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Dear Friends,
The past fortnight has been an exceptionally busy time in Lebedyn. The ongoing conflict continues to escalate, bringing with it increased military activity. The weekend prior to the autumn camp, the Sumy region suffered unprecedented attacks, which severely damaged much of the county’s rail infrastructure and most of its power stations. As depicted in the photographs below, Sumy railway station was particularly badly hit, resulting in the tragic loss of eleven lives, four of whom were children.
Despite significant challenges and extended power outages over the weekend, the decision was taken to proceed with the planned autumn camp. This proved to be an answer to prayer, as power was available every day during the camp, from Monday through to Friday, even whilst the rest of the town remained without electricity. This allowed the week’s activities to continue unaffected.
The camp primarily welcomed children who were refugees, orphaned, or from military families. Attendance fluctuated slightly each day, but on average, more than sixty children participated. Many of these children arrived subdued, frightened, and confused, their nights disturbed by drones overhead.
However, during the daytime, they found comfort and safety in each other’s company at the camp centre. Each child has been impacted by the trauma of war in some way, with the pain and burden often visible on their faces and in their behaviour. Despite this, the children thoroughly enjoyed the camp, listened attentively to the stories shared, and delighted in the games and fun provided. By the end of the week, they were reluctant for it to end and were visibly happy.
On the final day, each child was given a small gift bag of sweets to take home. Parents, guardians, and the children themselves were invited to attend the closing afternoon to see and hear about the activities from the week.
During this time, one woman approached Bohdan in tears to share her own story: her husband and eldest son were fighting on the frontline, while her youngest son had attended the camp. She expressed her deep gratitude, explaining that her son’s behaviour had improved noticeably during the week and thanking the organisers for remembering and caring for families with loved ones serving in the military. Remarkably, whilst she was speaking, her husband managed to call and also conveyed his thanks to Bohdan for everything being done. We are thankful for your continued support and prayers for this week, and further stories will be shared in the coming weeks.
Here is a link to a video with highlights from the camp week – Enjoy!
This week, Pastor Andrew has started serving in a full-time role at the church taking over from Pastor Sergey. Sergey is introducing him to various contacts and members, and Andrew has been actively visiting church members to become better acquainted. This added support has already eased Bohdan’s workload, enabling him to focus more fully on advancing the overall ministry.
In other positive news, a house has been found for Andrew, Veronica, and their family, conveniently located right next to the church and Centre. The seller, needing to relocate to Poltava for work, reduced the price significantly and was delighted when Andrew’s family visited. Bohdan accompanied them and shared details about the nearby ministry where they work. The seller requested a Bible and, in a subsequent meeting, asked whether they would accompany him to Poltava to introduce him to a church there. He has kindly agreed to let Andrew and his family move in before the sale completes to ease their transition.
On Tuesday, the long-awaited aid shipment arrived. Unfortunately, it did not include food supplies, so efforts will be made to purchase additional food bags for distribution to families in need. The team’s immediate focus is to distribute the aid and clear the venue in preparation for Christmas activities. Plans are underway to do as much as is safely possible during the festive season.
The team is brimming with ideas to support as many children and families as possible, aiming to create a joyful time for all. The intention is to hold additional camps and special events to share the Christmas story of hope and peace, and to bring happiness to children by providing presents that would otherwise be out of reach.
All other work is continuing at the Centre. Services for the elderly and refugees continue, with growing attendance, and homegroups have nearly doubled in size since the restart in September. Children’s and youth clubs happen all over the weekend, so please pray for safety as these young people get together.
Thank you for standing with us during these difficult days. There is much work to do on a daily basis in reaching out to those in need, but knowing you are supporting both in prayer and financially brings much comfort.
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,
Plans for next week’s autumn camp are nearly complete, and the team are eagerly anticipating welcoming the children, many of whom have suffered greatly due to the ongoing war. This camp will primarily serve orphaned children and those currently living as refugees. There is a sense of great promise and hope surrounding the camp, but beneath this optimism lies the recognition that many deep wounds still need to be healed and overcome.
We would be grateful for your prayers for the camp, especially as the past week has seen significant challenges with power and water supplies. On Monday, the power was off for the entire day. It appears that the town has been divided into three or four sections, with each section experiencing a full day without electricity on a rotating basis. We are uncertain how long this situation will continue, but there are concerns it could persist throughout the winter, making daily life much more difficult for everyone involved.
Thankfully, the generators have functioned well during the outages, allowing most activities to proceed uninterrupted, with the exception of bakery operations. However, the power cuts have caused damage to the boilers in both the old and new Centres. Victor and Bohdan have devised a technical solution to address this problem. Funds have just been sent to purchase two stand-by batteries, which will provide electrical power to the boilers for up to twelve hours at a time.
All weekly activities have continued as usual, and the growth in our work with the youth has been especially encouraging. Over the summer, many families with young people fled to safer areas in an attempt to escape the conflict and start anew. Despite this, many young people continue to stay in touch and express how much they miss what they had before. The fact that we now have similar numbers of young people attending activities is a fantastic development. Many families currently in Lebedyn are refugees from areas close to the Russian border, and whether participating in study homegroups or fun events, the sense of joy in being together is evident.
This week, bread was baked for refugees and those in need. As is customary, a service was held, and the local government coordinator remains proactive in encouraging people to attend. She also participates herself, connecting with everyone at these gatherings.
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Pastor Andrew will be joining the team full-time from 1st November. We are still in the process of finding a home for him, Veronica, and their family. Their journey has been significant, and we all believe that this is the right step forward. This change will allow Pastor Sergey to take a well-earned rest.
As the founding pastor, Sergey will remain involved but will no longer have daily responsibilities, which Andrew will now assume under Bohdan’s overall leadership. We ask for your continued prayers for a smooth transition in leadership, for the successful search for a new home for Pastor Andrew’s family, and for ongoing growth in the community. Both Bohdan and Sergey are very pleased with this transition, as it means Bohdan will have more daily support and Sergey can step back with confidence. Andrew will still continue to give oversight to the church in Samotoivka with the few people left in the village.
We are still waiting for the desperately needed aid to arrive. The delivery has been delayed, waiting on a UN lorry for the past two weeks. We hope it will reach us before the autumn camp begins next week.
Please also pray for Sasha, who remains unwell and has been unable to recover from a persistent flu virus. The situation is exacerbated by the government’s decision not to switch on the heating in his apartment block, despite the cold weather outside.
There will be no update next week, as the team will be fully engaged with the autumn camp. We will provide a report on everything that has taken place during the first week of November. Shortly after, we also hope to share our plans for Christmas, with the intention of spreading the Christmas message and distributing gifts to as many people as possible.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. It really does help and is 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,
This week has seen a significant increase in military activity, as many of you will have witnessed on the news channels. Essential infrastructure, including power and utility supplies, have been targeted, resulting in many communities being left without electricity or water. Even when power has been available, its supply has been weak, which has prevented our team from carrying out activities such as baking bread.
The outlying villages have suffered most from these disruptions, as they have been unable to access power or water since before last weekend. In addition, artillery fire and drone attacks have devastated towns near the border—places we once visited to support Pastor Andrew’s work. Now, these areas have been reduced to ruins and left deserted.
Despite these challenges, the team has continued to visit some of the villages, offering help wherever possible. More food bags and bedding have been distributed to those in need, and we remain hopeful that the truck carrying aid will be arrive soon. The aid is already in the country and we are waiting for the United Nations to arrange its delivery, which is dependent on their scheduling.
Other than baking, our usual activities have continued, thanks to generators providing power, but the constant sound of air raid sirens limits what can be achieved. The youth, however, continue to show remarkable resilience, with their desire to gather and support one another growing ever stronger.
I learnt from Bohdan and Farmer Sergey that in Sumy city, many young people have been coming together in a large church to worship and pray. These youth travelled from across the oblast (county), so Sergey and Valentyn transported a group from Lebedyn in a car and minibus to join them. Thankfully, they encountered no issues at road checks and enjoyed an amazing time.
Prayer Requests:
The team’s commitment to supporting orphaned children and refugees is profoundly shaped by their own painful experiences. Valentyn, for example, was abandoned by his father, who moved to Russia, and his mother struggled with alcohol, leaving him in the care of one of his aunts. Although she had never had children of her own, Valentyn’s aunt provided him with the love and care he lacked at home.
Over the years, both of his aunts have become involved with the Centre, becoming Christians, and active helpers within the church. Their support and nurturing have played a crucial role in Valentyn’s development, and as a gesture to help him begin his adult life, they gifted him an apartment. As shown in the photo at the top of the page, Valentyn now uses this space to host his homegroup and offer a safe haven for some of the local youth.
In these challenging times, our hope and prayers are that more individuals and families will show the same compassion and care that Valentyn and his aunts have demonstrated. Their example is one of the reasons why the upcoming camp is focused on supporting orphaned or abandoned children, and those living as refugees. To show God's love and hope to those who have been so impacted by war.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. It makes a difference.
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 team have been actively visiting villages to offer support to refugee families and those enduring extreme poverty. Many of these villages are so remote and small that they do not appear on maps, and the residents have very limited resources. Numerous houses, previously abandoned and in disrepair, are now home to refugees who arrived with nothing. The people living in these conditions often experience profound loneliness and must cope with accommodation lacking basic amenities such as heating, mains water, or medical support.
Planned visits to Shtepivka and the local hospital over the weekend had to be cancelled due to safety concerns. In Shtepivka, numerous drone sightings and the explosion of a large missile near the centre of town led to advice against travelling to the area. Continuous air sirens throughout the weekend meant that visitors were not permitted in the hospital. However, an open invitation remains for the team to visit as soon as it is deemed safe. Despite these challenges, medical aid was still delivered to the hospital.
On Tuesday, the team received distressing news that Pastor Andrew’s house and church building had been struck by a drone, causing significant damage by blowing out windows, doors, and their locks. On Wednesday, a team responded promptly to help secure the house. It has now been confirmed that it is unsafe to continue living in Samotoivka. Prayers are requested for the successful search for a house in Lebedyn for Pastor Andrew and his family.
During the past week, the old school building suffered damage to its boiler and fuse board, caused by power surges and frequent power cuts. Victor and Bohdan dedicated much of the early week to repairs and, thankfully, were able to restore the building’s functionality. Unfortunately, this disruption meant the bakery could not operate on Tuesday, impacting preparations for the refugees’ meeting that afternoon. By Wednesday, baking had resumed, and the team distributed bread to residents of Samotoivka and the surrounding areas. They also provided support to soldiers and their families, which was warmly received.
A truck containing essential aid is currently awaiting customs and paperwork clearance before it can be delivered to Lebedyn. The team hopes that this aid will arrive before the upcoming autumn camp, which they are actively preparing for. We are also searching for a large quantity of flour and yeast to supply the bakery for the bread to be baked.
The usual clubs and activities previously reported on continue through the week with homegroups growing in number.
Once again we are so appreciative of your continued support and prayers through these difficult times.
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,
It was a joy to meet most of the team this week—though sadly Bohdan couldn’t join us, as his son Ratmir was hospitalised overnight with a severe ear and throat infection. Due to overcrowding, he was sent home with antibiotics, which thankfully are working. Despite everything, the team remains upbeat. When I asked how they were coping, Valentyn replied, “The same as before the war! The main things don't change if we fix our relationship with God daily.” His words were a powerful reminder of the faith that fuels their resilience.
You may have seen reports of intensified missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. One night saw over 400 drones and 40 missiles strike five regions. Kyiv was hardest hit, followed by Sumy—where Pastor Andrew serves. Tragically, a family we’ve been supporting near Samotoivka were killed when a bomb struck their home. The loss has deeply shaken the team.
Musical Sergey continues to lead 25 children in puppet theatres across three skill and age levels. Due to new legislation, public performances are normally restricted to buildings with bunkers or shelters, and they have to use these where possible. They were, however, able to hold a show in Larissa’s orphanage hall and will visit the children’s hospital this weekend. Many of the children there are seriously ill or abandoned, and the hospital has asked for weekly visits to support both education and morale. Another team will travel to Shtepivka to perform for children with mental disabilities and deliver food aid. Please pray for their safety and impact.
Valentyn is encouraged by the growth of home groups and youth clubs—over 30 young people attended last weekend’s gathering for the teen club. He and Lyuba work together to support both teens and older youth, and the hunger to learn is deep.
Computer classes for the teens and youth have resumed, led by Sasha and Musical Sergey. “Farmer” Sergey oversees all children’s work with numbers being lower than expected at the start. He hopes to grow the club to 100 attendees by Christmas, despite many families having fled the area.
This weekend, the team will also deliver food and blankets to villages around Lebedyn, where families are living without heating due a government ban restricting any heating until October 15th. Daytime temperatures have dropped to 5°C, and illness is spreading. Our Food Bag Programme has launched—each bag feeds a family for a week and includes a copy of John’s Gospel. The first 100 are ready to go and will be taken to the villages the team are able to get to.
Please continue to pray for Pastor Andrew and Veronica as they seek housing in Lebedyn. This is an urgent need. Medical aid has reached soldiers and their families, refugee services and bakery work continue, and a new batch of general aid is en-route to Ukraine—pray for its safe arrival.
When asked what we should pray for, the team’s first response was clear: peace, and an end to the war. They also ask for prayer that their work continues and that the Christian message reaches hearts wherever people go.
Pastor Sergey couldn’t join us due to health concerns and worry for his son Roman, who pastors a church in Kyiv. Recent bombings destroyed Roman’s church windows and doors, with another nearby church completely levelled and the pastors house destroyed. Yet, the next morning, believers gathered to worship among the ruins. This is the unseen courage the world rarely hears about.
You can watch the video on Facebook here: Worship in the ruins.
Thank you again for all your support and prayers. Every week we see the value of this, and as things get busier and the cold months draw in, your prayers and support are even more vital.
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 the board of trustees met online with Bohdan, where he shared more of the current situation within Lebedyn and the surrounding areas. There is no doubt that difficult and challenging times are leading to more poverty and need within the area. Most days, air raid sirens are sounding 24 hours and the suburbs of the town are being hit, mainly by drones with the occasional shot down missile causing fires when they land.
Power stations are regularly hit, and it is the towns that have priority to ensure power is back on. The smaller villages can wait 5 days or more to be re-connected. There is no doubt that the coming winter will be hard for those living outside the towns, especially as they try to keep warm and have little supply of food. The team are planning to increase visits to the villages with bread, food and aid, but Bohdan said they are living in the most terrible of conditions.
Education also continues to be difficult, and it would appear that the government have handed over the management of education to local schools with no direction from central government. This means that many of the schools have chosen to remain closed. In Lebedyn itself, the school is still running but only the youngest go into learn, whilst the older children have online studies - if available.
Refugees continue to arrive into Lebedyn with alarming regularity. The nearby college is full and crammed with people in close living conditions, with very little to claim as their own. Lifetimes and their memories seemingly eradicated by the destruction around them. Most of the refugees come from the border towns and villages which have not only suffered significant damage, but also been abandoned by the military with no help given. However, due to the shortage of housing and the conditions in the college, some are now returning, they say it is better to die in their own house than crammed in a centre with nothing.
Valentina, is a lady with a prominent position in the council administration office, and is responsible for all refugees on behalf of the government within Lebedyn and surrounding districts, holding a lot of sway into what happens. She has been reaching out to Bohdan for help, and last week she attended one of the services we hold for the refugees where God’s love is shared, not just with words but also in practical support. She saw the bread being baked (and tried it!!), saw what was left of the aid being distributed, and she loved what she saw. From now on she is going to invite all the refugees to come to the Centre to these services, and she will also attend some of them so she can answer any questions. Bohdan has won over the favour of the local authorities to help and support, which can only be good for the future.
Bohdan also shared the news that the Kyiv Theological Seminary is closing access to some courses this September as many of the students that would have attended have now been called up to fight. This has particularly affected the children and youth departments, where they have cancelled the course for new students. We are thankful that Valentyn's studies have not been affected by this.
On the positive side, the children’s clubs and puppet theatres started all their groups this past week and the youth start this weekend. The puppet theatre and Bohdan will visit Larisa’s orphanage this weekend, taking in fresh food with them for the children. Musical Sergey has written are new Bible story musical shows, so all are excited to see how these work.
Last week, we gave an appeal for nappies and incontinence pads which was going to be sent out by Ukraine Relief in early October. However, at the weekend we heard that they had already loaded aid they had collected and set off on Sunday, a month earlier than expected. Bohdan is however, thrilled to get some aid early as the storehouse is completely empty and the need is growing. We are therefore looking to send an extra lorry for our appeal later in the year.
Azat is also helping with aid, and Bohdan went with Andrew to Zaporizhzhia to visit him on Wednesday to collect specialist aid and supplies. Azat is really trying to help the work and Centre in every way he can.
Within the church, two refugees arrived at the service on the Sunday and just didn’t want to leave. They had a truly memorable time as they met with God and gave their lives to be followers of Jesus.
Home group attendance keeps growing and the Centre has become a lighthouse within the community, giving both physical and spiritual hope. Bohdan was sharing that despite all that is going on around, it is a miracle Lebedyn stands untouched. He reiterated what we have said repeatedly, that he believes that the prayer of the many are keeping them safe to do the work God has called them to do. Thank you for your part in this!
In closing, Bohdan shared that when he went on his recent holiday to Odessa, he visited a large church there he knew well. When speaking with them, they were surprised by the amount of work that was being done through the Centre in Lebedyn. In Odessa, they had just completed their first summer camp of just 3 days, and this was their first since the full scale invasion started. When Bohdan told them that 5 week-long camps had been held each year in the summer along with autumn, Christmas and Easter they could not believe how much they were doing. We are blessed to have an amazing team who, despite all that is stacked against them, continue to flourish, remain enthusiastic and positive within the work. They now plan for the autumn camps and all the weekly activities with continued enthusiasm.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. It is truly making a difference.
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 has been a really encouraging week for the team. The situation within the region is still escalating slightly, with local villages continuing to be hit hard with drones and missiles. In nearby Vorozhba, harvesting machinery working in the fields was targeted. In Mezarych, the school has been closed due to the building being hit by bombs - thankfully with no children were in the building at the time. Sumy is now being bombed day and night, and is gradually being reduced to just rubble. Bohdan asks the question of how long before they turn to Lebedyn where their buildings remain relatively untouched. We continue to pray for their protection.
The team have given special focus to the outlying villages, which the government have used to house refugees. Bohdan visited a man who had no shoes, so he gave his own boots. When going home to share the story of how little people had, his own family once again gave away personal clothes.
The church membership also gave of their clothes and belongings to help these refugees. Bohdan even gave one of his mattresses to a family in desperate need. The sewing team also got to work and made many sets of bed linen to distribute. Bohdan said that the people cried when they delivered all these things; they thought they had been forgotten. A doctor who Bohdan knows has now also been visiting, as there are major health needs. Together they will be trying to access new medications to help in this area.
Pastor Andrew concentrated on visiting the refugee centre nearby. Azat, who was the Pastor of the church in Okhtyrka, has managed to acquire some aid and sent it through to the team. There was a huge container of shampoo as you can see in the photo below, which they siphon into bottles. This has been in short supply, so it has been gratefully received by all. Services continue to be held for refugees and those enquiring about faith. Numbers doubled this week. Bread was baked and given out in the service along with the villages and refugee centre.
The team, through the church, know a number of soldiers fighting on the frontline and sent them food, medical aid and Bibles. One soldier has been encouraging the troops, and now has a regular prayer meeting with colleagues as and when they can. Sadly, another soldier who used to come to the camps was very seriously injured this week and taken to a specialist unit in Lviv. He has brain damage, so his mother who is part of the church has asked for prayer.
The puppet theatre continues to grow again, and now 30 children forming 3 teams train with Musical Sergey. Bohdan told me this morning that they have new shows, and have been asked to show these within the hospital and at Larisa’s orphanage. Schools are wanting them too, but safety has to be assessed first before this can happen.
In other news and items for prayer:
This week has seen an increase in the requests for help. Thankfully, we have been able to rise to this challenge and we will continue to try to do so in the coming months. Your continued support and prayers are 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,
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
