Update 1st December 2024

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Dear Friends,

Over the past few days I have been receiving texts from Bohdan which are not that encouraging with the situation in the Sumy region. Firstly came the message “Good evening! This week has been very difficult, there are constant explosions near us, the house is shaking.”

Every day and night drones and missiles fly over and we have seen on the news that record numbers are being launched. Bohdan also shared that the children have been getting increasingly anxious with this situation. Zoryana is not sleeping well, and even when a door slams there is fear of what it might be. Bohdan said that so many people are leaving the town, yet still more arrive from the big cities. Inevitably, all of this affects the power in the region, and on Tuesday power was off all day at Bohdan’s house. They have been told that power will now be rationed throughout the winter.

The texts carried on saying ……”Thank you for your prayers and organizing prayer support for us. For us, this is a matter of life and death. Constant rocket attacks make life here unbearable. In our city, almost every day there are funerals for soldiers. And almost always we know these guys because they are my age. It is hard for me, and for us in general.” Yet the team continue with all the challenges to meet the needs of those they are engaging with.

Bohdan’s next text stated …………”But, we held services… and still did our ministry and work. Also, thank you for the prayers, Volodymyr Pavlovich (Vladimir) was in church. He is still weak but it is good for him to be with us.”

You can see him in the picture below. He is so thin and the doctors will not perform surgery until he is stronger.

Last Sunday evening, the youth still met, had a pizza supper, played games, but also held their youth service.

Bohdan received his papers back from the military commission which gives exemption until early February, when he will have to go through all this again. Constantly changing laws are making it difficult for men to escape fighting, and we need to keep the team in our prayers about this.

The team have been able to deliver food to the soldiers’ families. They were so appreciative, as it would appear that the families are living in very poor conditions with little help and support. They also delivered “pies” from the bakery that the team had been busy baking! The sewing team have had the new linen supplied, and are currently making lots of bed sheets for Larisa’s orphanage and other institutions they have come across needing help in the region. It is becoming a full time operation!

Plans for the Christmas campaign are going well. There are plans to visit several places in the region where children are based with the puppet theatre and giving gifts. There are special places for those with disabilities, who have long term health needs such as cancer, hospitals, and another orphanage that would like for the puppet theatre to visit and to give gifts. Bohdan is going to try and make this happen. For security reasons we will not be able to say where and when these are taking place, but will be able to report afterwards. Thank you to those that have given generously, money has been transferred so they can get things ready for Christmas as this is a complex thing nowadays. Culturally, Christmas is not as big for them as Easter, and this year the government is stating that there is no time off for Christmas or New Year, and that everyone continues to work.

The Centre roof will be fixed by the end of the week, which is great news, after the last worker who was well known to the Centre was taken suddenly to fight on the front line. We have also been put in touch with a supplier of aid, and hopefully we will be able to get some down to the Centre.

For those that stand regularly in prayer with us please can we pray for:

• Bohdan - next week sometime there is a gathering of church pastors who are doing children’s and youth work. He is going to speak at their conference, but is some distance away. He is not sure how many will turn up, but it is being held in a church which was the 2^nd largest in the whole Sumy region before the war.
• Oleg - this is Egor's father who was fighting on the front line, and their whole group were killed, except for Oleg. He had an operation on his leg, but infection has set in and they think they might have to amputate the leg to save him. Egor is very worried. He still is doing his one to one Bible study with Bohdan through this. He is an amazingly strong young man.
• Margarite - she is so happy to be home in Lebedyn and seeing friends. She was sent away as her parents did not want her to come to church. This still seems to be the case and it is making life difficult for her.
• Pastor Andrew - he is still in Samotoivka pastoring the now very small church. Much of the region has been evacuated as bombs have devastated the small town. We are not sure how much longer they can survive there as food is getting scarce, water supply unreliable, as is the power. The problem they have is they have 2 sons fighting and one is missing in action. If they leave how will they know where to find them?
• Flour and oil for baking bread is getting hard to locate, so we need to find a good reliable source. Prices again are going up very quickly.

Thanks again for continued support and prayers for all that is happening. I still find it incredible the amount they can do in times of adversity. Truly amazing.

Every blessing

Peter Martin

Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn