We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our fourth daughter, Kathryn Grace Steele! Kathryn was born on December 30, 2014 at 12:00am. She was 20 and 3/4 inches long and weighed 8 lbs., 12 oz.
Last spring, when Kelsie and I learned that we were expecting a baby, our first task was to decide where to have the birth. Given the complications we experienced during Hosanna’s birth, we felt that this time it would be wisest to come home to the U.S. We’ve been here for nearly five months now, and God has blessed tremendously. Kathryn was born at my parent’s home in Texas, and both mother and baby are recovering quite well. Our midwife, Judith Hynds, and her assistant Jenee Ohrvall, did an outstanding job, and we highly recommend them both!
Kelsie did have some trouble delivering the placenta, but we were able to transport her to a local hospital and in a few hours everything was taken care of. While this was definitely one of Kelsie’s hardest births from a labor and delivery standpoint, we are grateful that God led and protected us as He always does.
In just a few days, our family will be flying back to Ukraine to continue our ministry. Although the political situation there remains tenuous, we’re grateful that L’viv is far removed from the violence. We’re also excited to report that over the past few months, we’ve seen a significant increase in requests for our Bible materials! My inbox fills up daily with emails from people enrolling in our Bible First course or requesting copies of the book Good and Evil. We are optimistic that God will use this time of turmoil in Ukraine to turn many to Himself. Please continue to pray with us as we communicate the message of Christ to these precious people!
(HINT: More baby photos at the end of this post!)
CMO 2015
This year’s CMO project is on track to begin June 15th. As I mentioned above, the military conflict in Ukraine has caused many to give greater consideration to the things of eternity, and we believe that we are facing a special door of opportunity to sow the seed of the Gospel on fertile ground. We’re praying that God will raise up a strong team of young men to help us preach Christ in Ukraine this summer!
The deadline to register for CMO 2015 is May 1, so if you or someone you know is interested in coming, please contact us right away! And of course, please continue to lift up our team in prayer as we make preparations for the summer.
Bible First Update
Our list of Bible First graduates in Ukraine continues to grow, with the majority professing faith in Christ and expressing interest in receiving more of our materials in the future. One of our next major objectives is to make Bible First available online, and to this end we’ve begun developing a web-based application that will allow anyone world-wide to begin and manage their own Bible First course. This application will open the door to allowing our Ukrainian graduates to begin their own indigenous ministries, reaching their fellow Ukrainians using the same materials that brought them to Christ.
Trevor Brown and I spent a week getting the Bible First online project started.
In late January, we were very blessed to have Trevor Brown, a software developer from Florida, visit us in Texas for an entire week. Trevor and I spent many hours writing code to get the Bible First app on its feet, and while there is still much to do, we made a great start! Trevor will continue to work with us remotely as we develop this software.
How You Can Pray
- Pray for our family as we depart for Ukraine on February 16th.
- Praise the Lord for His protection and provision surrounding Kathryn’s birth!
- Pray for this summer’s outreach, CMO 2015.
- Pray for the development of the Bible First web app.
- Pray that God would continue to bless and expand the impact of Bible First in Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries.
Beka, Abby, and Hosanna greet their new little sister.
No happier group of future mommies was ever seen!
Kathryn meets her cousins!
