May 20-28 Trip Highlights

Dear Friends and Family,



The first half of this mission trip, which is bookended by graduation weekends with two of our long-time seminary partners (ZBS & KES), has been a week rich in reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. We’ve engaged in discussions about exciting new initiatives, such as Chaplain textbooks, and have been exploring a new delivery system for essential resources in the Ukrainian language.


In this update, we will let our photos tell the story of our journey.


Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement, which we greatly appreciate in so many ways.


READ Ministries Spring Missions Team

5-20 Friend and partner, Vova Bogomaz (back center), met the team in Krakow with guided transportation for the whole visit. Snack stops were made along the way. If you know, you know.

5-21 Dinner with friends from the US. Bria Blessing and Jesse Pohle are a married musical team who use their talents twofold: to worship God and encourage people in His love for them, to support the Ukrainian nation, and to share their love of and connection to Ukraine with non-Ukrainian audiences.

5-21 The team and friends, on the streets of Lviv.

5-22 This day was for getting acclimated: resting up from jetlag, sightseeing & shopping, and some sermon prep for Steve.

5-23 A traveler's delight. Lattes and pastries before the drive to Kremenets.

5-23 The team enjoyed a picturesque tour of the city of Kremenets with Andriy Konovalchuk (President of Zaporizhzhia Bible Seminary(ZBS)) and his wife, Svetlana. Volodya Degtyaryov, a longtime READ friend, partner, and Board Member, joined the team for the duration of the trip.

5-24 ZBS has a branch in Kremenets. A graduation event was held for a group of young leaders who completed a session of The Barnabas Project. Due to READ's partnership in this program, ZBS President Andriy Konovalchuk honored Steve Eckert with the privilege of addressing the men and endorsing their diplomas.

5-26 Chaplain Vasily Povoroznyuk (Ukraine's Chaplain Ministry leader and a guest at last fall's READ Celebrations) is building an orphanage in Zhytomyr. The team visited with Vasily and his staff and met an orphan assisted by this ministry. In the small city of Zhytomyr, they have lost a staggering 800 soldiers to the war.

5-27 The Team toured the Ukraine Evangelical Theology Seminary and met with Vasily Furta of the Baptist Union.

5-28 A visit to Kyiv Theological Seminary and Valentyn, Director of the chaplain program. Steve, Joel, Volodya, and Vova discussed ministry over dinner. Joel (an Army Chaplain himself) met with other chaplains and observed one of the KTS chaplain programs in session. Guytano Magno and Todd & Sarah Magnuson were film crew for the day in Kyiv.

5-28 A visit to God's Design Church. It is always good to be together with Brother Oleg Larkov, his wife Alonia, and SIL Zhenya. They enjoyed more good discussion over lunch before leaving Kyiv and heading to Kremenchuk.

Heading Home

As you read this update, the missions team is traveling back to Krakow for their flights toward home. As you think of them, please ask for the Father's guidance and care.


Next week, we will share the rest of the story (5/28-6/1).