On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, fellow CBMCer Ron Jones and I returned from a week long trip to Zaporozhye Ukraine. Our hosts asked us to participate in three ministry opportunities during our visit.
1. Business Luncheon. Ron made a presentation on leadership using the life leadership skills of the British Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackelton. 30 men and women attended the luncheon and were then invited to a follow up reception where a few more attended to hear about leadership and the ultimate leader, Jesus Christ.
Ron Jones Presenting on the Topic of Leadership
2. Discipleship Training; twelve men and women attended an all day discipleship training session at a local church, The New Hope Center. The goal of the training was to have each attendee discover the what, how and why of discipleship as taught in the Bible. Through Olga, our translator, we presented scriptually based materials that were the catalyst for discussion around the table. Each attendee was given a copy of Operation Timothy leaders guide and two copies of the two set series translated into Russian.
The First Ukrainian Discipleship Graduating Class
3. Visit with Orphans; Ron and I were asked to share a picture of how preparation and hard work will be important for the boys and girls who currently live in a local orphanage in Zaporozhye. There were 2o boys and two girls who learned more about leadership and how to tell the difference between “Real and Counterfeit” in life and in dealing with other people.
12- 16 year old boys and girls at New Hope Church
Similar to our ministry in the United States, we found that people everywhere need to connect with God with each other and with good leadership principles. Thank you for making this second year (for me) in the Ukraine a meaningful and successful trip.
