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,
Another week has passed where the military activity has once again increased.
Sumy has had some large bombs descend upon it, making our news over here. The school that was bombed, where 2 people have died, is not too far away from where Larisa’s orphanage operates from. Sadly, it has been deemed too dangerous for the team to facilitate a summer camp in 2 weeks’ time in Samotoivka, being its so close to the border and where much of the increased activity is taking place. Instead, Bohdan will take teams over on several days to do activities with the children in that area, and hopefully the puppet theatre will go as well, as and when it is deemed safe.
This week, Bohdan has taken a large group of children camping. Needless to say this is not in the Sumy region, but much nearer to the west in a camp near the Carpathian mountains where it is much safer. Sadly, the bad weather we have experienced in the UK, they have shared, making it very muddy and cold! Bohdan’s family are struggling with the cold and wet, and it is not ideal with little ones to be camping in these conditions! I think the site is more rural than expected. However, the kids have enjoyed themselves and they finish and go back to Lebedyn over the weekend. As there has been little communications signal I have not had much info through to be able to share. One picture I have had is at the top of this page showing them having a good time!
The weather has caused havoc back in Lebedyn. Torrential rain with lightening and thunder created much damage. The street where Bohdan lives was hit badly, with many losing electrical appliances. At the Centre the office computer and printer burnt out! Bohdan has said that he has never witnessed such bad weather as this over a summer. Even without the usual team at the Centre, they are still helping people with aid and food as and when they arrive.
There will not be an update next week as I am away travelling, and will update as soon as I can upon my return. They will be plenty of new news to share then.
Thank you once again for all your support and prayer. It is much 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 been a calmer week for the team with no camps happening. Instead they have been working on-site with the drainage and development of the playground, and helping those that have come to the Centre.
On Sunday/Monday the 4th camp week starts as they attend a new camp with some of the older children, and those that have worked hard with the puppet theatre. There will be other children from the region there. Bohdan, Farmer Sergey, Svetlana and Valentine will take them as they are going to another campsite where they will actually camp for a week. We hope and pray for safe travel and a great time. Sadly, Lyuba will not be joining them as she still grieves the loss of her baby.
The camp for the teenagers went very well last week despite all the sirens and some visits to the bomb shelter! They didn’t want it to end, and many of them still came to the Centre over the weekend for all the other various activities going on within the church and Centre.
Like with the children’s camps, a video has been created by the team in Lebedyn. You can view this on our website by clicking here. Or, you can view by visiting our Hope Lebedyn page on Facebook.
In the Sumy region sirens have been going off every day with missiles launched into the region and beyond. Sumy city itself has been hit many times. The level of activity seems to increase each week. They now estimate that 300,000 soldiers are now encamped along the border with Russia, but they don’t know whether they will attack Sumy or Kharkiv first. Kharkiv would be the best prize for the Russians, but if that city falls it will impact the Sumy region.
In Samotoivka, where Pastor Andrew is based, he hears bombs locally. He has taken in more abandoned and orphaned children. As a result, the government want to move him to a “safer” place, but so far Pastor Andrew is resisting this due to all the work they are doing there by taking in orphans and helping the vulnerable and elderly.
Bohdan has also not heard from his friend Pastor Elijah in the south who I mentioned had been put under house arrest in a previous update. He has tried for the past 2 weeks to contact him, but sadly there has been no response.
Most of you will remember Alla, our children’s worker who left with her family to go to Germany. Her mother-in-law was captured by the Russians and has overcome her injuries. Her husband and Alla’s father-in-law are still stuck in the Donetsk region in Russian occupied territory, and they will not let him out or anyone to see him. For now, her mother-in-law has had to flee to Germany to be with Alla and Tolik. A sad reminder of the brutality and effect on families this war is having.
This week I heard from Larisa and the children of the orphanage. She wrote: “We are still in Austria, trying to find different activities for the kids during the holidays. In all their crafts and drawings, the children show that they want to go home, or have a family. Now we are doing our best to find them parents. We have several tasks. At the moment it is the construction of a bomb shelter in Sumy. We have already done a lot to start it. The second, is to find money to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine”. We will be helping with the aid to the Centre in Sumy, as she said that this past week has seen unprecedented levels of orphaned or abandoned children arrive. Below are some pictures of the children – all growing up fast and missing their homeland.
This week we also received a further quantity of the Jesus Story Book Bible, which the children really love. Every child of a suitable age was given a copy at this year’s camps. We are very thankful for the gift of these. Rather surprisingly 400 kilos of rice came with it!! We are not sure who this came from, but it is helping a lot of families!
Thank you again for your support, for those that pray for the team and the work that is done. It is incredible the level of support that is still happening and we are enormously grateful.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
The team have put together a highlights video from the teenagers' week of the 2023 Summer Camps.
Once again, despite all that they are living through, it's fantastic to see these young people playing games together, worshipping, praying, learning, and generally having a great time!
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 camp for teenagers took place and the team were very busy so there is a shorter update than usual.
The camp has gone well and, as expected, more teenagers turned up with 85 teens regularly attending. For the first time, there has been some opposition to the work the team are doing at the centre with workers from the local electricity company questioning what they are doing and why they can be so happy all the time! They are not seeing the good that is going on.
While they have been at the Centre, Sergey took a team to Larisa’s orphanage to encourage them. They currently only have 16 children living there, but that is because some families have taken children into their homes which is good news given the news below. This is what Pastor Andrew has done in his house in Samotoivka, taking in 3 extra children.
There are sad stories to contend with each day of how this war impacts the lives of the children and youth. One local boy attending who is known to the team, has his father fighting in the war in the south, and on Wednesday he found out that his father has gone missing in action. He is obviously finding this tough. This is just one family affected by the war, and when you multiply it across the land you realise what damage this war is creating.
In the region there has been a noticeable increase once again in military activity. Villages and town within 10 kms of the Russian border throughout Sumy have been told to evacuate as bombs, missiles and drones are sent over from Russia. It is believed that there are over 100,000 Russian soldiers encamped along the border once again, like in February 2022, and ready to attack. It is thought that they want to plan another offensive to take Kharkiv.
This morning Bohdan told me that a large rocket hit a children’s camp site in Sumy itself. Thankfully, there were no children on site, but one of the workers was sleeping in the accommodation and was killed. In our conversation he told me that although the sirens would regularly sound 10 months ago they were only for short periods. Now they seem to last forever, and many more rockets, and drones especially, are being sent over.
Bohdan has asked that we could pray for the camps as it is very difficult to run something like this in a war situation with sirens sounding. Secondly, for the children, as some have parents that have died, some who are wounded, some who are away fighting, and others who are missing. It is so difficult for them to comprehend the love of God when they live with so much suffering.
Thank you all so much for your ongoing support and for the many gifts that have come through. It has been amazing.
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 quieter for the team as they have been able to catch their breath with a week off between camps.
Within the region there still remains a high level of military activity. Yesterday sirens sounded all day and, whilst we were talking earlier, the air raid siren was sounding. Lebedyn itself is not seeing any direct military activity, but as you go towards Sumy city and Samotoivka, where Pastor Andrew is, then it is pretty heavy with lots of artillery fire as well as missiles.
These finished on a high! The children have loved their time at the camp. Bohdan said that by the end of both weeks so far there has been a notable change in their behaviour and attitudes. They planned for 75 children,but in the end 120 turned up which was a challenge, especially when they had to go into the bomb shelter, as with leaders and helpers there was 140 people crammed in. The kitchen staff remained in the kitchen cooking for the children!!
For the first time ever Bohdan has been receiving letters from the parents thanking them for the work done. Many have stated that the children received so much love and attention, and they as parents saw a massive change in their behaviour. The children have remembered everything that was shared as they have been telling them about it all. Seemingly they don’t do this when attending school (if they can!).
Over these past few weeks the regional government office have done a poll to all school children in years 1-5 within the city of Lebedyn. The question that was asked was “where do you like to rest and feel safe”. Top of the poll when finished was the Hope Lebedyn Centre! The camps, clubs and church were all mentioned. The reason Bohdan found this out is someone from the government called to find out more about what they are doing! This shows the amazing and positive impact the work is having within the community and the region of Sumy.
We now have a wonderful video of the camps held with the children which was created by Sasha in Lebedyn . Click here to watch it! It is also on our Facebook page here, where you can share it with your friends if you would like.
During this week, the team have still been giving aid and food out and meeting with people. There has been quite a need lately for items for the those that are disabled, including things like incontinence pads. It would appear that shops have run out, so we are looking to see if we can get some and visit those that need help. They have all been working on the grounds as well, preparing better drainage around the Activity Centre, and to the new groundwork of the playground. The youth do not want to stay away either, and come most days to play in the grounds or study together.
Last Sunday “farmer” Sergey was ordained as a leader and deacon of the church. This so good for Bohdan to have his closest friend alongside him working together in such a way.
The next camp starts on Monday and this time for the teenagers. Please pray for them, especially for safety and a great time. Bohdan told me earlier that they set out to have 50 teenagers. It is now over 75 that are registered, and he think this too might top 100 like with the younger children. Let’s hope and pray for fine weather!!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers they are much appreciated.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
The team have put together a highlights video from the first week of the 2023 Summer Camps.
It's great to see the children having loads of fun despite the circumstances they're living in!
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,
What a week it was last week! Increased military activity, the threat of nuclear destruction, hailstones the size of marbles, sweltering heat and then the coldest day on record for this time of year!
Bohdan told me earlier that week 2 of the summer camps has been the most challenging week they have ever had. On Monday, over 30 more children than planned turned up. As they were playing sirens rang out as the whole Sumy region was under serious attack. In the end, they had to cut the day short to get children home safely. Tuesday was a sweltering day with temperatures hitting mid 30’s. By the end of the day, Ukraine’s President was making announcements on Twitter and on local radio that they suspected that Russia would bomb the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and nobody would be safe from the fall out. So far this has not happened, but in the news we see a lot of discussion around this issue.
On Wednesday, they wondered whether they would get any children attending due to the messages that were released, but all came back. The children arrived with missiles firing in the region, so the first hour or so was spent in the bomb shelter. Bohdan said it was very tight and over 100 people in the shelter was very cramped. By 11.00am they were all out and back on schedule, but the heavens opened with a massive hailstorm which hurt if you were out in it! Bohdan text me to say “missiles and rockets in the morning and hail in the afternoon – everything is raining on us!”
Here are some pictures…..
The good news is that Thursday, there were no sirens and no rain! The trampoline pictured below caused one accident. That was with Bohdan’s son Lubomir, who fell and damaged his teeth!!
More pictures to enjoy from the camp!
Pastor Andrew in Samotoivka has been under enormous pressure as there has been lots of bombing and gunfire in his area. All are currently safe, but it has been nerve wracking at times.
Many others stay connected with Bohdan from around the country. One of those people is Pastor Elijah who went to college with Bohdan and is based in Berdyansk, which is under Russian occupation. He has been captured 6 times, and tortured for information and to make him stop helping other people. He is now under house arrest so that neither he nor his young family can escape to safety. They have been told they will be shot if they try to escape. He has asked that we pray for them as a family.
On Thursday, while the camp is running Bohdan, met with a soldier who asked to talk and for help. He has seen so much on the frontline it has had a deep impact into his life. He has asked Bohdan to pray with him. People still come to the Centre for help with food and clothes, and they are helped whenever they can.
On other team news, Sasha is not doing that well. He suffers with an acute condition and this wet and unpredictable weather does not help his immune system. Svetlana is doing very well and Bohdan has said she has fitted into the team quickly. “Farmer Sergey” this Sunday is being ordained as a deacon and onto the leadership of the church and Centre following his graduation. He is very excited, as are we, with this news.
Thank you so much for those of you that have supported the appeal letter we sent out. In 2 weeks we have raised 50% of the total which is staggering.
This week there are no camps planned which will give the team a chance to breathe, and to be able to catch up other things. It is unknown as yet whether the camp for those with disability will be able to go ahead due to the increased military activity, but after week's break the camp starts for the teenagers.
Thanks so much for your continued 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,
Last week was the first of the camp weeks and it started in style with torrential rain - and it has not stopped since! Bohdan has said that he has never seen as much rain as this during a summer camp week.
Over 100 children turned up, 25 more than expected. Around 75 have lived in the locality through much of the war. The other 25 are displaced children fleeing from very tough conditions, or they have just arrived back from living in Europe for a year. I was on a video call last Thursday and could see the children having a lot of fun and laughter, which was good to see.
Bohdan says he and the team are concerned for the children’s mental welfare. Many have not been to school for 2 years so their level of concentration and focus is poor – even for instruction on how to do the fun crafts etc. Most are angry and annoyed about the war. They feel the injustice, hate the restrictions, are fed up with not being able to be in school, fed up with sitting in bomb shelters, and hold a deep set fear of what tomorrow might bring for family and their country.
I thought you would be interested to hear this story from last Tuesday, day 2 of the camp. This is from a text from Bohdan……….. Good evening! Today was a difficult but blessed day. It rained all day, it was cold, we heard explosions, it was our soldiers shooting down Russian missiles. Also, one family who brought their son to us for the first time, asked to pray over him. He does not eat at all, does not sleep well, but the doctors do not see what the problem is. We prayed over him, and already in the evening, the boy began to eat. His name is Ivan. We had a nice talk with him, and he himself saw the Bible on my shelf and asked me to give it to him. Please pray for Ivan that as he reads his Bible he gets to know the real Jesus!
This is Ivan…….
The children have done all kinds of activities, including a lot of crafts and baking, and there have been so many games in the new building. Although they were not able to be outside, the kids enjoyed things immensely. The food was amazing and they ate so much fresh bread!! The cooks have been busy!
There will be more pictures in the next update, but here are a few below.
Lyuba is now back from hospital. Physically she is doing well, but mentally and spiritually she is still very much struggling with the loss of her baby. She wants to get back and help with the camps next week, but we will see!
Luda is in attendance at the Centre and marshalling kitchen duties, but unable to do much. However, she wants to be there helping as much as she can. The rest of the team are all doing well and enjoying themselves!
There are still families that come to the Centre for help, and they are helped wherever we can. For the next few weeks the attention of the team will be focused on the children.
I asked Bohdan how he was doing and he said: “I’m happy, I’m doing God’s work and I’ve been blessed – what more can I ask!”
Thank you all for your ongoing prayers, support and encouragement - 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 war in Ukraine continues to reveal new atrocities daily. The loss of life grows with 216,000 Russian soldiers alone reported to have died as of 13th June 2023. Ukraine has not suffered the same level of deaths, but the toll on family living and the innocent has been great. Over 65% of the families in Ukraine have been displaced from their normal place of home. Millions have fled the country, splitting families. In Sumy the area has been hit badly by missiles, with daily air raid sirens causing uncertainty and fear.
The team in Lebedyn, Sumy, have been doing an amazing work, and working tirelessly in reaching out to the people locally. As far as we know we are the only active Christian charity working in the region providing vital help and bringing hope.
The impact has been such that many have come to faith. There is a growing work with all under 18’s in the region, along with providing extensive help and supplies to those living in desperate situations. People have fled from the south into Lebedyn and the Centre has been the hub from which all help has flowed out. The team have tried to reach out and help all who have asked, and we have seen the miraculous happen from the tragedy of war.
There are ambitious plans for the summer, and we are stepping out in faith to achieve this and, through this update, letting our supporters know both our financial and prayer needs.
Five camps are planned this summer, reaching a multitude of children and youth with the good news of Jesus. Many of our existing team members have become Christians through past camps, so we know the level of impact this ministry achieves. There are also plans to do a camp in a village right near to the Russian border for which prayer cover will be so important.
In addition, we have some practical needs. The playground needs to be finished and sadly our main supporter had to pull out. One of our vehicles is not suitable for use as it is too large and could be targeted by missiles. The other has had to be taken out of commission due to age and wear & tear from the damaged roads.
Food prices have gone up dramatically and we continue to give away bread from our bakery to those that just cannot afford any food.
I know that many of you reading this update have been so generous with finance, support and prayers through this past season. However, if you are able to continue your support through our new season we would be really grateful, and continued prayer support from you is invaluable.
The Summer camp programme will cost £15,000, the vehicles, £17,000, and the playground £13,750. This along with all the workers support money totals £50,250 needed this summer.
There are two ways we would love you to consider supporting us. Monthly donations are a real help to enable us to budget and be able to support the team ongoingly. Do you know that:
• Just £5 a month will support one child to attend one of our camps for a week and give them a bible.
• £10 a month will help us to bake 100 loaves of bread for distribution.
• £25 a month would cover one month’s support money for one of the team.
A one-off donation is an enormous blessing, and is very helpful on large projects. If you are a UK taxpayer, gift aid helps to boost your gift enormously.
For details on how you can give please visit our Support Us page by clicking here, and you will find the details there. Alternatively, please email at info@hopelebedyn.org if you have any queries and we will get straight back to you.
Our thanks again for standing with us through these past 16 months. There is still much work to be done!
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,
I had one of the most encouraging and helpful meetings yesterday morning with Bohdan, despite the intermittent internet signal and all they are going through. Their positivity and energy is simply amazing! He sends his greetings to all that are supporting and continuing to pray for the work and team.
This situation in Lebedyn is very different to here. Whilst we bask in very warm temperatures, out there it is still only 10 degrees, and the rain falls every day. The ground is wet under foot, but more concerning, summer fruit and vegetable crops are not doing well with the amount of wet around them. The past two days have been very quiet in the Lebedyn area with no sirens, but last weekend there was lots of activity. In Samotoivka, where Pastor Andrew is based, they have come under fire from small artillery every day. It is still our hope that in August the team will go out and run a summer camp week for him. The decision will not be made until the last minute, depending on what is happening with military activity. I will keep you updated.
The team are preparing the site ready for the new playground and planning all the summer camps as you can see from the photos.
Registration opened yesterday for the camps, and within two hours all weeks were full. The team keep some places free within this process so they can add newly orphaned children, those that have fled and come into the area, and those they might find in real need. Next week, registration starts for the teenager weeks, and we expect these to do the same, but perhaps fill even quicker. The children will be fed very well whilst at camp, so some parents are keen for their children to attend for that purpose alone.
On team news, Luba is still struggling through her pregnancy. Thankfully, she is now seven months pregnant. She needs an injection next week to help her and the baby due to the issues of the incompatability of her and her husband's blood. Bohdan said that this in the UK could be a simple procedure, but they are not skilled at doing this in Sumy!! Their own GP had the same problem, but sadly doctors did not do it right leaving the baby brain-damaged. All are pretty nervous and have asked for prayers at this time. Otherwise, team are doing well, and Svetlana has arrived and jumped straight into working with the team planning all the camp weeks.
The youth still come to the Centre every day as you can see from the pictures below. They stay late, enjoying the facilities, playing sports and doing bible study together. They eat the bread that has been baked, and help the team with a lot of the work, especially as they are in school summer holidays right now. At the Centre, the work continues day by day, to help where they can, with supplies to the disabled, and food to the hungry.
Our congratulations go to Valentine and “Farmer” Sergey who graduated this past weekend in Kyiv with a foundational degree in theology. This is the same course that will now be taught in Lebedyn from September. It is great to share in their joy at this time when so much around them is without hope.
There will be another update that comes out next week, which details some of the financial needs we have. Over the past 16 months I have have kept these updates simply to inform you with what is going on within the work at the Centre, in the region, and the effects of the war. This will stay the same. The prayer and general support given has been amazing but these updates are not about raising funds but encouraging you to keep supporting and praying for these brave and amazing people, who are doing such an amazing job in the midst of war and destruction. This is our first priority. We have been amazed by people’s generosity without having to ask, but there are needs that are coming up which the update will inform you about. There is no pressure to donate – your support is the greatest thing we could have at this time. We are only planning to do these updates three times a year so nobody gets bombarded with requests.
Thank you again for standing with us and we continue to pray for the team in their plans for what will be an immensely busy summer.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
