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Dear Friends,
With little change to the current war situation in the region, the team have been busy planning for this autumn season.
Larisa, who is now running three orphanages in both Sumy city and Synivka, as well as Austria, sent workers to get some urgent help from Bohdan. Fresh food supplies are hard to get, but through new relationships with food wholesalers, he was able to buy produce in bulk at a much lower cost. The team were sent back with a car full of supplies, including some clothes and more mattresses – the last of everything we had.
Larisa’s orphanage is full to capacity as new children arrive regularly with little or no belongings, so she is trying to work with the government to extend her building to accommodate more children. At the Sumy orphanage, children are in their city centre site which has been previously bombed, but at night they stay in safe houses outside the city.
Refugees are still coming in volume into Lebedyn and many come by the Centre for help. As usual, the bakery is in operation, giving bread to those in need at the refugee centre, and to soldiers' families. Aid is desperately required and the good news on this, is that in the last few days we have had confirmed more will be coming. Medical aid has left the Christian Medical Association's depot and is in transit to Lebedyn. All kinds of things for the hospital and for the general public have been sent to help with health needs, which is so encouraging.
Also, we heard on Wednesday that Ukraine Relief are happy to send another truck of aid to Lebedyn. There are things which are desperately needed for children and adults. New, or nearly new clothes, shoes and food is required, and one of the most urgent things is nappies for larger babies and incontinence pads, both L and XL sizes. These are hard to get and expensive when they are available. If anyone has any contacts with manufacturers and suppliers here in the UK for any of these items we would love to hear from you - please let us know using the Contact Us page. Sometimes large quantities of clothing through end of range clearances are available, and these would be good to send out. Please let usknow if you could give any information to help us. We hope that the lorry will leave to arrive mid-October.
Through a recent large grant, we have been able to buy additional food bags for households that are struggling. We will hope to feed around 650 families for a week with these bags. Sadly, this seems only a drop in the ocean to what is required.
When talking with Bohdan this week he told me that they were quieter than normal to give the team some rest, but also to have time to plan for the future. Although when he told what they were doing, I was surprised how much was still going on and reaping great rewards.
One lady, called Nina, has been attending our mid-week services. She came in desperation, looking for help, and the team responded giving her practical support. This week, she became a Christian and she is a changed person. She is trusting God for all her needs, and Bohdan told me that the change in her life has been amazing.
Pastor Andrew, Veronica and their family have decided to settle in Lebedyn. With all that has been going on in the church and Centre, we have needed to expand the team and, as a result, the hope that they can stay has really lifted Bohdan and Alla. However, getting a property to live in is proving a real challenge and Bohdan has asked if we can specifically pray for this, and that a house will be found soon.
Other items for prayer include:
Thank you once again for your ongoing support and prayers which enables all of this and much more to be done. This next season is starting, and plans are ambitious to keep helping people within Sumy both physically and spiritually.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
Ukraine has been in the news a lot recently, with the hope of peace coming through the planned talks of world leaders. Sadly, all it has done is intensified Russian military activity throughout Ukraine especially in the Sumy region. Power stations were hit this week, leaving 100,000 homes without electricity. Bohdan needed to go to Sumy City for supplies, but found that many of the businesses had closed and moved to the west. Also, there are more military in the city than civilians and more buildings destroyed than left standing.
The pictures above show Sumy university completely destroyed as all educational facilities have been deliberately targeted. The last photo shows the main building as it stood, and then in the others you can see the damage done. It will take years to restore these buildings. Within the Lebedyn church there are quite a few young people enrolled to start at the university in September, but now this will be impossible. We are not sure what will happen for these young students and Bohdan has asked for us to pray for these young adults.
Families are still fleeing the region hoping to find a safer place to live and start anew. We do not know what effect this will have on our volunteer teams or activities that are being held at the Centre, but it seems that as some move out, more displaced Ukrainians move in. This last Sunday, the church prayed over all the children for safety and asking God to bless and protect them is these difficult days.
The team are back from their holidays, and are now planning and preparing for this next season. Bread has been baked, with loaves distributed to the neighbouring college housing the refugees, which was hugely popular. Medical aid has been agreed and we are now awaiting delivery which is encouraging news.
Valentyn’s new homegroup flourishes as young people in the town want to meet together to find a bit of normality. Already 5 people want to be baptised from this new group.
Bohdan is struggling with his allergies which are heightened now due to harvesting. Even the doctors do not know what to give him to relieve symptoms as they seem quite extreme and sleep becomes an issue. He has requested prayer to enable him to be able to carry his responsibilities through this period.
Schools, clubs and all other activities start at the beginning of September for the children and youth, services to refugees remain ongoing, and the love shown to all around continues at all times. People are sceptical that a peace deal can ever been achieved, so please continue to pray that a lasting and just peace can become a reality for them.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support. It is so appreciated.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
The situation within the Sumy region remains grave, with air sirens sounding for at least 10 hours, and overnight anything between 60 – 120 missiles and drones are creating havoc across the region. Someone is killed every day.
Given our camps have been happening, it is remarkable that the team were able to conduct 5 weeks of camps within a 6-week period, and only once did they have to use the bomb shelter, which was in the first week. We thank you for your prayers as this is truly amazing.
Last week was the turn of the older youth to camp out within the grounds of the Centre. All the other weeks were day visits, so again it was ambitious to try and achieve this. We had around 25 youth in total residing in the grounds, loving every minute of their time together.
This week they have been wanting to get back together again such has been the impact, so Valentyn held a special Bible study group for them. You can see from the photos that they loved doing things normal youth should be doing.
Below is a picture of Anatasia, who has recently come into the region with her family. Anatasia had not even come into the grounds of the Centre before, and knew very few other youth, so it was all very new to her. She loved the camp, and the love shown by everyone, and she made lots of new friends. Every day there was a queue for the shower in the main building and whilst waiting in line, she took a New Testament and started reading it. She did not want to put it down, and let others go before her in the queue so she had longer to read.
The camp held in the previous week for teenagers was so encouraging. Click on the image below to watch a short YouTube video of some of the things they got up to! You can also check out our other videos on our Hope Lebedyn YouTube channel.
The baptismal service was held early on Sunday morning at 7:00am, followed by a full church service at the Centre at 10:00am. Tradition is for those being baptised to be in white, and those baptising in white and blue. This river feeds from Swan Lake and is where they do their baptisms, although I’m not sure how clean it is.!! Some of the people that were baptised were those we have been praying for through these updates. Svetlana, the local bakery owner and solicitor, whose story we have shared was there along with some of the young people like Dasha and Yegor.
I am pleased to say that this week Bohdan, Alla, and the children have gone away for a week of much needed rest as a family. They are near the sea in an area relatively untouched by the war. Sadly, on Wednesday, a large missile did explode near the area, reminding them that the war is never too far away. Let’s pray for a great week of rest.
Meanwhile, back at the Centre work is still continuing. Services to refugees were held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Aid has been given out, along with food bags, and what medical supplies we can help with, including a walking stick for this man.
Last week I shared the sad story of Christina from the teen camp, and how her stepfather had been killed. She adored him and was so close to him. After the camp she wrote a poem and did a video recording of it. Sadly, I cannot access this video to distribute, but she has allowed us to share the poem with you all. It is a straight translation with a few tweaks to help you understand what Christina is saying. Within the poem you can see the hurt and pain she is going through. Sadly, it is like so many other children. Hopefully through the help of the team she will begin to heal and find peace and love through faith.
My Father
He went into battle and gave his life there.
I am grateful for peaceful dawns,
knowing he sacrificed everything
so that I may live my life in tranquillity.
My gratitude is boundless
for trying to save us all.
My love for him goes on,
reaching out even in these difficult times.
You shall become my guardian angel,
watching over me
You will protect me for the rest of my life.
Through pain I thank you for a bright and kind future.
I do not know how to go on,
How to carry on in this darkness.
You have become a stork in paradise
In the emptiness and sorrow.
When asked if I feel pain, the answer is yes—it burns within me.
I do not know how to live without you or how to smile again.
You fly as an angel in heaven,
You protect me from adversity.
You became my fortress;
My thoughts are always with you.
Forever in our hearts, we will never forget,
and we will never forgive.
I finish on a high note. We are pleased to announce that Sasha is soon to be married to Rita. Rita is now part of the church in Lebedyn, and we expect the wedding to happen reasonably quickly. Sasha has asked that we could pray for them in this journey they are now on, and here is a picture of the happy couple.
As I write this update there is talk of Presidents Trump, Putin and Zelensky meeting to try and talk about peace. Let’s pray that somehow peace can be found and this needless war can cease.
Thank you all so much for the continued support and prayers. It is such an encouragement.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
The teen camp finished well at the end of last week. It was a tough week for the leaders, and Bohdan and Sergey said that the teams this year are probably the weakest they have had as they are inexperienced and lacking in number. This is because many families and helpers from the past have fled the area to safer places. What was great to witness was the older youth helping as team leaders like Yegor, Camilla and Dasha, and overall the camp was a huge success for the teenagers.
The majority of children attending came for the first time, but there were a few teenagers that returned. One of these was Christina -pictured below in the blue dress with Dasha. Christina does not know her paternal father as he walked out on the family when she was very young. Her mother remarried, and her stepfather was amazing to her and the family. She loved him dearly. Sadly, 3 weeks ago he was killed fighting in the war. She was still grieving, but Dasha was so good with her, encouraging her and listening, and answering questions patiently alongside her. At the end of the camp, Christina wrote to Bohdan to express her thanks and to ask what it was to become a Christian.
This young man above broke both his arms a week before the camp. The team did not know this, but he didn’t arrive so Bohdan called his parents to find our what was wrong. He had been involved in an accident and had broken both arms in a fall. He assumed he could not come. The next day they helped him come to camp and was there for the remaining 4 days and loved everything. The love and care that was shown, not just by the team, but with his peers was overwhelming for him. They found ways for him to help play some of the games. In the end he did not want the camp to end. Here are some more photos of the previous camp week.
The youth camp this past week was the last of the camps. This the 5th camp in 6 weeks, and understandably the team are exhausted, especially with the more inexperienced teams. They were camping and living on-site for the week and all went well – it is amazing how many tents you can get on the site! Sirens sounded for parts of the day, but this did not deter them from having a good time. One of the reflections made by Bohdan and Sergey in my call with them is how many children have now experienced death in their family. This is much greater than ever before and is affecting them mentally.
Next week sees the start of the youth camp – the last of the camp weeks. Numbers will be intentionally lower as the older youth will be camping on site. This camp week starts next Monday through to Saturday morning. Bohdan has asked for us to pray that this goes smoothly as there some risks in holding this camp, but the older young people cannot wait to be together.
The general situation within the Sumy region continues to get worse. Bohdan took a trip to Sumy city to get supplies for the camps, but found many more buildings destroyed and closed. The city has lost its busyness as many have fled, and others are fearful of coming out into the open. The border areas from Sumy and beyond are very dangerous. Pastor Andrew and Veronica have been told to leave the area now. As they foster children, the new rules do not allow them to live in their village any longer. This was highlighted by what happened last week in the neighbouring village. A child who was fostered from one of the orphanages went out to play and stepped on a land mine. The parents said he tried to fix the land mine before stepping off, but sadly he was brutally and unnecessarily killed. He was just 11 years old.
They have now introduced new check points throughout the region which are mobile and have people that will knock on doors to force people to sign up to fight, this is causing real fear amongst the population.
This coming Sunday nine people will be baptised early in the morning! We hope and pray for a great time for these people and pray for God’s blessing on their lives as they journey in their Christian walk.
Thank you again for the continued support and prayers
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
Despite the noise of war, this week’s summer camp went ahead as planned. There have been 85 teenagers every day, with many of them coming from refugee families in the area. Power, gas and water supplies have been intermittent, making the preparation of meals a bit of a challenge, but so far things have gone to plan.
Because many of the children are new to the area they have not experienced a camp like this before. Several of the children have come from villages near to the border to Russia that are very rural communities. They cannot believe how they are being cared for, fed, encouraged and loved. It has become an oasis and relief for these young people.
There is much fun, but also there is a spiritual time where they are hearing the Christian message and singing new worship songs. Within 48 hours they have picked up the songs and have joined in. Wednesday evening was a special time, as some of the new young people said they wanted to do a performance piece which was spoken word. Bohdan was taken aback by this, but with some nervousness, allowed this to happen. The teenagers titled their piece – What is Paradise? They explained that living in Ukraine where there is fighting is like being in hell, but there is always hope for something new and heaven gives that to us. However, you can only get there by having faith. Bohdan did say that some of the theology may need some work on it, but where they got to was so encouraging in just a few days. We continue to pray many will find hope in faith.
Next week sees the start of the youth camp – the last of the camp weeks. Numbers will be intentionally lower as the older youth will be camping on site. This camp week starts next Monday through to Saturday morning. Bohdan has asked for us to pray that this goes smoothly as there some risks in holding this camp, but the older young people cannot wait to be together.
Other news and things to pray for:
Thank you for your continued support. We have had a number of gifts sent through recently for which we are extremely grateful, but we do not know how to contact you to say thank you and to see if your gift could be subject to gift aid, boosting your donation by 25% if you are a UK taxpayer. Please do contact us if that applies to you!
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
This past week has seen the second camp being held, with nearly 100 children attending. Many people have told Bohdan that they have been surprised that the camps can go ahead due to the severity of the war. There is split opinion amongst the community, with some making negative comment but plenty of people so thrilled to see what is happening, and the children being happy, living out some degree of normality in their lives. To see the children smile is special.
The success of the camp programme has spread far and wide. A family arrived from Kharkiv for the week especially to send their children along. This past week brought much favour from the local community, with children attending whose parents are firefighters, police and medical workers. There have also been many children from refugee families. Air alarms still sounded through much of the day, but Lebedyn stayed safe until the last day when they heard a massive explosion nearby. It is thought that a military compound was hit as there has been little news about this. Children were more scared in these past weeks than before, which affects their attitude to things. The team also found parents more aggressive, but when they are spoken to you hear such hard stories of loss and grief. This region is really being hit hard now.
However, there are always stories of hope. The theme for the week was based upon some of the heroes of the Bible and how they trusted God. After one talk, one boy shared that he prays for his father as he is his hero. His father had been away fighting for a long time and he misses him. He knew that he had been captured so he prayed every day for him to come home safely, but so far hadn’t. He asked Bohdan and the team whether they thought his father would ever come home? The team said they would pray with him, so they did that right there and then. The next day his father returned home. This young lad had a smile on his face that would never stop. Sadly, for every one father that returns there are many that will never come back. The toll on families of their grief grows ever stronger.
The team have compiled a video of the camp, which shows the fun and joy the children have experience. Click on the image at the top of the page to watch it.
This week, the team are having a quieter week but will be preparing for the camp for teenagers next week. Medical aid is on its way soon, and Bohdan has been working with our wonderful friends at the Christian Medical Association in Lviv to arrange delivery.
Azat, who is now based in Zaporizhzhia, has been donated quite a bit of aid and he’s shared this with us. A van arrived with 1 ton of shampoo!! Although this seems a lot, there is not much of this in the shops so it will be greatly appreciated. People continue coming to the Centre for help and our food bags are being shared with those in need. See pictures below.
Many of the team have gone down with heavy colds and viruses, in particularly “Farmer” Sergey. This is the 3rd time he has had this in as many months, so please pray for him to recover along with the others that are suffering.
In our meeting on Wednesday, Bohdan described Sumy region as like Jurassic Park! The region has been constantly bombed, mainly with drones with the nearest dropping just 200 meters from the Centre. For the last few days of camp they had no water, rationed power, and little or no gas. This is the same this week as they try to repair supply lines. Please do pray that these are all up and running by next week when over 80 teenagers arrive!!
Thank you once again for your continued prayers and support. It is greatly appreciated.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
The 2nd week of camp finished well last week, with no more trips to the bomb shelter necessary. On the last day, Bohdan wrote to say that while they are playing games planes and missiles are flying overhead 24/7, but even so the children had a great week. Every child that had not already received a copy was given a copy of the Jesus Storybook Bible, which they loved. This happens at all camp weeks.
At the weekend, as well as the normal church services, some of the team went to visit the church in Okhtyrka to help Vladamir. Here they met with refugees and those in desperate need to give out food bags. They supported around 75 families. Even though the camps have been running each week, the Centre in Lebedyn is quickly turned around to host 2 meetings a week. People have been arriving for help, especially mums with young families. Food, baby milk and whatever they can find is given freely to support these people. Soldiers and their families have also reached out for help so we have sent food to help them too. They are exhausted and hungry, and see their families for such a little time. In the photo below one of these soldiers used to come regularly to camps as a child so they knew where to come to seek help.
The camp this week has seen 100 children turn up, which is more than the planned 80 pre-registered children. The increase is made up of new refugee children arriving in the area, and so they are welcomed with open arms. I was sent a video of the children playing where they filmed missiles flying over. A stark reminder of the fragile peace they currently live in and the dangers which surround daily. Many other organisations do not believe that they can do camps in the region. Thankfully, there have been no further bombs in the town this week, but there still remains problems with water and power supply in the area. A fuller report of the camps will be given once they have finished.
In other news……
Three years ago we prayed for Ivan (pictured above), who was taken in by Larisa into her orphanage. He was just 16 years old then, and lived in a small nearby town called Konotop, where the team have done much work in the past. A Russian tank deliberately went to run over Ivan and his father. His father tried to protect him, which meant the father was totally crushed under the tank, killing him fairly quickly, but Ivan was still alive although badly injured, resulting in having part of his leg amputated. We helped with some of the early medical, needs but Larisa was able to get him a placement in the USA to get quality prosthetics supplied.
Also, in the orphanage at that time was Zhenya, Pastor Andrew and Veronica’s now adopted daughter, who has kept in touch with Ivan. This week Bohdan was connected to Ivan through Zhenya, and he is doing so well. Ivan still lives in the USA and has been given much training and support. Bohdan said he looks so well and so happy. A huge difference since when he first met him after the tragic incident three years ago. We thank God for answering prayers.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Next week, the team have some time off from the camps so please do pray for some rest for all of them.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
Sadly, the start of this week saw Lebedyn being bombed.
The clear up operation has begun in town. There has been bad weather with high winds and rain, but this has prevented drones flying, and therefore it enabled the camps to start on Monday with all the children registered attending. At nighttime, the Sumy region has been under heavy attack, meaning not much sleep has been had due to the noise of missiles and military activity. Lebedyn itself has not been hit again.
With everyone on site there are around 100 people this week enjoying the camp, but it has not been plain sailing in its delivery. Power cuts have been frequent, with Victor and Bohdan working on the issue using generators so they could cook food and feed the 100 people. There are also problems with water supply, and for much of the time Victor and team have been carrying buckets of water from standpipes and a local well to use, especially for a big clean up after each day is finished. However, all of this did not affect the atmosphere at the camp.
Bohdan text me to ask that we “continue to pray because it is difficult to hold a camp in such circumstances with military planes flying over and shelling is happening in the region every day, But even in this situation the Gospel message is perceived in a special way”.
He also requested……."Please also pray for the children especially as when they hear the sound of a military plane, or even a loud bang, some of them start to have a “panic attack”. This is something they have not seen at this level before. The leaders are having to calm down, hug and talk to the children to help pacify and encourage them to react differently. The team leaders seem very calm and do not panic and this has helped both the children and parents".
Whilst the camp has been going on the team have also been helping those in need within the town. Mothers and young children in particular, turn to them for help and supplies which we have for the moment, but with supplies running low. Food bags are being distributed especially to the refugees and to those affected by the recent bombings as you can see in the photos below.
With the increased activity in the region, Pastor Andrew returned to Samotoivka to see what people are left in his church, and to look at the village and damage done. The government have issued a evacuation advice so, with heavy hearts, it looks like this week they will pack up as much as they can and will relocate to Lebedyn for now. The decision has been made easier following the return of their son Ruslan in a prisoner exchange at the end of June. In the Sumy region, 220 communities have been issued a warning notice to evacuate, of which 80 communities are now left desolate and ruined.
Over recent weeks we have been praying for Lena who has worked on the team in the past. She has experienced much heartache due to the war, having had a son killed, another missing in action presumed dead, a grandson die due to unsafe bombed buildings collapsing on him, her husband becoming an alcoholic and suffer with cancer, plus numerous other things. Sunday’s bombing brought another challenge as her son-in-law was in the military commission building when it was bombed. He was not killed but has suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. This is the story of one family, but it is repeated a million times over around the nation such is the hardship people are going through. The difference being that her faith remains strong, and the team and church are giving much support.
There is much to pray for currently but thank you for your ongoing support for all the team are doing in such difficult conditions.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
This week has been a bit calmer in Lebedyn, and there has been no direct bombing into the town for which we are grateful.
The landscape and general situation is changing day by day, making life more of a challenge. However, missiles still fly overhead on their way to bring destruction elsewhere, and Bohdan has noted that these are getting louder and bigger. Sumy city has been hit very hard, with Russian troops getting ever closer. Road checkpoints are becoming more vigilant, making it harder to go into the city as Bohdan found out this week. The food wholesaler we use is based there, and they are now struggling with supplies as it is getting so hard to receive deliveries.
On Wednesday, the village of Vorozhba was heavily bombed. This is only 15km away from Lebedyn. An agriculture plant was hit and destroyed, along with other farm equipment, making life difficult for the farmers to grow food. Heavy fighting is surrounding Samotoivka making it impossible for Pastor Andrew and his family to return. Everywhere they look destruction is evident.
Healthcare for people is getting harder. Hospitals are full of the wounded; any fit doctors are sent to the front-line, leaving hospitals full with little staff. Lebedyn hospital only has 2 senior doctors, and to get seen by a doctor Bohdan has said you will have to see someone privately but these fees are increasing daily making this unaffordable.
Bohdan had the funeral on Monday of a lady he called his “adopted grandma”. She was always there for him and spoke much wisdom into his life both spiritually and practically. She was also Musical Sergey’s mother-in-law. This meant no bread was baked as they all supported each other in attending the funeral. Bohdan said that although she was old, her death could have been avoided. Drugs are not getting to the pharmacies now and many remain closed.
The team carry on with their usual work, and they were able to help the hospital with nappies for the children, sanitary wear and incontinence pants. All the children’s and youth clubs continue over the weekend. Baptismal classes are growing and now 12 people attend, with 2 more starting this week. These are refugees who came to the Centre and were so broken, they had lost everything but found Jesus at their time of need.
The church in Okhtyrka is really struggling. The town was heavily bombed in the early part of the war, which included the church building being destroyed. Many people have fled, although there are still around 20 church members there. Vladamir, who has overseen the church since the beginning in 1999, has been very unwell, and he and his wife are going to leave to live with his daughter in Germany, where he can get the right medical help. Bohdan and the team will help oversee the work of the church for now.
This week Bohdan has asked for prayer specifically for a few items. The main requests are for:
The camps need a special focus as there have been some legal changes that will impact them. Any large gathering has to now be registered with the Police, Fire service and Education service, and permission granted to enable these to proceed. It is especially needed if children are without parental supervision. Please pray that as the team complete the necessary paperwork and submission, this will go through smoothly and all permissions will be granted.
Pastor Sergey joined us for a little while yesterday. He looks well, although still frail and determined not to give in. He is concerned on how the war is impacting the region. He said to “ask people to pray harder!!” The villages around Lebedyn are now like deserts.
I want to thank people for their kindness for help with both the feeding of families and the summer camp programme for all ages. The food packages we are producing feed a family of 4 for a week and so far, around 15,000 meals can be given away. We will also produce a further 3,500 meals during the camps. Bohdan is talking with food wholesalers to get supplies and better prices.
Thank you everyone. It is not too late to sponsor a child through summer camp. Can you help us reach our goal of supporting 500 children? The cost is just £40 per child for the entire week, which is designed to raise their spirits and bring smiles to their faces.
Please click the link below to view a PDF containing instructions on how to donate:
Summer Camps - Connecting with children through the war PDF
Thank you again for standing with us. We keep praying for peace, and for the end to this needless war and killing.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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,
When you hear on our news about peace talks, it gives you hope that this war might come to an end. Very quickly you come back to the reality that things could not be further away from peace than ever before.
Sumy city continues to be hit hard, and when I was speaking with Bohdan on Wednesday, five missiles landed in Sumy during that conversation. Tuesday late evening, I received the dreaded text from Bohdan to say that Lebedyn was under attack, and the windows of his house were shaking. He counted 12 explosions. I’m pleased to say that everyone is safe and doing remarkably well, and are even more determined to do the work they feel called to do. Most of the bombs hit the outskirts of Lebedyn and the main high street, and all our buildings including all the teams’ homes remain untouched. The fuel plant on the outskirts of the town was targeted as you can see from the picture above.
Russia have gained some territory in Sumy county and are only 16km’s from Sumy city. So please continue to pray for all their safety at this time.
Meanwhile, the team continued to bake a large batch of bread on Tuesday, and distributed it at the Centre after several services. They also went out and took hundreds of loaves to help feed the refugees. In order to improve their distribution, they have made temporary racks to store the bread in the minibus. Once again, student dormitories in Lebedyn are crammed full of refugees coming from villages from near the border who have nothing but a bag of personal belongings. See pictures below.
Last week, we spoke about our plans to make up 250 food packs for refugees, and what a response there has been to this. Within a few days we have been able to send out enough funds for 300 food boxes! Thank you all so much as we have been overwhelmed by your generosity. God is good, his plans are always bigger than ours, and we will continue to support more boxes as funds arrive. We look forward to updating you with photos as these are made up and given out.
The team are still preparing for all the camps and the weekend event for teenage girls. Numbers to all of these are expected to be high.
On some good news, we saw on the UK news that around 1,000 soldiers were involved in a prisoner swap. Sadly, our friend Dima, who we have been praying for, was not one of them, but many soldiers from Lebedyn, and indeed from families in the church, have come home. This brought much joy at the services over the weekend which Bohdan took due to Pastor Sergey being unwell and unable to attend. This does put a lot of extra work to Bohdan, but it was to great effect as Margarita, a new attendee in Valentyn’s homegroup, became a Christian. Hope can always be found even in the darkest times.
Above is a picture of Lena. She has been at the church since the beginning in 1999. She has helped at the Centre by leading the catering team, and more recently in the office.
Her story through this war is tragic. She has 5 children and a husband. Her husband has cancer, and is also alcohol dependant, and we are not sure how long he has to live. Her eldest son, Sasha is listed as missing action, but was witnessed being killed in fighting with his body left in a field. His body has still not been returned. Roman her other son is fighting close to the border, and there are reports that he might have been captured (yet to be confirmed). Lena’s grandson from Roman died at only 13 years old after a bomb hit a building which collapsed on him whilst playing near it. One of her daughters died before the war began, another daughter’s husband has been fighting and has just returned home with significant injuries leaving a scar the length of his torso from shrapnel injuries. How much can one woman endure? Yet her faith in God remains strong.
She continues to be part of the church family reaching out to help others. She grieves and feels the pain of how this war has torn apart her family, yet her love for God continues to grow. Lena is not alone, as there are many people like her in Ukraine who share similar stories. These are the things we don’t see on the news, but the team in our region are reaching out to try and help as best they can. We continue to pray for Lena.
Thank you for your ongoing support, prayers and comments of encouragement sent through - it helps us all! Things are still getting tougher, but Bohdan said to me this week – “we will be here to the end to help our people”.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
