Greetings from the Johnson family! We are excited to share what God has been doing in our lives and in Poland.
THE WAR
When the war broke out, the response from Proem and the Polish people across the board was nothing short of historic. As a ministry, we coordinated our resources and facilities to offer comfortable shelter and daily necessities, not knowing how many would come. In the first few days after the invasion, teams of vans ran to the border to receive people and transport them to the campground. In total, Proem was able to shelter over 900 people over a few months. It’s an overwhelming thing to see families, predominately women and children, attempt to grasp the speed and gravity with which their world changes.
We are both proud and honored to have done our small part in the process. As the flow of forced migrants began to ease, a semi-permanent solution was necessary for those who could not secure a plan for their immediate future. Thanks to strong global partners, Proem was able to obtain a hotel where more than 60 refugees live and work. Throughout the experience, many refugees attended our Sunday morning services, and displaced Ukrainian pastors were constantly ministering alongside us. As a result, several individuals gave their lives to Jesus.
THE PLACE AND THE CHURCH PLANT
We are incredibly blessed to be able to share that another Polish/Ukrainian family has decided to move to Piotrków and serve with Proem alongside us. As many of you know, we have been praying for another family to join us for some time. As we have prayed for the building up of believers in our city, we have learned innumerable lessons from our experience of patiently building healthy relationships and loving those that God has given us. We look to continue teaching English out of The Place and to continue our Bible study, which has been such an encouragement to us. It has been a place of outreach, wild stories, and maturation, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
At this time, we are in conversations to begin a weekly worship service in Piotrków starting in the Fall of 2023.
TIME IN THE U.S.
As some may be aware, we are currently visiting family and supporting churches in the United States. Mac has been teaching here and there at OCC through the Visiting Intercultural professorship. While at Ozark, we have had many opportunities to meet with students and share our passion for Proem, Poland, and intercultural missions.
RETURNING HOME
As much as we have loved visiting the US and seeing family, we also look forward to returning home to be with our people and continue serving alongside Proem. We ask that you join us in prayer for our return home in June, with great anticipation for the things God has in store for us.
Mac & Olivia Johnson
Mac & Olivia Johnson serve with Proem Ministries and have two daughters, Heidi, and Hallie. They have been living in Poland since February of 2019 in the city of Piotrków Trybunalski. As evangelists and church planters, they serve through various programs and projects to connect people to the hope and freedom that can only be found in Jesus.
Hear more of their story by listening to the latest episode of the Impact Ministry podcast.
