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, I travelled with a van of aid to our partners, who will transport it with other items on to Lebedyn. They have done an amazing job helping to source much-needed items and we hope this delivery will arrive by the end of the month. Once the aid reaches Ukraine, the UN helps deliver it, so we must wait for one of their escort slots.
This past week has been especially difficult for the team, and particularly for Bohdan.
On Sunday, Bohdan travelled to collect vital resources from a town west of Kyiv. Because of the bombing, the journey there and back took a day and a half. Roads and infrastructure are being targeted, and Bohdan saw the road he was driving on being bombed. At that moment, he feared for his life. Thankfully, he made it safely back to the Centre with everything he needed.
The team are concerned about the winter, as the Ukrainian government has advised everyone to stock up. Shelves are emptying quickly, creating shortages in some areas. Large shopping malls in Sumy city remain closed and empty, as they have become targets in the war.
Please remember the team in prayer, especially Sergey and Valentyn, asking for their protection and safety during this difficult time.
Everything is running again after the two-week hiatus. The children’s work continues, although more help and volunteers are needed because some people have fled to safer regions. Home study groups are growing, church activities are getting under way, and the bakery will restart as soon as supplies arrive. Many of the young people who remain in the area have very difficult family backgrounds, with some coping with the loss of parents because of the war and many facing extreme poverty. The team are doing all they can to help and provide a safe space with others in similar situations, which the young people greatly value.
With food on so many people’s minds, we were able to create 150 emergency food bags. The church held a service for refugees, and everyone received a bag, for which they were extremely grateful.
Despite everything they are facing, they continue to live with great hope and are already planning camps for the autumn. I will share more news about this in the coming weeks. This week they will be harvesting a potato crop ready for winter on land within the Centre. Then next week, we should see the solar panels installed to give continues energy at the Centre.
Thank you to everyone who is praying for and supporting this work in whatever way you can. Each week I am amazed by the team’s ability to find new ways, even in such difficult circumstances, to do what is needed to help others. It is truly humbling.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to donate to Hope Lebedyn or support any of our projects, please visit Support us - Hope Lebedyn for more information.
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,
As the team takes some time to rest and prepare for a busy autumn schedule, this week’s report is shorter than usual.
Life at the Centre still has people arriving needing support. Mid-week services continue to grow, and requests for help are increasing. Although things are quieter, another 150 emergency food bags have been packed this week for refugees coming to the Centre. As a reminder, each bag costs around £27 and feeds a family of four for one week.
The team also supported people without heating by providing four wood stoves to homes where people are living in extreme poverty ahead of winter.
Many young people are still meeting together, and Sergey and Valentyn continue to encourage them. All activities resume fully next week, alongside the start of the academic year. I know Bohdan and Alla are finding it hard to face the prospect of long, dark nights and children learning from home — a reality many parents are facing right now.
Please continue to hold the people of the Sumy region in your prayers. The situation there remains very serious, with Russian soldiers continuing to make incursions into Ukrainian territory, though thankfully they have been repelled so far. On Tuesday alone, around 70 cruise and ballistic missiles and drones landed in the region. In the nearby town of Trostianets, Ukraine’s largest chocolate factory was destroyed. As the area’s biggest employer its loss will be deeply felt by many families with it resulting in many people now leaving their homes in search of safety.
This week, Bohdan travelled into Sumy city and, while there, had to take shelter in a shop as Ukrainian forces defended against an attack nearby. Bullets were flying through the area, and finding shelter quickly in a nearby building was essential. It is a sobering reminder of the danger people are living with day by day, and of the courage shown by those who continue to serve in such difficult circumstances.
In the midst of this, the team continues to serve with courage in extremely dangerous conditions. Please pray for their protection, strength, and peace as they care for those most in need.
We have been blessed with many gifts to help cover ongoing costs, especially the provision of solar panels to power the Centre. Thank you all for your generosity. If you have made payments directly to our UK bank account and are a UK taxpayer, please let us know so we can send you a Gift Aid form and make your gift go a little further.
Thank you all for your ongoing support and prayers.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to donate to Hope Lebedyn or support any of our projects, please visit Support us - Hope Lebedyn for more information.
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 team is taking two weeks of rest before the Autumn season begins after an incredibly busy summer. Pastor Andrew is still meeting with refugees, and with Pastor Sergey continuing to help, they have kept the Centre open. Bohdan and Alla were able to spend four days away with Zoryana, while the boys attended a camp in the Carpathian Mountains. Because of the nightly attacks, Zoryana has been experiencing night terrors, so a few nights in western Ukraine, away from the bombing, were truly refreshing.
Once again, Sumy has been the focus of heavy attacks this past week. Even during a video call on Wednesday morning, drones were flying overhead, and there seems to be no let-up. The good news is that, with our partners Ukraine Relief Aid, we have secured another truckload of aid for delivery in September. This is very encouraging, and will bring much-needed relief to many people suffering in the Lebedyn area. We also hear that many medical facilities, including hospitals, are moving whole departments to safer towns, making it increasingly difficult for people in and around Lebedyn to access basic medical care.
Larisa, who runs the orphanage, is finding life extremely difficult at the moment. Government funding continues to be reduced and staff are looking to move to safer areas, even though the main building has already been relocated to Synivka. Recruiting staff is a major challenge because only low salaries can be offered, as well as living so close to the front-line. Bohdan and the team have been able to give further help: in addition to buying fresh food as part of our three-month commitment, they also supported the rebuilding of the storeroom, with Lebedyn church purchasing the necessary building supplies. Please pray for Larisa as she carries the heavy responsibility of caring for these orphaned children while their numbers continue to grow.
Olga, the head teacher at the school where we held a camp in Hryntsevo, continues to be connected with the church. Valentine returns each week, even during the school holidays, to run a youth club for the children who attended the camp, and new young people are joining every week. Olga came to the church in Lebedyn on Sunday and spoke at the end of the service, thanking everyone for the help given to the school. She also shared that she wants to reconsider her faith and its relevance in her life.
Following the recent attacks, several senior members of the church are in hospital with heart issues. The fear and stress of everything happening around them has had a serious impact on their health.
As the team rests this week and next, please pray that they return refreshed and ready for a busy Autumn season. The government has apparently announced that all schools will offer free meals from September, but as Bohdan pointed out, this is of limited use when most children still have to study from home. The whole team was tired, so this time to recuperate is much needed.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to donate to Hope Lebedyn or support any of our projects, please visit Support us - Hope Lebedyn for more information.
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 two weeks since my last update and much has happened in Lebedyn and the Sumy region.
The last of the camps finished last week, with the older youth camping on site. Many had never experienced anything like it before and took time to settle in, but they soon felt at home and thoroughly enjoyed everything that was happening.
Camping overnight under canvas was a challenge. Bohdan and his family joined in, but Thursday and Friday nights were extremely noisy, with bombs and drones striking targets in Lebedyn — it even made the BBC news. Bohdan said that, although it was frightening at times, prayer united them through the night. The attacks also cut power to the Centre, so the team built wood fires and the kitchen team cooked all meals this way for two days.
Click the image below to watch the video made for the youth camp.
Both the teens and youth were keen to meet again, so they gathered again at the Centre for a full day. The youth will also camp for one night by the river.
The situation in the Sumy region is deteriorating rapidly. The main city has become like a ghost town, with many buildings flattened by constant bombing. Sumy hospital is closing departments because it is no longer safe to remain there, and cancer patients now have to travel to another hospital further inland from the border. Many people are trying to leave Sumy, only to arrive in Lebedyn where there is no accommodation available. On Wednesday night, I received a text from Bohdan to say that they were standing outside for safety as over 20 drones attacked Lebedyn. I have video that Valentyn filmed from the Centre where drones attacked so close and it is quite frightening. Petrol stations and associated power supplies were the main target, but amazingly the power was on the next day! Thankfully, all were safe the next morning, but it is a stark reminder of the extreme danger this team are working under .
Although the kitchen team should have been off this week, they came in at 5:00 am to bake bread for those in need. On Tuesday they held a service for refugees, attended by more than 100 people. On Wednesday they are visiting the old college, where many are temporarily housed, to give out bread. They are also taking bread to villages where poverty is widespread, and visiting Samotoivka, where a small house church now meets to help others.
Power supply is likely to become an increasingly serious problem through the autumn and winter as power facilities continue to be targeted. As a board, we have told the team that we will invest in solar panels so they can become fully self-sufficient. Bohdan wept when he heard the news. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project so far — it is deeply appreciated. We still have funds to raise for this, but we believe this is vital to continue the work and ministry of the Centre when power stations are being targeted.
For your prayers:
To close, I want to share a lovely story about Bohdan’s son, Miroslav. Every night Bohdan spends time with his family reading the Bible and praying together. During one conversation, Miroslav asked, “Why should I believe in Christ?” Bohdan explained, and Miroslav began to cry, unable to hold back his tears. Bohdan suggested that he pray, and Miroslav accepted Christ into his heart. Bohdan wrote to say it was a beautiful moment for their family. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Bohdan, Alla and their family.
Thank you all for your continued support. If you have made a recent gift into our UK bank account and you are a UK taxpayer, please remember to gift aid your gift so we can claim a further 25% from the government. We will happily send you a form.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
If you would like to donate to Hope Lebedyn or support any of our projects, please visit our website on this link Support us - Hope Lebedyn for more information
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 teenagers’ camp went very well. Attendance remained strong, and there were no bombs or power cuts during the week. Sadly, the same was not true in Sumy city, where parts of this once-beautiful city continue to be destroyed daily. Fuel and energy supplies across the region are still being targeted, causing many shortages.
A full report of stories is being prepared, but one story especially stood out. Zlata is a special young lady, though she found it difficult to attend at first. Her grandmother brought her each day and collected her afterwards, but Zlata was hesitant to come. This may have been partly due to shyness, but also because she disliked going out while the war continued around her. As the week went on, she became fully involved in every activity and listened closely to Bohdan’s daily talks. On Friday, after speaking with Bohdan, she prayed with Sophia a beautiful prayer to become a Christian and shared deeply with the team. Please continue to pray for Zlata as she begins her journey of faith.
At the end of the camp, many tears were shed because the teenagers did not want the week to finish. Several had meaningful spiritual encounters and asked for Bibles before leaving. They also want to keep meeting and have already begun doing so informally, while Bohdan is arranging a special day for them the week after next. A similar day is also planned for children with special needs, after the local centre that teaches them requested it because of the positive impact of previous camp support. Valentyn is also travelling weekly to Grintsevo to run a new youth group there following the camp.
You can see more of what the teenagers got up to in this great video on our YouTube channel - click the image below to watch!
Next week is the final week of Summer Camps, with a residential camp for older youths. They will be camping on site in tents, so please pray for their safety throughout the week as night time is normally the busiest for military activity.
Although there have been conversations about aid, very little is currently coming through, so we are having to explore other options. Last week I mentioned Larisa’s orphanage and its need for food. Thanks to people’s kindness and generosity, we have been able to send enough money to buy fresh food for the next three months. Thank you.
Finally, I want to mention a practical issue. Each week I seem to refer to the challenge of running everything through the Centre while dealing with power supply problems. Bohdan has met with the head of the local power company and has their support, but power stations remain a main target in this war. He has been warned that winter will be difficult, with power likely to be off more than it is on. This will seriously limit what the team can do, not least baking bread to provide people with this basic necessity. After much research, Bohdan has found a potential solar energy solution through a reputable local company. For $21,400 (£16,090), it would provide enough power for both of our large buildings, including three-phase power for all the kitchen equipment, and would support up to two full days of operation. This would allow the work to continue and significantly reduce future running costs. The panels would be placed on the ground rather than on the roofs, making them less noticeable and improving distribution between the two buildings. As trustees, we believe this is the best option for continuing operations through the winter, so we will be raising funds towards the cost. If you feel able to stand with us on this project, we would love to hear from you, while also recognising that many of you have already been incredibly generous.
There will be no update next week as I will be on annual leave.
Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
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,
Military activity has escalated in the Sumy region and Lebedyn over the past week. What was meant to be a quieter week of preparation for this week’s teenage camp became frustrating and difficult. Supermarkets in Sumy were hit by missiles, followed by drones that prevented firefighters from tackling the fires. Educational book suppliers were also targets with 1.5m books destroyed in July so far across Ukraine. Power stations and petrol stations were also targeted.
Bohdan visited Sumy city and was shocked by what he saw. Fuel was unavailable and everything was closed. He heard there might be fuel in Romny, about an hour’s drive away, but while he was queuing there, air raid sirens sounded and the station had to close. With too little fuel to get home, Bohdan was stranded. After two hours, he pleaded with the owner, who discreetly filled his car, even though it should not have been done. The round trip took more than four hours.
Power cuts in Lebedyn are constant. Concerned by the situation, Bohdan arranged a meeting with the CEO of the power company. They agreed to do all they can to keep power supplied to the Centre and support its work. Of course, if there is a major strike, no one can prevent the consequences, but it is encouraging to have such goodwill from local leaders.
In our meeting, Bohdan looked and sounded exhausted, but he said the team remains in good spirits. They were able to get everything they needed in the end, and the camp began this week.
More than 90 teenagers came, even though only 75 had booked. All have been affected by the war, which is showing itself in a range of behavioural challenges. By the end of Tuesday, clear boundaries had been established and the young people were fully engaged. Bohdan’s wife, Alla, is serving as a team leader for the first time. Many of the children had wanted to be on Sergey’s or Valentine’s team, so being placed on Alla’s team was not initially popular. By Tuesday evening, however, her team was leading the points chart, and everyone wanted to be with her!
We have been working to secure more aid for Lebedyn. People are already anxious about a long, difficult winter with little or no power or fuel, and limited food supplies. We need to find several sources of help, so please do pray for this.
Larisa, who runs the orphanages in Austria, Synivka, and Sumy city, has returned from Austria. She had hoped to build a large bomb shelter in Sumy, but the government has now withdrawn most funding for the orphanages. As a result, she has had to abandon that plan and focus instead on raising funds simply to feed the children. Fresh supplies such as fish, meat and milk are hard to obtain. Bohdan immediately took food and other supplies from what we were able to provide, and we are committing funds each month for the next three months before reassessing the situation.
Bohdan shared more about what Larisa is facing. Despite cutting funding, the government continues to send her more children to care for, so numbers are rising. The situation is especially difficult for the children in Sumy city. Although they should be living at the orphanage centre, conditions are so bad that they are not allowed to sleep in their bedrooms. Instead, they must spend each night in an overcrowded hospital that is also under constant attack. Every evening they are taken there, then collected early the next morning to be fed and cared for before the same routine begins again. Bohdan does not understand this decision, and it is taking a heavy toll on the children and Larisa’s team. It seems even more concerning when cancer patients are being moved to Zhytomyr because Sumy is considered unsafe for them.
With political unrest at the top of Ukraine’s government, tensions are rising, but the team is doing all it can to reach as many people as possible at this time.
Please pray for aid supplies, food for the orphanages, and the camps taking place this week. Next week will be a week of rest before the final camp of the summer the following week.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
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 fourth week of camps finished well. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and despite major problems with power, water, and local food supplies, the team was still able to do what was needed. Through creativity and perseverance, they completed everything planned, although not without some frustration.
At night, drones and bombs could be heard and were landing nearby, but during the day, remarkably, there was no activity. After one particularly difficult night, two children were not allowed to return, while others came after hearing the camp was running. Once again, the parents’ reactions were striking. Many remain angry and frustrated because of the war, and distrust is still high.
Click on the image below to watch our YouTube video of highlights from the camps of the children having a great time!
This week has been busy as the team catch up on plans for next week’s camp with the younger teenagers. We are expecting record numbers, which has surprised everyone.
Refugees continue to arrive in Lebedyn, but many cannot find somewhere to live, and all free accommodation has now gone. One woman from the Donetsk region arrived with nothing but used her savings to buy a small, run-down house—more like a shack made of wood and metal. She is trying to rebuild it, with neighbours helping her gather materials from bomb-damaged sites. The government has offered no support. We have provided food and supplies, and her daughter, Eva, was quickly given a place at camp with Farmer Sergey’s team so she could make friends and receive two meals each day. Sadly, situations like this are becoming increasingly common. The team have also been to many houses as well as people coming to the Centre for help.
With the power situation expected to worsen, we are looking into solar power so we can generate our own electricity. Installation is far cheaper than in the UK, but it would still be a major investment but enable us to be self-sufficient. Even so, it would enable the team in Lebedyn to keep baking bread and continue their work throughout the year.
Above is a picture of Natalie, who is profoundly deaf. She teaches sign language and currently has teaching contracts in the Netherlands. During the school holidays, she returned home to Lebedyn to visit family and was shocked by the changes in the community. Church members who teach local children and had worked with Natalie before invited her to join them at church, as she was clearly upset by what she had seen. On Sunday, she chose to follow Jesus and became a Christian. She now wants to be baptised before returning to the Netherlands. When the world offers no hope, people turn to the One who can.
Please continue to pray for the Teen camp next week, the team as they cope in difficult circumstances and all the work they do with all the services within the community.
Thank you for your continued support, especially to those who have recently given financial gifts. If you are a UK taxpayer and have not yet completed a Gift Aid form, please contact me, as we can claim an extra 25% of your gift from the government.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
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 feels almost miraculous that the camps are running this week.
Weekend bombing left Lebedyn without power, gas or water. Anticipating this, the team collected enough water for the camp, arranged outdoor cooking using bottled gas, and found practical ways to keep going. Once again, as I write, the bomb shelters have not been needed, and no drones or missiles have been in the area during the camp.
Fuel remains difficult to obtain, as petrol stations continue to be targeted. This weekend, Bohdan travelled 100 km in search of fuel. He attempted to go to Sumy, but as they approached the city, drones and missiles were falling, so they turned back because it was too dangerous.
Last week’s camp was for children aged 6–8, and Bohdan said it was the most difficult camp he has ever led. The impact of the war is clear in these young children’s behaviour: they struggle socially, find communication difficult, lack concentration and become angry easily. Because of the dangers of war, many have never attended school or nursery regularly. Parents are increasingly frustrated too; some children describe being shouted at constantly at home. Even so, parents are willing to bring their children to camp because it offers respite and they see it as a safe place.
When asked to draw or paint, around 90% of the children depicted the war ending and happy families reunited with both Mum and Dad present. Sadly, many do not understand that some fathers will not return. Their longing is simple and profound: they dream of the war ending, and they desperately want love and affection. Again and again, what they most wanted was a hug.
This week’s camp, for children aged 9–11, has been easier. Some have attended the weekly Saturday clubs, their behaviour is better, they enjoy the stories and activities, and they are more willing to help one another. What is being modelled at the weekend clubs is clearly making a difference in their lives.
People continue to come for help. One woman arrived from a village near the border that had been destroyed. She was confused and still suffering from concussion. The team gave her food and hygiene products, but the need is great and the aid store is now running low.
Bohdan also visited two people serving near the front line in Sumy. Elijah came into the church through camps and youth work and is doing well. Another soldier, who also used to attend camps but has not returned to church for some time, has been fighting since the war began. He told Bohdan that what he learnt at camp has stayed with him, and that before every mission he gathers his unit to pray. He believes this is why he is still alive. Bohdan shared communion with them both.
For many of us, it is hard to imagine what life is like in wartime, but we are increasingly seeing prayer make a real difference. Recently, the Sumy Oblast carried out a county-wide inspection of district school directors (head teachers). Under new laws, the consequences of failing appear to be severe: dismissal and, for men, being sent to the front line. In recent months, we have worked closely with schools in Gryntsevo, Mezhyrich and Lebedyn. When news of the inspections came, all three schools contacted Bohdan and asked for prayer. Remarkably, every director failed and was dismissed except those from the three schools that had asked for prayer; they remain in post.
Please continue to pray for:
Thank you for all your kind gifts and ongoing prayers they are appreciated as always.
Every blessing
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
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 camps are under way with over 100 children attending the latest!
As has been the case in the past, there have been no drones or missiles in the area whilst the camps have been running. There has been activity through the night after all have gone home, but we give thanks for the safety of the children whilst attending the camp. Like for many of us in Europe it has been exceptionally hot which adds another dynamic.
Bohdan said that the children are very “emotionally unstable” due to the war as the trauma and grief take hold. Parents are tired, angry and feel trapped by the war as children cannot go out to play, which manifests itself in bad parenting and is why these camps are so important. The team are working to the “limit of their strength” to show a different model of living. Please continue to pray for them.
With a new wave of bombing in the larger cities there has been an increase of people leaving Kharkiv especially and being placed in Lebedyn. Many of them are sent to the Centre for help, and they have been arriving whilst the camps are taking place. The team held a special event for them after the camp on Wednesday. This lady arrived at our door with her child having lost everything. We did all we could to help her.
Also after the camp day was finished they went to visit the village of Hryntsevo again to work with the youth there.
There will be more extensive news next week, but please do continue to pray for safety for all that is happening and for the team. Thank you to all those who have recently donated to the work. Without your help we could not achieve what we are able to do.
Every blessing,
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
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 first camp finished well, and the team is now running a camp at the Centre for children with special educational and additional needs. Forty children plus their leaders from the Educational Centre are attending. Power remains unreliable because of ongoing drone attacks on power supply infrastructure, but as you can see from the photos, the children have greatly enjoyed everything taking place so far.
The camp in Hryntsevo deeply affected both the team and the children. The children’s trauma and mistrust were clear, yet by the end of the week many were in tears because they did not want the camp to end. Parents again said the experience had changed their children’s lives.
In his report, Bohdan shared this heartbreaking story:
"Whilst in the camp we noticed a boy named Ivan. He moved to the 11th grade. He didn't look very neat. His clothes were dirty and hadn't been changed for a week, and his behaviour was strange overall. We thought that maybe he had a developmental delay, but everything is fine with his brain. Then the director said that this boy had a mother who was an alcoholic and constantly drank. She drank at the cemetery taking him with her, and when she was lying drunk, Ivan was constantly by her side – he was only 3 years old when this was happening. She died on one of these drinking sessions and people found Ivan sat and crying beside her, nobody knows for how long. His father took Ivan to Hryntsevo, but neither he nor the grandmother have looked after the boy. He was simply imprisoned in the house so that he did not go anywhere except school. This explained his "strange" behaviour. But, interestingly, he constantly wanted to be close to the leaders, to hear something, to feel the warmth of love. I wanted to give an answer to some question. When we talked about the fact that God loves us as parents, it "cut" to his heart, he cried because he had no family. It's hard for him to be friends with his peers, so we constantly tried to fix it. They can joke with him, and he reacts sharply to this. When he received the gift we presented to him there were tears in his eyes as he had rarely received any gifts until now as a grown boy."
While the camps have been running, the team have also been helping as many people as possible. Since the start of the war, they have regularly visited the nearby village of Budilka, which has been badly affected. Missiles have destroyed much of the village, and many families fled, leaving mainly elderly residents and refugees. With no shops in the area, these visits are greatly appreciated. During this time, a church also began meeting in a home, and the team now supports it with aid and by helping with the services.
Tatyana, 73, has been attending the home group for two years. She became a Christian, helps in the village, and, like many others, asks many questions about the war. Her son, Sergey, is serving in the armed forces.
Please continue to pray for:
Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers and for the many gifts sent in to help fund the camps. It is greatly appreciated.
Every blessing.
Peter Martin
Founding Director of Hope Lebedyn
P.S. It costs around £35 for one child to attend a non-residential camp week. This covers two meals, drinks, snacks, and all activities. We need to send $25,000 to meet these costs, so if you can contribute in any way, we would be very grateful. This link can show you more info……Hope Lebedyn's page | Stewardship
