Ukraine at War – Update 01, 2024

Your Support is Making a Difference!

Dear Office, we know 2024 will be another challenging year for HART; however, as we contemplate the year that has just ended, our hearts are sincerely filled with gratitude and awe for the light you’ve brought into the lives of those experiencing the darkness of war in Ukraine.

Your faithful support has been a beacon of hope, allowing HART to stand alongside the church and people of Ukraine during this horrific, tragic war. Your contributions have not only sustained the critical work of our church partners but have also been a lifeline for thousands of people facing the harsh realities of war.

May the coming year be one of healing, restoration, and peace for the people of Ukraine. With your continued support, we can be instruments of God’s grace, bringing comfort to the afflicted and building a foundation for a brighter future.

We ask you to be diligent in your prayers that this war ends soon, and together with local Ukrainian churches, you and I, and HART’s community, will be on the ‘front lines’ of rebuilding Ukraine, one community at a time. May God bless you richly in the coming year! With heartfelt gratitude,

However, the destruction and pain continue, as this war is still far from over. To assist our partner churches, the following is a list of HART’S current priorities during these cold winter months:

Please help us support our network of churches across Ukraine,
as they meet the needs of those impacted by this war.

The latest update on Olya

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for Olya. She is alive! And was able to come home from the front lines for the first time in 3 years. She spent ten glorious days with her daughters and her mom.

In early February 2022, just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we shared the touching story of Olya with our HART community. Her heartrending story unfolded against the backdrop of difficult circumstances, as Olya and her mother found themselves responsible for raising her two young daughters and her deceased sister’s two daughters in a run-down village house. These six females were living in deplorable conditions.

Faced with limited employment opportunities in her hometown, Olya made the courageous decision to enlist in the military to support her mother and the children. It’s a remarkable tale of love, determination, and the profound impact of the Child Sponsor Program, which brought the message of Jesus to the entire family. For the details on Olya’s transformative journey, continue reading here:

Thanks to the response of HART’s community, we began raising funds to renovate Olya’s house. However, the local church (HART’s CSP partner) wanted to help this family in a special way. Rather than attempting to renovate Olya’s crumbling house, they decided to assist with some funds and, along with YOUR support, were able to purchase an apartment in their town, close to the church and schools.

Olya’s daughter Maria is in our Child Sponsor Program, and her Sponsor is Garth C. from Saskatchewan. Here are two letters he recently received from the Caseworker and Olya.

Caseworker: Dear Garth, life in Ukraine is tough nowadays. All Ukrainian families are going through different challenges, as the war still brings lots of sorrow. It canceled the dreams of many young Ukrainians. But you, dear Sponsor, still care for the others even more and provide Maria and her family with financial help. We are infinitely grateful for that! Your support is of great importance to the family. Their mother recently returned home for a short visit because she had a holiday from her military service. The children were so happy to spend time with their mother, and they all went to the church together.

Olya’s letter to her Garth from the front lines of the war in Ukraine:
Dear Garth! Maria’s mother, Olya, is writing to you from the frontline.

Thank you very much for the financial help you gave my family, especially my daughters Ilona and Maria. They always tell me about you and that you are such a nice friend to them. We used the funds you sent us to buy some furniture in our apartment – we bought beds for the girls.

I had a holiday from my military service for ten days, and I had the opportunity to visit my family. I was very happy to see my daughters, whom I hadn’t seen for three years. They grew up so much and became true Christians. My heartfelt thanks to you.

Thank you for your prayers and support for Olya! Please continue to pray for her protection as she is still serving as a cook at the front lines of this conflict. Pray that she can return safely back home from this war.