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Dear Friends,
This week has been as tough as any before, with the constant air sirens sounding all day long. Bombs are being shot down daily over the town, as well as all the others locally in the region. Everyday life is getting harder and harder. This has been exemplified by the growing difficulty to access banks and cash. This has been a big frustration for Bohdan this week. Schools have now officially cancelled all after-school activities as children have not been able to return since the summer holidays, so along with power issues, it is now becoming even more difficult to educate the children.
Activities are still happening within the Centre, but with much caution. The advice given is not to publicly announce what and when it is happening at the Centre as there have been several cases of events targeted by snipers in the region. This is especially with kindergartens, schools and universities. Therefore, we will not be able to say publicly when things are happening in the future.
This past Sunday the church celebrated Harvest, and there were many more than anticipated turn up given the conditions. They put on a display of produce, much of which had been grown within the Centre grounds, but if you look closely the display in the photo at the top of the page it forms a map of Ukraine, with each different piece of fruit or veg representing the Oblasts (counties). Sumy is the top right hand corner!
Pastor Andrew came from Samotoivka and bought a number of people with him. He spoke at the church service, and the team were able to send back with him bags of aid that had been purchased to help those in need.
Since last winter, many have been praying for Lena who has worked at the Centre. Her son was killed in the battlefields in the south, and has never been repatriated for burial. Her husband was given only a week or so to live, and that was 2 months ago. Bohdan visited them this past Sunday, and her husband is doing really well and doctors are amazed and don’t know how he is still alive. Bohdan said he looks better than ever! However, we also know that Lena lost her grandchild at the start of the war, and this past week her other son has returned form the war having been seriously injured. He is at home, but suffering as most of his stomach had to be removed following impact from a nearby bomb. Please keep praying for this family.
Bohdan sent through some other news and prayer requests:
The above stories show how the war is impacting families in everyday life. Health care is hard to get and people fear death. Those who have a faith are showing that they still have a purpose to live through the war. Margarite is a young lady we have mentioned before. Today Bohdan told me that after she became a Christian this summer her parents sent her away to Lviv to live with her sister. They did not agree with her decision. She is flourishing there and her grandma keeps in touch with her. Margarite shared her faith with her grandma, and now she comes along to the church and Centre every week!
Lastly, please can we pray for Farmer Sergey. The university he applied to raised the bar so high on entrance exam qualification he failed his exams, and therefore does not have a university place. Traditionally, his result would have given him a very high mark, possibly a distinction. This places him at high risk for being called up to the army to fight. Bohdan so values his help on the team so please pray that he can stay around.
Thank you all for the support given both financially and prayerfully through these difficult days. It is so encouraging to know many are standing with the team out in Lebedyn and the work they are doing.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
