Message from MDI missionary Joel Brown

Here's a quick update from Joel Brown, a missionary serving as a Youth Pastor for New Life Church in Kiev, Ukraine full-time through MDI.

Impacting the nation by impacting the youth!

Welcome to a new decade! Hard to believe we are already past the 00’s? What a ride! Did you enjoy the past 10 years? When you suffered, did you pray? When you were cheerful, did you sing Psalms? (James 5:13) There were joys and sorrows for us all, and through it all, the Lord remains good and worthy of our praise! (Job 1:21)
 

Allow me to recap some things that have happened since the turn of the millennium: I started the decade on the last few weeks of my teenage years. Within a few months I started my first official “pastoral” job. I was ordained. I worked various normal jobs to support my ministry: Janitor, P.E. Teacher, Mechanic, Salesman, even a stint with power plants. Lost friends. Lost family. Almost lost hope. Was restored, renewed, and revived. I taught the entire Bible cover to cover, twice I taught all the Gospels, 4 times the Sermon on the Mount. Went to Ukraine on a “short” trip. Moved to Ukraine. Learned Russian. Brought the gospel to the youth of Ukraine. Ministered to prostitutes, drug addicts, musicians, alcoholics, strippers, students, Aids patients, homeless, mafia, the suicidal, the tattooed, the tattered, the hurting, the broken… and most of them not even out of their teens. Spent four years in Ukraine. Spent time discipling young men & women. Decided to stay permanently. I Turned 30 last week. …and of course, YOU WERE A MAJOR PART OF THAT JOURNEY, THANK YOU! And what of the future decade? Simple, continue reaching the youth of Ukraine & preaching the Gospel of Christ! The rest are merely details.

Joel is currently back in the United States on a fundraising tour to help keep his ministry thriving.  If you'd like to support Joel's work, please give now, indicating you'd like to support him.  To follow along with his work, please visit his blog at www.jsterlingbrown.com.

Challenge Grant Update!

Just $2500 more needed! Thank you so much for the great initial response to our challenge grant! However, we are still $2500 short of the $7500 needed to run the orphan camp in Kharkiv, Ukraine. This camp will serve roughly 250 children, so for each $10 you give, you will be ensuring that one orphan child gets to have a fun and exciting camp experience this summer and will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Please pledge your support now and help us meet our goal!

For more information about Radooga Orphan Camps, please click here.

Please pray for the upcoming Presidential Election in Ukraine

This Sunday, February 7, is election day for the president of Ukraine, a primary location for MDI's work around the world.

The election is a run-off between two candidates. The candidate predicted to win is Viktor Yanukovich, a former prime minister who was disgraced in 2004 by mass protests called the "Orange Revolution" which denied him the presidency after a rigged election (in which he allegedly poisoned his opposing candidate in the months leading up to the election).

Yanukovich represents the Party of Regions, which has brought to the Ukrainian Parliament a draft of a law “about sects” that limits freedom of religion and faith in Ukraine. This draft calls for prohibition of totalitarian sects in Ukraine. Definition of the ‘totalitarian sect’ offered in the law draft in fact puts in a compromised position any evangelical, counseling, or youth activity. Any organization that provides such work can be stopped and their leaders can be punished. This law potentially could renew control by the government of religious organizations.

Yanukovich is opposed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a leader in the "Orange Revolution," who has strong support in the Ukrainian-speaking west and the center. Unfortunately, her ratings have taken a hit as Ukraine has sunk deep into recession and analysts say her fate may depend on a strong voter turnout.

Please pray that the people of Ukraine will turnout to vote to keep Ukraine free and democratic this upcoming Sunday. This day could change the entire face of MDI's work in this nation and beyond.