 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Yesterday I had a meeting with Andrey at his place. We spent a good deal of time discussing our strategy for the work in the Eastern Ukraine, grey zone on the Ukrainian side. He and I are going there at least once a month. He does projects there for KOEH and I’m visiting and ministering to “my people” projects supported by DMI and local business people. Lately Andrey and I were in touch with Gennady and through LOR we support some of his trips over to the grey zone. We are giving over $3,000 for Gennady’s ministry to the soldiers on the lines and citizens in villages in the grey zone. Andrey and I are very happy with the ministry we are doing. On each trip we visit poor people, both Christian and non-Christian. We give them some help financially or with food and clothing. We are also preaching in the churches in these villages. We love all we are doing, but recently we have found there are Baptist churches in the grey zone where no pastors and young people remain. I am speaking of groups of elderly people – 20-30 gathering for worship services, but have nobody to preach the Word. Pastors left this area or remained in the occupied area. For example: a lot of village churches around Donetsk were pastored by pastors residing in Donetsk/Makeyevka. These cities are now in the occupied area. It is too complicated now for them to come to these villages on a regular basis and the churches in Donetsk need ministers too. Most pastors have left. Some moved to Ukraine, but a lot of Baptist ministers moved to USA. There is a huge movement of Baptist immigration from Ukraine to USA. Our hearts ache for those dying congregations and for the elderly people left without shepherds. We’re working on a plan of ministering in the grey zone in a systematic way. We will be going there in shifts; Andrey, Igor from LOR, and myself. We plan on staying there for a week at a time. Our goal is to help the poor and preach in various villages where there are groups of believers. During one week, we will be able to cover 3-4 villages with preaching. Then next week somebody else is going there. It is good for Andrey and me because while visiting those groups, we will still work on our regular projects in the area. Some of those villages are close to the front-line, so we’ll have to have permits from military officials for going there. Please, pray for these plans. Andrey will be heading there next week. I just returned from several big trips – East, South and West. Did I tell you that our Dad moved to Zhitomir 2 weeks ago? Looks like he likes it there, but he misses our house in Yenakiyevo. Nobody wanted to buy the house, so he just left it empty. There are many things to praise the Lord for these days: God’s guidance in our ministry. The support of DMI for the ministry in Ukraine. Our father’s safe move to Zhitomir. We need your prayers as we try to minister to so many people in need. Pray that God will open doors for finances to come in for aiding these small churches in the grey zone. Greetings to all! In Him, Sasha  Brother Mike, an avid outdoorsman, has taken off on a 150-mile hike of the Appalachian Trail. He has hiked the trail or sections of it many times. This hike is for raising funds and awareness of the needs of a group of teenage orphans in the city of Kramatorks, Ukraine. The shelter DMI is assisting currently has 14 girls in residence. The local church began this shelter to help these girls become active in society after they graduate from our equivalent of High School. At 15 or 16 the girls finish school, and the state orphanages release the girls with no help to further their education or find a job. This shelter provides all the necessities for the girls and helps them to either further their education in one of the universities or develop a skill in a trade school. The goal is to provide a safe place so they can become self-sufficient.  Here is Brother Mike’s schedule. (A.T.- Appalachian Trail) Schedule: JUNE 8 Drive to Mt Harbor B&B (between Roan Mt, TN & Elk Park, NC) (A.T. mile marker 393.1) JUNE 9 Begin hike - campsite: (A.T. mile marker 409.8) (Notice the greeting on the right that he received as he began his hike. But this did not stop him.) JUNE 10 Resupply @ Hampton, TN (Mile marker 421.0) Continue on to Watauga Lake Shelter Mile marker 428.7  JUNE 11 Goal is Iron Mt Shelter w/spring (Mile marker 442.5) (The picture on the left was sent the first day before arriving at his campsite for the night. What a beautiful view of God’s creation.) On Sunday, June 11, he was at Damascus, VA. This puts him a little ahead of schedule. JUNE 13 TN-VA State line (Mile marker 465). Resupply at Damascus & stay at Dave's Place- in Mt Rogers Outfitters. JUNE 14 Goal is Buzzard Rock (Mile marker 489.7). JUNE 15 Goal is Old Orchard Shelter (Mile marker 509). JUNE 16 Goal is Campsite (Mile marker 526). JUNE 17 Goal is Atkins, VA (Relax Inn) (Mile marker 543.8). JUNE 18 Shuttle back to Mt Harbor B&B & come home These pictures came in today, somewhere between Damascus and Atkins, VA. By his note today he may finish tomorrow night. If that is the case, he has really traveled fast and furious. Maybe we will start calling him “Speedy”.   Thankful for his effort to raise funds for the shelter. The funds he has raised will be such a great blessing for all of these girls in the shelter. This picture is of the girls and their counselors who stay in the home with them, providing guidance and encouragement as they pursue their education. We are very thankful for Pastor Oleg and his wife, Anna, and their love for these needy young people.  We want to thank all who have donated for this need. It’s not too late if you want to add your support. All contributions are appreciated and will be used for the purpose you designate. Send to: Discipling Ministries International P. O. Box 69 Culloden, GA 31016-0069 Just mark your check “Girls’ Shelter” OR May God bless you.
Elder Pat McCoy |