Ukraine Missions Trip!!! (Summer 2012)

Ukraine Missions Trip!!! (Summer 2012)

I would like to start this post by sending a warm greeting to all as we begin a New Year! Many of you supported me with your prayers this past summer while I was ministering in Laingsburg, Michigan as a church intern at the First Baptist Church of Laingsburg. I am so thankful to the Lord for how He used your words of encouragement and prayers to meet needs in my life and allow me to minister effectively for the Lord! In the August of 2011, I headed back to Pensacola Christian College, where I am currently in my senior year, anticipating my graduation in May 2012!!! PCC has provided me with the necessary education to prepare for my future ministry as a missionary. I thank the Lord for leading me to this college and providing financially.

As many of you know, I am pursing ministry among orphans and children in need on the mission field. I had the opportunity to work in Mexico back in 2009 for three months with Monte de Gracia (a school for orphans and children in need). It was through that experience that the Lord confirmed His calling in my life to the mission field. Thus, after high school graduation, I began to prepare myself for the mission field by continuing my education. Now, with my college graduation approaching quickly, I had been praying fervently to the Lord for the next step in my missionary journey. And here is where the exciting opportunity comes in!

While at PCC, I became friends with several Russian and Ukrainian students who have become great friends of mine! Their passion for the Lord and commitment to follow His will has been most influencing and encouraging. Many of them are also graduating this year and are making plans to go back to Ukraine. And as a result, they invited me to go with them on a missions trip to Ukraine. What exactly does this involve? Well, we will be ministering with several ministries in Ukraine versus just working with one. Our plans are to be in Ukraine for two months from June 5th to August 4th. First, we will be ministering with an indigenous pastor, Yaroslav Machinskiy, who lives in Kiev, Ukraine. We will spend three weeks with him working in evangelism and outreach at the Euro Cup 2012 in Kiev, while also ministering at local churches. In addition, we will host Christian day camps for children at villages in the Chernobyl zone. After the day camps and Euro Cup outreach, we will be working with Oksana Sydorchuk, the head of all the Christan orphanages in Ukraine, for two weeks. We plan to visit numerous orphanages hosting children programs and Christian camps. Our goal will be to reach these children with the love of Christ through song, verses, crafts, games, and Bible stories. Following the orphanage ministry, we will join the team from the Jewish International Board of Missions led by Mr. Allen Lord which will minister in the Crimean Mountains for ten days. We will be running a Christian youth camp for orphans, children, and teens that live in the Crimean Mountain villages. We also plan to minister in evangelism with the Euro Team Outreach ministry in L'viv, Ukraine. This opportunity will allow me to minister with my very close friends, Nathan and Katelin Day, and their missionary partners - the Beal and Steele families.

As you can see, my mission trip will be packed with numerous ministries all around Ukraine. My goal is to be productive and effective in my service to each on of the faithful Christian laborers I will be working with in Ukraine. There are many steps to be taken to prepare for this trip including getting visas and all of my required paperwork to travel internationally. The amount that I need to raise for this trip is $3,500. That would include the cost of medical shots, visa, plane tickets, and the expenses needed to stay for two months in Ukraine. We plan to keep our expenses low by staying with the Ukrainians with whom we are ministering. I know that the Lord will provide - I have faith in Him to do so. I also believe that in order to be counted as a faithful minister, I must do my part to get the word out and let fellow believers in Christ know of an opportunity to take part in this ministry. I do ask that you will please pray for me as I trust God to provide while I am continuing classes at college. This is a big step of faith, but I am very excited to take that step and see God change my life through it! I believe the Lord will use this trip to shape and guide my way for years to come.

Starting May 2012, I will be posting updates about this trip all throughout the summer! Please follow the blog and please keep me in your prayers. I know some have expressed a desire to give financially, and if you would like to give toward my Ukraine mission trip, you can mail your gift to The Church at Katy at 6822 Eagle Ridge Drive Katy, Texas 77449. Please make our your check to The Church at Katy, and earmark it for "John Loo - Ukraine". My church in Katy, Texas has graciously offered to handle my support account, so any financial gifts will be tax-deductible. Thank you so much for all your investments in my life over the years! I look forward to giving updates about this Ukraine Mission Trip this summer! To God be the glory!