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
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 last week has seen some calm in the area, although tensions are running high as the people are rocked by the news of the dam in the south being bombed and causing great damage. People are nervous as to what lengths the Russians will go to try and gain the upper hand in their fight to attempt to conquer Ukraine. Over last weekend and through this week, missiles have been flying over very low to avoid radar systems. Bohdan said that the noise created was deafening and is causing increased fear and unsettlement with the children and young people.
In the last 3 days Farmer Sergey, Valentine and Svetlana have been on a youth training conference provided by the Kiev Theological Seminary. They are then bringing Svetlana back to Lebedyn and she will start work immediately. Her immediate task is to work with the existing team to plan for all the summer camps and clubs for children and young people. There is much work to do and grounds are being prepared for all this summer activity.
The playground base is coming along slowly as the ground is very uneven. They need large quantities of ballast and sand which is hard to obtain as the military take what is available first. It is making it hard work for Bohdan and the team, as plans are constantly changing. Once we know this is all ready then we will look to get the playground equipment purchased and installed. This should make the site a lot safer as the Russians will not bomb areas where children are known to be.
During the week, more food has been distributed into the villages as well as aids for those with disability. There are many who suffer with some form of disability who have not been able to escape to safer areas and a result have become very vulnerable. The team have been able to acquire crutches, walking sticks and other items to help so along with food, these have been distributed this past week.
Many of the needs remain the same as new vehicles need to be found to be able to do the work. Bohdan is working hard at getting this all sorted in the coming weeks ready for the busy summer. There is still much going on with the youth. They meet regularly to study the bible together, but also to see how they can help within the community. Bohdan said that they are really maturing both in faith and attitude. There will be quite a few baptised in the coming weeks.
After the camps and when the playground has been installed, the team are planning to help the military families and support them as many parents are away fighting. Being able to use the playground will be such a blessing to them.
The children are all happy as schools have now finished for summer, and that means no home schooling either! Both Bohdan and Alla are grateful for the rest this will give them as well, as these past terms have been so turbulent.
Lastly on team news, we would still value your prayers for Luba as she is still quite unwell. With her pregnancy they found that her blood is negative and her husband's is positive, but they have struggled to find the right drugs to help in this situation. Luba is struggling and having many days unwell in bed.
Luda, musical Sergey’s wife, is still struggling along with her heart condition, and again has good days and bad days. This last week, she has been baking bread in the bakery, and is still down to run the kitchens for all the camps. Food is an integral part the camp work as you can imagine. We would appreciate prayers for these valuable team members at this time.
Thank you again for all your ongoing support. Bohdan asked me today to send his love and greetings to all who are supporting and praying for them at this time.
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,
Thank you for your support and continued prayers for the work of Hope Lebedyn and especially the team in Lebedyn. As there was no update last week there is some extra information for you within this update.
I spoke at length with Bohdan last Wednesday, and the situation locally is not great. In the previous 24 hours there was no water and power has been intermittent once again. This is a result of much bombing following Ukraine pushing back and going into Russia. The number of bombs fired have been much greater than normal and going deeper into Ukraine territory. A nearby village called Okhtyrka, where we helped plant another church a few years back, was hit badly. Schools are once again struggling to stay open, with teachers saying it is not safe to go there.
Meanwhile, the team continue to do their work, and reach out to the local community and beyond within the oblast of Sumy. The Sunday before last, Bohdan and his family went over again to support Pastor Andrew who is in Samotoivka. This village is very close to the Russian border. There are few men as previously reported, so the community leans heavily on the small church there. Bohdan was able to take food to give to those really struggling. There are still families living in that area and in the summer Pastor Andrew wants to run a summer camp so the team from Lebedyn will go over to help do this for the 40 children that will probably attend.
Another sad outcome of war is the impact on families and especially children. Many are being abandoned and Larisa’s orphanage is nearly full again with Larisa still over in Austria! Pastor Andrew recently took in 2 sisters, Zhenya (12 years old) and Sofia (8 years old), to live with the family. The girls had been abandoned by their mother who is an alcoholic and was beating the children. Lives are so heavily scarred by the trauma of war. Below are a couple of photos and you can see Bohdan’s boys playing on an old, demolished tank. Sadly, war has become a normality for the young children.
Last week, we were very kindly offered another 6 tons of food aid with the iCare food boxes from our friends, Mission Eurasia. However, Bohdan had to go and collect them, so he found a man with a lorry and travelled to Zaporozhye. This is a city at the heart of the war and where Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is. Bohdan made it back safely, but was on the road for nearly 20 hours. It was a dangerous drive, and whilst there, he could hear bombs continually exploding. Food has been distributed to those they have heard about who are desperate for food, including taking them to Pastor Andrew, and in Okhtyrka, and to those whose homes were bombed.
We have been promised a further 4,000 kilos of food from another charity operating in Ukraine so we hope that this comes through in the next week. We still need clothing and are looking out for this.
I mentioned a few weeks ago about a German charity that was going to help build the new playground. The base has been funded through the UK, but the all the equipment was coming over from Germany. Sadly, this charity has now said that they cannot help as Lebedyn is too dangerous to visit and so they have given this equipment to another centre in the west of Ukraine. This was a real blow to Bohdan and so we will now have to buy the equipment, and the team can install it themselves. We will now have to raise funds to be able to fulfil this. Play is an important part of a child’s development and we think it is important to have this facility in the future. It will be great for all the camps that we do, and it will be a safe space for families to come and use. Public parks are not really safe any longer.
We have a number of team down who are quite unwell. Luba, who works with the young teens, is in hospital, seriously ill. She is in the early stages of pregnancy and has found that her blood and that of her husbands is not compatible. With limited access to medical help she is in Sumy hospital in quite a serious condition. Also Luda, who is musical Sergey’s wife, is quite unwell with what appears to be heart problems. She oversees the kitchen and bakery work which is vital to have operational for the summer activities. She came back for one day, and was ill as a result. Pastor Sergey also has very high blood pressure and having to take life easy, Please remember these people in your prayers.
However, we are excited that Svetlana will be joining the team mid-June to help run the children’s work. With at least 4 weeks of camps in the summer the team will be busy preparing as they start in just 4 weeks. This has meant that the children’s club had it’s last meeting until the camps start to enable the team to prepare. Many children came along with their parents and enjoyed the puppet shows, bible stories, and were given food to take home where it was needed. Some pictures are below.
I can only give a sample and brief overview of all that is going on each week at the Centre. Many lives are being impacted both spiritually and physically through the team's faithful work and love for the people. Many have come to faith, many found help where others have abandoned, and many have been able to find people to welcome them with a smiley face and to give some normality in a desperate time.
There are lots of projects that we wish to be doing, and some we cannot mention for security purposes. Over the next week I will give another update about some of the funds we need to raise. I will be keeping these types of updates separate from the regular posts as these are to keep you informed for prayer, news and update.
Please hold the team in your prayers and thank you once again for your continued support.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
We are now approaching 15 months of war in Ukraine. As you will have seen on recent news bulletins, Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukraine and in our region of Sumy there has been much new damage inflicted. Bohdan told me that the bombs currently being used are larger than before, but there is no damage in the cities or towns, just in the areas around them.
Children have not been back at school this week as sirens sound all through the day. On Tuesday, there were 6 coffins returned to Lebedyn from the frontline to be reunited with family members based in the town. With this, and after 15 months of war, Bohdan stated that morale is getting low. The human cost is rising and families are grieving from losing loved ones. It makes the work the team do even more important.
Many might remember me talking about Pastor Andrew in a church in Samotoivka, which is close to the Russian border. He has reached out to Bohdan for some help as they have little food, and all the males of his church have been called up to fight. He only has 2 very elderly gentleman in his church, but the work is still growing and help is required. Bohdan is going over to see how we can help in the best way, but this is a dangerous trip so please pray for safety.
There have been some amazing things happen recently. Previously, I mentioned that we have been preparing the ground to put a new playground within the Centre grounds as all other public playgrounds are closed. We looked at the cost of all the play equipment and it was very expensive, and rising daily. Yesterday, a German mission organisation was recommended to make contact with Bohdan as they specialise in constructing children’s playgrounds. They agreed that they could install a playground during these next few weeks ready for all our summer camp activities, and they will fund everything!! Such an amazing gift and so timely, and out of the blue as well. An amazing answer to prayer. The pictures above and just below are of another playground installed for another church in a different region, but will give you an idea of what they do!
Other good news is that the Kyiv Theological Seminary is opening back up again, which means that yesterday they contacted Bohdan to say that we can start up the Bible college at the Centre once more. We plan to start the new term in Septemeber at the beginning of the new academic year.
We are still struggling to find aid. There have been promises of help, but so far they have not been forthcoming. We especially now need food and clothes to help those that have been displaced and have so little. The last of our foodboxes were taken into the villages to help some very poor and needy children.
In the meantime, many of the ladies are great at sewing so we have been able to purchase material to make into clothes but demand is higher than supply. We have also been able to purchase a limited supply of some foods, and we have been abe to help families with that food and supplies, especially those where the men are serving in the military, or have been injured and incapacitated as result. We still continue to bake bread, but the cost of power to run the bakery has become very expensive. It is around $40 per day to run all equipment. At the start of the war it was just $1.75 a day.
Bohdan sent me pictures of the road journey on his way to the office everyday. The roads have deterioated badly but out in the villages many bomb craters block the way still. As we look for new vehicles to help them in their journeys, please pray for safe travels and wisdom to find the right vehciles.
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,
Some of you will have seen in international news bulletins that the military activity in Ukraine has gone up a notch. Sadly, this is true is the Sumy region also. Bohdan reported that large cruise missiles exploded in between Sumy and Lebedyn, missing towns and large areas where people live. Sirens over the weekend and through this last week have been non-stop again, affecting all walks of life, raising fears of what might be in the days ahead. The children were not in school last Monday and Tuesday, and then on Wednesday when I was speaking with Bohdan the sirens were activated once again, meaning he had to go and collect his children from school. Everyone is now feeling the frustration of this way of life from the youngest to the oldest. There is no normal and children are missing out on vital education.
Education is a big issue as the government have changed their teaching curriculum but have not issued any books for the children. This means it is all online. This brings a massive problem as power is still erratic in its supply, so no internet when power is down. Generally there is only one computer per household, so if you have more than one child, who gets to use the computer? If you do own a computer then in most areas of Sumy you are blessed. Many children are now not getting the rightful education they should be getting. Bohdan has asked that we could pray into this so a good way can be found.
War fatigue is definitely rising and many are fed up – quite understandably. This can change behaviour patterns which in turn creates more tensions. The work that the team do through the Centre helps to diffuse these and brings love and normality through all they do. The bakery has been good for this, as the team each week give out hundred’s loaves of bread to the many that are struggling. We have just purchased enough ingredients to buy all the flour and yeast for the next 3 months. Supplies are increasing in price, but thankfully are still available.
This week, the team have been doing preparations of the grounds for the many summer activities planned. We have started to build a new playground, so there are safe spaces for children to find “normal life”. All other playgrounds are closed in the town, but because these will be in enclosed grounds and the area is secure, parents will be able to bring their children to play. There will be hedged boundaries so people cannot see from the outside what is going on, protecting the families. There will even be portable toilets there! This project has been part funded so we will be raising further funds to complete this.
The team have planned more camps. We know the success of these and four will be held through the summer. Two for younger children, one for the youth, one for older children early teens, and one for those with severe disabilities. Given all the military activity recently, this is a bold and ambitious plan but the team feel that this is the right thing to do. This is a time when all will get fed well, they will have fun, see the puppet theatre, and they will also hear stories from the Bible, with practical help on how to cope with life. The spring camp was such a huge success that we want to ensure as many young people as possible can be part of this amazing programme in the summer.
There is also good news in that we have been able to replace Alla who has now safely arrived in Germany for a new life there with her family. Svetlana will be joining the team on June 1st to help run the children’s work at the Centre. Svetlana is studying child and military psychology at Kharkiv University (online), which will help to give training to children on how to cope with the trauma of war. She is a gifted musician and runs a children’s gospel choir who are in a competition soon. She comes from Dnipro which is at the heart of the battles in the south. Her father is a pastor of a church down there and is known to both Pastor Sergey and Bohdan. We need to find her accommodation and this is a big problem as most spare accommodation is full of displaced families. Please pray for this to have a quick resolve.
Lastly the team have still been out into the surrounding villages taking aid, bringing help and showing love. Here are a few pictures…..
Thank you for your continued support. Whilst the war continues to rage there some ambitious plans to help and reach people through this next season, and without your prayers and support we could not do this. Thank you!
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to support us financially you can do so below. Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give.
Dear Friends,
This past week the sirens have been a little quieter, making it possible to get into some level of routine. This has meant preparing the grounds ready to be used with all the activities the team do. We note that the war is not in the news as much at a time when more is happening on the ground in Ukraine. In talking with Bohdan, the people living close to the border are not united in their thinking and support for the war. This is causing growing tensions. The fighting is heavy in the south and still along the border with Russia in Sumy not that far away.
At the weekend there were families that came for refuge from Bakhmut (see first two pictures). They literally arrived with nothing, so the team found all that they needed to settle into new accommodation in the city. Also, the team went around to some of the villages and gave out food through the iCare boxes and the bread that has been baked. This was also given to the children and young people where we knew there was much hardship.
Bohdan texted me on Tuesday alerting to a major problem in the south where medical aid in particular is needed. Some friends and pastors of churches have said that things are dire, and that hospitals are overflowing with injured and sick people, with many sleeping on floors. There is just not enough help for them. Subsequently, we have been able to connect with another charity that specialises in medical care and aid, and they are going to see what they can provide. We fear that this will be a growing problem.
Back in Lebedyn, fear is growing that many more men will be called up to fight as Ukraine prepares for the much reported “offensive”. Students have been told that they could be no longer be exempt from fighting as will many other men with key jobs. Mission Eurasia, who have been amazing partners with us during the war, have had their Ukrainian Director called up. Women too are starting to sign up to join the war effort. Some of these are mothers as well, so that might bring new problems in the days ahead.
The work done by Bohdan and team with the local soldiers is still much-admired within military circles. Many have been asking for prayer and the team have been able to do this. They have also produced their own insignia/badge
This means “The Lord is my Strength and shield. He is my salvation.” Many soldiers are taking this and sewing it onto their uniform, declairing their protection.They are also given a gospel of John which they keep in their jacket pocket.
There is still much tension between the Orthodox church and many of the people, including the established Christian church. Bohdan shared stories which are of a sensitive nature, but it shows clearly that the Orthodox church is being used for Russia’s political gain. He has asked us to pray for this situation.
Thank you to those praying for Alla’s replacement as children worker. A young Lady called Svetlana, aged just 18, and daughter of another Pastor in the Dnipro region, is at Bible college studying to be a children's worker part time, and she is keen to join. There is another meeting this weekend because there are things that might stop this from happening, including finding accomodation, but again Bohdan has asked for prayer with this as the college and her local church speak very highly of her.
Plans are pushing ahead for the summer camps and activtiies. The team want to do more than ever so we are just costing that out and seeing what that means.
This weekend will see all the usual activities taking place, with children’s and youth clubs, and we plan to visit the other orphanages either this Saturday or next. Bohdan also plans to visit the frontline to see soldiers.
Lastly, some months ago we reported that Misha who lived as a caretaker in the Centre apartment had several strokes. I am pleased to say that he is now home. He can now walk unaided but very slowly but this is better than a few months ago. Sadly, some of his memory has gone which does not help his speech. He has been given disability status so they will get some government support. We are thankful he is back home with his family and we pray for continued recovery.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Bohdan sends his greetings to you all, and is grateful to those who are regularly standing in support with them as a team.
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,
In Lebedyn, the last week has been spent preparing for their Easter activities across this weekend. There has been more stability in military activity locally with less air raid sirens. In the north of the region and near the Russian border, there is still much activity with daily missiles being launched, much of it still focused on the infrastructure.
The Easter camp finished well and the children had an amazing time. Most of the children were younger than previous recent camps, and it was great to see them enjoying themselves. Around 80 children had fun, food and for most of them heard the Easter story for the first time. The photos in this update show all of these things and more.
The team have been quieter this week after a busy previous week and weekend. But now they plan a weekend full of activities to reach out to the community. Maunday Thursday (13th) was a day of prayer and fasting, with a special service for mums currently living on their own, as husbands and partners are fighting.
They have had more nappies delivered, so will give these out as well as any aid that is required. Good Friday saw church services in the morning, and in the evening a special Easter gathering for the teenagers. For Easter Saturday all the children of the town were invited to a special Easter event and they expected large numbers to attend. Easter Sunday again saw services in the morning, and a special evening event for the youth. All in all a busy time connecting with many hundreds of people. Loaves will be baked and given away, and aid given whereever it is needed and where it is available. Please pray for all that is going on and that air raid sirens do not hinder all that is planned.
Last week I mentioned that Alla was leaving. Today she is still on route to Germany having spent some time saying good bye to family in another region of Ukraine. We still need to find a replacement for her in her work, but not many are willing to move to Sumy as it is so close to the Russian border and deemed unsafe to travel there.
Bohdan reported that they have found 2 more orphanages operating close by in Shtepivka and Ulyanivka. They plan to visit them over these next few weeks to see what help is required and how many children are left in the orphangae. The orphange in Ulyanivka is going to be difficult to get to as the roads are treacherous and not all are passable. They will work out the best way to get there. They have also heard of a few other orphanages they used to visit are back up and running, but they are in the north of Sumy and Bohdan hss said that it is too dangerous to go there at present. Please pray for safety and wisdom for the team as they seek to help the children in this way.
The team are now planning for what they can do for the children and youth in the summer. So far, their plans are extensive and they will be doing more than ever before to help the young and vulnerable. We are now just costing out what this means, but the heritage of the past summer work has brought much success, and many of the team today are doing what they do having been in the same situation as those we will be reaching.
This week Bohdan has had several parents come to him who are unknown – one even knocking on his house door – to say a massive thank you for all they are doing with the teenagers and children.
The team wish you all a very Happy Easter (in Ukraine time), and once again thank you for your love and support through this terrible season of war.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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Dear Friends,
Last weekend was full of military activity with lots of sirens, no school on the Friday, and on Saturday a massive bomb in the area in a small nearby village. This bomb killed several people, destroyed the school, the hospital and power infrastructure. Once again, a reminder that the team in Lebedyn are working in very challenging conditions in their region.
This week has been Easter camp week. I will bring more news in next week’s update, but the camp is full and children are loving all that is going on. Games and activities, exploring the Easter story and enjoying time with friends, along with delicious bread that has been baked in the bakery are just some of the highlights. What has been a real answer to prayer is once again there have been no sirens in Lebedyn during camp at the time of me writing this update. Given recent months, this is the longest time this year there hasn’t been any and has meant the camp has been able to run smoothly. That is until Thursday morning!!!! Unexpectedly all the water shut off and there is no water supply to the Centre which is not helpful. We pray that this will get fixed and sorted quickly.
We had an unexpected last-minute visit from new friends that are part of several mission agencies working together. They bought gifts, comic books and things for the children at the camp and have access to aid which will be helpful in the future.
Even though the camp was taking part, Bohdan, “Farmer” Sergey and Rosie visited Larisa’s orphanage where numbers continue to grow with children that have been either abandoned or orphaned due to death because of the war. There are now over 20 children in Sumy and 55 in Austria. Bohdan and Rosie took sweets and gifts for the children. Bohdan also took some funds in to help put in a new boiler as the old one had totally given up. When you see the picture below your heart goes out to these casualties of war. The picture below with the children under blankets is when the air raid siren went off in Sumy whilst visiting. There have been requests for other help for the children from Larisa for things such as hygiene kits (toiletry basics), food and general help. We will do what we can and they plan to take the puppet show back there soon.
At the weekend a team from the Centre visited the village of Budylka. There they held a service and gave out seeds and Christian literature giving as much help as they could to the locals there. There is no doubt that the villages are feeling the effects of the war in far greater ways than in the cities. Food supply is tough and community is virtually gone. The team had a great welcome.
On top of all of the above the usual activities continue. Teenagers are still hungry to study and last night all the Teen bible study groups happened. (see below). Soldiers have been visited, helped and prayed for. There is never a quiet moment and the team are just amazing with the energy they give everything.
Once again, thank you for your continued help and support. Next week we are planning to see how we can reach out into the villages more effectively, and we still need to find a source of aid to help the people.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
