Summer camp season in Ukraine is fast approaching! Several of our partner churches will begin hosting camps in the last week of June, with the majority taking place throughout July and August.
We know that many of you can’t join us in person for our upcoming fundraiser—simply due to distance—but we also know your hearts and prayers are with us, and that you want to help make camps possible for thousands of children in Ukraine.
Whether you’re in Texas, Arizona, Ontario, British Columbia, or anywhere else in our HART community, you can still make a meaningful impact. Thanks to a generous matching fund, your gift will go twice as far in supporting summer camps and also Ukrainian families affected by the war.
And if you’re located in Central or Southern Alberta, we’d love for you to join us in person. Please invite some friends too!
SUMMER CAMPS
Comments from Camp Directors
“There are refugee children in our town who are scared and emotionally devastated. We want to serve these kids so that they can feel the practical love and care of Christians. God has given us this great opportunity to share His love with them.”
“Ukraine’s children have endured over three years of war, terrifying emergency sirens, running to air raid shelters, the bursting of bombs, and living in the basements of buildings for weeks. Some kids have lost family members, their friends, or their homes. The trauma has been devastating, and they need to heal. One of the best places to begin this healing process is at camp.”
These letters are a powerful testament to the transformative impact that HART’s summer camp programs are having on children. Woven throughout these heartfelt messages are two powerful threads – the pain and trauma that these young lives have endured, and the vital role camps play in providing a rare haven of love, comfort, and stability.
DOCUMENTARY
A Faith Under Siege (Full Documentary)
This documentary highlights Russia’s targeted persecution of Christians in Ukraine. Christian faith threatens Russian President Vladimir Putin because it stands outside his control. As a result, his war on Ukraine has centered on the systematic persecution of Christians, their families, and their churches.
ARTICLE
One Child’s Recovery – The ‘Unimaginable Suffering’ Of Ukrainian Children
Roman was injured during a Russian missile attack on the city of Vinnytsya in July 2022. His inspiring story is one of courage and resilience. READ MORE
TRANSFORMATION STORY
A Burned Roof, a Broken Heart, and an Open Door to God
“…But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14
Masha Rybchuk is a 15-year-old girl whose young life has been shaped by deep pain and hardship. Born on Christmas Day, her early years have been marked more by survival than celebration.
Abandoned by her mother as a small child, Masha was raised by her grandmother, now in her 80s and in fragile health. Her older sister, Vika, is married with a child of her own, and her brother—who has developmental disabilities—lives with another family.
Masha has lived with HIV since birth. She’s fully aware of her diagnosis and, like many teens in her situation, struggles not only physically but also emotionally and mentally. At a time when she longs to feel normal, make plans, and dream of the future, she is often overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and despair. “I’ll never get married or have kids,” she says. “My life is a mistake.”
Though life-saving medication is available to her, Masha’s fragile emotional state sometimes causes her to skip treatments – putting her health and future at risk.
Masha’s story is one of deep pain – but also redemption. Before her mother passed away, she asked Masha for forgiveness. But the wounds were too fresh, and Masha couldn’t bring herself to forgive.
Her family has endured unspeakable tragedy: of the six children her mother bore, three have died under heartbreaking circumstances, including two by suicide. Sadly, such trauma echoes through generations. At one point, Masha said, “It’s like there’s a curse on our family—the devil just wants to destroy us.”
When we first met Masha, she truly believed her life had no future. But God had another plan. Last fall, a fire destroyed the roof of their summer kitchen and boiler room, leaving the family without heat as winter approached.
In that moment of crisis, social services referred Masha to a local church (a HART partner). She joined their youth ministry – and it changed everything. Surrounded by worship, friendship, and the message of God’s love, something began to stir in her heart. Later, she said, “It’s a good thing the roof burned down – that’s how I heard about God.”
Since then, Masha has been transformed. She’s now deeply involved in church life – helping cook and clean, joining outreach visits, and attending youth meetings. For the first time, she has found real friends.
She’s especially drawn to older women, craving the motherly love she’s missed. During prayer, she often weeps—especially when forgiveness and Christ’s sacrifice are mentioned. Her heart still carries pain, but she is now seeking healing, not hiding from it.
And Masha is no longer walking this path alone. Her older sister, Vika, has also begun attending church regularly. She eagerly studies the Bible with the youth pastor’s wife and reads it at home.
She’s now married, expecting her second child, and growing in faith. But not long ago, her life was unraveling—caught in a destructive relationship with a drug addict, using drugs herself, and disappearing for days, leaving their grandmother desperate.
She gave birth to her first daughter in that dark season and realized she was repeating her mother’s path. That’s when we met her—at her breaking point.
Just last month, the father of her daughter took his own life. Vika knows that without God’s mercy, she might have ended the same way. But instead, she is finding healing.
And together, these two sisters are becoming bold witnesses—sharing their testimonies with neighbors and friends. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, they are pointing others to the Source of living water.
Masha still needs our prayers. She carries emotional scars and requires continued spiritual, emotional, and practical support. But she no longer believes her life is a mistake. Now, she wants to live. She believes God has a different story for her—and so do we.
HART Caseworker
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.
