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.