Dear Friends and Family,
I returned to Ukraine about a month ago, on July 25th, after three months spent in America raising support and visiting family and friends. Although God did not provide all of the additional monthly support that was needed, he did provide some generous one-time gifts to help reduce the deficit that I am currently running in ministry expenses.
By now I think all of you have heard about my engagement to Irena Savochka, and our upcoming wedding on September 27
th.
The ceremony will be here in Ukraine, just outside the city limits of Kyiv.
Irena was able to join me in America for the last month before I returned to Ukraine, and God provided the right circumstances that allowed her to meet all of my immediate family. My sister and her husband live on the west coast, but attended a conference which we were able to meet them at in Tennessee. Also, my brother who lives in China returned to the States for a month, arriving about a week before Irena and I flew back to Ukraine, so we were able to spend some time with him as well. We were also able to visit some of my extended family in New England and some of Irena’s extended family who live in Missouri. We were blessed by the way that God gave us opportunities to meet so much family in such a limited time period.
We have been busy since we returned to Ukraine, with lots of preparations still left to be done, and just over one month left to go. As frequently happens, when I begin working on something that is so closely tied into culture, I learn much more about the Ukrainian and Slavic mindset and perspective. Specifically, I have been learning a lot about marriage traditions and expectations in Ukraine.
Having moved out of my last apartment before I went to America because of rent increases, Irena and I began looking for an apartment that would be suitable for starting our life together in October. With the help of Ira’s contacts we were able to find a nice one-room apartment just outside the city for $650/mo.
August is always a slower time of the year, as this is the month that most Ukrainians take their yearly vacations, and as usual, many businesses, companies, and even churches are running reduced schedules or shutting down their offices completely while people are away. Antioch has had many of our people gone as well, with some on vacation, and some of us making needed trips back to America, or being away for children’s camps and mission trips. This week we began meeting together again for prayer and planning for the upcoming months. Please pray for the many teams and training centers as they hold new rounds of meetings and trainings after busy summer programs. This coming month will be a large gathering of teams in the west, to talk about coordinating vision and strategy across multiple oblasts.
As I reported in my last update, the pastor of the Spanish church, Raidel, was asked to go to Brazil by the company for which he works. The decision to go was made only after considerable prayer and God seems to have opened up many new doors for him since he arrived. He is due to briefly return to Ukraine in the beginning of September to get his wife and young son, for whom he has been preparing a place. While this has been a time of joy and excitement for them, it has also been a time of sadness at their having to leave the Spanish church and the close friendships.
Raidel’s leaving has also highlighted the leadership needs that the Spanish church has, and the need for a better definition of its focus and future. This is the only Spanish language church in the city and I strongly feel that it is needed to reach out to the many Spanish-speaking students and businessmen who make Kyiv their home. Although there are some other capable men who have taken a keen interest in the church, at this time I remain the only one who speaks Spanish and understands Hispanic culture. Because of this, and at the request of the church, I have agreed to become the principal leader of the church for this interim period. I am meeting and praying with the main leaders right now regarding the direction that God would have us go. I am open to facilitating some major changes, provided that it results in an effective witness to Spanish speakers in the city. Please pray with us about what God desires for this church.
Praise God that:
1. Returning safely and signing a one-year contract for a nice apartment.
2. Several good months financially to reduce the ministry deficit.
3. Things are coming together for the upcoming wedding.
Please Pray for:
1. Upcoming wedding: Traveling relatives, organizing people and places, countless minutia.
2. Clear direction from God for the Spanish church, my role, and its future. Please pray also that God would reveal the leader that He desires to take over after this interim period.
3. Reconnecting with the various Antioch teams before their upcoming trainings and gatherings.
In Christ,
Joel
PS If the pictures don’t come through you can see them at:
