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June 01, 2005

Our Ukraine Partnership - One week and counting

One week from tomorrow (June 9) we will embark on the journey that began for us approximately fifteen months ago, March 2004, when Belmont Trustee Don Dixon called me with the idea of partnering with his church for a mission trip. Don is Pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He told me of the Zhitomir Central Baptist Church in Ukraine and Pastor Peter Chernyavsky’s request for a Sports Team to come and work with them. Thus began our year-long process of organizing and processing this trip.

Pastor Don and eight of his church members will accompany our team and work specifically with Pastor Peter’s church while staying in the homes of church members. Our team will stay outside Kiev in a hotel close to the outlaying areas where we will conduct ministry in local communities. The two teams will come together periodically during the trip to go into orphanages, conduct worship services in the evening, and lead worship in local churches the two Sundays we are there.

This partnership will be a first in our decade of sports evangelism mission trips. Don has been a joy to work with and get to know. The two teams will come together for the first time at the airport when we gather for our long flight next week. However, both teams have prayed for one another by name for several months. It is exciting to anticipate getting to know our partners in mission. As you pray for us we ask that you remember Don and his group who will have their own ministry in addition to ours.

Posted by Betty Wiseman at June 1, 2005 01:41 PM