I was going through some old emails today, and I discovered some of Michael Pratt’s (my pastor’s) old newsletters from back before I was here in Ukraine. I remember praying for them and the tension that I had about coming. I remember the anticipation. One thing I forgot about, though, was that he “introduced me” in one of his emails. Here’s what he said:

David serves at our sending church,Horizon Christian Fellowship in Indianapolis. We met David when he visited Ukraine with a group from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2006. Since his graduation, he has continued to serve the college campus, and the church, in Indy in a variety of ways. During our furlough in America, we spent a lot of time with David and saw very quickly what a godly young man he is, with a heart to serve. So I started thinking right away, “How can I steal this guy from Indy and bring him to Ukraine? They don’t need him!” Actually, I started praying and asking the Lord if David would be a good missionary candidate to join us. During the course of our time in the states I tried to listen closely to David’s heart to discern how God was working in his life. It was pretty obvious to me and all who know him that he has a great heart to serve and a call to serve somewhere. I approached our pastor, Bill, and asked him what he thought of David joining us. Bill said, “No, you can’t have him!” Not really, Bill was all for it, as God would lead. So we approached David and asked him to pray about joining us in Ukraine.

We are so pleased that after his own time in prayer and seeking God’s confirmation, David has agreed to join us for one year. He is praying through the timing of his move with a target date of this summer. David is a gifted musician and worship leader which will be a real asset for us as we move forward in ministry. He also enjoys teaching the word and discipling young men, another tremendous need and asset for our work here. Everyone we know would describe him as a young man hungry and eager to serve. So we are very excited that God is bringing him to L’viv.

He has begun the process of sharing his vision with churches, bible study groups, individuals, and anyone who will lend a listening ear. Part of the vision is sharing his need to raise financial support. He has monthly support needs and some upfront costs to cover airfare, apartment rental, and setup, etc. Most importantly, the greatest need is prayer. Would you consider becoming a part of David’s call in some way? You can contact him at old email I don’t use anymore…

It’s interesting to come back to this, because our ministries and activities change through the years. I do have a heart to disciple, lead worship, and preach the Word, but most of my responsibilities in the past two years (until recently) have been almost exclusively admin-stuff.

God’s been opening new doors and relationships with a couple of guys in our church recently that want to “dig in” deeper, and they’ve asked me to have a role in their discipleship. I’m actually on my way to meet with two of them for just a time of manly prayer.

I can’t give the whole backstory here as to why – that would be too long of an explanation, and I’m not sure if it would even make sense in the end, but I am EXTREMELY blessed and thankful to have this opportunity. There were times in my life that I never thought I would be able to help others grow closer to God, but He is gracious, kind, and so loving to us.

Have a blessed week!