For thousands of children in Ukraine, summer camp is more than just fun and games – it’s a lifeline. It offers a precious glimpse of a future filled with faith, love, and hope.
For most Ukrainian children, the war has stolen their sense of safety, joy, and innocence. They’ve grown up with the sound of air raid sirens instead of laughter… with worry about fathers and brothers on the front lines and uncertainty clouding every tomorrow.
That’s why Christian summer camps are so vital right now. Camp offers more than just a break from the anxiety and chaos – it’s a place of refuge, healing, and hope. It’s where children are surrounded by love, encouraged by caring leaders, and introduced to a Heavenly Father who will never leave or forsake them.
Amid trauma and fear, they discover peace… they discover joy… and for most, they discover faith. Your support can give a child this sacred gift – a week that could change their life forever.
HART’s team in Ukraine has been carefully reviewing requests from our partner churches as they prepare to host summer camps across the country. Together, we’re developing joint budgets to allow over 6,000 children to experience a life-changing week at camp this year.
Our partner churches are praying that the funds needed to realize this vision will come in over the next three weeks (until the June 13th Fundraising Evening)—thanks to the generosity of HART’s compassionate community in Canada and the USA.
Be a Part of Hope – Double Your Impact Today!
Right now, Ukraine is in crisis. Families are broken, homes are lost, and the trauma of war touches every community.
But in the midst of this devastation, local churches – partnering with HART – are shining the light of Christ like never before.
Through HART’s Ukraine Crisis Fund, we equip these churches to be the hands and feet of Jesus – bringing food to the hungry, shelter to the displaced, comfort to the grieving, and the Gospel to the brokenhearted.
And now you have an opportunity to make an even greater impact. Thanks to a generous matching donor, every dollar you give will be doubled until the evening of our HART Fundraiser (June 13). That means your gift of $100 becomes $200. $250 becomes $500 – to bring healing, hope, and tangible help to those suffering in Ukraine.
Please pray for our upcoming Fundraising evening. Pray that the hearts of the people who attend are sensitive and open to God’s direction.
Please forward this email to friends & family who may want to attend the EVENT, or may want to take advantage of the MATCHING fund offer.
Event Details and Registration
If you PLAN to attend…
All donations double!
If you CANNOT attend, please…
All donations double!
ARTICLE
Russia’s war against Ukrainian children
What Russia is doing to Ukraine’s stolen children is not just a political matter — it is an issue of the greatest moral urgency. That’s why even Pope Leo XIV, in his first Sunday address since becoming leader of the Holy See, called for the return of these children to their homeland.
Ukraine’s greatest natural resource isn’t minerals found underground — it’s found in classrooms, playgrounds, and family kitchens. It’s the children. They are the living thread connecting Ukraine’s past to its future, the ones who will carry forward the language, the history, the cultural traditions. No monument or archive can safeguard Ukraine’s identity the way its children can. READ MORE
SENIOR CARE PROJECT
Valentyna’s Story: A Soul That Found Rest
We first met Valentyna in the most unexpected place—a cemetery, on a day when the rain was pouring down. With no public transportation in sight, she and her young granddaughter approached us and asked for a ride home.
As we drove, we sensed God stirring something in our hearts. It became clear that this wasn’t just a chance encounter—we couldn’t simply drop them off and carry on with our day. So we extended an invitation to visit our church for a Sunday service one day.
To our delight, they came that very next Sunday. And not long after, they began attending regularly, each visit a step closer to God’s transforming love.
Valentyna’s life had long been a journey of searching. As the wife of a military officer, she moved from city to city across Ukraine—and always looking for a church, always longing for a place to belong.
After her husband passed away, she settled in Lutsk—a city that never truly felt like home. With no close friends or family nearby, she lived in quiet isolation, burdened by a serious illness that could take her life at any moment. The fear of death and loneliness was overwhelming.
But Valentyna’s hunger for God was planted early, deeply rooted in the quiet faith of her childhood. She remembered her Christian grandmother, who lived through times of persecution—able to speak of her faith only in hushed whispers. “With all your strength,” her grandmother would say, “guard your faith in God–keep it hidden in your heart.”
Those whispered words never left Valentyna.
They echoed through the years, guiding her quiet spiritual search. And finally, at the age of 70, her journey led her through the doors of our church—and everything changed.
There, for the first time, she heard the Gospel clearly. And she embraced it fully, joyfully receiving Christ as her personal Savior. Soon after, she made a bold declaration of faith through water baptism—publicly proclaiming what her grandmother had once been forced to keep silent.
With tears in her eyes, Valentyna says, “The church is my family, my home.” She has found God, found the answers she had long been seeking, and found a community that embraces her with love.
Now, in the later years of her life, she is no longer gripped by fear but filled with joy—faithfully praying for the salvation of her son and granddaughter.
Her hunger for God’s Word is insatiable. “I devour every page, every word,” she says. “I’m ready to sit with Scripture day and night.” Once weary and parched, her soul has discovered the living water—and now she drinks deeply from it every single day. Olha – HART Caseworker
REFLECTIONS OF A PASTOR IN WARTIME UKRAINE
Chronicles of Narnia
Strangely enough, in this season of war, I find myself reading fairy tales.
It might seem childish—or even inappropriate for such serious times. But maybe—just maybe—this is precisely what my soul needs: a deeper kind of nourishment. And so, I’ve found myself returning to The Chronicles of Narnia.
Thank you, C.S. Lewis, for such powerful, timely imagery. It resonates deeply.
I journey now, alongside a brave crew of young Narnians, sailing into the unknown. They pass island after island, each with its own mystery and peril. Then comes the Dark Island.
This is no ordinary place. Not earth, not fog—just darkness. The kind that swallows everything. Like standing at the mouth of a railway tunnel, so long and winding you can’t see the end. At first, you can still make out the walls, the tracks, the stones… but then it thickens. And soon, everything is consumed by uniform blackness.
It’s the island where dreams come true. But not the dreams you hope for—no. These are the dark ones. The ones that sneak into your sleep uninvited. Your fears. Your nightmares. And they envelop you, leaving no way out.
“Aslan, if you love us, help us!” cries Lucy, the youngest. Then, out of the darkness—a sign of hope. An albatross appears. It circles the ship, then gently lands. The shadows begin to lift. Light breaks through. And suddenly, the ship sails forward into a warm, sunlit sea. The nightmare vanishes without a trace.
“So they sailed all day in the southeast wind. No one noticed when the albatross disappeared.”
That line struck me. “If you love us, help us!”
Let that be our prayer, too. Especially now. May the sense of God’s love be restored in our hearts—the very foundation of our relationship with Him. Even when we find ourselves shipwrecked on the island of darkness. Because we will find ourselves there.
But we are not alone. The Albatross still appears. And Aslan still speaks.
So yes, I do recommend The Chronicles of Narnia. The pages may become creased, tear-stained, or worn with time. But none of that will matter. Every mark will be a reminder that it was worth the journey. Andriy
Pray for Ukraine, Pray for a Just Peace
Here are specific prayer points that can help guide our prayers for the situation in Ukraine. Please share these with your friends and family.
