We have four US students coming for YFM this fall, including Broderic and Bronwyn.  We’ve turned our attention now to the Russian & Ukrainian speaking world and began enrollment last week.

Several applicants have submitted, we’re up to 7 in total.  Our goal has been 15 for this first year.  This may seem like a small number, but keep in mind almost all from this part of the world have no money for college, literally.

August has started off brutally hot in Ukraine. Needed Ice-cream with the girls!

The state provides free college, and those who chose to forgo this path, also bypass potentially the only pathway towards a career as the government also places graduates into state-run employment programs.  So choosing a course like YFM is a huge step, both financially for the student, and a faith step towards their future out of the grid.  I admire the faith of each applicant.

Sponsorship is quite a heavy and complicated task for us.  Additionally, to place teams in the Spring into viable ‘internships’ beyond just Lighthouse, is something we want to do carefully.  We could have as many as 60 students apply for example, but there’s no way we could properly care for and oversee the mission phase for that many students.  Maybe in the future this could be possible.  We’d have to really grow our team and staff, and perhaps more campus/bases.

Speaking of staff, we’re so excited that Collins is joining us officially this fall.  He’s coming not as a student but a leader among the students, staff with YFM.  God will undoubtedly use Collins in worship, teaching, and music production.  He will be flying over this August to help us with a worship event in Kiev.

He’s coming in faith, he has enough to fly over and we will feed/house him.  If you’d like to support him once or monthly, you can do that with our Charity MIR – click here and select ‘missionary support fund’ –

Very excited to be bringing in the CFN Minsk band, with Yan and the crew, joining with Steiger worship and YGS Church.

More details soon, but it’s August 26-27. This is big step of faith as we sponsor this and also begin to export the DNA of what God is doing in Minsk and the band.   We are totally stepping out of the boat for this one, sponsoring the event, it is a very difficult time economically for all churches and ministries.  This provides incredible opportunities however to rally the body of Christ together, especially youth, as prices for rent and rental of equipment is inexpensive, our dollar is stretching very far right now.

So for example, we believe we can, for $1,500, host this 2 day event, pay for everything, make it free for all, in the center of Kiev.  That’s potentially +500 impacted with incredible worship, prayer…  over two days.   Think about it, together we can fuel something so unique here.   What if God is about to pour out His Spirit in some powerful ways?  What if He’s calling us to unite and lead the way?

Yet, we are not rolling in the dough, with YFM ahead of us we need to be careful as our budget is very tight.  We see this also as a final opportunity to promote YFM to possible students to jump in weeks before school starts.

If you, or your church would like to sponsor in part or in full the Kiev Worship Event, click here! 

We are moving ahead, believing God is totally all over this, it’s exciting (can you tell I’m truly excited?).  More info hopefully next week as we go public and market around social media to youth and churches in Kiev.  I think this is the beginning of something really powerful, and I’m documenting here my blog, for posterity! 🙂

There is a powerful emerging community of youth in Ukraine, several new groups have started just this summer, adding to an already growing missional community.  I believe God is calling us to fuel this movement with deeper worship, a place where hungry hearts can connect and experience Jesus through corporate worship and prayer.

We’ve been purposefully taking our youth from Lighthouse to various events and churches, exposing them to the greater Kingdom movement in Ukraine and Belarus, it’s contagious.  I remember the first time I left my little town of Picton and ventured to CFN Dallas… the very first gathering of 1000 or so young people.. I was speechless.  I wasn’t alone.  I love seeing the eyes of faith widen in the heart of the next generation.

This week we’ve begun ordering books and required reading material for the students.  It’s cool packaging both authors & topics that we know will challenge and encourage.  The school has a decent library, but many are digital copies, we’d like to try and replenish with hard copies.  An actual book is just so much better!

We’ve already spent over $500 on books for students, and anticipate another $1000 we need to order.  All books are in Russian and English, so that makes it additionally challenging to find the ones we want, but I’m pretty excited about the mix we have.  If you’d like to help invest in our library for the students, we’d be thankful!  Click here! If you’d like our list of books, I’m happy to send if it helps you consider sponsoring perhaps a few titles.

A few of the interns this summer, Olya, Alyona, and Anya… say that 3x’s fast.

We have several Ukrainian potential students praying about applying.  One really wants to go, she’s one of our students.  She’s grown tremendously this summer (an Intern), but we aren’t sure she’s ready for this type of huge step.  On one hand, it would be incredible for her, on the other, quite overwhelming potentially.  Would you pray for her, her name is Anya.

Her story is one right out of the movies, I look forward to having her share it with her permission sometime.

Unbelievable testament to the grace and love of the Father. It will melt every heart.  He does not forget, He sees, He rescues.

I’ll finish with an instagram posts from one of the students.  I love finding stuff like this on social media, they are open, bold, real.  Please pray for all the students as we take a month break, they will all return in September and we are believing for really cool things this fall.

We won’t be here, but God is growing our team and placing burdens on some of our staff that are legit – It’s so encouraging to see hearts shaped to care, love, shepherd these young people, not out of sense of duty but a Holy Spirit birthed desire.  We go to Minsk so encouraged that He is the Lord of the harvest, it’s His field, and He knows how to care for it!

One of the girls posts from her children’s bible (the really enjoy learning from it), she comments about her morning quiet time, how it’s special to her.

Thanks for checking in, praying for us, and your continued support!   Please be praying for:

  • our students, their deepening relationship with Christ.
  • our cafe, ministries (widows event next Tuesday!), and those things we will leave for + 2 months when in Belarus.
  • This August 26-27 Worship Event in Kiev – a lot of logistics, travel, renting..
  • I would love to take Deb somewhere for a few days, no idea where, and someone to watch our kids if we can do that.
  • God to bring us more YFM Male students!  We have almost all girls, which is great for Broderic.. but..
  • We are engaging some partners for Minsk Worship Event October.  I can’t write much more than that, but pray!
  • Bronwyn & Brent are in Texas this weekend, Monday, pray for Monday.. they have ONE chance to get their DL’s.  What a sad day that would be if they both return back without.

I am increasingly communicating to our private email list for specific updates, challenges and reports.  This will be the main place for updates once we leave Ukraine next month.  If you’d like to receive the emails and don’t already, please send me a message bruce@liftupyoureyes.org.

For US Contributions Projects: click here
For Canadian Contributions: click here
For Family Support: click here

Bruce & Deb