Get ready folks! This fall, the Steele clan is coming to the States! This will be our first trip in four years, and we’d like to tell you what we have planned.

Coming To America!

Joshua Steele · February 5, 2018

When last we departed America, Kathryn was only a few weeks old. She recently turned 3! Meanwhile, David has cleared the one-year mark, and he’s never been out of L’viv! Yep — it’s been a while, and we’re ready to see some friends and family face-to-face.

As you might expect, traveling internationally with a family of seven is no small undertaking. More than any previous visit, this trip will demand some careful planning, detailed logistics, and a dash of courage.

As we begin our preparations for this epic family voyage, we’d like to fill you in on a few of the particulars.

Be sure to read to the end where you’ll find our latest collection of family photos!

Timeframe

We don’t yet have our tickets, but our target departure window is early September of this year. We plan to stay in the US until around the second week of December, traveling back to L’viv in between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

The Big East Road Trip

In addition to our usual visits with family in Texas, we’re hoping to take a road trip through the eastern United States. For some time, we’ve wanted to take our kids to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter by Answers in Genesis. They are getting to the age where they could really appreciate those learning experiences!

While we’re out there, we would also like to drive through Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and maybe even Florida or others. Over the years, God has given us friends in all those places (you know who you are!) and we’d like to stop by and see you if possible. We don’t have an exact route or dates planned yet, but if you’d like to see us, give us a shout out and we’ll get in touch with you.

A Van and a House 🚙 🏡

During past trips, our parents have been very gracious to host us in their homes. They’ve also loaned us vehicles when we needed them! While I’m sure they’re no less willing this time around, our crew has gotten big. There are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 of us now, and on some days Kathryn counts as two. 😉

The simple fact is that we will need to acquire our own housing and vehicle for the three months we’ll be in the US. We’re exploring some different options such as leasing a minivan, and maybe some kind of short-term rental for housing. But we don’t have a lot of experience in these areas, and we’re open to suggestions. If you have any ideas, contacts, or other input for us, we’d love to hear from you!

How You Can Pray

As you can see, this trip will be quite the complex enterprise, and we would really appreciate your prayers! Here are few of the main points to keep in mind as you pray:

  • Pray that God would provide affordable housing while we’re in the States.
  • Pray that God would provide a reliable vehicle we can use while there. (And that we can take on our Big East Road Trip!)
  • Pray for wisdom as we plan the logistics.
  • Pray that we would not have any difficulties with immigration or travel documents.
  • Pray for health and safety as we travel.
  • Pray that God would continue to guide and bless our ministry here in Ukraine over the next few months.

Conclusion

We’re really excited to be coming back for a visit. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with lots of folks, traveling to new places, and practicing our English! And of course, we’re excited to talk to you face-to-face about what God is doing in our ministry.

Keep scrolling to see our latest collection of family photos!

To God be the Glory

Like what you're reading?
Let's keep in touch!