New Beginning

Ugh! For a VERY long time...if you look at the dates you will see exactly HOW long...I couldn't get this blog to work...miraculously it is working again!! YEE HAW!! Praise God!! So...I need to clear a few things up. I am also going to be sending out an e-mail to explain myself. In fact, the e-mail will probably be this post verbatim! But...be checking this blog in the future for updates on a regular basis. This is our new website! Okay...I need to come before you know with honesty and let you know what has been going on and why we made the decision that we made, and how things are going into a new norm. Let's see...I guess I will start at the beginning. We decided to not continue with Youth of Ukraine due to family issues, lack of funds, etc. It wasn’t that we were giving up on the ministry…we just didn’t feel that we could give it 100% of our attention. We spoke with an organization called Shepherds Purse about 6 months ago. They thought about taking over. Nothing would change except they would take over the newsletter and helping us find funds. Jeff and I would still be on the board as well as Julia and Sergey…it just wouldn’t be JUST Youth of Ukraine anymore…instead it would be Youth of Ukraine as part of Shepherds Purse. Anyway, Shepherds Purse decided they didn’t want to take the ministry due to lack of sponsors. So, after praying and grieving, we decided we just couldn’t do it alone anymore…hence…the last newsletter we sent out. However, since then, God has truly convicted me to keep “running the race.” So, this is where everything stands now. We are still Youth of Ukraine. Shepherds Purse is rethinking their acceptance of us! We still have Julia and Sergey’s account so no change there…keep making the checks out to Youth of Ukraine and sending them to us. No website anymore, HOWEVER I FINALLY got the blog working…as I said above, so THAT will have all of the updates and news on it now. That web address is: http://youthofukraine.blogspot.com/. I will no longer be doing newsletters, I will just keep updating the blog. You can register at the side of the blog to receive e-mails everytime I update it. I will continue to raise funds as I can, please continue supporting our ministry so that Julia and Sergey can spread the Good News of Jesus to these teenagers. Just to clarify…we are not and never did STOP Youth of Ukraine…we simply took a step back, and now I see things more clearly. That is where the changes will come in. So, stop in at the blog…e-mail me if you have any questions…keep sending me your donations, and I will keep depositing for them. As a young ministry, it is having troubles taking off. I often times will tell people that the thing they are waiting for will happen in God’s timing. I simply need to take my own advice. God wasn’t saying “no”, God was simply saying, “simplify.” With everything that is happening in the world…poverty…prostitution…hunger, etc…how are people supposed to believe that God is good? WE ARE God’s plan to show people that God is good and to help them believe. When we help them, they will see the body of Christ show up and they will believe that God is good. We need to refocus our eyes on WHO God is and WHAT He wants to do. If God is passionate about getting it done, then HE is responsible for getting it done. Look at His feeding of 5,000 people!! Jesus tells us, “Give it to me.” Jesus asks us to follow Him beyond what we think we can do and we will experience Him. Recently I was able to attend the Leadership Summit through Willow Creek Church in Chicago at our church through satellite. It was truly an experience and a wake up call to me. One of the speakers said that failure is a necessity. Failure is often the first step to success. I am not saying that we failed Youth of Ukraine, but we didn’t feel we were doing what we should be doing. I have learned…been reminded…that we don’t learn things unless we fail. So, here I am…in front of you all, opening my heart. I pray that you understand our anxiousness and accept our failures, for we are only human. God has set my heart afire once again though! So lets go!! Remember…no more newsletters so check the blog for updates and news. Continue sending your donations to Jeff and Tonya Filleman, Youth of Ukraine at 6012 S. 149th St., Omaha, NE 68137. If you have questions e-mail jtfilleman@cox.net, or call us at 402-733-2369.