Journey to Ukraine

Joshua and Kelsie Steele

In March of 2022, our family was forced to evacuate from Ukraine. We have served as missionaries in L’viv for over 20 years, and now, like so many others, we find ourselves suddenly displaced from our home, our church, and our precious Ukrainian friends. But despite the shock of evacuation, God is opening doors and leading us step by step down this new path. Our purpose is to bless and minister to Ukrainians affected by the war. Come with us as we share our stories: striving to serve God, bless people, and praying that someday soon this journey will lead us back to our beloved Ukraine. ❤️🇺🇦 read less
Society & CultureSociety & Culture

Episodes

Loving Ukraine
Oct 19 2023
Loving Ukraine
We’re back with more news from our family and ministry in Ukraine, but also an important announcement. This will be the final episode of the Journey to Ukraine podcast. While we are sad to have reached the end of this chapter, we’re glad that our journey has brought us home to L’viv! Ukraine remains free, but the war is not over, and there are new challenges ahead. Please join us for this special episode as we share what’s next for the Steele family in Ukraine!Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.Links from the EpisodeNews and updates going forward: OFReport.comSubscribe to our blog: OFReport.com/subscribeListen to all our podcast episodes: OFReport.com/podcastCMO 2023 updates: euroteamoutreach.org/blogCMO photo albums: facebook.comKrakow photo with Hank/Bill Thompson: facebook.comUkraine News SourcesSky News (YouTube)The Kyiv IndependentDenys Davydov (YouTube)Jake Bro (YouTube)TLDR News EU (YouTube)Ukraine: The Latest (podcast)Institute for the Study of War (ISW)Deep State MapHow You Can PrayPraise the Lord for victories this summer during CMO 2023.Pray for the many Ukrainians who heard the Gospel during CMO.Pray that God would continue to bless our Good and Evil distributor program. We’ve now gone through more than half our total stock!Pray that God would grant us strength, courage, wisdom and direction as we continue to serve Him in Ukraine.Pray for safety and stable electricity through the winter months. Pray for protection from Russian missile attacks.Pray for our daughter Abigail as she spends a few months in the US for work and study. She is currently living with Kelsie’s parents.Pray for health and strength for our family.Pray for a swift Ukrainian victory over their oppressors.Pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine.Blog Posthttps://ofreport.com/blog/2023-10-19-loving-ukraine/Support the show
We've Made Our Decision
May 7 2023
We've Made Our Decision
It’s been over a year since our initial evacuation to Slovakia. In this episode, we’ll share our decision regarding a return to Ukraine in 2023. We’ll also update you on the war, CMO 2023, and our other ministry projects.Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.Carpathian Mountain Outreach 2023CMO is back for 2023! Time is short, so if you’re interested, we need to hear from you as soon as possible. The links below will get you started!Read the Announcement - https://euroteamoutreach.org/blog/2023/04/time-to-goLearn How to Apply - https://www.cmoproject.org/applyUkraine News SourcesSky News - https://youtu.be/zDIJmhRuVj0The Kyiv Independent - https://kyivindependent.com/Denys Davydov - https://youtu.be/s8l44bxVND0Jake Bro - https://youtu.be/GPC4ifmoMVwTLDR News EU - https://youtu.be/_OQdf7HghEoInstitute for the Study of War (ISW) - https://www.understandingwar.org/Deep State Map - https://deepstatemap.live/How You Can PrayPray for our family as we prepare to return to Ukraine. Pray especially for smooth border crossings.Pray for a successful CMO project this summer. Pray that many Ukrainians — both soldiers and civilians – would hear and believe the Gospel.Pray the French-language outreach of Bible First Online.Praise the Lord for the ongoing success of the Good and Evil distribution program in Ukraine.Praise the Lord that we received our new Ukrainian residency cards!Pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine.Be sure to check out the blog post for this episode for related photos!https://ofreport.com/blog/2023-05-07-we-ve-made-our-decisionSupport the show
Ukrainian Angels
Apr 3 2023
Ukrainian Angels
This interview is long overdue for publishing, but today it’s finally ready. In this episode, we take you once again to the small Ukrainian town of Radekhiv — this time for an interview with the director of the “Hostesses of Radekhiv”, Milena Slyusarchuk. You’ll be sobered, inspired, and I hope challenged by Milena’s story. Listen as she shares her firsthand experiences bringing aid to soldiers on the front lines of Ukraine’s war against Russian tyranny.Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.Banking DataYou can find full donation details on their Facebook page here. There are multiple accounts and currencies, including EUR and USD. Here the essentials for their USD account:Account holder: CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “CHARITABLE FOUNDATION “RADEKHIVS’KI HOSPODYNI”IBAN: UA923257960000026009301090776SWIFT / BIC code: COSBUAUKLVIHow You Can PrayPray for soldiers serving in Ukraine. Pray that they would receive not only physical aid, but also the Gospel. These are days to consider eternity.Pray for our residency in Ukraine. We have submitted our documents, and we are now waiting to receive our new cards.Praise the Lord for continued progress with our Good and Evil book distribution outreach.Pray for God’s direction for our family regarding a permanent return to Ukraine. Decision time soon…Pray for preparations for our CMO project this summer.Pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine.Be sure to check out the blog post for this episode for related photos!https://ofreport.com/blog/2023-04-03-ukrainian-angelsSupport the show
Voices from Ukraine: Yura Petriv
Oct 12 2022
Voices from Ukraine: Yura Petriv
Today we’re excited to bring you another episode from our Voices from Ukraine series. In this episode, Yura Petriv shares his personal experiences at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, his humanitarian work in support of Ukrainian soldiers, and his perspective on the current state of the war. We’ll also provide updates in some other areas including our family’s status in Slovakia, the Good and Evil book ministry in Ukraine, and Russia’s deadly missile attacks of October 10.Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.How You Can PrayPray for Yura as he continues his labor of love in Ukraine.Pray for a speedy end to the war and a reuniting of separated Ukrainian families like Yura and his boys.Pray for safety and deliverance for Ukrainians everywhere as they live under the increased threat of missile attacks.Pray for the protection of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure: things like power stations, heating facilities, and water supply stations.Praise the Lord for the delivery and storage of 15,000 copies of Good and Evil.Pray for quick, efficient, and widespread distribution of Good and Evil books in Ukraine. Pray for reliable partners and distributors who can help us achieve this goal.Pray for health for our family, especially as we move into the fall season.Pray for divine appointments as we continue to minister to displaced Ukrainians through our hospitality outreach.Pray that we would receive our residency status in Slovakia soon.Pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine. 💙💛Donations to Yura and Radekhivski HospodyniIf you would like to donate to support Yura’s work with Radekhivski Hospodyni, you can do so easily by sending funds to Yura via PayPal. (details below) Don’t forget to choose the “family and friends” option so that Yura will receive the full amount of your gift.❤️  Donate to Radekhivski Hospodyni (via Yuriy Petriv) on PayPal!📨  petrivs@ukr.net✅  Specify “Radekhivski Hospodyni” in the memo line.Be sure to check out the blog post for this episode for related photos!https://ofreport.com/blog/2022-10-12-voices-from-ukraine-yura-petrivSupport the show
Digging In — Looking Ahead to the Long Haul
Jun 4 2022
Digging In — Looking Ahead to the Long Haul
It has now been over 100 days since Russia invaded our home — the beautiful country of Ukraine. We’re all ready for this nightmare to end, but reality is not as simple as we would like. In this episode, we’ll share our thinking about the long-term implications of the war for our family and ministry. We’ll update you on several key fronts, and we’ll close out the episode with an informative synopsis of the military situation on the ground in Ukraine.Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.Be sure to check out the blog post for this episode for related photos!https://ofreport.com/blog/2022-06-04-digging-in-looking-ahead-to-the-long-haul💙💛 Radekhivski HospodyniAlso in this episode, we talk more about the charity foundation “Radekhivski Hospodyni”. Their volunteers are working hard to send aid to soldiers on the front lines. They collate, package, and ship everything from food stuffs and medicines to shoes, clothing and even tactical gear. They’ve been in operation since 2014 when Russia first attacked Crimea and eastern Ukraine. If you’re curious, you can see photos of their work on their Facebook page.If you would like donate to Radekhivski Hospodyni, you can do so easily by sending funds via PayPal to Yura (Yuriy) Petriv. (details below) Yura is a member of our church in L’viv and a personal friend of more than 20 years. He receives funds from American donors and uses them to purchase and deliver the specific supplies requested by Radekhivski Hospodyni. Don’t forget to choose the “family and friends” option so that Yura will receive the full amount of your gift.❤️  Donate to Radekhivski Hospodyni (via Yuriy Petriv) on PayPal!📨  petrivs@ukr.net✅  Specify “Radekhivski Hospodyni” in the memo line.Resources❤️ Radekhivski Hospodyni (facebook.com)📺 How Ukraine Became Part of the USSR (youtube.com)📺 Is Russia Winning This War? (youtube.com)⚡️ Institute for the Study of War (understandingwar.org)⚡️ Invasion Day 98 – Summary (MilitaryLand.net)⚡️ UK Ministry of Defence (twitter.com)⚡️ Ukraine War in Maps (bbc.com)Support the show
Voices from Ukraine: Serhii and Natallia Chepara
May 16 2022
Voices from Ukraine: Serhii and Natallia Chepara
Today we’re pleased to introduce a new series on the podcast called Voices from Ukraine. In each episode of the series, we’ll be interviewing people in-country who are serving the Lord and striving to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom.In today’s episode, we’re excited to bring you the story of Serhii and Natallia Chepara. You’ll hear Serhii share his experiences in his native Ukrainian language, with Kelsie translating into English. Natallia will talk about their long weeks of separation as she and the children evacuated to Germany and adapted to refugee life. Finally, you’ll hear the heart-warming conclusion as their family is reunited in a small Carpathian village. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!If you would like to bless the Chepara family financially, you can donate to them directly via PayPal using Serhii’s email address (see below). And don’t forget to choose the “family and friends” option so that the entire donation will go to the Chepara’s.❤️  Donate directly to the Chepara’s via PayPal!📨  serhii.chepara@gmail.com🎥. Check out Serhii and Natallia's reunion video! https://youtu.be/XT1vhANNw8YThank you so much for listening to our podcast! Please share this episode with your friends, and pray for our family as we continue ministering to Ukrainians in Eastern Europe.Be sure to check out the blog post for this episode for related photos!https://ofreport.com/blog/2022-05-16-voices-from-ukraine-serhii-and-natallia-cheparaSupport the show