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Dear Friends,
Happy New Year to you all and thank you so much for all your prayers and support over this past festive season. It has been very busy for the team in Lebedyn and I have been so encouraged by all that has been achieved. There is much to catch you all up with, but I will try and keep it as brief as possible.
The 21st saw the team not only do all the usual church services but went to help soldiers and their families with aid.
On the 22nd, the team visited Shtepivka, where demand for the special needs children’s centre had grown due to the war's impact. The centre now operates in two-week shifts, alternating between younger and older children. Due to educational limitations of these children, Musical Sergey had simplified the puppet show which was held in 2 sittings in the bomb shelter as air raid sirens rang out. The children loved this. Each child was given one of the Jesus Story Book Bibles and presents, and aid was given to the school, including school uniforms that were sent in our recent aid truck.
The next few days the team got ready for Christmas Day and prepared for the camp. On Christmas Eve they feasted together at the end of the day as a team.
Christmas Day was cancelled by the government and everyone had to work. After work they held a Christmas service, and the Centre was overflowing with people. Pastor Andrew took the service – his first Christmas service as part of the team. All chairs were used and it was standing room only!
On Boxing Day, the team visited Larisa and the children at the orphanage, as you can see in the photo at the top of this page. The current conditions have been challenging, and building work is needed to better accommodate the children and welcome more in future. The puppet show was performed, and the promised food aid was delivered, which was timely as Larisa has since relocated the children to western Ukraine for safety during the building works. We remain committed to staying in touch and supporting Larisa and her invaluable work.
On the 27th, a special Christmas presentation featuring the puppet show was held for fire workers and their families. Over 100 children and 60 parents attended. The parents were moved to tears, witnessing their children’s joy. That evening, the youth club saw greater attendance than usual.
On the 29th, the team visited the hospital in the morning, offering their usual puppet show presentation, which was held in the underground bomb shelter to workers children and gifts to children in hospital, and many others joined in. Medical aid was also taken in. Afterwards, they travelled to the small, deprived village of Grintseve, about 35 kilometres from Lebedyn. The journey was difficult due to poor road conditions, and the level of poverty encountered was some of the worst the team had seen. Plans are in place to return with food parcels in a few weeks. The local school director and her husband have been cultivating vegetables, which have been vital for feeding the children.
On the 30th, the team visited Mezhyrich, where Musical Sergey supports a school. Proximity to Sumy city meant the effects of war were more evident; the children displayed little emotion and seemed hardened by their circumstances. It was a sad sight, though the puppet show and gifts helped lift spirits. In the afternoon, the team attended the Special Needs Centre for children in Lebedyn, with whom Bohdan has built a strong partnership over the years, particularly for organising summer camps. Many new families attended and responded openly to the gospel message following the puppet show.
Following the New Year celebrations, regular services continued throughout the week, with attendance continuing to rise. The team then visited Byshkin, a very small and previously unfamiliar village only seven kilometres away. They performed the puppet show at the local church and community centre, entertaining every child in the village. The church has requested that the team return soon.
This week, the Winter Camp is being held over the period of the Orthodox Christmas. The camp has been a great success so far, and more news and photographs will be shared next week.
I have focused on reporting the major events, but the team has provided substantial support, facilitated many other activities, and engaged in numerous difficult conversations. Christmas was a challenging time for the people in the Sumy region. Bohdan remarked that the children wish to be heard and understood, but struggle to express themselves. Many families are incomplete; when adults are not away fighting, a growing number of parents are leaving the country in search of work, leaving children with grandparents. This is done in hopes of earning enough to provide for their children, but life is becoming increasingly desperate. At the onset of the war, children considered it an adventure, but now they, too, wish to leave.
Teenagers also feel a sense of emptiness, but the youth clubs are having a positive effect, with growing participation. There is a clear desire to meet and study the Bible, and as they do, the young people become more open and engaged. Deep and meaningful relationships are forming, which is truly encouraging.
Bohdan has asked for prayers for Valentina, who leads the department supporting Internally Displaced People in the region. She has been referring many refugees to the Centre for aid and support and is currently on her own spiritual journey. On Wednesday, she received distressing news that her son, Vladislava, a military medic, had been very seriously injured and required emergency surgery on Thursday. She has requested prayers for his treatment and recovery.
There is so much more that could be shared. The team’s dedication has been remarkable, often requiring them to venture out in extreme cold, facing black ice, snow, and the threat of drones, to places where people might otherwise be forgotten. Their continued efforts make a profound difference.
Thank you for standing with u, ,not just in these past few weeks over Christmas and New Year, but throughout 2025. We are so grateful for every gift, every prayer and every encouragement given. We do not know what 2026 will hold. Along with the team in Ukraine we all desperately hope for peace, but that seems further away than ever right now with all that is going on in the world. Let’s keep standing together and continue to pray that this will be the year of peace.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
