Sunday, 28 June 2020
We need all the help we can get.
Hi Friends.
Firstly an apology....
I said I would update in 48 hours, but although things were typed up and ready to go, sadly we were in a fast developing situation and I was very wary of giving you practical detail that would be obsolete moments later. My sincere apologies for the frustration I know this causes. I hope you can forgive / give some leeway knowing the situation we are in.
Hopefully you were able to gather from the previous blog, that during the last 12 weeks - opportunites to encourage the global church have increased. We will update many of you privately on the amazing developments in a number of locations. Thank you for your contiuued interest and prayer for Southern Ukraine, Central Asia and the green shoots of church growth in the needy area of Northern Ukraine especially.
One situation we desperately need to share with you though as priority, is the situation in with young people needing a home in Ternopil region (Northern Ukraine). .
The story so far:
In October 2019 a UK team went to help a dynamic and beautiful innitiative. For many years Vlodic, Polykarp, Viktor, and Elijah (with their families and an ever growing the team) have been trying to share and show the love of Jesus Christ with young people, in camps, schools, boarding schools and orphanges. Through their tireless hard work, kindenss and compassion, they have not only earned the trust and respect of many, they have made friends with many staff, children and young people. Some, in fact many of these young people have become followers of Jesus Christ. We are very exercised to help some young people especially. They live at boarding school for a variety of reasons, but in short need to be taken care of becuase there either is nowhere to call their own home or being with birth relatives is not the best place for them (their wellbeing/ health/ eductaion/future would suffier if they did).The Church with a base in Kremenets built a "grace home" to help such young people aged 16-19. A place where young people can transition from school/ institutional care to looking after themselves. A place where they can receive care, encouragement, nurture, stability and most importantly love. A home is more than a place we live, it is where we are accepted for who we are, and unconditionally helped. This "grace home " is the place many have come to call "home" in Kremenets.
Sadly the need for this help outweighed facilities and so the team completed 2nd floor church accomodation in late 2019. The boys who had been helped by the church family (and previously lived downstairs) , displayed how much they had grown in stature character and grace. Firstly, they gave up "their place", their "home" for us to rennovate it - to take in a new large family of girls. This was a very Christlike, servant hearted thing to do. Secondly they worked hard in rennovating and updating the property with us. Thirdly they did an amazing job, (outside rendering and insulation, building/ welding fire escapes, and tydying up all the mess / our uncompleted work) so that the girls were welcomed, cosy, and nested in time for Christimas 2019. The girls are doing incredibly well, showing great care to others during the covid season, and are a great credit to this wonderful, transformational church project. This work is astonishingly fruitful and rewarding for us to even be a small part of.
The reward for the boys however, was to move into temporary rented premises until a more permanant situation could be sorted for them. We had the privelege of a number of gifts come in at the end of 2019 and were able to help purchase a property (downtown) with a plan to rennovate for their accomodation 1st half of 2020/ Our plan was for the team to refurbish this property primarily in Spring 2020. The team was organised and booked. It was all systems go, but then the coronavirus came.
The Present Situation.
Sadly Covid 19 imtroduced itself without warning, and all our best laid plans were superceded. This has impacted the boys situation severely. Not only have many folks lost work in this area, but the ripple effect of this is that those who are trying to help these young people are also impacted. Due to this (and the complex needs of covid developments) it became apparent that the boys could not continue in their rented situation. Together it was decided that the boys would move into the property in its undeveloped state and start to make the property good as time, funds and opportunitity became available.
Thank you to your generosity, we were a few weeks ago able to send a gift to get the property working with electrics, water and some basic materials to make the property safe and liveable/ functional. It is far from ideal ! The boys had previously lived in one unfinished home are now essentially a further step back from where they started. On top of this the church planned to help / foster at least 8 young people (both boys and girls) after our team had worked on the property. Extensive and well organised plans are well in place for this. Had we done what what was planned in Spring, there was enough capacity for this (extra space at church for the new girls and a new property downtown for the boys) Pease pray for these new young people and how this situation has impacted them, after so looking forward to a new future.
Our plan as it stands and how you can help.
1) Sponsorship scheme:
In the present financial crisis there is concern about the monthly ability to provide basic provision for many young people (essentially food, heating and general utilities) and what the church should commit themselves to in expansion of this ministry, We have been praying hard about this and believe God will provide for the plans he had led the church to - these 8 precious young people continuing to come and live with the church family.
Our specific prayer is that we would be able to provide around £30 per month, per young person to secure their imediate future (make a minimum provision commitment for the next 12 months).
A number of individuals connected to the team are pledging / seeking to help in this way. It may be that your group (coffee morning, young church, lunch club, home group, church or family) would like to encourage this gospel initiative in this way. We are so grateful for those who have already expressed a desire to help. At present we are about half way there !
2) The completion of downtown building.
We are hoping (and praying hard) that we as a team can go and do what we planned in April as soon as is possible and appropriate, Becuase the urgency to complete is greater than ever, our need for a bigger team than ever is also apparent. We really do need all hands to the pump so that the building can be used ASAP. As it stands we are praying hard about what can be done in October / Autumn 2020. This will coincide with the churches many plans for its anniversary. Please pray. Pray that casulties of covid will decrease in this region and that the spread will be curtailed. Please pray for those who had booked flights for the April trip. At present Lufthansa are planning to homour opur tickets for a later trip (for which we are v grateful,) but their future even as a big airline is less than certain at this juncture. Maybe you or your group would like to help sponsor those who could come out on a working team with us, help partially fund travel which may be more costly than previous trips. With so much to do in such a concentrated time, anything you can do to help would be appreciated.
3) More than a building.
The development of these outstanding young people is the dynamic behind lots of regeneration for the church and gospel in this region. Those young people already transformed are returning to impact other schools/ orphanges and young people on a regular basis. They are the same young people who now clean churches, provide meals for others and do many valuable, caring and loving things for others and the glory of Jesus Christ in this covid season. This initiative is a dynamo of energy to church revitalisation in the region, an army of young people energised by grace, for multiplied acts of gospel love. Pray that they will impact many, and that our relatively small task to encourage them will soon be completed.
There is much more we could say. We continue to help many other situations and will update you soon as appropriate. Please contunue to pray for the outstanding work carried on in Odessa and the expansion of those being welcomed into transition house there. There are needs, and we will update shortly,. Also please especially contiue to remember those helping young people in Central Asia, and in War torn environements. In a day of great challenge, medical emergency and yet unprecidented joy as many find their true hope and certainty, we see that there is a new day for the church of love and life amongst the backdrop of destruction and death. . We continue to want to encourage those in these situations and remain committed to doing so. Our goal has never been to make people reliant on our help, training and encouragement, but simply to do what we can at critical moments to encourage progress. We are at such a crossroads at this time, and so we are so, so, grateful for your sharing of the work and burden in this way. What you do in secret, God knows, and its significance - only eternity will reveal. .
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