CARRIE FIELDS

A letter from Carrie Fields describing her mission.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you about my mission opportunity. My name is Carrie Fields, I am 22 years old, and I am currently residing in Mansfield, Ohio. I graduated from King College in Bristol, Tennessee last December with a degree in Biology. I was very fortunate to find a job in my field, and I am currently working as a research biologist.

Last summer I had the opportunity to serve on a mission team to Ukraine. There I worked as a teacher of English as a Second Language, as well as leading Bible discussion classes, hymn sings and prayer meetings. My time in Ukraine was one of the most wonderful summers of my life, and I fell deeply in love with the country and its people.

So, this year when I read a brochure from CBInternational, and saw that they had missions in Ukraine, I knew I had to apply. God blessed my dream to return to Ukraine, and 4 months after my initial inquiries, I got my final approval from the CBInternational mission board.

I will be returning to Ukraine in March of 200 to serve for a year as an assistant church developer. I will be living in a large city called Donetsk, in the southeastern region of the country. My responsibilities will include evangelism to young people in the local universities, leading worship song services, small group discussion and evangelism programs.

This job appealed to me above all others because of the chance it will give me to work with young people. Last summer I was able to spend time getting to know several Ukrainian teenagers and hear about many of the problems that they are currently facing.

Since the fall of communism, Ukraine has suffered greatly. Most people in the country are either out of work or are working government jobs, which have not been paid in years. Much of the government of Ukraine is corrupt, and the officials care more about making money for themselves than caring for their people.

Also, since Ukraine was opened to the West, it has been filled with Western music, movies and magazines. All of these things add together to produce a world totally foreign to Ukrainian parents, and very overwhelming to Ukrainian teens.

The saddest part of all of this is that there are few Christians in the country. Most people there view church as an obligation, and see God as a heavy-handed master who has deserted them. The people of Ukraine are empty, hopeless and lost. You and I know that their only hope for fulfillment and happiness is found in the gospel of Christ. Sadly, most Ukrainians have never heard this message. God is opening wide the doors in former Soviet countries, but we do not know how long this will last.

I feel very blessed to have the great opportunity to share the hope I have with the people of Ukraine. If you can help in the ministry financially, I am very grateful. However, I could use your prayers more than anything else. I know God will provide the money that I need to fund this trip, as well as the strength and wisdom that I will need during my year there.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. They mean more than you will ever know.

In Christ,

Carrie Fields