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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
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 marked the 18 month anniversary of this terrible war. Both Ukraine and Russia have suffered heavy losses, but the impact on family life and everyday living is taking its toll on people living in Ukraine. Currently, there appears to be an escalation in evacuating and fleeing for safety as stories below will highlight.
According to Ukrainian government data, Russia has lost 530 of its soldiers within the last 24 hours. This brings Russian losses since the war escalated in February 2022 to a total of 261,840 soldiers. In addition, Russia has lost some of its military equipment. According to Ukraine, Russia has lost 4,414 tanks, 8,579 armed/armoured vehicles, 7,909 vehicles and/or tankers, 5,450 artillery systems, 733 multiple rocket launchers, 500 air defence systems, 315 aircraft, 316 helicopters, 4,387 drones, and 18 boats. These figures have yet to be verified, but the cost both in lives and financial is extensive.
The team have been exceptionally busy helping people at the Centre and in the villages around with aid. They have been focusing on those who are effectively stuck at home suffering with disability. The aid was gratefully received, and there are a few photos below.
Svetlana held a service this week for families with very young babies. They were all given nappies and food as needed. Also, at the church on Sunday some of the children were prayed over seeking God’s protection over these young lives.
Last week I told you about a lady whose two sons who had died and one (Roman) was still missing. This week we found out more about this family as her daughter and granddaughter fled to Lebedyn. They arrived at the Centre for help (see picture below) from a village called Krasnopill near to where Pastor Andrew is operating. Sadly, the daughter’s husband was captured, along with her brother Roman, and in all reality it’s unlikely either are still alive. She was given some accommodation by the authorities but had nothing else, so the team gave away the last beds and gave them food and what clothes we could find. These are desperate times for this family, and sadly this is replicated thousands, if not millions of times over, across Ukraine.
Schools are due to return after the summer break, but with the recent missile attack on local schools, the government have said that homeschooling will happen at least for the first 2 weeks of term. The school bomb shelters are inadequate, but learning from home is not great either.
For the Centre we have been told that to run short clubs should be OK to do under the new regulations. However, to do the camp weeks in autumn and at Christmas we have to renovate the bomb shelter, install heating and specially strengthened doors, add toilets and air ventilation. There is to be an inspection of the bomb shelter soon, so Bohdan has asked for prayer for this to go well and that they will not be stopped from doing all the work with the children and youth, and this will not be too expensive to put right. He will have to get specialist quotes to do the work.
Meanwhile, the youth continue to meet at the Centre . Tonight I video’d into Bohdan’s youth Bible study and it was so good to see these young people happy and with Bibles open. Svetlana is still planning much activity for children and families. This next Monday she will do another service for families with slightly older children again in desperate need of nappies. They will be helped. Then she will have a few days off to go and see her parents in the south, right next door to where the heavy fighting is. Her father is a pastor of a church and they had a lovely building with the grounds adapted for doing camps. Sadly, it was bombed this summer. The church though continues to meet in another building. When she is back she has organised after-school (If they go!) clubs with computer and English classes. The “new” Sasha and his wife who have arrived on team as volunteers, speak fluent English having graduated with a masters degree, and will be helping with this. Parents are very keen for children to attend these groups. Children's clubs will also start again (9th September – local government permitting).
They are renovatiing the computer class area used for the drop in and also for the Bible School. New laptops have been ordered to help with all that is going on, and we are extremely grateful to a special donor who has funded these.
The last story to share this week is good news! We have been concerned for many months over the safety and well being of Bohdan’s friend Pastor Elijah. He ran a church in the new Russian occupied territory. He had been taken away 6 times and tortured for information. Eventually, he had his papers taken away and was put under house arrest, and then Bohdan was unable to get any contact with him at all for some time. During this past week he was unexpectedly given his papers back so he decided to flee the area. When he got to the region's border checkpoint the soldiers there put a gun to his head and asked for his papers. Pastor Elijah did not think he would get away, but suddenly the guard returned his papers and he is now over on the Polish border in safety waiting to leave the country. As you can imagine he is traumatised, but the family are safe. Bohdan again thanked us for the prayers given – they really have made a difference.
These are just some of the stories and issues the team face week in – week out. They have seen many people come to faith and witnessed answered prayers. Every day sirens still ring out, and whilst we were on a video call today they said the sirens were sounding out again, although they continued our conversation.
Lastly, many of you will be receiving a separate letter from me in the next week or so. Hope Lebedyn has now become its own charity and is now independent of Essential Christian. This has been planned for sometime to happen but we could not activate everything until we got a bank account open. After many trials the new bank account is open and therefore those that regularly donated or make one off gifts will receive a letter explaining the changes and giving new details. Our webiste has been updated also. We are so grateful for the long list of people who have donated and stood with the team. However, there is still much work to do.
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,
Sadly, the situation in Lebedyn and the Sumy region has deteriorated over this past week which included Ukraine Independence Day. Sirens have been sounding all day and night and bombs have been heard. In Romny, a town within Sumy Oblast, rockets and bombs fell on a school that was deliberately targeted. Four teachers were killed. Four others are seriously injured. Thankfully, no children were in school at the time. The Russians are trying to advance across the border but so far all efforts have been thwarted.
Within the Lebedyn area funeral services were held on Wednesday for two soldiers from the town. Tensions are rising as there is conflict within the community over how the town is being run. One example this week was that the local government decided to rebuild the road between Lebedyn and Sumy, but people are angry as they would prefer them to buy weapons to defend the town.
Bohdan told me of a lady they know who goes to a different church in Lebedyn. She had three sons; two have died and the other is missing in action. The harsh realities of war are now impacting families in a very real way and this is replicated across the nation!
Schools are supposed to start back soon, but everything is pointing to online learning again as schools get targeted by Russian bombs. There are inadequate resources for schools to operate the online system and you need internet, which is not available to all. You need books and there are no schoolbooks at all for the children to use. It is thought that many families will flee the area and come to Europe this winter for hope of a better life and better education for their children.
Bohdan told me that they are expecting a very hard winter with many power cuts, shortages of food supplies and a rise in these conflicts within the community. The army are recruiting with new energy as so many deaths occur. Bohdan himself had to present his papers to the authorities again, but thankfully he was given exemption once again.
On Friday, the team went out to the villages where they know people who are housebound and living with infirmity. (see photos above and below from visits earlier in the week). They will primarily give them food parcels as the team have done to families arriving from villages around.
Another family turned up from just outside the area where Pastor Andrew is working in Samotoivka. The children could hear fighting the whole time, which was causing anguish and trauma so they decided to move to Lebedyn. They really had nothing, so the team have been able to feed and clothe them and give them bedding. Our stocks on aid are very low, so this will be our focus over the next few weeks to find help and supplies ready for a tough winter. Please pray for this.
The Local Authority are putting in place new regulations regarding doing children’s work indoors. The team will now need to get special permission from them for these, as well as signed permission from parents. This is another layer of paperwork to navigate. The children’s clubs have delayed their start until 9th September while these processes are implemented. Thankfully, the Centre does have a bomb shelter so there should be no issues, but on Friday the teenagers met outdoors at the Centre for meetings and fun.
The team have found another orphanage operating in a village called Shtepivka. Musical Sergey and the puppet show are trying to organise a visit to go there in the autumn. Also, Svetlana planned to meet with families over this last weekend, as we have more nappies to distribute. Svetlana is also hoping to start a drop in programme for children to help with homework and study. Again, permissions are being sought and new equipment purchased ready for this. English classes hope to resume as well.
The team remain busy and in good spirits, despite the difficulty they are living in. Lyuba is now back at work and doing well, the computer/internet equipment taken out by the lightning strike has been replaced, and the bible school/college is getting ready to open. It is never quiet within this amazing work.
Thank you for your amazing support and prayers. It is so appreciated.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
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Dear Friends,
It has been 2 weeks since my last update as we were away last week. Much has been happening to fill you in with for news, updates and prayer.
Last week Sandra (trustee) and Jez, Karen and I ventured over to Ukraine to meet up with Bohdan, Alla and family, and “Farmer” Sergey. We flew into Slovakia and then managed to get the train into Ukraine, which helped to reduce the time crossing the border. We did not go all the way to Lebedyn as that was deemed too dangerous, but stayed in the Carpathian region, based in a city called Mukachevo.
Bohdan and some of the team were already there for a camp with some of the children, so it made sense for us to join them. They were higher up in the mountains, and had lots of rain so our intended trip to go and meet them there was scuppered as the roads became impassable. The children loved it, and 2 of them became Christians at the camp!
It was so good to meet them “in person” for the first time since the war started. We had time to relax, and to give them a bit of a break, whilst spending lots of time talking about plans for the future and having time to pray together.
There are a few photos that follow that show some of the great time we had. Firstly, of us altogether…………… as we arrived at the station, in the city square, after we presented the football mad boys with their new shirts (which I don’t think they ever took off!), and of the ladies as they had to cover up to visit inside an orthodox church.
We also met up with some mission partners – Mission Eurasia, and visited the iCare food depot from which we have received many of our food parcels. We also visited a church that houses many refugees and has built houses for refugees and camps on their land. Andrew and Marina hosted us for lunch with Pastor Ivan.
During that time we were hosted by a lovely family who were refugees from Mariupol. Their story of how they had to leave everything to get to safety was tough for us to hear, and we wept as they shared with us. They had nothing but still baked for us and made us so welcome.
Nicolai and Valentina were the patriarchs of the family, and they and their son lived alongside two other families. The two other families were Nicolai's daughter, her husband and 3 children, and daughter-in-law and toddler, and the wife of his eldest son. His eldest son was in the military and two days after Russia took over Mariupol they visited their house and took their son, Dima, away with them.
He has been in prison where cruelty and torture is prevalent. They were able to get some communication from their son, but they have not heard now since April regarding his whereabouts. In prison he would have to stand without any support from 6.00am to 10.00pm. They heard from a prisoner swap that their son had not been released as he was so helpful within the prison. As a Christian he would pray and encourage all fellow prisoners and lift their spirits. Even the Russian army knew he had a value to them. Now nothing has been heard. They don’t know whether he is alive, or whether he is in Ukraine still, or in Russia. It is all unknown.
Nicolai was tearful as he shared all of this and how since they left, Russian soldiers had taken over his house, looted everything, destroyed much of the house, and defecated throughout the building leaving it unfit for living in. He asked that we could commit to praying for his son to be released and for his safety, and I said I would share this with this group of people for us all to pray. Therefore, please can I ask you that you pray for this family, and especially for Dima and his safe keeping, and also for Nicolai’s youngest son who has just reached the age to be called up. They are very nervous about this. The picture below shows us with the family. Dima’s wife and toddler are on the right-had side.
In other news……….whilst we were there, in the east of Ukraine, Lebedyn suffered an incredible storm. The area saw floods, and lightning took out the internet cables blowing out the TV screen, computer and router leaving the Centre with no internet. These will now have to be replaced.
Sumy is seeing an incredible amount of military activity. Bohdan told me that Pastor Andrew hears bombs and artillery fire all day long as he is so close to the fighting. Sirens are sounding all the time, crippling industry and heightening tensions in the community. We witnessed sirens going off on the last night in Mukachevo which was a very surreal experience. The number of soldiers arriving in the Sumy area has increased dramatically indicating a higher risk to people.
The Centre activities all start back up over this next week or so with children’s clubs and all kinds of things planned. One family have arrived from Sumy city centre and want to help with the teamwork. He attended camps and the teen club in Lebedyn and then went to university. There, he met his future wife and both became Christians. He told Bohdan that the work that was done in the Centre had a massive impact on his life. He is now fully trained and works from home at a high level in IT. He is also working with the youth in the big Sumy Baptist church so would like to get involved in helping in Lebedyn. Both he and his wife speak fluent English as she studied English at the university.
There is lots to be done, but after a little break and a reset, Bohdan and team seem set for what will be a challenging season ahead. I will update over the next few weeks as to what is going to be happening.
Lastly, whilst there we took a drive into the beautiful Carpathian mountains. It was in Mukachevo that Stuart Hine planted a church and penned the first part of the hymn “How great thou art”. Sadly, we did not find that church but we did go up into the mountains to see the beauty there. It was stunning, but sadly for us a very wet afternoon. We got very wet and decided to change the chorus to “How wet we are!”
The last verse of this hymn was written and added when Stuart Hine saw the need of the people and wrote this to give them hope:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!
Our experience is that the hope Bohdan and team have in what is eternal enables them to persevere with their calling to love the people, and help all those they can. It is interesting to note that since our return Bohdan told me that they day after we left, the region we were staying in was bombed for the first time for over a year!
I am so grateful for all your continued support both financially and prayerfully. We had over 50 people praying everyday we were away, and we are thankful for a safe return.
Normal updates will resume now.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
