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58 articles tagged “newsletter”.

The war in Ukraine grinds on, but despite the sorrow and tragedy, we continue to be amazed at God’s faithfulness and the doors He is opening for our family to share the Gospel. In this special issue of Overseas Field Report, we’d like to show you some of what God has been doing in Ukraine — and some of the exciting opportunities we see on the horizon.

Teaching, Serving, Standing

Joshua Steele · May 27, 2026

January 16, 2026 — 8:50 am. We were seated in our blue Ford van, headed once again to the Polish border. Rebekah would soon turn 18, and so it was time to visit the Ukrainian consulate in Krakow to get her a visa. Anya, a Ukrainian friend, had come along for the ride. The morning was crisp; the roads, thankfully, clear. As the three of us sped toward the border, conversation lulled, and my mind began to wander. I’d driven this route so often I could almost do it in my sleep. Almost. No sleep now, though — stay awake. Eyes on the road. We clipped along at a comfortable 100 kph (62 mph). Suddenly, I snapped alert: 8:56 am. Four minutes left...

Many of our readers will recall Carpathian Mountain Outreach (CMO), an annual short-term missions initiative we began back in 2006. After 13 projects spanning 17 years (2006–2023), the time has come to sunset CMO. Today, we are announcing our next major initiative in discipleship and evangelism: Ukraine Gospel Outreach (UGO). Please take a few moments to read this update and discover what we have planned and how you can get involved. The harvest fields have never been whiter.

Announcing Ukraine Gospel Outreach

Joshua Steele · August 31, 2025

One of the fundamental principles we taught our CMO teams was this: methods may change, but the message remains the same. That message — the Gospel of Jesus Christ — transcends cultures and languages, remaining constant across the centuries, and offering salvation to anyone who believes. As Christians, our calling is to take this good news to the world, whether at home or abroad, and challenge our listeners to repent towards God.

Late in 2024, our team had the incredible privilege of traveling to some of the areas in Ukraine hardest hit by the war. Amidst minefields and bombed-out homes, we spoke with people who have endured unimaginable loss. The image above was taken on the final day of our trip when we had the opportunity to preach the Gospel and distribute aid to a large group of Ukrainians in the city of Zhytomyr.

The November Project

Joshua Steele · February 24, 2025

It all began with a phone call from Ben Sargent. Ben serves on our board of directors with Euro Team Outreach, and for some time, we’d been planning for him to visit Ukraine. The goal had been to brainstorm and plan future ministry projects. But now Ben had a new idea. “Josh, when I get there, I want you to find me an interpreter and a vehicle to take me close to the front so I can preach the Gospel. I don’t care if something happens to me; I’m ready to go!” That’s one reason we’re so blessed to have Ben on our team. His enthusiasm and vision keep us going! As we spoke on the phone, I thought fast and made a few suggestions. After our conversation ended, I knew who I needed to call: Oleksandr Ilchenko.

2024 has been a year of sorrow. Yet, in the midst of our trials, God has brought joy and new life.

Of Books, Baptisms, and Blessings

Joshua Steele · September 24, 2024

One of my most frequent prayers in times of trial is that God would use me up to bless my family, to bring souls to Christ, to glorify His name on the earth, and that He would take me home as soon as my work is done. I don’t say this lightly: 2024 has been a year of sorrow for me, and yet God has given peace and joy despite the fires. Our family is still in Ukraine, we’re still serving Christ, and we are excited to finally be sharing with you an update about what God is doing in our lives!

We recently had the wonderful privilege of leading a marriage retreat for couples from our church in Lviv.

Ministry and Family in Time of War

Joshua Steele · January 19, 2024

There are days when things appear almost peaceful. We move about the city, living what seems a normal life, and we almost forget that there’s a war on. Then the sirens go off again, reminding us why we pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine. Thankfully, Lviv remains one of the safer areas of Ukraine right now, and God has been faithful to protect our lives and property. We have lost so little compared to many, and the Lord continues to guide and bless us. In this (admittedly overdue) report, we’d like to share with you a glimpse into our family and ministry in this difficult time of war.

“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.

The phrase “I love you” in Ukrainian can be difficult for westerners to pronounce: Я люблю вас (Ya lyublyu vas) In an attempt to aid the linguistically challenged, a funny but phonetically similar phrase has been proposed: “Yellow blue bus”. And now, maybe for the first time ever, we have a picture to match! 🥰

Yellow Blue Bus

Joshua Steele · June 11, 2022

Nearly four months ago, our family evacuated from Ukraine. At the time, we took with us only the belongings we could carry in a few suitcases and our old yellow van. And while the time of our return has not yet come — though we believe it will — we find ourselves amazed as we reflect on the goodness and provision of God.

By far our largest conference was the Black Hills Mini Shindig in South Dakota. We were blessed to meet and fellowship with so many like-minded believers!

Shindigs and Such

Kelsie Steele · December 14, 2021

You could sum up our last few months in just 2 words: travel and people! Here are some of the highlights from our time in America, broken down into 4 phases.