Door Number 2

Welcome Back. Today I want to outline another of my options. That of going overseas on my own.

Actually, I have no intention of going overseas entirely on my own. I know better than to go without a support system in place. For that reason, If I don’t go overseas with IMB then I would seek to go as a part of some other ministry and Adventures in Missions in Gainesville, GA is the first one that comes to mind. That’s who I served with doing The World Race last year. They have a number of missionaries around the world already. They have a very broad “policy” I guess you would say of allowing missionaries to develop ministries as they are led of the Lord. They have an excellent Shepherding Services department to provide emotional and spiritual support. They are well equipped and experienced in handling the financial support I would have to raise.

If I go on my own, I think I’ll have a greater opportunity to learn the language. My plan right now would be to pretty much be a student of the language and culture for most of my first year overseas. I would enroll in a language school in Kiev, Ukraine for the Fall and Spring Semester. During that time I would find two churches to be involved with; a Ukrainian language church and an English language church. One so I could meet Ukrainians and one so I could have some English speaking friends. In the summer I would probably work at an English language camp for Ukrainian kids and begin trying to get my foot in the door of an orphanage. Hopefully by the end of the summer I would basically be the full-time volunteer youth minister at the orphanage. From there I could develop an unlimited number of ministries as I begin to understand the needs. Ultimately, I’d like to be a Mission Base Director- serving the orphans, being an “incidental” church planter and hosting and directing mission teams.

I’m not sure how much it would cost me to do this. I’ve heard one estimate of $1000.00 a month but I think that’s probably low. Housing in Kiev is pretty expensive, although it wouldn’t be so much in other places. I think I could begin for as little as $20,000.00 a year. One friend suggested that’s just 200 people giving me $100.00 a year. That’s doable I believe