God's Leading and Provision

I read this morning in Isaiah 37 about King Hezekiah being threatened by Assyria, about Hezekiah bringing the letter of threats and accusations before the Lord and praying, and about God miraculously delivering Hezekiah and the nation. In reading the story, I was reminded of how God has been doing small miracles for me as I seek to follow Him and bring my worries to Him. I thank you for praying with me as I raise support to go back to Ukraine as a missionary. Here's what God has been doing these past few weeks:

A Full Schedule

As I've reached out to churches and pastors, God has filled my schedule with churches each week where I can present my mission and get to know the people of the church. Since my last update, I've been at churches in Lima, Ohio; Wakarusa, Indiana; Tecumseh, Michigan; Dearborn Heights, Michigan; Ladysmith, Wisconsin; and Westland, Michigan. The people in these churches have been kind, interested, and genuinely godly. God opened up opportunities to have in-depth, encouraging conversations, talk with pastors about their ministries, share my heart for the Ukrainian people, and even be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.

And while my weekends have been full, I am glad that I am usually able to spend a whole Sunday in one church and truly get to know the people. I still work in the middle of the week, and most Wednesdays, I can have services at my church, fellowship with my church body, and hear preaching from my pastor.

I am continuing to fill up gaps in my schedule up until October (when I plan to leave for Ukraine). The next seven Sundays are full and much of September and October as well. Please pray for me as I call and email pastors that God would put me in the churches that He wants me to be in.

God's Continued Provision

Support has also been coming in steadily. I am now at 51% of monthly support, which is on-target for being at 100% in October. God has also amazed me with several generous 1-tiime gifts of churches and individuals. For example, I was in New Mexico last week for my brother's wedding, and while there, I attended Wednesday night and Sunday services where his father-in-law pastors. Without my saying anything, he asked me to share a testimony about what I'll be doing in Odesa, Ukraine, and the church took up a large love offering for me, without my ever expecting it.

Consistently, God has been amazing in ways like this. Just when I feel worried or discouraged, He reminds me that He is the One leading and providing. I'm grateful for the servants of God who have given generously and (just as refreshing) have encouraged me and (most powerfully) have prayed for me.

Requests for Prayer

For those praying, here are some specific praises and prayer requests:

• I have stayed in touch with the Ukrainian work in Romania, and God is blessing it. He has brought people to the church in Timisoara, Romania, who can be a help in that ministry, and he is using and growing those there. Praise God!

• The Priems in Odesa, Ukraine, need continued prayer. Recently, the city started turning off the electricity for multiple hours a day in order to conserve energy, and the bombing in the city has continued. Pray that God would use these things to bring Ukrainians to himself and that God would grow the Ukrainian Christians through this. Pray that God would give Mark and Lydia Priem strength and clear leading. As a praise, Bro. Mark Priem said that more and more people in the church are getting involved in ministries.

• Pray that God would allow me to get into Ukraine in October. I have not yet bought my ticket, but I hope to do so soon. The visa process should be fairly simple, but there is always possibility for issues. Pray that God would lead clearly and provide everything needed.

As Hezekiah did, I will be taking these needs and showing them to the Lord and waiting for the miraculous ways that He will work. I'd be honored if you would do the same.