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Dear Friends,
The teenagers’ camp went very well. Attendance remained strong, and there were no bombs or power cuts during the week. Sadly, the same was not true in Sumy city, where parts of this once-beautiful city continue to be destroyed daily. Fuel and energy supplies across the region are still being targeted, causing many shortages.
A full report of stories is being prepared, but one story especially stood out. Zlata is a special young lady, though she found it difficult to attend at first. Her grandmother brought her each day and collected her afterwards, but Zlata was hesitant to come. This may have been partly due to shyness, but also because she disliked going out while the war continued around her. As the week went on, she became fully involved in every activity and listened closely to Bohdan’s daily talks. On Friday, after speaking with Bohdan, she prayed with Sophia a beautiful prayer to become a Christian and shared deeply with the team. Please continue to pray for Zlata as she begins her journey of faith.
At the end of the camp, many tears were shed because the teenagers did not want the week to finish. Several had meaningful spiritual encounters and asked for Bibles before leaving. They also want to keep meeting and have already begun doing so informally, while Bohdan is arranging a special day for them the week after next. A similar day is also planned for children with special needs, after the local centre that teaches them requested it because of the positive impact of previous camp support. Valentyn is also travelling weekly to Grintsevo to run a new youth group there following the camp.
You can see more of what the teenagers got up to in this great video on our YouTube channel - click the image below to watch!
Next week is the final week of Summer Camps, with a residential camp for older youths. They will be camping on site in tents, so please pray for their safety throughout the week as night time is normally the busiest for military activity.
Although there have been conversations about aid, very little is currently coming through, so we are having to explore other options. Last week I mentioned Larisa’s orphanage and its need for food. Thanks to people’s kindness and generosity, we have been able to send enough money to buy fresh food for the next three months. Thank you.
Finally, I want to mention a practical issue. Each week I seem to refer to the challenge of running everything through the Centre while dealing with power supply problems. Bohdan has met with the head of the local power company and has their support, but power stations remain a main target in this war. He has been warned that winter will be difficult, with power likely to be off more than it is on. This will seriously limit what the team can do, not least baking bread to provide people with this basic necessity. After much research, Bohdan has found a potential solar energy solution through a reputable local company. For $21,400 (£16,090), it would provide enough power for both of our large buildings, including three-phase power for all the kitchen equipment, and would support up to two full days of operation. This would allow the work to continue and significantly reduce future running costs. The panels would be placed on the ground rather than on the roofs, making them less noticeable and improving distribution between the two buildings. As trustees, we believe this is the best option for continuing operations through the winter, so we will be raising funds towards the cost. If you feel able to stand with us on this project, we would love to hear from you, while also recognising that many of you have already been incredibly generous.
There will be no update next week as I will be on annual leave.
Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
