It seems hard to believe, but Carpathian Mountain Outreach 2019 was our twelfth annual CMO project! We had an outstanding team this summer, and we were all blessed and encouraged to be a part of God's work here in Ukraine. In this post, I'd like to share with you a few of the highlights from this year's outreach.
Meet the Team
The power of God is in the Gospel message (Romans 1:16), but without Gospel messengers no one would hear or believe. (Romans 10:14) That's why every year we pray for God to "…send forth labourers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2) What a blessing to witness His faithfulness in answering these prayers!
From the left: Kade Bloom, Nelson Shirk, Anatoliy "Tolik" Zhylavy, Nathan Day, Ralph Villeneuve, Joshua Steele, Ben Sargent, and Cornelius Wiebe.
CMO 2019 by the Numbers
Stats and numbers are certainly not our highest priority, but they can be instructive, and sometimes encouraging! Every year Nathan keeps meticulous records of which villages we visit, how much literature we distribute and where, and more. This year we have some preliminary numbers ready to share with you!
- We showed the film in 5 villages.
- Total attendance for all showings combined was 100.
- Average attendance per showing was 20.
- The CMO guys conducted 139 Bible surveys in L'viv.
- We conducted 4 open-air outreaches with street preaching and chalk art.
- 6 of the men took a turn preaching, several for the first time.
- We conducted literature campaigns in 5 cities: Rivne, Lutsk, Truskavets, Boryslav and Stebnyk.
- The total number of tracts distributed was 94,000.
- Our average tract output per day was 15,400.
- As of September 3rd (when these stats were compiled) we had received 156 responses.
- There were 4 first-timers on the CMO 2019 team. This brings us to a total of 51 CMO alumni!
Bible Surveys
Last year we introduced the Bible Survey ministry, and it was a big success. This year we brought it back again. Some of the guys commented that it was their favorite outreach of the project!
The idea is simple. First, we divide into small groups of two or three. Then we split up and stroll around the city for an hour, asking those who are willing to answer five brief questions about the Bible. Anyone who completes our survey receives a free copy of Good and Evil on the spot.
The survey provides a nice conversation starter, and some of the answers are surprising! Of particular interest is the number of people who believe that the Bible is God's Word and confess that they would like to read it more. Music to our ears! 🙂
Here is a summary of the answers we received this summer to each of the five questions on the survey.
A few more photos…
This year the Steele and Day kids enjoyed being more involved in the ministry. Abigail was even able to translate for some of the guys during Bible surveys!
Film showings in mountain villages are still a big part of what we do during CMO. What a great chance to preach Jesus to people who need salvation!
Six of the guys completed our annual hike up Mt. Parashka this year. Folks, that is one grueling hike!
A cool evening in the mountains
Kade Bloom passing out tracts at a bank of PO boxes
This year we had two guys from Canada (Ralph and Cornelius), and we couldn't resist a fist-pump photo on Canada Day!
The team prays near the van before beginning a literature outreach.
Kade stakes out his tent in the Carpathians.
View more CMO photos on our Facebook page!
Conclusion
Thank you for praying for our ministry here in Ukraine. We're excited about what God is doing, and we're very grateful for the privilege of serving Him in Ukraine. Keep your eyes open for announcements about CMO 2020. And if you know any young men who are ready to experience real, hands-on missions, send them our way!
