A War, a Prayer, and God’s Provision

Every student who comes to Covenant has a story, but most don’t involve international leaps of faith and pressures created by an ongoing war. Zakhar Lanskyi’s ’28 journey to Covenant is an amazing example of how God, in His providence, never fails to provide for his children or pave a way for them to follow their calling.

A Financial Barrier

Zakhar grew up in Cherkasy, Ukraine, and first heard about Covenant College from one of his mother’s missionary friends. After Zakhar’s sister attended Covenant, he considered applying too. However, as Zakhar began to gather the money needed for Covenant, he realized that without help, he would not be able to afford tuition. Not only that, Zakhar could not wait to attend Covenant because, in 2024, Ukrainian wartime martial law prohibited citizens between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country.

“Every single time I got a bill, I closed my eyes and prayed to God that it would be taken care of somehow. It's a lot of money, you know, the type of money that my family doesn't have,” Zakhar says. Nonetheless, Zakhar still felt called to Covenant and trusted that God would make a way through these hardships.

An Answered Prayer

Kelly Whitted ’21, Zakhar’s admissions counselor, walked with Zakhar through his journey and helped connect him with financial aid. Kelly recalls, “Right after getting off the phone with Zakhar, I walked over to the financial aid office and asked if there was anything else we could do. Then, a couple of days later, a donor gave a good amount of money toward financial aid. Because of that, we were able to help fund Zakhar’s education. It was really unique timing that doesn't always happen. It was obviously the Lord's doing.”

Kelly recognizes God’s hand in bringing Zakhar to Covenant and acknowledges God’s faithfulness in the lives of other students, too. “I always tell families to not let the sticker price scare them away from applying, because I've seen the Lord work countless times in the lives of the students that I'm working with,” Kelly says. “It's been really sweet and encouraging to see how many times the Lord has provided. We get some really, really awesome students because of it.”

A God Who Works

Now, God is working through Zakhar as he pursues a business major at Covenant and dreams of opening his own business one day. “My worldview changed so much since I came to Covenant. Coming from a different country and meeting people from different cultures, backgrounds, and countries gives me so much perspective on life. That will help me a lot in the future,” Zakhar says.

Zakhar’s story is just one example of how God works through prayer to bring students to campus. “Without Covenant’s help and without those people who donated, I would definitely not be here,” Zakhar concludes.