Watch the highlights video of the Easter/Spring 2024 children's camp.
Although it was delayed, the camp was able to go ahead, and more than 85 children attended each day. There was a wide mix of backgrounds behind each child attending. Some have parents serving in the army, some have parents that are being held captive, some are refugees, some have been fostered, some have special education needs, but with all, it is evident that their parents or grandparents who look after them really love their children.
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Dear Friends,
This week brought some surprises as the Sumy regional government decided last Saturday to postpone school holidays for a week. Nobody is quite sure why, but the knock on effect is that at the last minute the Spring Camp had to be postponed for one week. The good news is that more children have booked in. The camp is full, with a waiting list, and will start on Easter Monday. Bohdan has asked that we can especially pray for this week for safety and that the sirens will not sound as frequently.
Regionally (Sumy Oblast), the area is still under heavy attack. Velika Pisarivka is a town nearby (around 80km) which has been really hit hard. The church there has been abandoned, and most of the population is fleeing due to its danger. Many have come to Lebedyn looking for help and been told to come to the Centre. The Lebedyn government have been able to house those arriving as they have properties vacated by those fleeing Lebedyn.
People of all ages are needing help. Over 100 came to the Centre on Tuesday for bread and any aid we could give. The ladies have been sewing all day to make bedding and some clothes to help. Bohdan and team are today, and over the next few days, visiting all those that have arrived in the town to assess what needs there are, and then how they can be helped. The elderly lady in the photo below arrived and was sent to a care home, but she needed help walking, and the team were able to give her crutches and a wheelchair, which she was thrilled with. The lady with her child were able to be helped with nappies, bread and other items
I have mentioned in these updates that we are hoping for aid to arrive from Germany. Currently, it is stuck at Customs at the border, so again, please pray for its release and safe travel to its destination in the east of Ukraine.
Despite all that has been going on with the intensity of the war, the children and young people have been meeting. The older children/young teens met and had a pizza party - they loved it, and you can see the results of their cooking in the photo at the top of the page! The older teens have been meeting in the week in their Bible study homegroups. They are enjoying their new youth NIV new testaments.
UNICEF have approached Bohdan as they want to hold short courses for children to teach what they should do in case of emergency. Sadly, this means that more intense fighting in the region is expected. It is good that within the town UNICEF have recognised the value of the work being done in the Centre and know we have the ear of so many people through the help given.
Traditionally, Easter was always celebrated within the Orthodox Church calendar, always being later that the Easter dates here in the UK. The Ukraine Orthodox Church still will do that, but all other Protestant churches will be celebrating Easter as we do so this weekend. This has caused some tension between the two church denominations, and we hope and pray that this will not escalate into anything else.
In all my conversations with Bohdan and “Farmer” Sergey, including this week, they have expressed that it is the Easter message that keeps them going. The fact that through Jesus’ resurrection this brings eternal life to those that believe drives them in their work and ministry. It brings hope through dark times of despair. They send their Easter Greetings to everyone with this message…….
“The last week of Jesus’ life clearly shows that although there is a lot of betrayal, meanness and grief in the world, nothing has been out of God’s control and grace!! Even evil our Lord turned into greatest joy and hope! Happy Easter everyone!!! – Bohdan.”
May you all have a blessed Easter weekend, and thank you so much for standing with the team with your support, prayers and gifts. It is both humbling and so appreciated. We continue to pray for peace and safety for the team, their ministry, this region and of course this nation.
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,
In the past week or so, we have seen in the news the intense pressure that is being put on Ukraine through increased military activity. Sumy has been in UK news several times, as bombardments reach record highs. In talking with Bohdan on Wednesday, published figures show that since the previous Wednesday, their region has been targeted by over 1,300 drones or missiles. More than in the first invasion for such a period. Many villages close to the border are being flattened and destroyed. We are so thankful that so far there has still not been one bomb or missile that has landed within Lebedyn, although the sounds of explosions can be heard more often from neighbouring towns/villages. Their concern is that once the towns and villages near the border have been obliterated then Russia will advance and missiles will be able to reach Lebedyn. We continue to pray for their safety.
Due to this increased intensity the alarms have been sounding day and night, and this has put fear into the lives of the local people. Sadly, both the youth and children’s clubs had to be cancelled over last weekend as it was deemed to dangerous to hold them. This did not stop them going out to help others in the community. They have been able to purchase some items, particularly to help with the elderly and the new Bibles have been well received.
Aid is still scarce, and in talking with others there is similar things being said. The German charity will be sending some things through in the next few weeks, but we have been told it is much less than hoped as people are not giving to Ukraine any more. There is a fatigue. We wait to see what will arrive.
As usual, the team did bake bread, and both last week and this, through the alarms and noise of war, hundreds of loaves were given out. Again this Tuesday, a further 250 loaves were given out with many coming to the Centre for the service beforehand. On Thursday, more bread was baked after acquiring a further ton of flour! Seeds ready for planting fruit and veg were given out as well where it was possible.
Bohdan informed me that many families are leaving or thinking of leaving in the days to come with the way things are. As they walked around the streets this week there was an obvious lack of young mums out and about. But as we have seen so often, as some leave , others arrive. Natasha is a young mum who arrived in Lebedyn and has asked for help. Natasha had fled at the start of the war to a safer region, but came back to Sumy after things calmed down. She is a young mum on her own with a young child. On Monday she fled Sumy city as it became so dangerous to live there this past week. She arrived in Lebedyn with very little, but came as her mother lives within Lebedyn. She needed help, so the team did what they could to help her. Natasha is not alone, and every day the team are being asked to help where they can.
Education is still a challenge, with children not attending school for the past week or so. An organisation that runs after-school clubs has approached Bohdan for help. They are discussing as to whether the Centre could be used for some activities, such as computer workshops and sports activities. We are waiting to see what can be done, as the strength of military activity will dictate what happens.
Tomorrow, Monday 25th, the Spring Camp is due to start. Traditionally, we would expect around 100 children, but with everything going on we are not too sure how many children will arrive. Registrations are lower, but this can change if things remain peaceful in the Lebedyn area. Please do pray for this activity as much preparation has gone into this week.
This last week though, has been a good week for connecting with other organisations, and those that might be able to help in the future. We have some new contacts, so please pray that they turn into something positive in the coming weeks. Yesterday we had a great conversation with “Ukraine without Orphans” Their team will visit Bohdan and team next week to see how they can help. What came out of the conversation from their regional head was that he had visited Lebedyn a month or two back and was astounded by the level of work they were achieving. The breadth of help and ministry given was outstanding. It is good to hear this from others, and it shows how effective the team have been and still are!
War fatigue has definitely crept in, but we ask that you continue to pray as this war sadly escalates, and that our prayers for this amazing team out there will not suffer the same fatigue. Throughout these past 2+ years we have seen God’s hand of protection and the amazing things achieved. Let’s keep praying and especially for the miracle of peace in this nation.
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,
What a week it was last week, with many highs and lows! The intensity of the war continues affecting daily lives. Many are still preparing to flee the area and yet still more displaced people arrive into the town of Lebeydn. Sadly, death is becoming a greater part of life, with many friends and family having to experience this. Below, with face blotted out, is Andrii. He used to come to the camps and church, and in 2016 he was one of the first people Bohdan baptised as a young pastor of the church. The Sunday before last he was killed. Every week there is this reminder of the cost of lives being lost. It is just tragic.
Because the week before last was so bad in the region they had to cancel the children’s club on the Saturday. However, the youth still met and they had a great time as you can see in the picture at top of the page.
Instead of taking the day off, Bohdan knew of another small and struggling church up in Mezhirych who also hold a children’s club normally getting around 15 children attending. They loaded up the minibus and went to help, giving children presents and Bibles, and helping with their activities. Mezhirych, was once a thriving city with 3 large schools teaching around 2,000 children. Today there are only 100 children left within the one remaining school. Many of the 15 children at the club have been orphaned or live in poverty, doing mainly farming. Lots of the fields around have been mined, making this a dangerous vocation. The church is without a pastor currently so Bohdan and team plan to do what they can to help them and within their community. Mezhirych is only 18km away from Lebedyn, and last week I found out this is where Bohdan’s family comes from on his mother's side. In fact, his great grandfather was a preacher in the local church he is now helping. Last Thursday, Bohdan and team, including the puppet show, visited the 100 children in their school.
Whilst on school work, Bohdan had a good meeting with the Director of his childrens' school. They are planning for the team to go in when this is possible, and also for the school to use the Centre more, as they have a larger bomb shelter if required. Bohdan is keen to work with them more.
On the journey to Mezhirych, the team visited the largest care home for the elderly in the area with 53 residents. Many elderly people have been left here by families that have fled the region, so very few people visit. The team took in bread for day-to-day purposes, and some smaller pies and cakes for them to enjoy – all baked in the Bakery of course! Bohdan did manage to source extra flour this week which was donated to the work.
At the church service last Sunday, two people became Christians and Bohdan was, of course, really excited. One of these people was a lady who came into the church to see what they are all about as she runs the local bakery!! Instead of seeing it as competition, she loves the work they are doing and wants to support them. Interestingly, she was trained as a lawyer, and still does some practice as her husband runs the bakery on a day to day basis. She has also said she will help with any legal matters as well at the Centre.
Within the church Bohdan told me that they have 10 people wanting to be baptised and there’s possibly more. He is running classes for this currently.
In other news……. the German charity they have contact with is hoping to deliver aid into Ukraine to another city at the end of March. They will have to hire a lorry to go and get this, but it could be quite a dangerous journey.
The fear of call-up is still strong with young men. No man can leave the country, but those that do not want to fight tend to go to the very big cities so as to be not so obvious. For a region like Sumy this has a huge impact, as all younger and family men are leaving. Bohdan quoted a statistic saying that around 70% of the Ukrainian army is made up of people who live in villages or small towns as this is easier for recruiters to serve them papers. This is figure is unverified.
Svitlana’s family still live in the south, but with the changes going on down there, her home town is right on the edge of where the new fighting is happening. Apparently, they hear explosions all the time.
Last week, we mentioned about a young girl, Victoria, whose mother had died in hospital. Many have asked how she is doing. She is now living with her older sister in Kharkiv, and being cared for there.
They have found all the parts for Bohdan’s car to be fixed after the car sunk into an iced over bomb crater. This will be good for him to have this back soon. Bohdan’s week was made complete on Sunday evening when he celebrated his beloved Liverpool winning the Carabao cup final! He was one very happy young man!!
Thank you again for all your prayers and support. Last week was so encouraging to hear how people were praying for all their work in the Sumy region. Bohdan is immensely grateful to you all.
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,
We were thrilled to be joined by Bohdan and Sergey on Saturday for our Trustees' board meeting, followed by a prayer service. It was such an amazing time to be able to hear directly from them about the situation in Lebedyn and Sumy, and to meet so many people who have been faithfully supporting the work. As you can see from the photo above, although there is sadness in what they see, they can still smile, and indeed have a laugh on several occasions. They were so pleased to see the many that turned out at various parts of the day and considered it “pure joy!”
This week has been our week of prayer leading up to what will be the second anniversary of this terrible war. The prayer points PDF can be downloaded from here if you would like to take part in the remaining days. We have been enormously encouraged by the many participating. Thank you!
Following the meetings on Saturday, I received a text in the night from Bohdan to say that loud missiles and bombs could be heard. The family were scared, and it was the loudest they had heard so far. It has started another increasingly difficult week with growing military activity and more shelling than ever before. Bohdan has said for the first time you see planes flying over whereas before it was just the missiles. Many people are getting scared again, and families are fleeing the area to head to safer ground. Many to another country.
The infrastructure within Ukraine is creaking with pressures on all medical services, especially the hospitals as they treat the injured impacted by the war and medical staff are on the front line, leaving services in hospitals very stretched. This was only too evident this past week. Victoria is a young lady aged 14 who has attended the camps we have held, and is part of the youth club. Her mother was taken ill and admitted to the hospital. Sadly, through a medical mistake, she died. Victoria does not know where her father is, so she is effectively orphaned by this situation. Her Grandmother lives in Lebedyn, and for now, Victoria is living there. Please pray for her.
At the same time the team continue to do what they can to help as people are arriving as people leave! Large batches of bread have been baked and handed out with what little aid there is.
There is a lot of sickness around, and all schools in the region are closed for quarantine purposes. It is a sickness bug which is acute and leaves people very drained. There has been speculation that it might be water borne as it is so virulent, but this is unfounded although many are affected by it. At present, we are allowed to hold the children’s and youth clubs at the weekend, but Bohdan is not sure how many will turn up.
On Wednesday, amidst heavy snow, air raid sirens and missiles flying over, the team were able to help some families that have been displaced from the south. Fighting is very heavy there, and many of the soldiers come from Sumy region. They have been telling people to flee the area and go to Lebedyn where there is a centre who will help them! Families are asking for nappies and hygiene products, so Bohdan is going to try and source some of these things locally. This is encouraging as it shows three things. Firstly, their resilience in times like this is amazing, Their reputation – even the soldiers on the battlefield are recommending their work, and their generosity – willing to share the gospel and God's goodness in so many ways.
Another church in the area also asked for help. They took bread with them but were asked for a Ukrainian Bible as people are refusing the Bible in the Russian language. They could not believe it when Bohdan left them 80 Ukrainian Bibles, which we obtained through the Bible Society, Children's Bibles and other literature. As Bohdan said to me – we thank God that we have this opportunity to share.
Yesterday, Bohdan met with some directors of schools to see what they can do to help, and met a person that has promised to give us flour so bread can be continued to be made. There are never ending things to do!
Bohdan also informed me that there has been one small victory and a great joy! Miroslav, his middle boy, had been entered into the county chess championships and he came 3rd! We have sent our congratulations.
Whether it be the bread to eat, or the bread of life to study, you all have made this happen is some way. Thank you for your continuing support and prayers. As we have found out this past week, they have been 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,
This week has seen the date which most of our calendars will tell us is the day of “love”- Valentine’s Day! War challenges the root of love. Many are grieving lost ones, many suffering life changing injuries, some abandoned, many away fighting away from home, and others living alone and destitute, longing for the care and love of someone around them. 14th February is a difficult day for them. The team continue to reach out to all these people and show God’s love in hopefully a practical way. To feed, share encouragement and often giving someone a hug!
The situation remains much the same, with sirens sounding with usual regularity, and bombs falling within the region. Today was the first day that Bohdan’s children have been able to go to school. However, many schools are now closed under quarantine to contain a nasty virus that is going round. The team had plans to visit a nearby school which musical Sergey does work with, but it was cancelled for this reason.
Last week they did manage to visit one school and took the puppet show. They took gifts with them for the children and they all listened intently to the stories told from the Bible. The Principal wants them now to go every month. In the photos below you will see the state of the roads in getting there, the new minibus and at the school.
At the weekend, they came across a new care home for the elderly, and decided to visit these and others on the way. Firstly, they of course went to the bakery to bake some smaller goodies to take to every member. They also stopped in a few villages to give bread and love to those in need. They also visited a centre for those with disability to bring them some encouragement. Getting food and supplies is becoming a big problem for some of these institutions.
Families still come to the Centre for help, and although supplies are limited, we still have larger sized nappies to help. Also, this week the bakery increased their volume of bread baked by 50% so at least those that came to visit had some food as well.
There has been news from Pastor Andrew who we support in Samotoivka. Everyone within 5km of the Russian border has been now asked to leave and abandon everything for fear of Russians attacking and trying to come over the border. Some are refusing, and one consequence of that is the government are taking away foster children from their homes and putting them back into orphanages. Andrew knows of several families this is affecting, and as Andrew lives outside of this zone he has taken two more children into his house. In total, he has seven children at home under their care, plus one who has been conscripted into the army, and one missing in action - presumed dead. They have another two boys arriving in the summer. The impact the war is having on families such as Andrew's is enormous, and yet he remains faithful to the work and ministry of the church in the area.
We have also heard form Larisa, and she has brought a few of the younger children back with her to Sumy. The older children remain in Vienna as some of the older teens are now getting to the age they can be taken into the army. Whilst Larisa has been away, her large orphanage was split into two to create a second orphanage. One houses newborn babies as well as older children. Larisa has got funding for a bomb shelter there which will be huge and will be built 4.5 metres underground. Temporarily, many of the children will be moved to a place called Shostka which is around 200km away in the north of the region, but there is concern as the impact of the war is greater there than Sumy at present. This is the only building suitable in the Sumy region that the government could house them all in. Once the bomb shelter is built then Larisa takes on management of both orphanages, plus those in Vienna. She will then have nearly 200 children under her care. Before the war she had 55 children. Many of the additional children are there because parents are away fighting or have been killed in action. Again, a stark reminder of the cost of war. Bohdan and team will visit and take bread and nappies for the babies, and I expect the puppet show will go as well with Bibles and treats.
I hope to see many of you on Saturday at the prayer service at Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne at 4:00pm. You can just turn up to the meeting. Some of you have registered to ask for a live link for the meeting and that has been sent. If you have not received that, please do let me know, and I will forward one on by return. Bohdan and some of the other team members will be joining for the whole meeting and speaking – war permitting. He will be sharing some of the key issues and prayer points with us I’m sure.
Thank you all so much for your support , prayers and messages of encouragement. They are greatly appreciated.
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
From 17th - 24th February we are holding a week of prayer as we remember the 2nd anniversary of the war in Ukraine. To help you pray, we've created a PDF guide that contains some daily prayer points.
Click the image above to view and download it.
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,
Yesterday, we had a longer meeting than normal because, as you can see from the picture above, all the team joined together so they could share stories of all their work. It was great to see those that could make it!
There was much in common within what they were saying. All said it is getting so much harder to do their work due to the level of military activity in the area. Sirens are sounding for longer, and travelling around to villages is getting more dangerous, but that is where so much need is. They vowed to continue to do that work as long as they can. They also mentioned that many families are fleeing the area, and those left behind are struggling with the trauma of everything. Young people are hardening their hearts as they tire of the war. They long for peace and stability. They have become a tight team where they encourage each other despite all they are going through. Every member of the team can tell a story of people they know who has been killed or injured in the war. Bohdan shared that he found an old photo of the youth together from 2014. Nearly all the then teenagers are fighting in the war, and he reckoned that nearly 50% have been killed.
Sasha reported that he has a good number of young people attend his computer classes aged between 6-23 years old. They are given work and homework to do, so some drift off as they think it is only a way to play computer games. From here many of them will join the other groups held within the church and Centre.
Musical Sergey has 26 children in the puppet theatre now – the largest ever! These are split into three teams. They rehearse each week,and are frustrated that they cannot travel more to give their shows as the roads are too dangerous. They visit the hospitals, orphanages (such as they are) and some schools with their shows, sharing stories from the Bible in a contemporary way. Many children come to the Centre to see their shows. Sergey also oversees the work with the elderly. They meet each week, and he also does computer classes for them . Again there is much need. Many are alone and isolated; some have partners that are severely disabled and in need of help. Bread and food is often given. Sergey said that at the beginning, their tradition was to pray to icons within the orthodox church, but now they pray to God in a true way and they see great spiritual results.
Valentyn and Lyuba reported on the work with the teenagers. There is little stability in numbers attending due to sirens, and families arriving and leaving. There are a good core group now meeting in homegroups as well as the clubs. There is growth, but it is slower than they would like. The young people struggle with their identity, but through love and encouragement and Bible study, they are seeing that change more and more.
Svitlana’s work with the children has been amazing. The children trust her. Her studies in child psychology help her within this work, but she has been trying to teach the children to be thankful even in times of war as this will keep them positive and kind to others. Numbers again fluctuate for the same reasons as with the youth.
Aid is still hard to find, but thanks to your generosity there was some surplus within the Christmas appeal money, and all of that, with some extra specific gifts received, have now been sent out to purchase food, aid, and sanitary wear for the elderly. The planned aid from Germany has not materialised, so we are still searching for more supplies.
Many of you will remember a post I shared early in the war about a young lady called Natahsa. She has been known for many years to the work in Lebedyn as when a teenager, she was involved in an accident that has now left her bed-ridden and with no mobility. At the start of the war, this family were struggling as they lived in a village called Vorozhba nearby to Lebedyn. Access to facilities and food was almost impossible. The team were able to help, and through a kind donation, a house was bought in Lebedyn for her and her family to live in. It has been transformative for both Natasha and her mother, as her mother gets to go to the Centre for the services and the church help where they can. I mentioned above that the war is getting more intense within the region and on Monday/Tuesday there were sirens for three hours at a time on several occasions, and sounds of a big explosion. It transpired that Vorozhba was hit badly, people were killed, and most houses had significant damage. It landed very close to where Natasha’s family used to live, and they would have been injured, if not killed, if they had stayed there. We are so thankful for their safety, but it shows also how close the war is getting to Lebedyn once again. It also shows that it is not military areas that are being targeted, as this is just a sleepy village outside of Lebedyn.
The team are trying to visit this area and some other nearby villages this week, but Bohdan said the roads are terrible and it is a very risky journey. We continue to pray for their safety.
Please see the reminder note below about our prayer service coming up soon on February 17th. We will be sharing other stories at this time of how the war has impacted people and the impact of the work to the people both physically and spiritually.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. It is so appreciated.
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. please remember that we plan to hold a service of prayer on Saturday February 17th at 4.00pm at Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne . Bohdan will be speaking to share some of his thoughts through this service. His attendance is of course war permitting. Because the support base for Hope Lebedyn has widened to even be international, we are looking into having this gathering live streamed. If this is possible the stream will be by invitation only. If you would like to be part of the stream then please do let us know so we can register you. It would be great to see as many of you as possible in person if you are local or are prepared to travel to be with us. We also hope that this will start a week of prayer for all that is going on in Ukraine which will take us up to the anniversary date of 24th February. More details will follow.
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 has not improved any in the last week, with constant missiles and threat overhead, and children at home rather than at school. There's even been high category sirens, which mean a bomb has exploded somewhere in the region nearby.
The past weekend has been busy. On Friday, I had the following text in with pictures from Bohdan. “Good day! Today we visited people who live below the poverty line or simply left alone in this life, and no one needs them, some cannot even walk. We bought food for them, distributed Christian literature and testified to the love of God”.
There is little aid left, and are trying to source supplies. We are still waiting for a big shipment from a German charity, so we are praying that this comes soon. In the meantime, the team buy what they can to help those in need. Families are really struggling, as more often than not, loved partners are away fighting or being a key worker, working long hours, and often away from their home town. This lady below with her baby, asked if we could help, and again some food was taken along with nappies. It is so tough for families right now.
The Bible College remains closed, as the college in Kyiv we partner with, will not send people to help because Lebedyn and Sumy is too dangerous to live in. Bohdan has asked for prayer for the team as they are a young team (him included!), and there is the constant threat of call-up for military service.
Bohdan has a sister (Oksana) who is married and Bohdan is quite close to her and her husband (Zhenya). Sadly, news came in yesterday that Zenya’s mother died very suddenly. She suffered a massive stroke. The family were close, so we want to uphold them in prayer at this time.
This weekend is going to be a very busy one. Today it is a bank holiday within the orthodox calendar. They celebrate the time Jesus was taken to the temple after his birth. It looks like the government have not stopped this celebration, so the church is holding a big service and will be up early baking hundreds of loaves of bread to distribute. They are expecting many people. Then, in the evening the youth will meet and Saturday will have children’s club, computer workshops and English classes. Sunday too will be full of the usual services, plus the youth gathering again as well.
Given the conditions the people in Lebedyn are living under, with the ongoing energy and faith they have, their work remains so encouraging and humbling at times. They continue to plan for all kinds of work that will help those within the community, plus special weeks with camps throughout the year.
Thank you again for your prayers and support at this time, and please see the reminder below for the service in Eastbourne in a few weeks time.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. please remember that we plan to hold a service of prayer on Saturday February 17th at 4.00pm at Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne . Bohdan will be speaking to share some of his thoughts through this service. His attendance is of course war permitting. Because the support base for Hope Lebedyn has widened to even be international, we are looking into having this gathering live streamed. If this is possible the stream will be by invitation only. If you would like to be part of the stream then please do let us know so we can register you. It would be great to see as many of you as possible in person if you are local or are prepared to travel to be with us. We also hope that this will start a week of prayer for all that is going on in Ukraine which will take us up to the anniversary date of 24th February. More details will follow.
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 intensity of the war continues within the region, and sadly the children have not been able to attend school this week. Sirens still sound daily. Over in Samotoivka where Pastor Andrew is, you can hear and see the bombs land, but in Lebedyn they are normally flying over to another destination hopefully for them to be shot down before damage gets done. Bohdan said to me it is only a matter of time before one lands in Lebedyn. Let’s pray not!
The team had an SOS from the soldiers based in Lebedyn. They had been helping in another city and when they came back they reported finding six families who were desperate for help – all had very small children. Nappies, baby milk and other supplies were given to the soldiers (along with some Bibles!) to take to the families concerned. They were so grateful, and now come and speak most days about how good it is to be able to help others. Once again these moments give favour to the team in Lebedyn with the military as the soldiers love what is being done through the work at the Centre.
There is still no news of Lena’s son’s body being repatriated for burial after all this time. She is hanging in there, but it is tough. We have also found out that Sasha’s cousin was fighting on the front line and went missing in action. Today, we heard that he had been taken captive by the Russian army and is being held prisoner. Please pray for his safe release.
The bakery is becoming something of positive local gossip! Bohdan said that “their bread has fame now!” People have said it is the best tasting bread and cannot wait to sample it. The soldiers too are hearing about it, and have asked Bohdan what it is all about. As a result they are going to bake extra loaves, and invite the families of the soldiers in and bless them with some bread. He is even going to try and ask the area commander to come in! We wait and see what happens.
Lyuda oversees the work in the kitchen as she is head chef! She is also musical Sergey’s wife. Bohdan has said that she is suffering with ill health of quite a serious nature which means it now looks like that Lyuda will have to step down from the amazing work she does. Like here in the UK, to cook publicly there are health standards and certificates that need to be held to do this work. Those that help Lyuda do not, or cannot, do this so Bohdan is now looking at someone new to take on this voluntary role. Alla is a possibility as she is a qualified caterer, but with 4 young children and homeschooling we think it might be one step too many for her! We would value prayers for the replacement to be found as people are now relying on the bakery.
Last week, I reported that Nicolai, one of the church leaders had left to try and help his family in Russia. The route he took was very circuitous driving the whole breadth of Ukraine into Poland, then up to Belarus and into Russia. Thankfully, he has arrived safely. They do have a problem though, in that getting access to their finances is nearly impossible and any inter country banking permissions have ceased. He cannot use his card or even do internet banking within Russia. This means he will have to come back in the spring so please pray for them as a family, and that the operation his granddaughter hopes to have will be a success.
I also write with good news and thank you for your prayers as it looks like Victor will not have to go and fight. They have told him that for now, due to a past medical condition, he will not be called up. Bohdan said that he has also been informed that, for now, he will not be called up either, as he has four small children with one being an infant. He said it proves that Zoryana is a true blessing!
Every Friday, the amount of youth turning up is growing. The photos on this page show a recent evening. This is even though many families are still leaving the area. This Friday they think that nearly 50 young people will arrive if there is no sirens. They also have had to grow the bible study homegroups as many come out on the Tuesday evening to these as well. This weekend will still see all the activities happening as usual.
I mentioned before that the winter/Christmas camp was a huge success. Bohdan’s has written a spiritual report, which should encourage those of you that have supported at this time.
The presents that were given at the orphanages, hospitals and throughout the season at all the special events were so well received. The team are now planning for an Easter camp week!
Thank you once again for your ongoing support and prayers.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. please remember that we plan to hold a service of prayer on Saturday February 17th at 4.00pm at Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne . Bohdan will be speaking to share some of his thoughts through this service. His attendance is of course war permitting. Because the support base for Hope Lebedyn has widened to even be international, we are looking into having this gathering live streamed. If this is possible the stream will be by invitation only. If you would like to be part of the stream then please do let us know so we can register you. It would be great to see as many of you as possible in person if you are local or are prepared to travel to be with us. We also hope that this will start a week of prayer for all that is going on in Ukraine which will take us up to the anniversary date of 24th February. More details will follow.
