From reports in the Odesa media and also the Ukraine official media outlet the invading forces are scanning social media for information confirming results of there attacks and to adjust their tactics. They have also been posing as representatives of foreign media for the same purpose. With this in mind we will not publish on the website photographs that either identify people or locations, similarly towns, other than those regularly mentioned by the media will not be named. Some names have also been changed in this report.

If you receive a direct copy of our news letters please do not re-publish any part to social media. Thank you for your understanding.

Odesa Report from Sasha April 2023

Sasha and the team spent a long time going through the books, vouchers, and the reporting system. All the accounting was good and diligently done “in the fear of God,” but the system was excruciatingly complicated, and they spent a long time redoing it, while maintaining the budgets we’d set up.

However, Sasha also needed to change their reporting system to one that would be less time-consuming and enable them to report to me for audit purposes more easily. This would enable the team to focus more on their work in the field and less on administrative tasks, while still providing accurate and timely information on what they are doing. In this way we can ensure that the organization can continue to carry out its vital mission of providing aid to those affected by the war in Ukraine.

The big challenge here is not enough workers. There is only Teresa (the mother of the House), her husband, and old Jim and two others doing all the work, preparing the Survival Packages of food and medicines to deliver to the poor, and doing the maintenance of the house.

There is a drastic need for drivers and helpers to distribute the food and medicine packs. Every trip our drivers make is a risk to their lives, but they are dedicated to helping those in need. It’s amazing to see how hardworking and dedicated these people are, not only running rescue mission operations but also maintaining the House of Hope and the fleet of vans.

The people in these bombed villages and cities are in dire need of help. They lack even the basic necessities required for survival. The ongoing conflict has left them without access to food, water, and medical care. The elderly, children, and disabled are particularly vulnerable and in urgent need of assistance. Our House of Hope workers are doing all they can to help these people. Providing food, water, and medical care to those in need. However, our workers need more financial support to continue their work. The situation is critical, and more needs to be done to evacuate them and ensure that the most vulnerable people are not left behind.

The Future Perspective of Using the House of Hope Efficiently

The House of Hope has been a beacon of light for many people affected by the war in Ukraine, providing essential aid to the most vulnerable people in the Odesa-area villages and Kherson. However, there is more we want to do to help those in need, especially the refugees who have lost everything due to the conflict.
One of the steps that the House of Hope is considering is to house many refugee families with children from Mariupol, a bombed city in Eastern Ukraine. These families have lost their homes and everything they have ever had and have nowhere else to go. Providing them with a safe place to stay, food, and mental health support is one of the main things that the House of Hope was created for.

This will require planning and budgeting to house and feed approximately 200 people. The House of Hope has a team of dedicated people who are committed to helping those in need, but we need more team members and workers.
We definitely need more van drivers, and we’re going to have to pay these workers a reasonable wage for the vital work they will do, especially the van drivers who risk their lives to evacuate these families from the bombed cities and towns.

By housing these families, the House of Hope can make a significant impact on their lives. It will provide them with a safe and stable environment where they can rebuild their lives. The House of Hope team can provide them with the necessary resources to help them overcome the trauma of losing everything they had. We’re starting my Evangelism Training Project (in Ukrainian and Russian) to equip these incoming village people in winning people to Christ – like we did in the Covid-19 period that enabled the House of Hope homeless kids to become marvelous evangelists. Remember how they brought over 12,000 village people to Jesus in 485 villages and planted some 250 house fellowships over a two-year period. We rejoiced over that.
Furthermore, housing these families will also benefit the House of Hope. It will enable them to utilize the building more efficiently and provide a long-term solution to the refugee crisis. This will also provide the House of Hope team with a sense of purpose and direction, knowing that they are making a significant impact on people’s lives.

The Disabled Children and Baby Orphanage

Sasha’s visit here was very emotional indeed, seeing these children once again. The dedicated nurses and carers asked us to help them acquire a medical scale and a lifting machine that could lift the heavy children.

The orphanage director said they still have no permission to leave the country. The authorities wanted to move them to another building in the Odessa city centre, but the director said NO and said these kids have little time of life left and she is not going to risk it by moving into a more dangerous zone. They look very tired and have aged because of the strain of caring for these needy children in the war situation around them.
This damaged city is desolate – with windows all shuttered up. Very few people were out and there were sirens howling. Missiles were flying overhead and people running for shelter. The danger there is still very real.

Update on the two van drivers

Do you remember the two van drivers whose van was blown up by a Russian tank shell near Kherson, and were terribly injured? They were on their way to collect and evacuate a family with many children. Just before arriving at the house, a Russian tank shell hit their van. Miraculously, the two men survived but were in a serious condition, and one of them was in danger of having his arm amputated – his arm was saved, but he lost his hand. We have offered to let them recuperate at the House of Hope and bring their families to live there with them. We plan to get them and their families to the House of Hope to recuperate, and then evacuate them to Germany or Norway where we can get a prosthetic hand fitted. Please pray for these needs.

Sam the young soldier from the House of Hope

We had news from this young man from the House of Hope who was conscripted into the Ukrainian Army when the war broke out in February 2022. At the time, he called the House of Hope to say good-bye. He was in a regiment that was going to the frontline of the war zone, and the next day their regiment was caught in machine-gun fire from a Russian MiG Jet. A number of soldiers were seriously wounded but not Sam. He ran into the machine-gun fire and rescued a number of his wounded fellow soldiers. He is still alive, praise the Lord, and is stationed in Kherson, one of the most bombed cities in Ukraine, where there is still intense fighting. He called and sent us a video telling us about the city and his situation. He is well and asks for our prayers every day, please.

Monthly Budgets for the Evacuations and House of Hope

Please continue to stand with us in prayer and support for these growing budgets.

           Dave and Margurita

“The love of Christ compels us.” 

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