire to go on at least one mission trip. One trip quickly became several student trips to China, Haiti, Colombia, and Mexico, learning God’s heart to care for the downcast, the orphan, and the widow. During these transformative experiences, the gospel came to life for Leah in a new way, truly seeing that Jesus “will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). These trips eventually led her on a vision trip to Ukraine in 2016, where the Lord continued to reveal His heart for broken families and orphaned children living in government institutions, the challenges they face, and intentional ways that the body of Christ can wrap around families before separation occurs. While in Ukraine, Leah learned about the dire need for medical intervention to support families at-risk of separation and Co-Founded New Song Int. in 2016.
During her time back and forth between Ukraine and the United States, Leah invested in Ukrainian language lessons and sought internship opportunities with faith-based organizations in nonprofit management, branding, storytelling, fundraising, and business administration. During this time, she was heavily pursued by onlooking Harris McGowan. The two originally met in a homeschool chemistry class but reconnected in early 2017.
Harris also came to know the Lord at a young age and grewn up in a church that was involved in foreign missions. He spent his young adult life working at a camp for young boys, some of them from foster care, until the camp burned down. This experience gave him a passion for working with children from broken families and researching family strengthening initiatives.
Leah and Harris were married in September of 2018 with a shared heart for creating family resources and intentionally reaching outreach to children from hard places. Working with orphans stuck in a broken system and with vulnerable families before separation occurs is a direct parallel of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. As believers in what Jesus accomplished on earth, the McGowan’s compassion is a response to the love and sonship extended by our Heavenly Father through Christ’s sacrifice. Harris and Leah are a part of and regularly attend the Christian Alliance For Orphans Summit every year in the U.S. to refresh themselves, continue learning best-practices, and fellowshiping with people serving in similar areas in the body of Christ.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, Harris and Leah moved to Western Ukraine with their son, Alistair, who was 1.5 years old at the time. During their time there, they heavily felt the effects of war on the culture and observed the needs of various nonprofits while volunteering behind the scenes. They deeply felt the grief of the country they had been called to serve and felt the pressures of being in full-time ministry for the first time.
This season came with much trial, error, cultural lessons, and family strain - revealing the bigger need to invest in developing missionary-care resources. They have been back in the United States since April of 2024, debriefing their time in Ukraine, being refreshed, and praying about how God would have them live in light of all He has sovereignly allowed them to go through together.
Now, they are preparing to relaunch to Ukraine and are currently advocating for the financial and spiritual resources they need to return to the mission field in a sustainable way. The McGowans' time in the U.S. has provided much healing, new connections, spiritual resources, and fresh vision for ways to strengthen their family as they continue to serve the people of Ukraine and share the hope of Christ. They plan to return to Ukraine in 2025 when the Lord provides the financial support to continue their work as vocational missionaries.
Mission:
“When we first left for Ukraine in 2021, our mission was to wrap around vulnerable families by paving a way forward on a major building project with New Song Int. The mission of New Song Int. has been to share the hope of Christ by responding to the needs of families at risk of separation. The organization has had an emphasis on doing this through medical intervention the past 8 years.
Now, every family is vulnerable. With the continued strain of war and fatherlessness, and New Song Int. is developing relevant ways to meet the needs of families we know on a very personal level in our community. With our dedication to go back and the ways that we personally feel compelled to respond, New Song Int. is eager to finding sustainable ways to partner alongside Ukrainians in their day to day life. With the unwavering hope of Christ that surpasses all earthly circumstances, we can encourage them right where they are at by being present with them in a survival culture. We’ve seen the power of choosing to be with one another, a desire only God could have put on our hearts amidst air raid sirens and power outages, and how that obedience alone has paved the way for gospel-centered conversations while supporting fractured families in very practical, day-to-day ways.”
Leah says:
“I’m excited to support vulnerable families by creating a platform to work alongside and minister to mothers. I’ve been collaborating with my wise and talented Ukrainian friend, Ira, who I met at church and volunteered with regularly, to form Peace Culture Apparel. Peace Culture Apparel is an e-commerce storefront that will sell faith-based apparel and gifts to a wide U.S. market. The products are made sustainably in Ukraine by Ukrainian women. God aligned mine and Ira’s hearts to provide Ukrainian women with uplifting work that is flexible, fruitful, and realistic to their family’s needs during this time of war. We are sharing about the “peace that surpasses all understanding”, Jesus Christ, in a country that struggles to find peace in day-to-day life. Additionally, many ministries in Ukraine struggle to hold onto a donation-based form of support amidst war and politics and are looking for business solutions. By helping to support my family on a monthly basis, you provide the time and space for us to be in Ukraine, continue forming relationships, and launch Peace Culture Apparel, a Business As Mission (BAM) that is meeting a practical need for mothers in Ukrainian. As we grow, we hope to financially pour back into other ministry efforts. We are in the midst of a soft launch that is giving very good proof of concept and are excited to be partnering with a Texas-based 3PL (third-party logistics). Upon our return to Ukraine, we will be building our brand online and looking for a small kid-friendly studio space to more conveniently work from while promoting our business. In addition to Peace Culture Apparel, I look forward to serving on the New Song Int., Board of Directors, growing in my Ukrainian language skills, and serving with a local church worship team from time to time.”
Harris Says:
“I will have the opportunity to continue building a relational ministry first, focusing on sharing encouragement and theology in a one-on-one setting. This will help me continue to build an understanding and personal connection to the culture, as well as grow in my language skills. By helping to support my family’s return to Ukraine, you also give me the time and space to pursue a career in web development, something I can do to provide more long-term financial security for my family, and to provide more resources for us to invest into our ministries. I’ve slowly started my career training from the U.S., but once we make the full-time move back to Ukraine, I’ll be able to invest more time in accelerated my new career in tandem with our ministry work. We will also continue to serve on the board of New Song Int., helping to evaluate and pray through next-steps, outreach efforts, and networking to respond to the needs of families and orphans in Ukraine.”
The McGowans are excited about becoming a family of four in the Spring of 2025!
Their desire is to settle back into Ukraine in early 2025 and take their first year back to nest for their growing family, get back to their supportive community, and enjoy becoming a family of four.
“I love to read the newsletters, follow Leah on Instagram, and see the width and breadth of the authenticity and cool things happening through the McGowans in Ukraine.”
The McGowans are asking for monthly support for their roles as vocational missionaries, which includes their long-term work in both Ukraine and in the United States.
Would you prayerfully consider partnering with The Mcgowans as they continue to press into what it looks like to share Christ in the unique, war-torn culture of Ukraine?
By signing up to become a monthly sponsor, you become a co-laborer in this ministry to share the hope and love of Christ in a real, tangible way during this time of war. We know that God will provide through His local church for this family to return to the mission field and build up His global church in His perfect timing. We truly value the sacrifices of those who join them in building His kingdom this way.
The McGowans are sorely missed in Western Ukraine and are ready to be welcomed by a wide network of partner organizations propelled by the gospel. Here you can find a Letter of Recommendation from J. Rick Adams, MD, Board Chairman, New Song Int.
International Networx ensures that your tax-deductible donation securely makes it to the McGowan family as they faithfully serve in Ukraine.
“The McGowans are forthcoming about the challenges they’re facing and those they have overcome.”
FAQ:
Q: What Does my Monthly Support donation Cover?
A: Monthly support covers basic living expenses in Ukraine, regular tithe to a local church, savings, and an annual sabbatical to the states to rest and debrief. Our goal is to live “so that we will cause no hinderance to the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9) as we strive to make every day an act of worship and a testimony to others about the God we serve. This will be our primary source of income for the projected two year timeline while we work on other sources of income and sustainability efforts are being pursued. All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to our vocational roles as missionaries.
Q: Is it safe?
A: The city we live in, Uzhhorod, is on the western side of the Carpathian Mountains. In a country at war, you feel grief in the air. Parents go to work, children go to school, but life goes on, with or without the hum of generators in the background. There are moments in Western Ukraine where, if there are no air raid sirens, life can feel fairly normal. And then you run into a friend from church and hear that their family member back home has passed, or a father you know is being sent to the front, and you have to have time to stop, process, and grieve the effects of war. We will be minutes from the Hungarian border, though we plan to stay in Ukraine and with her people until the Lord directs us elsewhere.
Q: What will you be doing?
A: First and foremost, we will be making space in our lives to just be. Going to Ukraine the first time, we were very American in our approach. Looking back, we recognize the power of truly making space in our lives just to be with people, in their joy and in their grief. We will take our time to settle in again re-integrate into the culture, catch up with friends, and share what God has done in our lives since our absence. When we look at the life of Christ, we see that being WITH the lost and brokenhearted is the heart and focus of His ministry, and with the truth of His word and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is our personal ministry, too. Once our family feels that the time is right, Leah will open up her branding and marketing services to work as an independent contractor on projects for various non-profits and small businesses, just as she’s been doing in the states. Harris will be continuing to develop his skills in computer programming, along with language learning. Lord willing, he plans to work remotely from Ukraine to help sustain our personal ministry goals.
Q: Do you speak the language?
A: Many different languages and dialects are represented in the border city of Uzhhorod. The primary language is Ukrainian, but there is a Transcarpathia “mountain” dialect. Leah has been learning Ukrainian off and on since 2016 and is taking one-on-one immersion lessons weekly. Once in Ukraine, Harris will be looking for a teacher that is a good fit to work with outside of his computer programing work.
Q: How long will you be there? When will you come back?
A: We plan to live in Ukraine indefinitely, or until the Lord directs us elsewhere. We would like to come back to visit family, friends, and rest for at least three months out of the year. Our first time moving, it was hard to pull ourselves away from Ukraine. By the time we arrived in the states for just a few weeks, we had hardly caught our breaths. We have learned from observing other missionaries and our own experiences that rest is essential and we need to make more time for it when we are home.
Q: Are one-time donations helpful?
A: Since we have lived in Ukraine before, some of our one-time donations have been covered for a certain amount of time. Any donation is helpful and extremely encouraging. However, since we will not be moving until our monthly support goal is met, please consider splitting up what you could give once into monthly support. Ex: $600 donation split into 12 months: $50 a month.
Q: What is your monthly support goal?
A: Our monthly support goal, which has been adjusted, includes all living expenses, regular tithe, savings, and an annual sabbatical. This comes out to a monthly support goal of $5,000.