If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
I begin this update with the sad news that one of our directors, Eddie Lyle, passed away unexpectedly last Saturday following complications from heart surgery. A fuller tribute can be found here. We will miss Eddie so much and the input he gave into the running of the charity. Please do uphold his wife, Christine, and his son, Adam, in prayer.
The news was also a real shock to Bohdan, as Eddie had been a great encouragement to him and to the work in Lebedyn over recent years.
This week has been much quieter in the town, although bombs continue to fall daily on Sumy city, where many people are being killed and injured. Utilities appear to be among the targets, which is especially concerning given the buildings near the Centre that may be at risk in future. Understandably, this has left some parents anxious as they send their children to the various clubs.
Despite this, the children’s clubs restarted at the weekend, though numbers were lower than expected as several families have left the area because of the obvious dangers. Those who came thoroughly enjoyed their time and were reluctant to leave when the sessions ended.
In other encouraging news, a very large truck of aid has now left the UK for Lebedyn. It will make several stops before reaching Lviv, where it will wait for a UN escort to help ensure safe delivery to Lebedyn. There is still much paperwork and logistics to complete, so please pray for everyone involved.
The bakery is also operating again and producing many loaves for distribution. As the pictures below show, the queue for bread was quite long. Any remaining bread will be taken to the refugee centre and to others in desperate need.
The team hopes to visit schools and orphanages this autumn with the puppet theatre, although every journey carries risk. The resolve and resilience of the Ukrainian people is truly remarkable, but we also long for them to remain safe.
This past Sunday was the Harvest celebration where many turned up to give thanks for crops that been harvested. Bohdan sent a lovely family photo that you can see at the top of the page. Please continue to pray for the safety of the team and the Centre, for Pastor Sergey’s health, and for the preparations for next month’s autumn camps.
We see from the news that world leaders are once again meeting to discuss peace. There is understandable scepticism about whether peace can truly come to Ukraine. The people deeply long for it, of course, yet such moments can often bring an increase in the intensity of the war. Let us continue to hope and pray for lasting peace.
Thank you once again for your continued prayers and support. They are deeply appreciated. There will be no update next week as I will be travelling..
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to donate to Hope Lebedyn or support any of our projects, please visit Support us - Hope Lebedyn for more information.
