Ukraine:
One year later
 

Some CMF missionaries plan return to Crimea

It’s been a year since the March 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the departure of three of the CMF’s four missionary families. Yet it is still difficult to know the future of the country and CMF’s ministries there, according to missionary Jonathan Powell.

“The general feeling in the country is that things are going to get worse before they get better,” said Jonathan, who was out of the country with his family when the events occurred. “The influx of guns into the country is unsettling. Many fear that Russian-supported terrorism will grow and spread throughout the country.”

The annexation forced CMF missionaries June Johnson and the Dryden family to evacuate and leave their ministries, while the Powells delayed their return on the recommendation of their Ukrainian co-workers. Dustin and Karilyn Mullenix were able to continue their ministry in Lviv, Ukraine.

Fighting intensifies

“In the last month the fighting has intensified and spread,” said Jonathan. “Civilian deaths are on the rise. Some experts still maintain that the end goal is to annex the territory between the Crimean peninsula and Russia to create a land bridge connecting Crimea and the breakaway regions directly to Russia. Other experts believe that the current fighting around the two breakaway regions of Lugansk and Donetsk is focused in order to create a stable region with an adequate transportation infrastructure. This theory is supported by the fact that the Russian government has recently awarded a contract for the construction of a bridge to connect the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland, but no one knows for sure what will happen.”
 

Scouting trips

Jonathan traveled in December to Berdyansk in southern Ukraine. While the city has not been directly impacted by the war, the instability and uncertainty caused by it have left marks on the emotional well-being of the people. However, he has been given the green light by his Ukrainian co-workers to return to Berdyansk this month.

Meanwhile, June Johnson, who served in the now-occupied Crimean peninsula for 16 years, plans to return in person to evaluate the current situation.

“God has provided the needed visa, so June is planning a scouting trip in Crimea and Ukraine this spring,” reports David Giles, CMF’s Director of Church Catalyst Ministries. “Over the span of several months, she plans to visit as many of the 27 churches she works with as possible, with the goal of understanding God’s direction for her now.”

“Throughout Ukraine, opportunities and needs for ministry have increased due to the influx of refugees fleeing the fighting,” added Jonathan. “A new sense of urgency is spurring the Ukrainian church to be salt and light today, because no one knows what tomorrow will bring.”

Ivory Coast church initiates child sponsorship

Open Heart program helps 100 very poor families

Pasquier Deahon and Emmanuel Douti, leaders in the Abengourou church in Ivory Coast, were constantly faced with families enduring hardships due to the effects of extreme poverty, often coupled with HIV infection.  As they saw the need around them, they knew they had to do something. 

“Parents often came to us crying, not knowing what to do to help their children succeed in life,” said Emmanuel, who also works with Pasquier at CMF’s PIM Clinic. “We thought that the burden of helping would weigh less than the burden of doing nothing.”  

Emmanuel and Pasquier pooled their money and started a small chicken farm. With the proceeds from this farm they were able to help 30 children go to school for several years.  

Growing ministry

As the clinic’s HIV ministry grew, more parents came to them for help. Eventually, the need surpassed their resources and Emmanuel and Pasquier asked CMF to work with the national church in supporting these families through caring for their children.  

In the fall of 2014, the Cœur Ouvert, or “Open Heart,” child sponsorship program began, with 100 children enrolled. Through sponsorship, these children and their parents or guardians are now receiving regular home visits and attending classes through a program that provides spiritual and health teaching, education, nutritional support, and health care.

CMF’s Child Sponsorship program reminds us that “if you want to change the world, start with a child.” Emmanuel and Pasquier started with 30! 

If you would like to join our team and help sponsor the remaining 70 children, visit www.cmfi.org/sponsorivorycoast. Just $38 per month can change the world for an entire family, starting with their children.

A stranger becomes a friend

Selbys prepare for service in Ethiopia

The journey to cross-cultural ministry in Ethiopia for both Katie and Tyler Selby began with separate short-term trips to other countries. 

“I went to India and Tyler to Uganda,” said Katie. “We jumped into such different cultures where everything was strange.” 

Tyler and Katie are graduates of Emmanuel Christian Seminary, where they were involved in welcome and outreach to international students in Johnson City, TN. They are making plans to move to Ethiopia to work with leaders of the CMF church there. Their goals are to develop a college ministry in the Nekempte area and to develop microfinance and small business opportunities to help fund the church’s work. 

Their call to cross-cultural missions came as a result of the relationships that developed on those short-term mission trips.

“We had to assume the posture of children because we needed help with every simple task,” said Katie. “It was through these humbling moments immersed in a cross-cultural setting that we felt the presence of God through these new friendships.

“And it was those simple moments and deep friendships that called us into missions,” added Katie. “It is the joy of when a stranger becomes a friend and then a brother or sister in Christ. It is such a privilege to be used by God to grow the body of Christ.”

Would you like to learn more about how you can be a partner in the Selbys’ work in Ethiopia? Go here to watch their video and make a donation to their support.