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Dear Friends,
This past week has seen yet more increase in military activity in the region, causing much concern within communities.
On Monday in the special update, we reported how Larisa’s orphanage had been hit with a bomb. It would appear that the damage is far worse than originally thought. Because it is feared that orphanages are being targeted, they are staying in a safe house (location unknown) as they plan what to do next and where to go. Larisa is hoping to rebuild the centre, but this work cannot continue until Sumy city becomes safe again.
Last night was one of the noisiest nights in Lebedyn. All major cities and regions were hit badly, and even in Lebedyn drones and missiles were being shot down. The other night one drone was shot down just 800 metres from Bohdan’s house. The children were especially scared as the house shook with the force of the blast. The university that Valentyn attends and sometimes stays over at was bombed last night. The halls of residence were completely destroyed.
New laws have come in that state that children and young people are not allowed out in the evenings. This of course will have some impact on what the team are doing, but already they are finding ways to overcomes this new challenge. The youth will come straight from school on a Friday, and the children’s clubs are held through the day on Saturday anyway. These will happen this weekend.
Yesterday (Wednesday), Bohdan drove to Samotoivka to speak at the funeral of Pastor Andrew’s nephew, Alexander. He was on the frontline and Pastor Andrew was chatting with him on Sunday afternoon. Hours later he was killed. Bohdan said that the funeral went well, but it was very dangerous as the journey took twice as long as normal and where they were, the damage was great. Pastor Andrew was greatly upset at the funeral. When they came out of the service it is customary to do a funeral procession to the grave. They were advised not to do this for safety reasons but they still did it anyway! As this is a restricted area Bohdan was not allowed to take photos. As they walked to the graveyard they could see bombs and fires in the distance. The smell of burning filled the air and Bohdan said it felt so dangerous. Please can we pray for Pastor Andrew and his family for his safety, and the work he is doing within the community.
Despite all the above the team are keeping busy. The bakery has baked hundreds of loaves. There was a special service on Tuesday for refugees which had 70 people attend. Each were given 2 loaves of bread as many said how they had struggled to feed themselves in recent days. Most of the bread bought in the shops normally weighs around 400 grams. These loaves baked at the Centre weigh 1 kilo, so to get 2 loaves is equivalent of 5 loaves from the shop. In addition to this service, the team all went out around the town to deliver to people they knew who were struggling to present them with a loaf of bread. Bohdan said it brought such joy to their faces.
Bohdan is in conversation with various schools and orphanages to see how the team can help at this time. He is waiting to hear back. They are also planning to hold an autumn camp, but this might have to be done slightly differently depending on the impact of the war.
In this past week, Vera (pictured above in a green scarf) & Alexander have become Christians and are now attending baptismal classes. We celebrate with them. The other photo is of Bohdan Papeta. He too became a Christian but at the recent teen camp. He lives in a village outside of Lebedyn, and his father was recently killed in the war. He constantly reads his Bible as a comfort and guide. He and his mother are planning to flee to Poland. Please do pray for these people.
Education is still a challenge. Like most schools, summer break is over and the children have returned, but because of the sirens all children are supposed to now learn online. Power outages are getting worse with no schedule being followed, and random cuts happening for long periods of time. In Samotoivka one power cut lasted for over 24 hours! This is a cause of much frustration for the children and parents, and I know Bohdan and Alla really struggle with this.
Lastly, I sadly report that Svetlana quite unexpectedly will be leaving and going back to be with her parents. Her parents are living in the Donetsk region which has increasing Russian occupancy, and her parents are worried about Svetlana being so close to military activity in Sumy. Therefore, they are planning to be together, pack and move to the West. Her parents run a church, a kindergarten school, and a shop but all of this is getting destroyed. We have only just raised funds for her to go to theological seminary, but the way the war is panning out she needs to be with her parents.
Farmer Sergey has had to give up his business in Sumy city. It is no longer viable to travel into Sumy, and there are no customers left to sell to. For some time Farmer Sergey has wanted to be part of the team, and from 1st October he will take over Svetlana’s role and head up the children's and family work. Sergey will also do the course at the Kiev Theological Seminary which has been fully funded. It will be sad to see Svetlana leave, but it is amazing to have Farmer Sergey back fully on the team.
Svetlana will now vacate the apartment the Centre owns, so Bohdan thinks it will be good to allow Lyuba and Costa to live there. They currently live 5km out of Lebedyn with another family, but buses have stopped running, so when Lyuba does the teen work she has to walk home the 5km – often in the dark. The apartment is one minute walk away from the Centre.
Everyday seems to bring new change and challenges. It is difficult to plan, especially for the team, who are uncertain that they will even see the next morning. Bohdan thanked you all for your prayers and support. It is so appreciated.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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Dear Friends,
Over this past weekend, military activity in Sumy became much more intense. Air sirens have been ringing out for 24 hours at a time, Sadly, I write with the news that the orphanage that we have supported since it was started, and run by Larisa, was directly targeted and hit, creating much damage as you can see from the photos below.
Bohdan had only visited on Thursday to speak with the children and took the puppet theatre with him. This coincided with Ukraine Independence Day, with Larisa sending me the photo below.
Thankfully, the children were all removed from the building before the bomb landed so there were no casualties.
Also, Lebedyn has been targeted. The defence systems shot down and intercepted all drones and rockets, and although there were no direct hits, the debris caused damage in the town and triggered fires.
These are dangerous times and we would value your prayers, especially for the safety of the children at the orphanage, and for the team out in Sumy City and in Lebedyn. Today, Larisa and her team are sifting through the rubble and collecting things of value.
Getting information is sporadic as power has been down for much of the time, but unless there are any significant developments, a normal update will happen on Thursday as the team have been busy in other areas. We will also assess what support is needed for Larisa and the orphanage and keep you informed.
Thank you for your continued support.
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 an escalation in military activities within the region which has not really been witnessed before. You will all have seen in the news that Ukraine has entered into the Kursk region of Russia. This has meant that all the troops that were building up in Lebedyn and surrounding areas were getting ready to launch their counter attack.
The map below shows how close this is to Lebedyn and the Sumy region, so our thoughts and prayers are very much with everyone. The loss of life according to the Institute Of War has been staggering, averaging over 1,000 deaths per day in this region alone. Sirens sound now for nearly 24 hours a day. Everything has changed.
For the team it was quite frightening. The camp continued through to the end, and although the noise at night was terrifying at times, they all managed to have a good time. A video will be posted in the near future showing some of the activities.
At home Bohdan packed his family off to Alla’s family where it is quieter on the far side of town, and it enabled the children to sleep better. He used some of the time to catch up with jobs that didn’t need the help of little hands!
Many of the youth were impacted by the camp, and a full report will be out soon, but Bohdan wanted to let us know about Margerite (pictured below) who has been attending his homegroup, and went to the camp. There she was greatly moved by the teaching and became a Christian, and now wants to be baptised. Amazing news.
Last Sunday, Bohdan heard that three of the men from the church had received their papers to go and register with the Military Commissariat, with the view to them being conscripted. These men have been keen volunteers and workers within the church and Mission Centre, and Bohdan did not want to lose them, so he wrote a letter on their behalf to explain the good work they do in caring for people within the community. Thankfully, they were compassionate and, for now, they were granted a stay so they could continue to help. We hope and pray this continues.
We have been concerned about Pastor Andrew who we have supported up in Samotoivka. This small town is east of Sumy city, and only 20km from the border. Bohdan reported on Wednesday that Samotoivka was now a ghost town with only the needy and vulnerable left there, but it was relatively free from shelling now, although the sounds of war and explosions could be heard around them. They remain safe and in good spirits at this time.
The catering team have been working hard making jams and preserving foods ready for winter stocks, as Bohdan said that things are now getting very expensive. Because of all what is going on in the region not everyone will deliver supplies. Inflation is high, and therefore the work they are doing now will be so valuable in the winter. You can see the stocks of flour, sugar, oats all stored and ready to go into the kitchen.
The services to the refugees and to others in the town in need started again this week. They loved the bread as it was stacked outside and given to all those who arrived. Hygiene kits were also given out at one of the services.
Many of the team are away on holiday this week. Farmer Sergey and his family, along with Valentine, are down in Odessa, and Svetalana is still in in the Dontestsk region visiting parents. There is always risk travelling so please do pray for their safety when they return. They will all be back later in the week.
In the meantime our ex-workers, Inna and Pavlo, who are currently in Zhytomyr, held a camp, and we were able to help with some Bibles and resources, as they worked with the orphaned children there.
We have now depleted our stocks of Bibles to give away to the adults. They have given away thousands of copies of various types of Bibles. We now need to purchase more copies, and I know many have said they would like to contribute towards this. As yet, I haven’t received the prices, but nevertheless we will continue to get the most suitable Bibles for Bohdan and teams use.
In September, Svitlana will be hopefully starting a course with the Kyiv Theological Seminary studying children and families ministries. This will cost around £600 to attend for the year, but this will be so useful for training for the work they will do in the future. This is on top of her degree studies in Child Psychiatry & War!
Aid continues to be harder to find, but we continue to pray for provision in this area.
Next week when people arrive back, the team plan to meet with all the youth that came to camps as a reunion, which has caused great excitement already. Bohdan has been out visiting quite a few homes and speaking with parents about the youth camps. Parents are so happy and want to know if they can do even more!!
In other updates, Bohdan’s grandmother is doing much better and her memory has all returned and stitches are out. An answer to prayer. Sergey goes to university on Monday to register to sit his university exams for entrance next year.
We are all so very grateful for the continued support, prayer and finances given. Without it we could not operate and it is helping so many people in a very challenging time with much need. Thank 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,
From it being quieter last week, this week has been the opposite. Some of you will have seen through news reports, that Sumy has been hit hard, yet as we write this update, Lebedyn stands untouched.
The land within 5-10km of the Russian border has been flattened and totally demolished. In Samotoivka where Pastor Andrew and his family still work, they are finding things tougher than ever. Wednesday night was particularly rough, Bohdan wrote to tell me that they were up all night with air alarms and not knowing whether they should flee for safety. It transpired that large missiles were launched and came over Lebedyn, probably on their way towards Kharkiv. The night sky was illuminated minutes later in the far distance from the explosion. Military movement through the town is a common occurrence and now Ukrainian fighter jets fly overhead. We continue to pray for safety.
All this affects daily life. A few weeks back it was mentioned that Bohdan’s grandmother was involved in a nasty fall requiring stitches. On Tuesday, Bohdan took his grandmother to Lebedyn hospital to have her stitches removed, but found they had closed as it was too dangerous to be open. Bohdan said that everyday life is getting harder.
Meanwhile, the camp for the older teens started on Monday. They too really struggled Tuesday night as they are in tents within the Centre complex. “Farmer” Sergey said to me that the girls particularly were very scared, but by the morning they were altogether having breakfast and enjoying each other’s company. The numbers of this camp were always designed to be low as it is a new concept which Valentine had planned. You can see from some of the pictures below they are having great fun as well as some very deep discussions.
“Farmer Sergey” explained that every family represented at the camp have all lost relatives in the war. Sergey himself has cousins fighting on the front line. One of them, aged 26, went to the front line after just two months training, and three months later went missing. This was back in 2022, and they do not know whether he is dead or captured.
This week, homegroups have still happened, and Pastor Sergey has held services for people arriving in the town. Bohdan has taken a few days off to be with family. Svitlana is away in the south visiting her family for two weeks, and everyone is taking some time to recharge – except Farmer Sergey and Valentine who are running the camp.
Earlier this year the team extended the plot on which they grow fruit and veg. They have had a bumper crop of potatoes and just recently we sent funds to buy storage jars to preserve some of the food grown ready for winter activities. More flour has also been purchased for the bakery thanks to donations sent in for this purpose.
There is still no further news on Farmer Sergey’s university entrance exams, so please can you continue to pray for this situation. He is going to have to close his business down as Sumy city is empty and desolate, and devoid of any customers. Please also can you pray for extra helpers for the church work, within the Sunday School and children’s and youth work, as many of the previous helpers have moved to safer regions.
Please also pray for Bohdan, as this time of year he suffers terribly with pollen allergies which are quite extreme, and medication for it in Ukraine is not as readily available as it would be here in the UK.
Many thanks again for all your continued support In so many ways that enables this amazing work to continue. support.
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, we write with more encouraging news. Power cuts are getting less as the local grids are being restored, and now they may only get a power cut for an hour or two a day. Sirens have been quieter during the day since Monday as they generally happen more at night when missiles attack other towns – normally Kharkiv. Sergey told me that one night the sirens sounded from 9pm until 7.00am the next morning – it makes sleeping very difficult. Sadly, the border between Sumy and Russia is still as intense as ever, but military activity only goes 10kms into the Sumy Oblast region.
The camp for the teenagers last week went very well. Bohdan said it was the best ever. The young people loved being together and took part willingly in everything. There were no major problems, but the same issues with mental health and effects of war are impacting these young people. Many of them have had family members killed or having life-changing injuries, even some there had been orphaned or abandoned due to the war. Bohdan said that he preached the Gospel every day and it touched many hearts and gave hope. Every day the young people did not want to go home. They shared with parents/guardians at the end of each day what they had done, which meant staying at least an extra hour to what was planned. The reviews and comments coming back in from parents have been amazing and they are thankful for all that had happened with their children.
One young man who came did not settle at first, and when spoken to would only answer with his own questions and appeared greatly troubled. But by the end of the week, he was communicating well and his mother came to thank the team as she had not know what to do with him at home, and had now seen such a great change in his life.
Below is a picture of Yaroslav. Yaroslav lives quite a distance away from the Centre in the outer regions of town, he had previously come to the Winter camp but had lost contact with Bohdan. He arrived at this week’s camp and when Bohdan spoke with him, told him that after the Winter camp he realised that he needed to become a Christian and is now involved in a homegroup at, and attending, a small church near his home. Bohdan said you can clearly see the impact his faith is having in his life. The team do not always immediately get to know the impact these camps have on individuals and families, and were delighted and thankful to hear his news.
Click below to see a short video of the Teen Camp to see more of what went on during the week! They had so much fun!
As mentioned above, the teens still want to get together, and they have been arriving at the Centre most days to see who is around! Sasha decided to do a computer workshop with them which helps them educationally. It has been great to be able to do this again now that there is power readily available.
Below, Valentin has been holding baptismal classes for the youth. They hope to have another service in a few weeks time. In his group is Dasha, who we have been praying for since her Grandfather died, and the girl on the phone is Lily. She became a Christian a while back, then her family fled to Poland but have returned and are living in Cherkassy. She too wants to be baptised, so the family may come over to Lebedyn, or this will happen in Cherkassy itself.
We have had a small amount of aid arrive this week, which is great. They will hold services to distribute this out in the coming weeks. They have also purchased more flour and yeast to bake more bread as the bakery gets back up and running following the busy camp weeks. Bohdan took the volunteers who had cooked for the camps out for a day to Swan Lake to enjoy a picnic to say thank you!
There are a few other things to update on, and for prayer:
When talking with Bohdan and “Farmer Sergey” this week they both said they cannot believe how blessed they are. With all the recent bombings Lebedyn remains relatively untouched. When they look back and see the carnage of what has happened in Sumy city area and some of the nearby villages it is a miracle they are still able to do all that they can.
Once again thank you for all your support.
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 camp for the teenagers went off as planned this week. Over 70 teenagers arrived all keen to be with each other and to have fun. Bohdan has said that the mix of teens this week seems harder than usual. There are more orphans who carry much hurt within, children with behavioural issues largely caused by the trauma and effects of changed living due to the war, and parents handing over some children and saying, “just do something with them!” Despite all this the children have been fantastic. They have been receptive to the talks, to their mentors and leaders, and have enjoyed just having fun as children of that age should do.
There have been some major logistical challenges since the last update in getting ready and through this week. The heatwave we have seen reports about in our news is still as strong as ever, making conditions hard to work in. The highest temperature was over 40C.
Supply of food to feed the children has been difficult. Fresh food is becoming scarce, and with ongoing power cuts, shops have had to throw much food away as fridges and freezers cannot cope with the extreme heat and then no power to enable them to work. Previously, the team have been able to pre-order food in the local supermarkets for collection each morning, but this year the local shops will not do this as they cannot guarantee supply. Cost of food is also going up daily as demand grows.
This past week they experienced a power cut at the Centre for 24 hours. The camp still went ahead, but they lost all the food in their fridge and freezer. It was an expensive disaster to replace the food for that day.
Thankfully, the sirens have been relatively quiet which again means no visits to the bomb shelter. Below are a few pictures from this week and the end of last week for you to enjoy!. More will follow in due course.
Food is not the only thing in shortage. Fuel for the vehicles is in short supply, and often there are waits for 3 days to get a vehicle filled up. Many suppliers are saying it is too dangerous to come to Lebedyn area. The new military laws are already being amended which gives more power to conscript people, and the age is dropping again from 25 to 23. Bohdan has specifically asked for prayer for this as it does affect Valentine and “Farmer” Sergey. Sergey is waiting to hear about his exam results to see whether he can continue in study, which will help him not to be called up and to be around still. Please do pray for this.
As a result of the ongoing situation in Sumy region, Bohdan believes that many women and children will flee the area in the Autumn for safer places to live. The men will not be able to leave as they will be called up to fight. During these busy weeks, as the children have been out playing in the grounds at their camp weeks, the church has still been holding services, and many have attended on Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays and Sundays. Many women come to pray for their sons who are fighting on the frontline. The team help where they can.
Aid is still required, and we are hoping for a small delivery in the next week or so. Bohdan believes food will be short for the Winter, but some of the crops we have grown on site have been really good to help sustain the work. There will be enough potatoes to do all work through the Winter, and they are just investing in storage bottles to keep fruit in store, but not in a freezer. Flour and yeast are now needed so we can bake bread for distribution when the camps are finished, and that will be ordered this week. We hope to get 3 months’ supply.
The above picture is of Dr Eduard Borysov. He is a leading professor at the Kyiv Theological Seminary (KTS) and did his masters in Aberdeen, Scotland. Eduard was Bohdan’s main lecturer at Bible College at KTS, and they used to play football together in happier times. This past week Eduard was walking down a main street within Kyiv and was taken there and then to fight in the war. He is 52 years of age. There was no time to go home and to get things - it was instant. Already, with no training, he is heading to the frontline. Eduard has text Bohdan to ask that we pray for him and his family at this time for safety, but also that he has a great opportunity to share the hope in Jesus where he will be.
Bohdan and all his family are struggling with sore throats, coughs and colds even though there is a heat wave! Please pray them also for strength at this busy time.
Next week, the older teens will meet as planned. They are also planning more baptismal services at the river, and their energy seems never-ending in what they are doing to reach out to help so many in the community.
Thank you for your ongoing support both with finance and prayers. We are so grateful to you for standing with the team at this time with the work they do for the children. Next week, God willing, they start again and meet with the teenagers.
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 second week of the camps finished well.
Over 200 children have attended so far these past few weeks, each with their own individual story of how they cope living in a time of war and conflict. When asked, the most common thing they fear is that loved ones will not return from the fighting. They were keen always to pray for peace.
Thankfully, throughout this time the bomb shelter did not have to be used although on several days sirens sounded as the children arrived at camp. It has been felt that children have really appreciated the camps much more this year. This week, the team have all been able to take a day or two off to recover, with the exception of the catering team who have taken the whole week off. These wonderful people are all volunteers, but come in each week to bake bread and meals.
All the children that were new to the camps and region, and who did not own a Bible, were each given a copy of the Jesus Storybook Bible in Ukrainian. They were so pleased to receive this.
There are plenty of pictures and stories to share from the camps. Below is a picture of Danik. Bohdan wrote:
"I have already written about Danik before as he is a boy who I sometimes did not understand and could not accept, because he was always on his own wavelength.
In this camp, he was just a completely different boy whom I did not even notice (in a good sense) because I did not need to make any remarks to him. Danik was not noticed by his bad behaviour as before but this time he was noticed by me for his attentiveness and obedience.
This is the boy I saw very often in the city, wandering the streets and saying he was told to leave the house. He once sat alone on the steps of the store and played on the phone, because, according to him, he was kicked out.
Danik was in my team probably more than 5 times. How wonderful it is to see the changes taking place in his life. On the last day of this camp, Danik said the following words: "this is the best day in life, but at the same time it's sad because it's ending”.
We want prayer support for this child, who is only a child according to documents, but in fact, he is already like a mature young man who God can form, or has already begun to form into a real Christian young man."
The heat and conditions in the Ukraine have been widely reported in the news here in the UK, as on one day this past week, temperatures reached 45C with the kitchen having to operate with temperatures over 50C. Fridges are not coping, and on top of this power cuts are far too often, and for longer periods of time. All of this is hampering the plans for the camp for teens next week with over 70+ teens expected. Food in stores is in short supply with ever increasing prices, their fridges are not coping with keeping fresh food chilled, and many are only wanting cash for goods purchased which is hard as there is a shortage of cash at the banks, with banks being closed for much of the time during power cuts.
Below is a picture of Lyuba and Sasha working during the power cut as the generator had kicked in working.
In other news, Bohdan shared that within the region, much of the extensive fields of wheat should now be harvested. However, these fields have been targeted by the enemy to try and destroy the food supply and export. Missiles, drones, artillery fire are all used to try and cause maximum damage. Farmers are nervous about harvesting as still some fields could be mined. Bohdan asked that we could pray for safety for the farmers and for this situation.
Larisa has been in touch to say a massive thank you for all the food we purchased a few weeks back. She is so grateful of our help and support. You can see her below serving drink and foods for the children. You can also see the bomb shelter that is being built, which she is raising funds to complete for the children.
Here is a video from the children saying thank you. Most of these children are newly orphaned by the war.
This past week, the Ukrainian government authorities did an inspection of the orphanage and queried where the good food was from. She was able to say that the Centre in Lebedyn had helped which they seemed happy with. She has a growing number of children both here and in Austria to look after.
We are still fairly desperate for aid, as supplies have dried up, and all that we received over the past months has been given out to help those in the region. Bohdan said the need is growing as many just cannot afford what is in the shops, and many of the old and vulnerable cannot leave home to even get it. They have increased the number of services they are doing weekly and seen attendance growing this week. Once the camps are over then bread will be baked and distributed.
We thank you for your continued support and prayers - it has been amazing to see so much happening over these past few weeks in the hearts and lives of children. Next week, God willing, they start again and meet with the teenagers.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
Watch the highlights video of the week 1 of the Summer 2024 children's camp.
Despite power cuts and hot temperatures the team went ahead with the first camp, and many of the children were still able to attend. They had a wonderful time as you'll see, and each of them received a present!
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 second week of summer camps have come to an end today. It has been a challenging week, and the children have reacted much differently to the first week. They had a difficult start, as on Monday morning the air raid sirens sounded for 5 hours, with news breaking that the children’s hospital in Kyiv had been badly hit with casualties. The children all understood what this meant. This news was breaking as they were in the bomb shelter waiting for the sirens to stop.
Some parents thought it unsafe to send their children to the camp as the weekend had been very difficult. However, still 98 children turned up, and from talking with Bohdan I think he was glad that there were not too many more! Many of the younger children are struggling with psychological and behavioural issues, which has been challenging to cope with. When questioned the children all say that what they dream of and really want, is for the war to stop and for their fathers to come back home. A fuller report will be created and sent out in the next week containing further impact stories from the children.
Each week, along with all the activities, every child will be given a present. The picture at the top of the page shows the joy of one of them receiving this. This small act has bought some light and hope along with a little normality in this little girl’s life.
Power cuts have featured a little in the early part of the week. It is a disruption the children seem to be used to as a way of life. Heat has also been an issue, with it being a very humid 34C, and in the kitchen nearly 50C. A small air-conditioning unit has been installed there now.
Following is a link to a video that has been created in Lebedyn showing some of the highlights of week 1. This video will help you to see the enormous level of joy and impact these camps have on the children who are living in very difficult circumstances.
In Lebedyn, the team have been still active within the community. Whilst busy cooking in the kitchens, the team have made extra and then taken food out to the new soldiers and their families arriving in the area. They have been very grateful. Aid has run dry again, and we find ourselves looking for more supplies for those in need.
In previous updates I mentioned about Svetlana (pictured below). She is a lawyer and runs the main bakery shop in Lebedyn.
She had heard that we were giving out bread and came to one of the services to see what was happening, and to get one of the loaves to try it. The service had such a personal impact on her and her life, it resulted in her becoming a Christian and joining the church. This picture show her last Sunday sharing her testimony as she will be getting baptised this next Sunday. What she thought would be her competition has become her family and spiritual home, so much so, that the last batch of flour and yeast her company had they donated to the Centre.
In Lebedyn, as in much of Europe currently, the Euros football competition has gripped the nation. As we spoke yesterday Bohdan was pleased for the England win, and said they will be all cheering for England on Sunday. His family are football crazy, but there was no power at home last night to watch it. However, the power was still on at the Centre so they could watch it on the TV there. Ukraine is 2 hours ahead of us here in the UK, but they set off across town to watch. There was one problem in that at 11pm there is a curfew!! They stayed to the end, and Bohdan said they had to creep home at midnight with all the family. They drove the car slowly with no lights on to avoid any attention and made it home safely. The things you do to watch England play football, even in war conditions. They will all be cheering England along on Sunday evening. Where? That remains to be seen!
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Bohdan says he can feel these and please continue to pray for the team, for safety, for the baptismal service on Sunday, and for the prep for the next camp the week after next for the younger teenagers. Thank you too for the gifts that have been donated to help towards the costs. We are blessed to have this support.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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Dear Friends,
This is just a short update this week to inform you of what has been happening with the start of the first week of camps.
The preparations, including the new wash station we need to comply with new regulations, were completed on time – just! Heavy rain, followed by searing heat leading up to the start, hampered this work. The wash station also has toilet facilities behind the door in the picture below.
On the first day (Monday), 106 children arrived. They had planned for 85, but knew more would arrive. It was a hot day at a humid 32C, ending with a massive and spectacular thunderstorm. Air sirens sounded once through the day, so they had to leave to go to the bomb shelter but all were safe.
Bohdan has said that there are more behavioural issues this year with the children, but their excitement and over enthusiasm of all being together can be clearly seen.
The main problem for them seems to be the constant lack of power supply. Lebedyn as a town is badly hit with this, and now it is also affecting both food and water supply. Shops are closing when they do not have power, and their fridges remain off limiting the supply of fresh food. Water is not getting pumped through, and so yesterday morning I had a text to say that Bohdan had been to a water station to collect enough fresh water for the day. It is likely this will have to happen every day. Power is not too bad at the Centre, and we have the new generator so this helps. However, because of the heat they have bought a second large fridge to help store food, and a small, second, air conditioning unit.
The heat makes it hard for those in the kitchen. Bohdan said that when they are cooking it is over 40C and the catering team are melting!
Even though there are logistical challenges the children are loving the camp. They seem to be excited all day long and listen intently to the stories and have so much fun. As always the puppet theatre is a hit and they all want to bring their families to see this!
After the last camp we held in the Spring, I wrote about a troubled young man called Rad. He has returned for this camp and Bohdan said he is a completely different boy. He behaviour is so different and the first thing he did was to run up to Bohdan to say he reads his Bible and has almost finished it! Bohdan promised that when he finished it he would give him another one. His face lit up with joy and went to play with the other children rather than fighting like last time. We cannot underestimate the positive impact these camps have on children that have been caught up in the war. They face grief and uncertainty daily, often in displaced or broken homes as they suffer from the effects of war.
There are just few pictures to share below of the camps.
One other piece of news is that in Sumy, Larisa and the orphanage that is helped so often, has similarly struggled to get fresh food supplies, including meat for the children. The reason is twofold. Firstly, supply issues, and secondly her budgets have been cut or frozen, but with rampant inflation they are struggling to feed the children. We often get gifts coming in asking if we can use these to help feed the children, and so we sent funds recently meaning Bohdan could purchase a month’s supply of food for the children there. She was so grateful. After the camps at the Centre, Bohdan is taking the team over, if safe, to run a day camp with her and the children, and will be taking the puppet theatre.
Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers at this time. We keep praying for safety over all that is going on.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
