The Outreach Foundation has been fueling Christ’s mission among the Persian-speaking community that lives in diaspora and Iran. We have developed several trusted partners and each year we are able to visit them in Europe and Turkey where they are providing incredible life-transforming ministry among Muslims and first-generation Muslim Background Believers. The following stories highlight the work of Safehouse, based in The Netherlands, under the direction of Dariush.
Read MoreA typical day in Eastern Ukraine lately is marked by the sounds of artillery shelling, drones, and even ballistic missiles striking their targets. By the hundreds, civilians and military alike are wounded or killed each week. Adding to this the weather is not as forgiving as last year. Winter has just started to settle in and already temperatures are reaching low 20s. Snow and frozen ground are building where shelter is scarce in war-torn cities. Combined this has created a context of decreasing morale and an increasing sense of isolation. This is precisely where the Ukrainian Evangelical Church is showing up.
Read MorePars Theological Center is a London-based virtual seminary that uses the internet, satellite TV, and conferences to deliver Farsi-language theological training to Iranian Christians both inside and outside Iran. Classes are taught by well-known Iranian pastors, Bible teachers, and theological instructors.
Read MoreHassan and Sara
Hassan, a student at Pars, hails from Abadan, where he had once served in the Iranian police force. Raised in a traditional and devout Muslim family, he underwent a profound transformation when he embraced Christianity. For six months, Hassan fervently prayed for his family, resulting in the conversion of most of his relatives, including his brothers, sisters, son-in-law, and around 30 others.
Read MoreIn God’s providence, The Outreach Foundation has had the privilege to come alongside several ministries serving in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. We are pleased to share some of their highlights with you.
Read MoreEarlier this summer, The Outreach Foundation hosted Dr. Ivan Rusyn (President, Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kyiv) for a visit to the U.S. His several updates included a major initiative to train military chaplains who are serving active-duty soldiers in Ukraine. This initiative has brought together Orthodox and Greek Catholic seminaries and UETS representing the broader Protestant traditions in Ukraine. Military chaplaincy is at the leading edge of what ministry candidates are being trained to do as they seek to fulfill their call while serving their country courageously.
Read MorePersian Diaspora Partnerships: A New Strategy for Engaging with God’s Work in Europe
In October 2021, while COVID protocols were still in effect and few people were traveling internationally, The Outreach Foundation decided to explore a new field of harvest. It’s called Diaspora. Diaspora refers to those people living away from their homeland due to religious, political, or economic hardship. Biblically, we may recall Esther and Daniel living in Persia, or the Israelites living in Egypt, even Jesus and his family living in diaspora while on the run from Herod the Great.
Read MoreThe heartbreaking war in Ukraine continues. Through the generosity of many churches and friends, The Outreach Foundation has been able to establish deep relationships throughout the region, offering relief, support, and encouragement.
Read MoreIn the opening days of the war in Ukraine, Pastor Valeriy Milinin and his family were in their home listening to air raid sirens, but there was no bomb shelter in the village. Their village is in Chernihiv Oblast (region), an area 90 miles north of Kyiv and 50 miles south of the Belarusian border. It was among the areas first attacked by Russian troops.
Read MoreThe Outreach Foundation recently visited our friends serving sacrificially and at great risk in the eastern part of Ukraine. Dr. Ivan Rusyn and his wife Luda were terrific hosts and we met many of Christ’s faithful followers whose stories have yet to be told. These are the quiet heroes who daily risk their lives out of love for God, and affection for their country, and who are trying to be faithful to Christ’s call to witness about His glory in times like this. One of these heroes is Vasiliy, a 23-year young graduate of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary who serves as Coordinator of Relief Ministry for the seminary.
Read MoreIn March 2023, The Outreach Foundation visited Kyiv. Among our goals for this visit was to provide Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) that had been requested specifically by Dr. Ivan Rusyn of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) during his visit with us. These are the most requested items by soldiers at every checkpoint, he told us. Thanks to Delta Airlines, the baggage fee for 600 IFAKs was waived, which meant we were able to purchase an additional 200.
Read MoreFrom March 18-26, a window of opportunity opened for The Outreach Foundation to visit friends at the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv as well as some surrounding towns. The team was comprised of Mark Mueller (Outreach Executive Director), Tom Boone (Associate Director for Mission), and Victor Petrenko, husband of board member Amy Petrenko. Victor’s parents fled Ukraine following World War ll. Joining our team was Dr. Piotr Nowak, president of the College of Theology and Social Sciences (CTSS) in Warsaw, Poland. Dr. Ivan Rusyn of UETS was our host.
Read MoreLast week, four people from The Outreach Foundation traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to meet with our partners. The Outreach Foundation has seven partners in Europe, and one is in Kyiv. Upon our arrival in Kyiv, we met with the staff of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary led by Dr. Ivan Rusyn. The seminary trains leaders and pastors and currently has a student population of more than 500. Right now, the seminary is housing Ukrainian soldiers, but the students return in September.
Read MoreWhere do I begin?
Is it the beginning of our trip — on the western border of Ukraine — where rich dark soil and the appearance of normalcy teased us as we traveled to Kyiv? Is it our first night when we escaped from our comfortable hotel room to a bomb shelter from midnight to 4:30 a.m.? That peaceful route we just traveled was now under attack, thank you Lord for the people praying over us!
Read MoreA team from The Outreach Foundation just returned from a visit to Kyiv (March 19-26). Tom Boone, Mark Mueller, and Victor Petrenko joined Piotr Nowak from Warsaw on this significant visit that we were unable to advertise for security reasons. We saw and heard the testimony of what the church is doing with the help of many donors and congregations through The Outreach Foundation.
Read More“When this war started all we had was ourselves, our bodies, our hands. But we had nothing to give. Because of you, we have been able to give food, warmth, shelter, God’s Word, and be the face of Jesus when everyone wondered ‘Where is God?’ Thank you.” Dr. Ivan Rusyn, president of Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv
Read MoreThe Outreach Foundation has noted the courage of several Christian servants over the course of the war in Ukraine. Today we share the story of Lludmyla (Luda) Rusyn. Luda joined her husband, Ivan, president of the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UTES) in Kyiv, on their recent visit to the U.S. She comes from the eastern part of Ukraine, and her family has been refugees twice. The first time was when they fled Donetsk in 2014 and the second time occurred when they fled Bucha, north of Kyiv, in 2022.
Read MoreIn November, The Outreach Foundation paid a visit to our partners in Ukraine who are living and serving so many people on the front lines of this war. The video captures key moments from that visit and we want to share this with you as a thank you. You made this visit possible and the gifts we brought to them were truly appreciated.
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