Ukraine: Hope for the children in the midst of war

A 10-year-old boy in Ukraine named Artyom lost his father when Russian troops invaded in 2014. His mother remarried a few years later and a couple more children were added to the newly formed family. But tragedy struck Artyom’s family again when his stepfather was killed as the war escalated again. The pain Ukrainian families endure is tragic. War seems to take away all hope. But our ministry partner Vadym reports to us how he and his network of churches can still offer the Ukrainian families hope.  The hope is in Christ and the love that only God can give.

In the middle of all the turmoil, Vadym’s ministry is still using the opportunity of summer and the kids out of school to reach out to the most vulnerable children. Two VBS camps located in Central Ukraine and Western Ukraine are taking place to give 200 children a unique opportunity to experience a nurturing and fun Christian environment. During camp, the kids have a brief escape from the hardships of their daily lives.

Vadym shared a praise with us that is an answer to prayer. Pastors will likely receive draft exemptions, which allows them to support their local community that is suffering greatly from the war. Vadym also asks us to pray for the power grid in Ukraine. Power outages can continue for up to 8 hours a day and the situation will likely get worse as winter approaches.

Vadym’s ministry is also taking 15 kids who have lost parents in the war on a 15-day trip to Poland and Germany. The trip is designed to help them heal and experience new cultures outside their war-torn country. Artyom, the boy who first lost his father and then his stepfather, will be among the 15 children invited to see the hope and love through Christ that is available to them.

Through your generous support, children are offered hope in Ukraine through ministries like Vadym’s. They are deeply grateful for and encouraged by the ongoing support of 4D.