Blog | Joshua and Kelsie Steele — Missionaries serving Christ in Ukraine

During the Sunday I spent at our church, we were blessed to have Yura Chuhay (bearded guy to my right) back from the front lines. He is stationed in the east in a very hot zone. We pray for his safety and a swift end to this terrible war.

Back from Ukraine: My Impressions

Joshua Steele · December 21, 2022

I went to Ukraine and made it back in one piece! It was my first time there in six months. In this episode, I share my impressions from several days spent in Lviv as well as a possible answer to that looming question: “Can we return to Ukraine?”

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name…” God has opened the door for us to begin a small fellowship of Ukrainian families in cooperation with a local church in Žilina.

The Body of Christ

Joshua Steele · December 8, 2022

It was late March — less than one month since our evacuation from Ukraine — and God had provided us an apartment. We were finally leaving the horse ranch and moving to Žilina! This was largely possible due to the generous help of an American missionary family: Zac and Kim Shepperson.

Big shout-out to our former teammate and long-time friend, Jessie Beal! He bought this van last century (literally) and thanks to his careful maintenance, it’s still on the road today! God has used this vehicle to advance His kingdom. Now it’s going home to Ukraine where a new mission awaits…

The Yellow Van Rides Again

Joshua Steele · December 2, 2022

After months of waiting, the day has arrived: I’m making a trip back to Ukraine! In this episode, we’ll share more about the purpose of my trip and give an update on the war. We’re also excited to share a brief preview of something new God is doing in our ministry here in Žilina!

Our roster of Good and Evil distributors is growing, and books are making their way to Ukrainians across the country! We are so grateful for Tanya, Pastor Vladyslav, Yura, and others who are partnering with us to get the Gospel out!

Good and Evil Books Shipping!

Joshua Steele · November 10, 2022

In today’s episode, we share new details about the Good and Evil book ministry in Ukraine. We talk about our new distributor program, update you with the latest stats, and introduce you to the Ukrainians who are making this operation possible. You’ll learn some Ukrainian geography along the way as we break out the map and show you exactly where in the country these books are going.

Yura and his two sons, Matviy (left) and Marko (right) visited our home on February 24, 2022 — the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The visit had been planned days earlier, and we decided to go ahead with it. We shared a meal, played games, swapped stories, and enjoyed fellowship despite the onset of war.

Voices from Ukraine: Yura Petriv

Joshua Steele · October 12, 2022

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.

We don’t get to see sights like this every day, but wow, it’s fun when it happens. Ukrainian kids, Ukrainian-language Good and Evil books. The Gospel is going out!

And We’re Back!

Joshua Steele · September 15, 2022

Yes, it’s been a while, but today we’re back with lots to report! In this episode, we’ll tell you about our recent music outreach during which we presented the Gospel to around 100 Ukrainian children. We’ll also share family news, our latest take on the war in Ukraine, an update on the Good and Evil printing, and much more.

The new printing of Good and Evil in Ukrainian will be here soon! This special edition includes all the standard body content which makes Good and Evil awesome, but the book now features a patriotic cover design as well as a new foreword dedicated to the Ukrainians’ struggle for freedom.

Presses Rolling

Joshua Steele · July 25, 2022

Today we have a quick but exciting update for you: the printing presses in Kyiv are rolling! Actually, they have been rolling for a couple of weeks, but now we have pictures. 🤩 These are exciting times, and we are thrilled to have this special Ukrainian edition of Good and Evil coming very soon.

Russia and Geopolitics

Joshua Steele · July 21, 2022

Why is Russia acting as it is? What are the fundamental motivators driving their campaign of evil against Ukraine? In this episode, we’ll talk about the fascinating world of geopolitics and its relevance to the current conflict. We’ll also bring you up to date on our family news, the Good and Evil project, and our Bible First ministry.