ABOUT MIA

ProjectOdessaLife.com is our former website
 

In 2011, shortly after Jacoby and Lera Nelson were married in Odessa, Ukraine they took a three-month intensive missionary training course with the missions organization International Messengers. During the training they interned at Living Hope church in Odessa assisting with English Club outreach, summer English Camps, teaching and preaching of the Word, translation, hosting outreach events, follow-up and discipleship ministries.

Much needed experience was gained there during this season and seeing the deep need for Gospel influence in Ukraine, God placed in their hearts a vision to reach the city with the Gospel.

After serving at Living Hope Church for awhile they parted ways and ventured out on their own Kingdom building with a Bible study from their flat, serving children in an orphanage through an English Club, teaching theology at a Christian University, and visiting people living on the streets and helping them with practical needs.

It was during this time when a vision was born for a Life Center in the city. Jacoby was praying for God to show him how these people could be reached with the Gospel. Having grown up in the inner city in the States and often hanging out at rec centers or parks, he immediately noticed the poor conditions of the basketball courts and soccer fields in Odessa. God showed him the need for a quality place for young people to congregate where they could have the same type of recreational opportunities American kids had.

If they were to have a center that met these needs in the city, crowds of kids and young adults would be sure to come. All they would need is a way to regulate the flow of people and use this opportunity to make Christ known there!

Not long after this vision was born, Jacoby and Lera became members of Covenant of Grace Evangelical Church, which was a small church plant out of a larger more historical church building in the city center.

They were given permission to use this building in the city center for an English Club outreach and they gave everything they had into creating a quality English learning experience for people of all ages. After 1½ years of doing this, the English Club grew to 2 directors, 5 regular American helpers and several Ukrainian volunteers from their church and other churches. 80-100 people began attending each week and a large majority of these were unbelievers entering an evangelical church for the first time.

Over time, seeds began to bare fruit and some were coming to the faith and Bible studies were growing. A community was formed around the English Club and it became a weekly event dearly loved by many in the city.

Currently Jacoby and Lera are in the States full-time fundraising, vision casting, team building, grant writing, and creating partnerships with churches and organizations. They plan to return to Ukraine full time for a long stretch sometime in 2018. Until then they will be taking trips there in the summer for ministry in camps and other outreaches.

The goal for 2018 is to return to Ukraine fully funded to get the Life Centers off the ground with a team of 12 people dedicated to the vision who they can pray with, worship with, plan with, and work with, to take the city of Odessa by storm with the Gospel. In addition several Ukrainians will be involved as staff and volunteers in various outreach programs.

Nothing like this exists in the country of Ukraine. To bring this to Odessa, which is a regional hub, would greatly impact countless lives, now and in the future, with the Gospel!

The possibilities for the types of outreaches available at the centers will be contingent upon who God brings to work along side us in this mission.

To learn why we have chosen this method of missions, click here

The opportunities for ministry are manifold on many different levels. To find out more and prayerfully consider joining the mission:

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