CMO Returns!

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Nathan

As of late, I seem to start each update by commenting on how long it's been since the last update, and this is no exception. I'm not sure if it's the pace of life in America, having five children, or all the things I have on my plate, but I just don't seem to be able to get updates out as regularly as I used to.

Ministry

Lord-willing, Carpathian Mountain Outreach is finally returning after several years of being sidelined due to Covid and the war in Ukraine! There are multiple factors that will make this year's project more challenging than usual, one of which is that I will be flying in for CMO, instead of already being located in Ukraine and prepared ahead of time. I will be leaving for Ukraine here in a couple weeks, and will be there until the end of August.

Several things to pray for:

  • Preparations for CMO
  • CMO to run well
  • Open doors to share the Gospel
  • My family, as this will be our first time to be on opposite sides of the globe

CMO Team

Most of the team from the last time we did CMO, in 2019.

The Steele Family

Our ministry parters, The Steeles, have recently returned to Ukraine, and the only reason we are able to do CMO this year is because they are there on the ground making the necessary preparations. You can read more about their family's return to Ukraine here.

Bible First Online - French

You may remember from our last update that we were hoping to have the French translation of Bible First ready for use by March. Well, that goal turned out to be extremely over-optimistic. I am currently coming down the home stretch on the last few critical pieces that will allow Bible First to be used in French. There will be some final polishing to do, but that can wait until after CMO.

Family

First off, the most exciting news: we are expecting another baby girl! The beginning of the pregnancy was a bit bumpy, but things have been going well for a while now. Katelin recently entered the third trimester, and we are looking forward to the baby's arrival in October.

Birthday

The kids made Katelin a nice breakfast-in-bed for her birthday!

We are in the thick of a Houston summer, which means lots of time in the neighborhood pool! We recently wrapped up our school year, but there won't be much rest for the weary. We are planning to start next year's school year early so we can take some time off when the baby is born.

My Health

Since our last update, I've been working with a functional medicine provider, which has uncovered several latent health issues. Progress has been slow, but it's nice to feel like I'm finally moving in the right direction.

Our Future

Right now, this is our tentative plan:

  • Nathan goes to Ukraine for CMO (and scouts things out for a potential return to Ukraine)
  • Baby arrives in October
  • Spend the holidays with family
  • Return to Ukraine after the New Year?

We definitely don't want to do anything rash, but we also want to be wherever God wants us to be, so we would appreciate your prayers for God's direction!