While the physical preparations for our trip to Ukraine seem to diminish, as I finally completed the iterative cycle of compressing my bags until they’re ready to burst at the seams, the emotional and spiritual preparations continue with a flurry of thoughts.

It is almost impossible to think about this trip without reflecting on how God has brought me to this point. In my life, I often clenched to the successes that pointed to my greatness and drowned out the true fear and loneliness that plagued my inner being. Though the Lord, my God, Jesus Christ did not destroy my world with earth-shattering destructive behaviors that led to my surrender, the cracks from such an earthquake still appeared and revealed in me the brokenness that Christ came to forgive, the brokenness that Christ came to pay for with his perfect life, death, and resurrection. Having come from this life of isolation, in a world of despair, I now realize that truly, I am blessed.

From the moment of my birth, God has been evident in my life and though I failed to acknowledge His presence until many years later, He has never left my side. The very thought of how faithful and loving God is brings tears to my eyes. I am in constant awe of how much He loves me and how little I deserve it. From my salvation, to my small group, to the vast array of missional opportunities I have been blessed to be a part of, God has used many of you (who read this today) to impact my life and draw me closer to Him. This trip is no exception.

This very morning, a group of members from Clear Creek will take to the skies as a unified body to shine the light of Jesus Christ across the world. Though our primary purpose is to pour into the lives of many youth in Ukraine, there is no doubt that God will use all nineteen of us to impact the world through every step of our journey. Along the way, we will share our life with those around us before and after this trip; we will encounter many in the various airports and cities we visit along the way; we will pour into the lives of many through not only Bible lessons and church services but through English classes, sports, hobbies, meals, and many other ways God has yet to reveal to us. Over the course of twenty days, God will show Himself to us and through us in ways we’ve never imagined.

As we spend the next few weeks on mission to the ends of the earth, I want to thank you and invite you on the journey. In the face of emotional strain, you have helped me stay centered on the Lord. In the face of financial struggles, you have helped finance this mission trip. In the face of pridefulness and pain, you have built me up and poured into my life in a way that demonstrates the grace and love of Jesus Christ. For these and many others, I thank you! I would not be who I am today without you and I could not be serving the Lord in this way without your support.

Though some of us will board the plane, I invite you to join us on this missional adventure through prayer. I invite you to pray for the hearts of those we encounter, that God prepare them and transform them with His words spoken through us and our actions. I invite you to pray for His will to be done and for the individual and team growth we will surely experience. Lastly, I invite you to pray for each of us on this trip by name and may these names be on your heart in prayer and praise to the one and only God: Vickie Riley, Alice McWilliams, Christopher Nelson, Nicholas Skytland, Krista Skytland, Meghan Liable, Dave Durrand, Emily Young, Daniel Vencil, Leanne Vencil, Ryan Brown, Alisha Brown, Glori Loxterman, Duane Theriot, Daniel Lehman, JR Dunn, Andres Ovalles, Jori Turner, and Matt Davis.

Blessed be the Lord!

–Chris Nelson