Watch the highlights video of the Autumn 2023 children's camp.
What a joy to see these children having fun!
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,
Christmas is fast approaching and is a time that is celebrated all around the world. But for some, like those in Ukraine, this season holds little hope. By Christmas, this tragic war will have been going on for 22 months and there is little hope of any peace. Young children do not remember such a time.
For Ukrainians in the Sumy region, air raid sirens still fill the air daily. Missiles, drones, land mines and artillery fire are a constant hazard of daily living. Supplies of basic foods are in short supply, and inflation means that many goods are simply not affordable. Power cuts occur most days exposing them to the winter cold. As we witnessed through our camp and club programme during this year, children and families have been exposed to the atrocities of war with all knowing people that are missing, away fighting, or sadly, that have passed away. Every child seems to carry a trauma. With 70% of all families in Ukraine displaced since the start of the war, Christmas is a bleak time.
We would like to bring a little hope to the children and young people this Christmas. We plan to hold a Christmas camp for around 100 children in Lebedyn. We estimate that there are at least 600 children in the local area, and more within the wider county. What if we could help others and visit the hospital and local orphanages and give each child a present along with the Christmas story? We could share some love bringing them Hope for Christmas .
To hold the camp costs £35 per child. This means we need to raise £3,500 for this activity to happen.
We would love to reach 1,000 children with a gift as well. £12 will buy a Christmas bag full of treats and basic needs. There will be colouring pencils, pens, notebooks and items to help with schoolwork, hygiene products like toothbrushes, sweets, some small toys, a children’s Bible, and many other things to bring some festive cheer included. To reach these children will cost £12,000.
If we do all the above we will need to raise a total of £15,500. Of course, if you can gift aid your gift then this helps enormously. Perhaps you can encourage your friends, family and churches to help as well? There is so much need around the world currently, but hopefully in our little way we can truly make a difference into the lives of the children in the Sumy region. Any extra funds will be used to help buy food for those in need.
If you would like to donate to this project please click on one of the buttons above, or visit the Support Us page on this website where you can find details of how to donate. When giving via Stewardship please include a note with your donation that it is for the Christmas Appeal 2023. If giving via another means, once you’ve made your gift, please email info@hopelebedyn.org so we can acknowledge the receipt of your gift, and if you can make your donation via gift aid we will send you an appropriate form. Thank you!
If you would like to speak further to me or any of the team please do email us at info@hopelebedyn.org
Hope Lebedyn supporters have been enormously generous through these past 21 months of this war. You can see from the weekly updates that so much has been achieved to help the people in the needy region of Sumy, Ukraine. Thank you for your support and your consideration with this project.
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 has been a very busy two weeks in Lebedyn. Getting aid, planning, and starting the Autumn camp, and still holding the many activities within the Centre and throughout the region has been challenging but good.
Last week, Bohdan text me to say the intensity of the sirens was still growing and now they could hear bombs and shelling in the distance. Current reports say that the shelling throughout Ukraine has been at its worst for nine months. Sadly, these things are not getting reported now in the main news bulletins. Also, food supplies are getting harder to obtain, power cuts are starting to happen to conserve energy, and there is a dread of what winter might bring.
We managed to find some aid and sent lorries to Mukachevo and Zaporizhia . We expected them to come back full but sadly the trucks were only filled to 50% capacity. There was still around five tons of food and supplies, but most of this has already been given out. Last Thursday, they invited those they knew were needing help to attend a church service at the Centre. Here they were given some refreshments, and received food packs with over 200 people turning up. Over 300 families in total have benefited from this help as some were visited in their homes. We were also given more flour to help the bakery to produce more loaves for distribution. Some pictures follow.
The aid gives huge support especially to the poorest in the region. Many families are living on one meal a day and even that is very basic. The more you travel into the rural areas, Bohdan says the poverty seems worse. When the team visit they bring hope as well as food. They share about their hope in Jesus as Christians and people are keen to listen. One such young man is Ilya. He is 24. and lives in a rural area on the outskirts of Lebedyn. He has some physical disabilites and is isolated with no family around him. When the team visited he had no food. They gave him some aid , chatted with him and gave him a Bible to read. Ilya has become a Christian as a result, he comes to all the services, is a transformed character and loves being part of the church family!
Two weeks ago the team were again invited to go into Lebedyn hospital to help and visit the children. Valentine, Lyuba & Svitalana took gifts and shared stories written by the team for the puppet theatre. Many of the children waiting in the room below need on-going treatment, or have simply been abandoned or orphaned, and they wait in hospital until an orphanage or home is found. The hospital want us to do more work with these children.
The bomb shelter was finished in time for the autumn camp which is going on this week. It now has heating, ventilation, a toilet, and bomb-proof doors! See pictures below.
The camp has gone very well, and the children seem to be in much better spirits this time around. The sirens before the camp were as intense as ever, as I mentioned above, but so far they have only happened once, briefly, 10 minutes on Wednesday. This is an amazing answer to prayer as they were fearful that the camp could not proceed. There will be a fuller report on the camp in the next week or so but there are a few pictures below to enjoy.
In my conversation with Bohdan on Thursday morning, it was evident that Ukraine is shifting in some of its stances around the war. New changes to laws will make it harder for people to be exempt from active service. Many of those that have ongoing medical conditions are having those ignored to grow the army reservists. There is also talk that studies will have to stop for young men, and this could have a significant impact on our team as a result, so please can you pray for this matter. This amazing work and ministry needs to carry on, and we need the right team to be able to achieve this.
On Tuesday, I sent out details about our Christmas Campaign “Hope for Christmas”. Can I thank those of you that have already donated and given to this campaign as the support has been amazing thus far. If you didn't receive the email and would like to know more, please visit our Hope For Christmas Appeal 2023 page.
Thank you all for your faithful support in so many ways.
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,
Already another week has passed!!
This past week seems to have had more sirens than ever before. There have been big explosions, especially on Tuesday on the outskirts of Sumy citym which was reported in the news. When sirens sound, life stands still. Schools are still not open, banks close and all retail outlets must shut. So with sirens sounding more and more, it becomes difficult to plan and do anything.
Whilst this happens rules and regulations change weekly. Banks now limit the amount of cash you can draw out daily, which makes it hard to operate in Ukraine. Most people want $US Dollars, as these can be traded if they must leave the country. You can only draw out $2,000 a day, and that is if they remain open. With the problem with sirens sounding much of the day, banks are closed with long queues to get money out. When buying in bulk, all traders want Dollars, so life is getting tougher there.
Sumy hosts a large medical college and quite few members of the church are training there. New rules state that no medics can leave the country, and if sirens sound then they must carry on with studies as they are trying to rush training to have them working ASAP. Bohdan highlighted that many medical staff have been either killed or injured on the frontline helping people, so they need replacements.
Bohdan said that the schools have been shut for many days now, and children are frustrated with this. Half term has been moved to try and save money. Next week, the temperature is mild, whereas the first week of November it is forecast to be much colder. So, to save on heating, they are delaying half term for a week – not that they have been at school much anyway! This means that the Autumn camp has been delayed to the first week of November, but WILL go ahead. Please do pray for this week as we are expecting many children to come along. The bomb shelter refurbishment is going well, and having this extra week means that it will be finished in time for the camp week.
Please can you pray for Vlada. I mentioned her a few weeks back. As a young teenager, her father has been killed in the early stages of the war, and her mother has abandoned her to move to Europe, leaving her with her grandmother. She is experiencing deep depression, and in addition it appears a loss of memory also. Bohdan is going to see her grandmother this weekend to see if the team can help in any way. She had started to get better, but mental health is so unpredictable and they have witnessed her going downhill fast.
Over last weekend Svitlana’s parents came to visit from the Donetsk region. They run a group of churches in the area and do much of the same things as us. They held a special meeting with the youth which saw many new people come. They young people really enjoyed this so Svitlana’s parents are planning to come back again before Christmas for a weekend.
Every day the team are reaching out to the poor and needy. This Tuesday, Bohdan invited in people for a meeting from the local “Inclusive Centre”. All have many types of disability. They had a great meeting, with food and were sent home with food packages.
In other good news, we have been able to find some aid through our partners with Mission Eurasia. There is a long drive to several western cities in Ukraine to get to their depots, but we will be able to get around 5 tons of aid per trip. The first runs to get this have been very kindly sponsored by Rotary District 1120 Kent & East Sussex and their international arm. We are extremely grateful to them.
Please do remember Bohdan, Alla and family and all the team in your prayers. There has been some illness and some issues to have to deal with caused largely by the war. Everyone is really not looking forward to a very hard winter season.
Next week there will not be an update due to travel both here in UK and in Ukraine. However, please keep an eye out for news of our Christmas campaign and activities. It is ambitious, but we all feel it is right to do! We will need your help along the way if it is to be successful. We plan to reach out to children in all the orphanages we know, plus those in the region's two hospitals, plus those that will attend the camp and other special events.
Thank you to all that continue to support and pray. 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,
Yet another week where the impact of the war has been heavy within the region. For the past two days the sirens have been non-stop, with people advised to stay in their homes, no attendance in schools, and the need for help still grows.
In Lebedyn, there have thankfully been no bombs, but within the region there have been many. Pastor Andrew in Samotoivka has been hit particularly hard. They hear bombs continually, and feel that they are getting closer to where they live. His wife, Veronica, is now getting quite scared. There is a school just outside of Samotoivka which was bombed this past week, with children and staff in it, and many were injured and a few killed. There seems little defence along the border, and there have been many reports of non-uniformed Russian soldiers coming across the borders and killing families. All this is witnessed by the people there. Most of the deaths are done with knives or weapons that are silent. All of this makes for uneasy living in the region, but still the team continue to do their work and help as many people as possible, and support Pastor Andrew in his work.
Help has not been forthcoming from the Ukraine government for the people. This is because you can only be classed as a war zone if the Russians are occupying the territory. This is creating hardships and poverty.
At the Centre, the new computer and English classes have started. Numbers were lower than hoped, but that was because sirens were sounding before they were due to arrive and the advice was to stay at home! The teenagers that came really enjoyed these groups and they all learnt something new!
The renovations for the bomb shelter are going ahead now the inspection has been done. There is a lot of work to be done including four new internal special doors that are also fire proof, wall panelling throughout, a new boiler for heating, installation of a toilet, a water sink and boiler, fire extinguishers and specialist first aid kits, and a ventilation system. They want to complete all this work within two weeks so they can hold the autumn camp then. Thank you to those who have already donated so generously for this to go ahead.
We appear to have found a source for some of the aid, but we must get a large lorry to travel to the west of Ukraine to collect it. This is challenging both logistically and physically as it will be a 20 hour drive each way to the depot that can help.
All the weekly help and activities still are taking place. The puppet theatre’s three teams have been in the Centre rehearsing new shows which tell the Christmas story ready for later in the year (see pictures below).
Services are being held within the church and many are attending. As usual, bread and food is given out where help is required. Many are telling stories of loved ones lost or injured, as the effects of this war continue to impact every community. In the Youth meeting and Bible studies the young people remain hungry to study the Bible deeper. One teenager called Lily arrived at the Centre with many issues in her life. Valentyn welcomed her to the service where bread was being given out, and he suggested that she speak with Bohdan. Her needs were great, but through reading a Bible that was given to her and going to the teen Bible study group, she has become a changed person. The team will work with her to help as best they can.
Please continue to pray for the team as they continue helping and reaching people in every walk of life in very difficult circumstances. Each week different people are connected with, and each has new stories and heartache.
Thank you for your continued help and support.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
Another week passes with sirens sounding and much military activity still in the region. Once again our video chat had to be cut short to pick children up from school as they had been sent to the bomb shelter. During this past week both Bohdan and Alla have been unwell, but are recovering now. They send their thanks and best wishes to all those that are praying and supporting them regularly with the amazing work they are doing.
During this last week, all the usual activities took place, and some went smoother than others. Baking bread has been an issue, as last weekend the power station that feeds Lebedyn was bombed, and therefore, there are random power outages ongoing. They always seem to be on Thursday, so they have a problem baking the bread, but despite this they managed to have a long enough window last week to be able to bake and not waste all the ingredients.
Children’s and youth clubs carry on (see pictures below), with the youth meeting over several days with different young people.
We have been updating the computer area where computer classes will now be held. The new laptops arrived on Wednesday, and then these computers will also be used for the new Bible college when opened.
After more details from the local inspector, work has been started on the bomb shelter. We are waiting for all the costs to come in, but for some of the internal doors we have been able to access these on eBay for just $20! It is amazing how resourceful these guys are. We need this up and running by the end of the month to be able to do a camp for the autumn.
We are spending quite a bit of time planning for all the activities over Christmas. As with previous years, we want to give a nice present to all the children who remain in the area. Ideally, that will be 750 children with contents of the presents locally sourced to help the economy. However, our research to find the right gifts and to be able to obtain the quantity of goods required is not going great, so there is much planning still to do to source all that is required. We hope to launch this project in the next 2 weeks.
As with all weeks, the team never stand still for long. They continually help the families of military personnel who are away serving. Whether it be nappies, food, or just a coffee and chat, the team help where they can. For this winter, Bohdan predicts there will be a shortage of shoes, and therefore, we need to try and source some aid that will help with this need.
Artem is a young lad who had to flee the Kharkiv region around a year ago. He arrived in Lebedyn with his mother traumatised, full of anxiety and fearful of any new situation. Loud bangs, whether it be a door closing or someone dropping something, would send him into a panic attack. This family sought help through the church and the Centre, and Artem started to come to the various youth clubs and camps. At first, he would run away as he could not bear to be in public spaces with others, such was his anxiety. Siren’s sounding would see him cover his ears and eyes, trying to hide from what was going on around him. Today, through the work, friendship & prayer of the Centre, he not only comes along, but contributes in a confident way. There has been an amazing transformation in his life. This is one young man out of many young people who have had to cope with fear and trauma of the war. This is replicated thousands of times over.
Those children that live in the Lebedyn area who are refugees and attend school (when possible) have similar issues. Whenever sirens sound they panic, as they have seen the devastation the bombs can have. Many have seen or have witnessed the impact of loved ones being injured or killed. In school this is a major problem that is occurring for the teachers.
We hope in coming months to be offering counselling and help with the trauma these children and youth are having to cope with. For over 2 years with Covid, and now the war, there has not been any regular school, college or university. Life is tough, but the team in Lebedyn do what they can to help in their small way.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
My video meeting with Bohdan this week was cut short as sirens were sounding and children had to be collected once again from the school bomb shelter. Every day this still happens, and sadly has become part of the daily culture for the children. The Sumy region is much like previous reports, with no let up throughout with the shelling and fire that is rained upon the Ukrainian towns and villages.
As mentioned last week, Bohdan was planning to visit Nedrigailiv, a village about 50km away that needed help and support. The young Pastor of the church there called Eugene asked Bohdan if they could go over as their village is struggling in all areas. It took twice as long as normal to drive there due to the conditions of the roads. They had a meeting where over 100 attended; 90% people unknown and needing help. They then went around the village seeing people. They heard many tales of sadness of how the war had taken loved ones and how they had lost everything and were living in fear. This church in Nedrigailiv have an interesting project to help within this very small rural area. They have converted a caravan into a kitchen to travel and feed those that just do not have anything. There are very few, if any, young people in the village area as it is too dangerous for families to live there. Bohdan and team are now looking at ways they can help them with their work. (An interesting fact is that the 4th President of Ukraine was born in this village and there is a museum there to honour this).
The above shows how important it is for us to find new sources of aid to get to Lebedyn so they can help others. Please continue to pray for this.
The clubs started this past weekend again and many children and families turned up. Miraculously there were no sirens during the time the clubs were running so it made for a great time. Once again, there are many sad stories to hear, and it is clear how the war is impacting the children psychologically. Bread gets given out over the weekend and especially Thursdays when people come to the Centre.
Work is starting on renovating the Centre’s own bomb shelter. Bohdan managed to acquire some nearly new iron “bomb-proof” doors, and Victor and team have them fitted already. We are still awaiting reports from the local authority as to everything else that needs to happen and the cost. Doing this work means that the team can continue the ongoing work through the winter safely.
Everything is now in place for the computer classes which will also double up for students in the new Bible school to study and write up their work. The computers have been ordered and new seating and desks in place as you can see below.
It looks like we have been able to secure accommodation for some of the workers that have come into the area. This is great as currently they are living in the Centre which is not ideal.
Bohdan’s wife, Alla, has been unwell this week with a virus that has completely knocked her down. Bohdan thinks she is over the worst, but please continue to pray for them as a family as they are giving out so much in very difficult circumstances.
The next few days will be busy with the many services, trips to the villages, children’s and family work and youth clubs. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
This week has been seen yet another increase in military activity within the region.
On Tuesday night the oil refinery within Sumy was targeted, causing extensive damage. For the first time within Lebedyn there was a bomb scare at the school Bohdan’s children attend. Sirens are sounding most of the day and although the children were supposed to start school at the end of August, they have not completed one full day because of bombs flying overhead and sirens sounding.
Bohdan became quite frustrated as living and working within this situation creates so much instant change and as a result it becomes very tiresome. However, they still plan, and below is a little of what has gone on and what they hope to happen in the coming days.
Last weekend, Harvest was celebrated, and you can see a wonderful picture of Bohdan, Alla and family below. The church was packed as not only food was received but much was given out.
In the lead up to this, extra bread was baked and food parcels were taken to those in need. There are many the team know about who are struggling to make ends meet, and over the weekend many came for help.
Bohdan heard of one such family and went to visit. Sadly, I cannot share photos of this story, but there are twin boys who, for a while now, have been attending summer camps and the many activities that the Centre has hosted. One of the boys is kind and caring but the other has become angry, depressive and a troublemaker. He tried stealing things even from the Centre. Bohdan sat down with him to find out his story. His father was called up to the army at the start of the war. For many months he fought in the south, and was on the frontline, right on the border with Russia; something that his papers said he was not trained to do. One day, a long battle was held and his father and colleagues ran out of ammunition, with his Commander leaving them alone. Fearing for their lives, they retreated and fled for safety. Unfortunately, the Ukraine authorities see this as desertion, so his father is facing a trial in the court over these next weeks. To make matters worse, he is not allowed to work whilst this process happens and they have not received any financial support from the government for many months. Bohdan said that literally every cupboard was bare. The team have taken food supplies to help them, and they are all very grateful. This is the story of just one family and how this terrible war is affecting day-to-day life. There are millions of others. The team will keep working with them and supporting in the best way they can.
The above story is not unique, and Bohdan is finding that the younger generations are showing more anger and bitterness to the war – there is a new angry generation emerging as they feel their lives have been lost. More is being reported in Ukraine with statistics showing the effects of the war. It is now estimated that 30,000 lives were lost in Mariupol alone. Kindergarten nursery’s have been closed for 2 years. These are just some of these effects.
Meanwhile, back in Lebedyn a busy week is planned. On Saturday, the children’s clubs start up again along with the youth clubs. Apparently, the list is long with those who want to attend, and families that want to come along as well. Bohdan will be running a joint youth event with several other youth clubs in the region over these next few weeks. Lyuba and Svitlana will be doing the children’s clubs and working with families on the Monday.
On Sunday, after all the church activities, the team plan to visit a village called Nedrigailiv where they have asked for help and support. Bohdan will assess the need there. Next week also sees the English classes start with Sashas and Alaya, and the usual other meetings and gatherings within the church will continue.
Please continue to pray especially for the work done with the teenagers. The more they gather the more hurt comes out and is shared. There are 2 teenagers who need prayers as they suffer with extreme depression and parental issues where views on the war differ. Many Bibles have been given out, and the Centre and its team work constantly to help those in need both physically and spiritually.
Long term we are still hoping to do an autumn camp, but we do not know yet whether this is possible due to half term potentially being cancelled as children have not been able to attend school properly.
We are also planning a big Christmas campaign where the puppet show will go to many places, as well as our own camps, and we hope to give gifts to the children. Last year people were so generous with their help we managed to reach around a third of all families in the town. This year we hope we can do more. We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
This past week, the Sumy region and Sumy city have witnessed many more missiles descending on them. Sadly, one street had two large apartment blocks bombed, miraculously killing only 3 or 4 people but with many injured and hundreds left homeless. It could have been so much worse. It appears that one child died because of this attack.
Families are now scared of what is happening and many want to leave to a new safe place. Some have already come to Lebedyn, but if they do, they do not receive any financial help. They only will receive help if they leave the country and become international refugees. This is because Sumy is not occupied by Russia – it only borders onto it.
Schools are trying to return. The first and last year students must try to attend daily. The rest go in twice a week, and then learn online from home. The school bomb shelter is not big enough to host all students at school. Even then, if the sirens sound for more than an hour, or they sound before school starts, then pupils are asked to stay at home or be collected if already at school. It is hard for the children and parents.
Life at the Centre has been as busy as ever, although Bohdan was down ill with a fever for some of the week. As expected, they helped some of the very needy people in Okhtyrka with food and aid. They were extremely grateful for all the support. As with every Thursday, the bakery has been baking bread ready for distribution. Many will come for this little bit of help. Every Monday, Lyuba works with the young mums, and they are given nappies at their time together. Food parcels are still given out especially to those in villages who might be isolated and vulnerable.
The local inspector arrived to assess the buildings and especially the suitability of the bomb shelter created. They need to make significant changes. As a minimum they must install iron doors, air conditioning , heating and toilets, and have a generator stored there. Thankfully, we already have the generator (one of two donated last year) which is more than suitable for the job. Anything else we do would be a bonus which could mean having facilities to house people, and they could live in there when under a sustained attack. We are working out the costs for this, but feel it could be significant, and supply might be an issue as the Centre will not be the first to have to make these changes under the new rules and regulations.
After a busy summer, everything is gearing up for the autumn season. The clubs for children and youth will be up and running, along with teenager homegroups, (bomb shelter permitting), as well as the other activities such as the computer workshops and drop in for families. The new Bible college will also start at the Centre in November after Bohdan had meetings with the Kyiv Theological seminary. This will be used to train new church leaders for the future.
We are also excited that English classes will be happening every Wednesday evening. We welcome two new members to the team who will be undertaking this responsibility. Sasha and Alyona. We have many young people registering for this group.
When talking with Bohdan it is evident that everyday life is becoming strained and there is more pressure especially with families. Many cannot, and do not want to, flee from the region. Lebedyn has not had any bombs recently, but many of the nearby villages have been targeted. Fear is growing as they hear about talks with North Korea helping Russia with armaments. However, the team out there faithfully continue to achieve their goals in reaching out to everyone there.
Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
The last two days have been calmer after heavy fighting in the area. The Sumy region even made the BBC news due to the level of military activity going on and the number soldiers encamped along the border. Lebedyn itself was not affected, but the Samotoivka where Pastor Andrew is base, was hit hard. Many people are leaving the area as they do not feel safe.
Power outages have happened again and these were forecast to happen greatly through the winter. It looks like these have started already, making people uneasy of facing another tough winter ahead. Conscription is now including people up to the age of 65, and those with medical exemption are now having that ignored. At present Ukraine is not sending people to the front line under the age of 25 but this of course could change as they defend their nation. They are calling up people at the age of 21 so as to train them ready for war.
The team are doing great. Lyuba is back at work and all have been busy. Today was bakery day, and many loaves of bread given out. There is often a big queue for this! Over a hundred families have been visited who have needed help and aid.
Each week we are now running special services for young families where we can help distribute nappies and other things for young children (when available). It has been so appreciated. Families have also been keen to take a copy of the wonderful Jesus Story Book Bible, which they say their children love to read. See pictures below….
The team have been visiting and helping with the local hospital. Some of you might recall we helped to create a room for children (pictured at the top of this page), and they want us now to do more to help them by going in more regularly with the puppet theatre.
We are now in contact with a Germany charity over whether we can get some more aid from them. They have been very generous over the course of the war and we are hoping and praying that more will be able to be given. Our old children’s worker, Inna, is helping us with this charity and might be able to visit Germany to select what aid can be given if agreed. Inna herself is struggling as her best friend was killed in a road traffic accident. Inna was supposed to be travelling in the car with her, but at the last moment pulled out. You can imagine what she is going through.
This next week we will also be going to Okhtyrka to help distribute aid. There are many families suffering as this town was severely bombed at the start of the war and has still not been repaired.
Tonight, Bohdan is meeting with the Bible School Director to establish the start of the new term. The Bible School has been closed since the start of the war so it will be good to get it up and running again. They are also waiting for a local inspector to visit, as I mentioned in last week's update, to establish whether we can still hold children’s clubs at the Centre, and whether the bomb shelter is sufficient. He had to cancel their last meeting, so we hope and pray that this happens soon ready for preparation for the new season ahead.
Lastly, Bohdan has asked specifically that we pray for a young lady called Vlada. She is just 15 years of age. At the start of the war she and her mother fled the country for safety but after a while Vlada became very homesick. She heard that family and friends had died or were badly hurt in the war and wanted to return to Lebedyn. With her mother they returned, but it is evident that she is traumatised and suffering with depression as a result. She has come to the church and Centre looking for help as her mother is about to leave to go back to another country where she will be safe. Vlada cannot face leaving so is staying behind and will live with her Grandmother. This is just one story of families being separated by this war.
Once again, we thank you for all your support and prayers. The team out in Lebedyn are extremely grateful.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
