The Search for Joel

At one of our tent camps this summer, Seech, we had to make team videos. This was the video from my group of kids. Our team was called: “13 Friends of Joel”, a play on the Russian title of “Ocean’s 13”. This is our video: “The Search For Joel”.

How Should I Feel Today?

the contrast of today with my announcement to stay last Sunday at our teen service

It's a funny thing. Today is a day of remembrance. I should feel something. People expect me to feel blue. No one expected me to DO anything today. No meetings. No counseling. No work. I guess that as an American they expected me to look upon this solemn occasion with longing and sadness. But I can't.

Don't get me wrong, 8 years ago today was a bitter tragedy. I remember where I was when it happened. I was listening to AM radio while driving a '91 Toyota pick-up truck to Work. I was just about to turn and pull on to the 55/405 freeway on ramp on Fairview in Costa Mesa. They made the announcement over the air. Almost everyone heard. You could tell because the light turned green and we all just kind of stayed put, idling our vehicles. Slowly, finally we started driving. But the freeway moved a little slower; we were all just a bit more cautious as we simultaneously drove, listened to the news, and craned our necks to the sky. I arrived at work and with mutters we greeted each other while heading to the front office that held a small black and white TV used previously during the first Gulf war. Eventually we began to work. What else could we do? I started steam cleaning an V8-92 Detroit Diesel Engine block. I spent all day doing that, though it is normally the work of two hours. After work I went home. We had a Tuesday night college age small group at my house. A few people showed up. We mostly watched the news, and prayed.

But that was a lifetime ago. Less than a decade has passed; but in that time we have been through so much: war on two fronts, political scandals, national scandals, natural disasters, economic crisis, and the election of our fist black head of state. These are just some of the highlights. We feel old. We feel tired. We are weary. And it feels so long ago.

For me personally, it feels not so much like a lifetime ago, as simply another life. I was twenty-one years old. My entire life and ministry was ahead of me and full of possibility. I was going to write books, and be a world-renowned preacher, and in more than one way I was living a lie. It is 2009. I am just shy of 30. I have spent the last four years of my life living in Eastern Europe, concerning myself with color-coordinated revolutions, political instability, and the threat of Russia, and front row seats to its war with Georgia. I have been beaten, threatened, robbed, cheated, and mocked. My daily life is conducted in the Russian language, and I live 63 miles from Chernobyl. I have recently made the decision to tether my life to this place indefinitely, and am hopeful of the future, though dark as many things seem to be. It feels like another world, another time, another life. I have elections to worry about, will the Russian Puppet whose party poisoned the current president and bombed his headquarters, after rigging the election, come to power again? Will the economy strengthen before it hits historic lows not seen since the failure of the Soviet Union? Will I be able to raise sufficient support to stay? Will we lose a generation of young people to problems of the everyday? This is my life.

I don’t know what I feel today. I don’t forget. But, what should I be feeling today? "

This is the verse I happened upon in my reading today: The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." ~Hebrews 1:3

"Сын - сияние славы Отца, точное подобие самой сущности Бога. Он поддерживает существование всей вселенной своим могущественным словом. Очистив нас от наших грехов, Он сел по правую руку Всевышнего на небесах." ~К Евреям 1:3

Labor Day Announcement

Standing in front of "Lenin" Mt. on the Crimean Peninsula

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: after nearly 4 years serving in Ukraine, and through much, counsel, prayer, and considerable thought:

I HAVE DECIDED TO MAKE MY STAY HERE IN UKRAINE PERMANENT AND INDEFINITE!!!

There is a lot that this decision will entail and I will keep you updated. More information to follow in the next few days.

In the mean time, enjoy your Labor day and may God bless you, your loved ones, and all your endeavors this coming season!

"Level Up" Camp Video

Seasons

Andre and I at the train station in Simferopal... after a very long train ride

It is August 31. I have just returned from the Black Sea. When I stepped off the train and on to the platform I was greeted by a bunch of youth that were waiting to see us. Hugs and jumping quickly ensued. They helped us trek our luggage back to the flat, and we discussed life and the future. You see, tomorrow is September 1. Everybody of school age returns to classes tomorrow. And the big question is how do I do things better than last year. How do I avoid the mistakes of before. How do I allow God into my everyday. It truly blesses me to know that not only am I entrusted with these questions, but that their lives have been influenced to the measure that they genuinely want to know the answer. Everyday I come to the conclusion: my work here is far from done. So as I enter the new fall ministry season tomorrow I leave you with these words:

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” ~Philippians 3:7-16

Words for any season!

A Little Rest

"Sudak" - The city in Crimea where we are headed. 15 hours by train, then 2 by bus

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says that if we come to him he will give us rest. If we are tired, he is our source of refreshing. And, folks, it has been a great summer, but exhausting. In the spirit of Christ's words I seek refuge in him, or more literally in his great and marvelous works. This work in particular is "the Black sea".

Tomorrow, a few friends and I will hop a train to the black sea, to soak up the sun, explore the Beauty of His creation, and refresh our souls as we have the time to reconnect with our Lord, while we prepare for the fall ministry season. I'll be back in about a week.

Hello from "Level Up" Teen Tent Camp

One Last Camp

I am heading off to camp on an island with about 60 teenagers this morning, it's a long hike, then wading through the river to get there. Be back in about a week and a half. Please pray that it goes well. I am doing the morning program and discussion. Talk to you all later.

Herson Camp Video #3

Herson Camp Video #2

Herson Camp Video #1

Summer Newsletter

My current newsletter. Click on each page to open a full size version.

Feel free to print this and give it to others to share about the work here in Ukraine. And, as always, feel free to give! :)

Summer Update

The shirt says (in Ukrainian): "Thank you God, that I am not Moskal"
(a person from Moscow) Yes, that's how Ukrainian I've become!

So Summer is nearing it's wind down. I've participated in 4 camps already, countless picnics with kids and trips to the beach, preachings, trainings, meetings... and I've got a little more to go... This weekend is a leader's retreat for our teen ministry "Lightside". End of next week is Lightside's tent camp... we are expecting about 60 young people for that. Then comes our last ditch efforts to plan for the upcoming year... both for the teen ministry and "Platforma" the youth ministry. Plus we are working on restructuring our club ministry: "Freeway", as well as several new opportunities that I will share as time progresses and I work out the details!

If all goes well, In about 3 weeks, I might be able to get some rest. I'm hoping to take a train down to the black sea for a few days with some friends, but I have a feeling that we will either be too exhausted or simply have no funds... still It's been an epic summer so far, and there is still more to come! I'll talk to you all soon! :)

Hello from "Radooga" camp in Herson

Hello From "Seech" camp on the Dniper river

Gone But Not Forgotten

It's been 5 years since my big brother John passed away. I still miss him dearly. Even now when I get a call in the early morning hours a sense of dread comes to the surface, as I remember that morning. His death was very hard on me, and officiating his funeral was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. In a very real and tangible way, his death changed the very course of my life, made me a better person, and gave me the life I have today.

But today is not about mourning. Today is about remembrance. To those of you that knew him, raise a bottle of Corona in his honor, and tell stories about him to others. My bottle is cooling in a hole I dug in the sand. After our time of remembrance I will fill the bottle with sand (as he used to do) and then I will insert a picture of him and send it down the river. I love you John, you are gone but are still in my heart.

this note was handwritten on July 11th, and was put online July 15th and postdated.

I thought I would post this notice from the Birmingham News: KANADY, MR. JOHN BENTLEY, age 28 of Hueytown passed away July 9, 2004. He is survived by his parents, Joe and Leelane Brown; sisters, Autumn Jones, April Brown, Emily Brown; Brothers, Joel and Adam Brown all of California; brother and sister in law, Aaron Brown and Karrie Jackson of Michigan. John considered his friends Shawn and Hope Davis and their children to be his local family. Chapel funeral services will be conducted Monday, July 12, 2004 at the Brown Service West Chapel Funeral Home at 2:00 PM, Rev. Joel Brown to officiate. Visitation will be held Sunday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 at the funeral home. Brown Service West Chapel directing.

Happy Independence day!

From all of us here in Ukraine. We want to say Happy Independence Day America. May all your citizens come to know the hope of all mankind, may we all become citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Don't forget to pray for the nation and it's leaders!!!

Hello From Camp in Barishevka