UKRAINE APPEAL UPDATES

This page is to provide regular Ukraine updates to let the amazing supporters of Link to Hope and Door of Hope know what is happening and importantly where your money is being spent.  If we are able to show photos we will, however as you can imagine sometimes that isn’t possible.  Also although many of our project managers are pastors please know that people are being helped regardless of their colour, creed, religion or nationality.  Our sole purpose is to help everyone we can.

This appears to be falling into three main categories at the moment

• Helping refugees to escape Ukraine
• Helping refugees who have escaped Ukraine and gone to Romania & Moldova
• Sending in humanitarian aid sourced locally into Ukraine

MARCH UPDATE 2024

JANUARY UPDATE 2024

Shattered Windows at the Angel of Light

As many of our supporters are aware, Link to Hope has long supported the wonderful Angel of Light Centre in Eastern Ukraine. This centre supports the lives of children from broken homes and children who have lost family members. As the conflict rages on, more vulnerable and elderly people have attended the centre. Bought in 2019 the house has been a refuge for the village as the basement is large and many people have been sheltering there from the conflict.

We received an update from our project manager Pastor A.G

“These days, Ukraine is experiencing massive rocket attacks. Long established peaceful towns are under attack from rockets. Civilian buildings, residential areas and social infrastructure suffer from Russian fire. Even during the new year holiday the Russians continued shelling us on this festive night, ending the lives of our innocent population.

It is very frightening especially for the children when a siren sounds and rockets are heard overhead and you don’t know if they are heading toward you and where they are going to land.

Yesterday, our town of Zhelanne was repeatedly bombed. The blasts blew out the windows of our ‘Angel of Light’ building where we give food and comfort the children and elderly.

We thank God, children and adults were not injured but extremely scared of the experience. Every day, the enemy causes material damage and kills Ukrainians. Recently, we have been thinking about evacuating the centre but for now we remain. Myself and the team will continue to serve and support these families and children as long as we possibly can. We are going through very dark times and need your prayers and support more than ever”.

DECEMBER UPDATE 2023

Over the Christmas period Link to Hope were given the opportunity of working with a long standing contact in Uzhgorod, Ukraine to provide some much needed help and joy to a wide variety of people.  A team was formed and we were able to help with:-

Hot Meals – over most of the winter the volunteer team have used the facilities of a local cafe 50 meters from where the team meet.  They used a coupon arrangement to provide meals of meat, vegetables and a small dessert to the most vulnerable in the community.  Many people came to these meals, sometimes very early to make sure they didn’t miss out even though they were on a list to receive a hot meal.

Home visiting – Following on from the meals programme that Link to Hope were able to fund last Christmas, the team have been able to continue supporting 18 families with food and toiletries etc every month. As a special treat  special hampers / packages with festive items for these families were prepared and delivered to them this Christmas and volunteers even sang some carols when they visited.

Hampers – The project team through the churches and other organisations had identified individuals and small communities who were very poor and live with very little.  These people also received wonderful hampers and internally displaced people were a priority. Gifts for the children were also included.

The goods for the hampers and packages were made in a small shop in a nearby town Polyana the team also visit families. It was good to support the lady who runs the shop and her family.

Dinner – A Christmas dinner was organised for a group of parents / carers who visit a local special needs centre. The pressure on parents and carers of disabled children is very heavy and we wanted to have an event where they could forget their worries and have a celebration instead.

Safe House – there is a small safe house set up in the next town of Mukachevo run by a Christian woman, which supports 3 or 4 ladies with children who are all victims of abuse and we have been able to provide food and toiletries for them.

OCTOBER UPDATE 2023

In war torn Zaporozhye we support a small church run by Pastor Sampson Boatri and his church volunteers. Once a week they run a feeding programme for people who are scared and vulnerable during the ongoing conflict. The supermarkets that still remain have very little in the way of supplies, many others have been destroyed by the shelling. This feeding programme is a lifeline to many who are scared and hungry. Recently, Pastor Sampson’s wife Galyna told us….
“People are very hungry when they visit us, they constantly ask for more after they have eaten. Many of the people who visit us tell us they have no place to cook, no gas, no electricity and no work. We spend time with these people talking at lengths, it’s painful to watch them constantly looking and asking for help. People are in desperate need of warm clothes, some told us it’s so cold when we sleep and asked for hats to keep them warm. Many people arrive early for their hot meal, standing in line worried there might not be enough food left. Before we open people are sitting on fences underneath the popular trees. They constantly ask for hot tea and coffee but we assure people that there is enough food for everyone. Many who come to us haven’t eaten recently and are desperately hungry when they arrive. They tell us that they come to our church during the week in the hope they will receive a hot meal. Many people now are extremely vulnerable and poor, they have nothing to eat at home and always ask for bread to take home or a jar of tea. People always tell us that they are so grateful for the church’s generosity and how well they are treated and looked after”.
With situation in Ukraine escalating and the cold winter days moving ever closer it saddens me to see also many people now homeless and living on the cold streets due to there houses being destroyed. We are very grateful to Door of Hope and Link to Hope for there much needed support through this awful and ever growing situation.

UPDATE AUGUST 2023

Great news has come in from the project leader in Nikopol, Dnipro region. We sent them funds to help buy water and food but their need was to buy transportation as well.  The sum we sent meant they have been able to do both.

“We are very grateful to you that we were there in this very difficult, dangerous, hungry and time when there is no water in the city thanks to the occupiers. Despite the daily shelling, there is no water in the city, there is no work in the right quantity, but people still live here. Almost everyone has returned. They could not settle down in other cities and countries. 80% of people returned to the City. At the moment, we have 450 children under our care. We divide them into 3 parts of 120 children and hold meetings with them. We try to heal the spirit, soul and body!Of course, there are many traumatized children psychologically. Some began to stutter, many began to enuresis.They moved to a part of the city where it is a little calmer and continue to visit us. We are always looking for where to get enough humanitarian aid. In one week we need about 7 tons. Every week we distribute food packages of 10 kg per family, 700 people per day, so we get about 7 tons per week. People take a queue in a few hours. We feed about 200-250 people in one day. We had one transport – a minibus, which can take away only 2 tons – and we needed funds to buy freight transport. We had an amount, but it was only 50% of the cost of transport. When you came out to meet us and sent us money, we realized that this was the answer to our prayers! We bought a vehicle near Kiev and immediately loaded it with food aid, which we distributed a day later! Now we can do more. Thanks to you, more people now have water and food.

Fantastic and here are photos of the people that have been helped.

UPDATE JULY 2023

Many of you will be aware that a large dam ‘collapsed’ and flooded many areas of Eastern Ukraine.  There is now a major lack of drinking water and water for cooking and cleaning.  People are struggling to find sources of water on a daily basis.  Due to your generosity we are now supporting a couple in Nikopol who have chosen to stay and help their community.  Here is the situation in their own words:-

“We are  a church from the city of Nikopol, Dnipro region. Before the war, we always invested bits of goodness in children from families who did not even have the possibility to buy candies for their children. We give childhood for the children.

The war came to our city. The enemies standing 5 km from us are shelling the city. We understand that childhood cannot wait. This is the shortest time in the life, but the most memorable. No matter how scary it sounds, but we were able to get along with the war. Children do not know the multiplication table as well as they know the sound of flying shells. They know where to run and how to properly fold their hands behind their heads. We do not let these children lose heart and try to make children holidays as much as possible. But another problem came…

As you may already know, our dam was blown up, this is a reservoir from which our entire region was fed – four big towns Marganets, Pocrov, Nikopol and part of Kryvyi Rih. Due to the destruction of the hydroelectric power station (hydro power plant), our reservoir dried up, all our pumping stations stopped.

There is no water in the taps. And it won’t be for the next few months. Water has to be carried. The situation is very critical. People stand in long queues for technical water, which is brought by the rescue service, but not everyone has enough of it. It got to the point that people have to collect rainwater that flows from the roofs. Sometimes volunteers come to the city and give 3 liters of water each, but this queue still needs to be stood. People are standing for 6 hours and sometimes they do not have enough of this water. The state gives 20 litters of technical water a day on a person with passport.

We also prepare food and set tables 2 times a week for 200 people. People come to eat. We bring food to bedridden patients in Nikopol and several villages around the town: Kapulovka, Alekseevka, Pokrovskoye, Krasnogrygorivka, Prydniprovske, etc.

We are in dire need of drinking water. It is possible to collect it in neighboring towns in the lakes and bring it to the city, then filter and distribute the population. We distribute food to people, but now they are more grateful for plain water, thank you with tears for drinking water.  Any help in this direction is extremely  important.

We also heard about the pills that can neutralize the water.  We would like to buy a truck to bring water. Or maybe someone gives any, but a truck. It is possible to buy water, but we need a lot of it! Friends give us a water filter, but there is nothing to filter.

We need a lot of water and a lot of food. We help

450 children.

About 200 of them come to us to eat three times a week.

700 pensioners whom we try to help at least once a month.

Link to Hope and Door of Hope have been able to send funds urgently to Nikopol to try to help ease the situation for the meantime until another solution can be reached.

JUNE 2023 UPDATE

We have a contact called Samuel who works in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.  He has started a feeding programme as so many people now are either not able to access food, lack money or are escaping from the fighting.  This is an update from Samueal

“Today we gave out 110 plates of food and yet was not enough for all those who wanted.  We see that the demand was higher than we could supply.  Many people come very hungry! On Saturday, for instance, one man came to the feeding programme as hungry as a wolf and asked twice for more! He confessed that he had not eaten for 4 days.

At recent programmes some wished to take away with them some food as it was previously, but there was nothing left over to give.

We try to offer our visitors second-hand clothes and we aim at doing this project till autumn but we would like to continue to do this longer.

Below are some photos taken at the various feeding programmes. Thank you and God bless you!

Yours sincerely,

Sampson B.

From the Ukraine Appeal funds which you have generously sent us, we have sent funds to Samuel so he can feed more people, that people can have seconds and there is left over to take away.  We also hope to send more funds for him to continue his work into the winter.

MAY 2023 UPDATE

A couple of years ago we became aware that peoples life chances were so much lower without ID or a passport.  Children are denied education, elderly people couldn’t claim their pension, new mothers weren’t receiving financial support, people had difficulties getting legal job etc, etc.  We set up the I AM Project to help people gain birth certificates and help them move on.

Who would know that the I AM Project in the Ukraine would become so critically important and that through the Ukraine Appeal funds, we have been able to finance many more people receiving these documents.  This from Max, one of our project managers based in Odessa, Ukraine

“Since the start of the war, many people have experienced document loss. Their homes were destroyed due to the shelling and sometimes they fled as refugees forgetting their documents in the rush. We have helped a vast number of individuals (over a hundred people) who arrived from Kherson and Mykolaiv regions where fighting took place. We aided them with new documents. We would greet them as they arrived by bus at the station and take them to the migration office. We would go through the necessary procedures, pay the government fees and facilitate their documents. We provided significant assistance to people with a particular focus on children who left with their mothers or one of their parents who had also lost their birth certificates. Many children would arrive and when the time came for them to obtain passports, we assisted with the process. It was a wonderful moment for these people especially because when they applied for their passport they received a certificate with a photo and a stamp. During the month it took to produce the documents, they could still use the certificate to move around. It is necessary to understand that at the beginning of the war there were checkpoints on all the roads and document verification was conducted. People without their documents were stopped and detained until their identities were confirmed. Therefor, this project has helped not only in obtaining these documents but also moving through checkpoints with the correct documentation.

Having a passport and birth certificate has helped people receive income from the government. These payments were provided to internally displaced people by the Ukraine government. Most importantly, they received significant financial assistance from international organisations which supported people who were displaced from conflict areas. Additionally, in order to receive humanitarian aid and food in the cities, it is necessary to have a passport and identification code. We were able to provide all this thanks to Link to Hope and Door of Hope, enabling people to have access to these opportunities. Some hotels also offered FREE accommodation to people if they had a passport. In Odessa, there were several social centres where displaced people lived FREE of charge but documents we supplied were required there. Therefor, this project is incredibly important because medical consultations were only possible with the correct documents, along with employment opportunities. Enrolling children into schools also required birth certificates. All of this work had a huge impact on people  who could access social services. However, all of these programs required the correct documents and because of this, our projects provided people with the opportunity to access various types of assistance, both financial and humanitarian. Having a passport and birth certificate has also helped many people travel and feel more secure.

An interesting aspect was that we provided assistance to a significant number of people with disabilities, limited mobility and the elderly. We often had to transport them because the Ukrainian Migration Service is not adequately accessible for people with such disabilities. Sometimes, the offices were located on say the fourth floor and we had to carry people with disabilities in our arms up to that floor. Out of the four Migration Service departments in Odessa, only one was situated on the ground floor with wide door ways allowing for wheelchair access. The rest of the offices were either on the second or fourth floors which had no
accessibility for people. This required the support of 2/3 volunteers to bring the persons document submission and collect the documents afterwards. This was the main challenge we faced but we managed to overcome it and were pleased that people including the disabled were able to obtain passports and evacuated from the conflict areas”

THANK YOU to everyone that has been supporting the Ukraine Appeal.

APRIL 2023 UPDATE

This is a short but tragic update from one of our project managers in Ukraine – AG

“Thanks for your support. Unfortunately, everything is really terrible. Yesterday the Russians shelled Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. About 20 missiles were launched, about 11 are dead and many wounded people. Several houses were bombed and destroyed. People were pulled out of the rubble. The rescuers pulled out a 2 year old boy. He was still alive. But he died in my collegues ambulance. So they couldn’t bring him to the hospital. All this is scary and painful!”

The Ukraine people expected a short war but it is turning into a long, dragged out one. Initial optimism and resistance is now turning to exhaustion and fear. Please support Ukraine in your prayers and pray especially for all those parents who have had to bury their children.

MARCH 2023 UPDATE

FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE

Food Parcels for Ukraine People – Zaporozhye 

We have two wonderful project managers Z & A who asked us for funds so they could go out and feed people in the city of Zaporozhye, Ukraine. They have worked for years in Zaporozhye and every Sunday used to feed up to 200 people with soups and stews and other food items.  They have had to flee the city but wanted to return to see how they could help.

First they bought food, and then they put it in bags.  They managed to produce 90 food parcels from the funds that were sent. They assembled a very brave team of volunteers and spent one week preparing the parcels to distribute food to people. On the appointed day, people lined up 2 hours earlier than they should.  When  Z & A arrived they were slighly nervous at the amount of people that had come.

They gave out products according to documents and statements (categories – lonely old people, widows, large families, disabled people).

They also met a grandmother on the way, she was barely walking with her blind son to the place where they were distributing food.

JANUARY 2023 UPDATE

NEW PROJECT – The destruction of Ukraine infrastructure means that millions of people have been left without power – so no heating, lighting, ability to cook food, hot water and a lack of food in the shops – the list is endless.  Everyone is suffering.  Our contact Peter has been going back and forward from Oradea in Romania to Uzhgorod in Ukraine since the war began.  His main interest is for disabled children and families but he has seen so much suffering amongst all people that his remit has widened.  So Pete has set up – funded by Link to Hope – a centre for helping people with sleeping bags, hot meals, drinks and support.  This has now started and this is what is currently being done to help

Each week 250+ meals are provided. Each meal has a soup (with bread) a meat dinner and a juice or tea. Meals are collected and taken away, often for relatives, spouses or to centres.  People travel long distances to get the food and word has started to spread so even more people are coming for help.  They give out meals between 12pm-1pm, but each day people arrive even earlier.

Meals are prepared at a local restaurant, who do them at a reduced fee of approx £3 per head. Pete and his team receive them and put them into individual bags provided by the restaurant. Word has now got out that the meals are available and what began as 40 meals per day has now increased.

Before the help was known about, there were a couple of meals left over and Pete and his colleague, took them to poor families in her village. Each day thereafter, families were waiting outside in the village so this week, they will make 10 extra for Tanya to take back with her.  They also gave out some meals to people who were walking in the streets trying to keep warm, many with no place to go as they have escaped the war in the East of Ukraine.

Pete says “Here in Uzhgorod it doesn’t stop me from hurting, seeing such poverty and struggles in people lives.  I met a young lady last week, she is 26 and her husband is the same age.  They both have Polio.  Elena comes on public transport walking with a stick through pouring rain, to collect three meals for the elderly and disabled.  Never one complaint from her as she enjoys helping others as a volunteer.  They along with many others are suffering from power cuts and limited food and medicines”   Link to Hope will continue to fund this project along with your support as long as we can.

DECEMBER 2022 UPDATE

The winter cold and lack of electricity has been a major problem for the people of Ukraine.  We have been concentrating our efforts on sending funds out to trusted partners to buy generators.  The one pictured was bought in Moldova and taken back to Ukraine.  As you can imagine the price of such generators has sky rocketed as they are in such high demand.  This was sent to a pastor in Odeassa, Ukraine who looks after a community that was lacking electricity due to power cuts.  It will be used to generate heat and light and try to reduce the amount of people being badly effected by the extreme cold

NOVEMBER 2022 UPDATE

In order to support Ukraine much of the aid is sent to contacts in Romania who organise aid trucks over the border.  This is the truck journey full of food and aid that we have most recently sent.  Pavel, who we have know for nearly 20 years, involved his church in buying the aid and packing and driving the food across to Cercauti in Ukraine.

The photos show the Philadelphia Church and Pavel with his Pastor Vitalie and the church counsellor.  The truck left Iasi at 5am in the morning, driven by the lovely Catalin.  As you can see the truck is packed with food, medicine, toiletries and other items.

The food is then stored in a large warehouse in Cercauti which acts as a distribution hub for the region.  The lady in one of the photos is called Lilia Partica and she is Head of operations in Ukraine.  Her husband Pavel gave his minibus up to the army.  In the office is evidence of the war in the country as there is a selection of bombs and army paraphernalia that has been left behind.

Here is Lada who has three children, two of them with Downs Syndrome.  She was given medicine and food.  Lada used to be a sales manager in a Russian Company before the war, but like many people now she is existing on peoples generosity to help her and her family.  Here also is a food and clothing centre were people come to get help.  They feed people every day and hundreds queue up for help.

And here are the people receiving your food parcels that were bought with your funds from the Ukraine Appeal and transported from Romania.

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE

Zhalanne, Ukraine

We have had an update from AG on how the funds have been spent that Link to Hope sent out earlier this month.

“The cruel war has been going on in Ukraine for 8 months now. Hundreds of people continue to die every day, every day the whole country is under rocket’s attacks from Russia. Many cities, especially in the east of the country, are almost completely destroyed (I posted a few photos from Avdiivka, autumn nature and the ruined city) But there still are people who live in basements and on the ruins of their houses. The Russian military is constantly attacking the energy infrastructure of our country. Today we are experiencing problems with electricity supply, water and heat supply to our homes, mobile and internet communication problems. It is October now and the weather is already quite cold. Thanks to your help, we were able to buy firewood, coal and fuel briquettes to heat the  children’s center in Zhelanne. This is enough for the entire cold season. And it will be warm in our building, where the Angels of Light club is. If necessary, this room can serve as a “warm point”, for those who have no place to warm themselves. We also purchased over 200 liters of gasoline to keep the generator running when the electricity turns off. In order to be constantly in touch, we purchased power banks that can charge phones more than 10 times. And we also bought sleeping bags, very warm. So that during the shelling it can be possible to warm up in the basement, when it is not possible to make a fire and turn on the generator.
Despite the difficulties that are increasing due to military actions, we actively continue to serve and help people. In addition to the constant care of children in our village, via the activities of the club “Angels of Light”, we bring and distribute a large amount of humanitarian aid. These are food, clothes, medicines. During the war, more than one thousand people received help from our hands.
Thank you so much for your help! A.G.

Zhelanne, Ukraine

As many of you know we support the Angel of Light Club which is based in Zhelanne, near Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine. This was set up to help vulnerable children from the 2014 Ukraine war.  We are constantly watching the news as it is only 15km from the frontline but so far has been protected from attack.  A.G our project manager out there is risking his life to continue to provide food, fuel and support to not only the Angel of Light but to the residents of the surrounding village many of whom use the clubs basement to hide in.   He is looking for support to provide fuel for the winter.

A.G says ” Our children’s club “Angels of Light” continues to work. Children come, we provide them classes and feed them. There are also services in the church, on Sunday 30-35 people come. Now our main task is to prepare for winter. Donetsk region will be without gas and water supply, it is obvious that there will be problems with electricity (much more serious than now). All this causes an increase in prices and some shortage of solid fuels (wood, coal, fuel brickets). According to our calculations, we need about 1000$ to buy and bring coal and firewood. I want to buy more petrol for the generator, about 200 litres. For normal operation of heating, it is necessary to turn on the electric pump from time to time. And there will be problems with electricity. It’s another 250$. I’m looking for opportunities to buy several charging solar-powered stations for mobile phones. They cost about $100 each. And I’m also looking for an opportunity to buy sleeping bags using them people can stay longer in low temperatures in an underground shelter. They cost about $70 for one. But they still need to be found. Maybe you will be able to help us in preparation for winter.  Thank you for helping the people of Ukraine. May God keep and bless you!

We of course have been blessed by you so have been able to help send the funds in order to help pay for the fuel and the other items he needs – thank you so much.

Zaporozhye, Ukraine

Two of our Ukranian Project managers – A & Z have helping people in desperate need in Ukraine.  They ran projects that Link to Hope and Door of Hope supported before the war particularly drink and drug rehabilitation and summer camps for impoverished children called the ARK. They are planning a trip to Zaporozhye and needed money to buy items. Some of the funds you have raised have been sent to them to buy Flour, Rice, Buckwheat, Pasta, Sugar, Oil, Carrot, Onion, Bread, Potato, Tea, Millet, Peas, Milk, Canned Food, Tomato Paste and Fuel.  Here is a report on Z & A recent visit.

“Why such products? Because this set is the most practical and in demand for people in difficult life circumstances.
Who are these packages for? Active hostilities in Ukraine are taking place directly next to Zaporozhye (40 km away). Zaporozhye is periodically shelled. Basically some people start life from scratch. Without their houses, clothes, work and food. Therefore, the category of people distributing food: IDPs, families with children, people with disabilities, lonely old people (the advantage have those who has got disability), the poor and large families.

We plan to distribute food in the village of Podporozhnyanka. It is located 15 km from Zaporozhye and 15 km away to hostilities. It’s in the planes. We will make lists of people with their signatures about receiving help. Also, food packages will be delivered to the homes of those families that are in our project and we continue to support them.  Thank you for your help.

On a separate note it is also our wish that we can hold a 3-day camp on the banks of the Dnieper River. Near the village of Podporozhnyanka, near Zaporozhye. We hope for good weather. We will invite people with children from the village, acquaintances, people from social work. I really want to continue the camp ARK regardless of the war. And may the Lord keep us all safe. We pray for people that there will be no shelling and will be good weather. For the Lord to help us realize what He puts in our hearts. And many people (both adults and children) will receive food and psychological support, will hear the Word about Christ at this very difficult time for our country. GOD KEEP US ALL SAFE. With a prayer for you, we embrace you with all our hearts. A & Z

Now the food has been delivered here are some of the photos that we have received.

SEPTEMBER 2022 – UPDATE

And this is what 1,000 tins of baked beans and sausages and 500kg of dried pasta looks like! This is Link to Hopes latest food donation to the Ukraine managed by the amazing Nelu who is based in Oradea, Romania. You have helped pay for all this food plus more being bought in the Ukraine. The aid is being driven by Nelu and his collegue to a town called Porascovo. It will then be distributed to the people who need it the most and who are struggling to access food due to the war. Thank you so much

This war in Ukraine is no-where near ending and our ongoing support is still needed.  We are very grateful for all the funds given and we just wanted to update you on where funds are going this month:-

Link to Hope are sending £4,000 to our contacts in Romania who will buy humanitarian aid with it.  It will then go by truck into Ukraine and be sent to support 80 people living in the village near Cernauti.  The people who receive this aid, range from 14months old to elderly and some disabled people .  They will also send food to other areas.  They have asked for specific help for food, hygiene, clothes etc.  One of our project managers Pavel, will go with the aid himself and try to collect photos as well as pass on your support to these people. The food will also be delivered in the war area of Harkov and Poltava and be taken to people who are living in basements.

AUGUST  2022 – UPDATE

This is the latest update from Z & A our project managers in Ukraine who are temporarily based in Germany.

“Dear friends.  On February 24, 2022, the war began in Ukraine.  My husband and I left for Germany, many left for Poland, Spain, but 24 people from our church stayed in Ukraine, in Zaporozhye.  We are all constantly in touch, and regardless of the distance, the church exists, services are held.  The House of Mercy continues to work in Zaporozhye.  Now there are 12 people in the House of Mercy.

There are new people – the families with whom we work and support now.  These are women with children (some of them lost their husbands in the war), women migrants from the shelling zone, the elderly and the disabled, remained without care. Their children moved to more safe places. We deliver groceries to their homes”

“There are people who ask for help, but they are in different parts of the country.  We send them some help by mail. In total there are 12 families.

Still, when we find opportunities, we collect food packages and our group of volunteers in the city of Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia region, distribute them to displaced people. They buy products, pack packages, announce the place and time of distribution and distribute these kits. Thanks to your help, we were able to do this.

At this difficult time for people from Ukraine who are in great need of moral and everyday support, any help is like fresh air for them.
Even in Germany, a lot of people came from Ukraine, many of them are from Mariupol.  They start a new life almost without anything”

Your funds are being sent to these families to help them survive because no-one else is offering to help them.  Thank you so much.

SUMMER CAMPS

Although some refugees have gone home, some have stayed in the surrounding countries.  Many of the children are deeply traumatized and almost all still have their fathers and grandfathers fighting in Ukraine.  Their mothers and carers are constantly worried and have the additional stress of living in a foreign country with almost all not being able to speak the language and being reliant on the generosity of strangers.  Link to Hope have supported a number of summer camps that local children and Ukraine children can both attend and just for a few days be children again and be happy.  Thank you so much for all your support.

JULY 2022 – UPDATE

This is a story of a family that your funds have been able to help.  It is in the project managers own words:-

Nastya’s family. 

She has 5 daughters. They lived in Mariupol near the railway station. We often helped them with food, diapers, medicines, and household goods.

When the war began in Ukraine (02/24/2022), they immediately came under heavy fire. The Lord kept them alive. They were miraculously able to leave for a safer place, but they still remained in Mariupol and hoped that the shelling would end soon. But it got worse and worse, Mariupol was destroyed more and more. And there was no safe place in the city. They were evacuated from Mariupol under shelling.  That is their house in Mariupol now. Our friends could make picture of their house. Nastia’s family has managed to move from Ukraine to Germany. They are cared by believers. Now they are staying in new house.

Now the family is in safe place. Praise the Lord!  We together with you have passed part of the path of their life. Your strong support has helped them through a difficult time. Now we are happy for them. They are fine. thank you. Z & A

JUNE 2022 UPDATE

It is a tense time with the situation in the Ukraine at present. As the fighting has been concentrated in the East then many of the refugees that we have been looking in the surrounding countries have decided to return home to the Ukraine. However with bombs starting to be aimed at Kiev again then we do not presently know if refugees will start to flee again to surrounding countries. We therefore watch this space and our project managers in Moldova and Romania and ready to host again if required. A message has just come in from Slavic in Moldova

“It’s been over 3 months and as you know the war is not finished. I want to let you know that all the refugees who stayed here with us have returned back to their homes. It’s been so hard to say goodbye and we will truly miss them all but praying so much that God will protect them where they are. The last refugees returned back on Saturday and it was so sad to receive a message from one of the mothers saying that her first night at home was very frightening because of the siren alarms and bombing. They all know that our doors are opened for them at anytime if they will need to leave again but really praying that this war will finish because we all understand the effect of this. Thanks to you help we were able to offer support to a couple of hundreds who were just transiting Moldova and over 150 here at the centre. Thank you so much for your prayers and all the support you have given us. They have returned back so grateful and have told us that they have never felt so much love and care especially when they heard people from UK who never met them and yet they show so much love and care. A big thank you to you all”

300,000 Miles of Helping People

Our latest request has been for a car for AG who is driving refugees to safety as well as trying to get food and medicine. He has just clocked up 300,000 miles and its on its last legs. With no transport then the humanitarian aid will have to stop. A second hand car has been found which your donations have funded and AG is driving across Ukraine to pick it up. Fuel has also hit a high of £1.84 a litre which is extremely high for Ukraine and the queues at petrol stations are very long.

AG Mileage AG New Car May 20

24/05/2022 – Eastern Ukraine, Doblast Region

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This video has been filmed by a Pastor in Ukraine who is doing very similar work to AG our project manager in the East of Ukraine. This is the day to day reality faced by project leaders in this part of the country as they drive around delivering food and medicine and helping those in remote communities. We are astonished at just how frightening and dangerous the reality of the situation is.

20/05/2022 – Zhelannoye, Ukraine

This is the latest report from AG who is project manager for the Angel of Light, a project for traumatised children and their families from the 2014 war and shelling ever since. “In the village of Zhelannoye, shelling by Russian troops has become more frequent. Recently, in our village, several houses burned down from the hits of Russian shells. Fortunately, our house, where the Angels of Light club gathers, was not damaged. We continue to help people with food, hygiene products, and essentials. Thanks to your help, many people today do not feel hunger.

Also, I continue to evacuate people from places where hostilities are taking place in my car. This man’s name is Yuri. His body is partially paralyzed and he can hardly move. I took him from the basement, where he hid from shells and rockets. Brought him to relatives in Poltava, a city where there is no war and shelling.

16/05/2022 – Zaraphozia, Ukraine

Two of our project managers managed to find sanctuary in Germany. However their deep love for the people left behind in Zaraphozia has meant that they are spending every minute trying to buy food and have it sent back to Zaraphozia. This is the latest photos from the funds that Link to Hope and Door of Hope have sent them. Z. has decided to come back to the Ukraine temporary to make the delivery in person so we are hoping that she gets there safely and doesn’t come across any road blocks etc. Notice that no-one wants to have their faces showing photos as it is just too dangerous.

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5/05/2022 – Borzieni, Moldova

As you can imagine there has been a dreadful impact on everyone due to this war but in particular the Ukranian child refugees. Trauma councillors have been brought in to try to help them and try to make sense of what is happening. Pastor Ion from Borzieni had a bright idea and asked us to send him funds to buy a trampoline for the refugee children to play on. It has been a tremendous success and it at least lets the children be children for a short time and think about something else.

02/05/2022 – Cosnita, Moldova

We know Easter is over but we have received some great photos from our lovely project managers Ruvim and Pasha in Cosnita, Moldova. We were able to give them funds to buy special Easter food for the poorer Moldovans we support all year round and the Ukranian refugees that they are helping. People were thrilled and were so happy to receive the bags filled with lovely food. Thank you so much for all your generosity.

20/04/2022 Dancu, Moldova

One of the joys of working in Eastern Europe is that you get to celebrate two Easter’s! The Orthodox Church celebrate this Sunday.

For those who donated to the Easter Bags of Hope ( set up before this awful war started) and the Ukraine Appwal then the funds have gone out to project managers in Moldova and Ukraine. This is so Ukrainians who are still in the country can celebrate plus Ukrainian refugees who have escaped can celebrate Easter alongside their new brothers and sisters in Moldova.

Here are some photos of just part of the meal being prepared-the Easter Bread. These will also be given in the case of Dancu to the Elderly who are supported by the Inn of Love project that Link to Hope funds. More photos to follow over the next couple of days.

13/04/2022- Oradea, Romania

Nelu is one of our project managers in Oradea, Romania and someone we have know for many years. We received this e-mail from him. “
“The refugees are coming, hungry, tired, wet and cold. They need food and clothes when they manage to cross the border after many hours in lines.
Now we like to buy some food to send to the other side of the border. We received a request for food from a Romanian church in Cernautzi, Ukraine to distribute in the bombing area and to feed the refugees that stop on the other side of the border.
So with your support we sent funds in order to help Nelu buy and deliver food to this church in Ukraine who need food and clothing.
Nelu was able to buy 1800kg of food and drinks which was loaded onto 3 minibuses and Nelu and his team crossed over the border from Romania to Ukraine to deliver it. We were amazed at how much food they were able to take over and they were greeted so warmly when they got to their destination. Ukraine is beginning to run short of food in some places so this will be used to help people who desperately need it.

05/04/2022- Kramatorsk-Ukraine

Today in Kramatorsk, the Russian army launched a missile attack on the city. School number 15 was completely destroyed. Fortunately, there was no one in the school, the children study remotely.

This is from our contact AG who is project manager for the Angel of Light. There is going to be so much rebuilding necessary when this war is over. Thank goodness the children were not there at the time.

01/04/2022 – Zaporozhye, Ukraine

The Angel of Light Centre that Door of Hope and Link to Hope support is now also being used for fleeing refugees from neighbouring towns. Our amazing super human friend and project leader A.G, is constantly moving back and forth from Zaporozhye delivering food and medicines to the Angel of Light and households within the village of Zhelannoe. Because of the incredible support, we have been able to finance A.G to purchase these items from a warehouse so he can continue to supply all this food and aid to the many refugees entering the Angel of Light and the town of Zhelannoe. A.G is a courageous and always giving man and we know that he will not stop what he is doing for his own safety. The Angel of Light is from one of the hard hit areas in the Donbas region, so we continue to pray for his safety and others.

31/03/2022 – Kharkiv, Ukraine

It was inevitable we suppose but one of our project managers houses was destroyed the day before yesterday in Kharkiv, Ukraine. This has come in from our translator “The house is destroyed with fire. It is the property of one of the project managers NB who Door of Hope and Link to Hope support with his work amongst the Roma community in Kharkiv city. The house is in Lubotin town, Kharkiv region. The building was destroyed by shelling in Lyubotyn on 29 of March, 1 person was killed, 7 people were injured, 7 houses were destroyed. The house which is in fire, is the house that belongs to NB where he was living with his wife and daughters. Praise the Lord! At that moment his family and big part of the church had already escaped to the West of Ukraine, Uzshgorod city, which is near the Polish border. They had escaped when troops started bombing Kharkiv and it’s region.
So good news – that they escaped and bad news that the house along with that of its neighbours is in ruins. We have spoken to NB who is just grateful that he and his family were not there. This is the reality of life in Ukraine just now.

29/03/2022 – Iasi, Romania – Odessa, Ukraine

We have a wonderful contact in Iasi where Link to Hope has its main project called Future Changed. Pavels church wanted to send food to a church in Odesa in Ukraine who are helping to look after refugees. Alongside food and other items they specifically required funds in order to buy medicine that is needed so badly at the moment. From your donations we were able to buy the medicine that was needed along with other items.

Pavel says ” here we are loading the van with food: flour (300kg,) oil (150 litres), sugar, rice, canned beans, canned meat and 7 boxes with medicine (paracetamol for children (syrup) and for adults (pills), antibiotics (adults and children) and antivirals. We were also able to buy diapers, sweets, hygiene items (tooth paste and brushes, wet and dry napkins. Other vans are carrying mattresses and clothing. Thank you so much”

The van alongside other ones have now left for Odessa

26/03/2022 – Bozieni, Moldova

Here is the top floor of the community centre that has just been finished in Borzieni, Moldova. Our project manager and team have speedily made it available for more refugees to come and stay. Everyone it volunteering their time and talents to help out. Now we are awaiting the beds and mattresses.

24/03/2022 – Odessa, Ukraine

Both Door of Hope and Link to Hope have the bedrock of the charities rooted in helping the poorest and most marginalised. One of those groups is the Roma Community who are almost always the poorest in society and are often misunderstood and disadvantaged. As you can imagine in this war the people who have the money and the cars have been the first to leave Ukraine and who can blame them. However there are millions left behind who have no ability at all to leave the country. They are either too old, too poor, to illiterate or just couldn’t work how or what to do. Max works amongst the Roma community outside Odessa in Ukraine and we have totally invested in him and his ministry. We were raising funds for the I AM Project to get as many people birth certificates as possible and we helped buy a house to be able to outreach into the community. Max is still in Odessa and taking food parcels and medicines to people that desperately need it.

Max says “Thank God we are doing well in Odessa so far. Sometimes there are air raids warning and shelling, but in general transport works, the city lives its own life. We distribute food packages to Roma people, unfortunately the range of products in stores is very poor. No cereals, flour, sugar. Recently we were in Berezovka and saw Nino, an undocumented woman who has many children. She told us that she had not eaten for 2 days. We gave her a food package that will help her live for at least a week.

We also deliver food to other Roma settlements. We recently managed to send a believing Roma family to Moldova. There was a husband, wife and 7 children. They are from Kharkov, their house was bombed, they lived in the subway for several days, then they came to Odessa, we settled them in the same church, where they spent the night and in the morning our volunteer took them to the border and advised them to take some of the children to their husband and without a wife to go through the border and leave some of the children to the wife so that she can cross the border on her own, because men are not allowed out of the country.

We continue to work, consult, distribute food packages, medicines and reassure people, hope for the mercy of God and are very grateful to you for your support in such a difficult time”

Max has a wife Julia and two small children. They are very brave and we can’t imagine what it must be like to be waiting for the bombs to start dropping on Odessa. We pray they don’t.

22/03/2022 – Zaporizhia, Ukraine

Two of our Ukraine project managers Z & A had been helping refugees on the Hungarian/Ukraine border but have now crossed over to Germany with several refugee families and children in tow. Z & A however are co-ordinating efforts to send funds back to Zaporizhia to their project House of Mercy which looks after homeless people and people going through drug rehabilitation. This is one of the projects that Door of Hope and Link to Hope jointly support.
This is what Z & A have said ” The House of Mercy remains in Zaporizhia and there are people there as well as many animals. We care about them. We left them 3 cars, and enough food for them and the animals. Two brothers from the church team remain with them and continue to do social work there. We send money to fill up cars with petrol and buy food particularly for people who are now escaping from the blockade of Mariupol” Z & A are able to get funds directly into the heart of where people are at most need so Door of Hope and Link to Hope have sent funds in order to increase the number of people they are able to help. Again without your support none of this would happening. Thank you so much.

21/03/2022 – Stauceni, Moldova

With YOUR help we are sending funds today to Mihail, our project manager in Stauceni to buy 15 bunk beds to give him an extra 30 beds for more refugees that are coming over the border. For anyone wondering what we are going to be doing with all these beds when this awful war is finally over – then think of all those very poor families who will have a lovely new(ish) bed and mattress to sleep on.

This is from Mihai -“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your financial help, moral support, and prayers. With tears in my eyes I come to tell you that your help is very important in these days full of pain, tears and despair both for the Ukrainian people and for us in Moldova. Thanks to your support, we can now help refugees in Ukraine who are becoming increasingly vulnerable. At first some husbands came with their wives, now there are more mothers, children and the elderly who need a lot of care. In the building of the center in Stauceni, at this moment, more than 160 refugees passed, who received a place to sleep, hot food, a hot shower, transport from customs with Ukraine and to customs with Romania and comforts. I was able to provide these things with Link to Hope’s help” Thank you everyone and please share.

18/03/2022 – Zhelanoye, Ukraine

In 2019 we visited the village of Zhelanoye, Ukraine where Door of Hope and Link to Hope jointly fund a project called the Angel of Light. It is in what was previously called the Red Zone and only three miles from where the 2014 war had stopped. Russian troops could be seen in the distance. Although the Ukraine war has moved to fall scale in the last three weeks, for the last 8 years there has been shelling and sniping for much of that time. The Angel of Light was set up to take care of the children traumatised by the last war and we met many whose lives had been damaged by their experiences. We took a decision to fund larger premises for this project which had previously been based in a single room. A multi-roomed house with two floors, outbuildings, loft and cellar was being sold for around the price of an average second hand car in the UK. We bought it and the house and the facilites has transformed the lives of many of those children with activities, lessons, play, community projects, crafting, sports and so much more.

Fast, forward three years and a country decimated. Our wonderful project manager (who will remain nameless as he is in danger) drove his family to the border of Poland over 4 days to make sure they were safe. He then drove all the way back to make sure that he could still support the families and children of the Angel of Light centre. When we visited the building we remember the very large loft and premises. What we didn’t notice was the very big basement and there is where many of those people are now living protected from the shelling and bombs above. Our PM is trying to buy food from rapidly depleting shelves and also repair a car that keeps breaking down. Funds have been sent to him to help buy foods and to buy parts to fix the car to enable him to carry on in his quest to help as many people as possible survive this war. He is so brave and he could easily have chosen to stay as far away as possible but he is also a medic so knows that people need him and he is willing to risk his life to help. We have been sent this photo of some of the children in the basement of the Angel of Light eating together. Also the shelves of a local supermarket.

*** LATEST NEWS – Just after 8.45 this morning, this happened and AG – our project manager was in the block next to it and suffered damage to his apartment ****

16/03/2022 – Dancu, Moldova

An update from Pastor Slavic in Dancu and a miracle:-

“Every day we are extremely busy here and it is hard to put in words how we feel emotional.
Yesterday, my day started at 2:30 am and went to bed after 12 mid night and then after 15 minutes got a call from the border near us asking if we can take two mothers and their children for at least one night because they were exhausted.
Yesterday we spent all day at the Moldova/Romanian border serving the Ukrainians who are feeling this horrific war. We had the opportunity to see and interact with hundreds of Ukrainian citizens as they crossed into Romania. There were numerous convoys of buses all during the day transporting people from the Ukrainian/ Moldova border to the border with Romania. Many people pulled up in cars too. All almost exclusively women and children. It was good to see that those people are safe now but at the same time it is a heartbreaking to see everyone looking so sad and hopeless because they have no idea where they go and they don’t know if they will be able to return back to the their country. I spoke with some of the Romanian drivers of this convoys and they said that they have been doing these for some days already and soon all places in Romania will be full with the refugees.

This morning another lady came here at our centre and when i invited her to have some breakfast she was brought in tears saying that she doesn’t want anything now. She just needs some quiet time to forget the terrible noice of bombs etc. We took her to my brother’s house where Pavel’s sister from Ukraine is staying to have some rest and then we will see her at lunch time.
Today we have 21 adults and 19 children here in Dancu and as i said my phone ringing all the time and receiving lots text messages in which people asking for accommodation.

Ukraine Refugees Dancu

Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and all the amazing support you are giving us. We have received the funds from you and we were deeply touched the other day to see how God works to encourage us. I called every company i knew asking about coal and all of them said they don’t have anything left and because of this situation in Ukraine they don’t know when they will be able to import more. I was so worried because here it is still cold and we had coal left here for only one day. However i went to Straseni, a small town not far from Chisinau and i got there just in perfect timing to buy the last coal. That was really amazing. Thank you so much for your help.

Miracle Coal
I have been greatly uplifted this morning and greatly encouraged by what this lady shared with me. She is here with her two daughters and 4 grandchildren. They were so touched when they arrived here at our centre. This morning she told me that her husband who is in Ukraine now never believed in God and didn’t allow her to attend a church. However when she arrived here she shared with her husband about us and how blessed they are that God directed them here. With tears in her eyes she said pastor, my husband never said praise the Lord but now he is saying this everytime we speak with him and he is motivating us to pray and thank God. She and her daughters read the Bible here and have found some Christians books in Russian and are so happy that they can ready this. We pray so much for them and for them and for their husbands. God’s work is amazing.

When they arrived here at the centre they said that this place looks so warm and nice like heaven. With many tears in their eyes shared with us that they have experienced a horrific situation when the war started and how they got to Moldova. She keeps asking me if it is ok for them to stay here as long as they need. They are really hoping that they will return back to the their country

My eyes are most of the time in tears specifically when i see kids suffering. We took these photos at the border when this car stopped at our tent. There was a family with 7 kids, very hungry and so desperate because they didn’t know where to go. We have good contacts in Romania like Pavel Smantana and we are working together to help everyone to find a safe place”

I’m not sure anything needs to be added to these words from Slavic, just know that your financial support and prayers and really making an immediate impact to peoples lives.

14/03/2022 – Oradea, Romania & Uzhhorod, Ukraine

We have a contact Pete who is presently working in Oradea helping refugees particularly children with disabilities. He is driving into Ukraine to the city of Uzhhorod with supplies and then coming out with refugees who want to escape to Romania. He is particularly involved with trying to rescue children with disabilities and getting them out of the Ukraine. However he is trying to group them together so that when they get to a new country they have a support group already formed. They are mostly going to Austria and Germany. People are contacting him to see if he can arrange accommodation for refugees in Oradea,

“The situation has gone crazy. It is becoming more and more difficult to find accommodation. The centre I wanted to use now has approx. 100 each day coming over the border, so all afternoon, I have been look at finding solutions. I received a call from my contact in Ukraine… “Pete, we have 80 arriving tonight from towns with bombing. These are mainly women and children, some with disabilities. I need to find a way to collect them tomorrow and find a place…

The latest is I found a place for 40 and another for 60. Both similar areas approx 2-3 hours away. From one town, we could then send people on the train to Vienna where my contacts can collect and find somewhere. Tonight, I heard about two places nearby for 100 and for 50. One is through a church to help families… Later in the day, I will go to Uzhhorod to be there with vehicles to pick up refugees, if we can find vehicles. The problem, as we take 50 or 80, the next lot are waiting…………..!

The amount of funds needed to spend on fuel, paperwork, food, accommodation is so large so as you can imagine, all donations have been so valuable. Thank you so much for all your support as we have been able to send funds in order to help Pete and his team continue their extremely important work.

12/03/2022 – Bozieni, Moldova

We have felt so blessed and humbled by the funds that are coming in from supporters. On the appeal page it is such a lot of money. However we are realising that it is being spent as fast as it is being raised. We are starting to send funds to project managers two weeks after we sent the last donation to them. Pastor Ion sums it up

“Thank you very much for the care you have for the people we serve together. At the moment, in order to be able to cope with the work with the refugees, the costs we have are under 7-8-9 pounds a day, depending on the age of the person. We also have babies, two are twin brothers of only 3 months. May God have mercy on Ukraine and bless all those who serve the refugees. At the moment we need about £2000 pounds to be able to cope with the work for 10 days”

We have sent off the money that has been requested and we will be given feedback when it is spent. We have numerous project managers who we are supporting so you can see that every penny counts that you are generously giving to Link to Hope. Unfortunately this is going to be a long haul and even if it ended tomorrow it would be a slow process going back to normal if that can even be achieved.

11/03/2022 – Ruvim & Pasa, Consita, Moldova

As many of you will know we built a canteen in Cosnita in Northern Moldova/ Transnistria. It feeds 50-100 people 365 days of the year and now is feeding and housing refugees who are coming over the border that is just a few miles away. They are looking after many refugees and the project managers Ruvim & Pasa now have three families living with them. They asked for financial support to buy food, medicines, babies diapers and clothing for the refugees and thanks to your support we have been able to respond immediately.

10/03/2022 – Dancu, Moldova

The latest e-mail from Slavic about the refugee situation and their needs:-

Yes we are all tired but thank God we are all doing ok and I am so grateful that we are here to help, support and encourage so many refugees who desperately need our help. We are so overwhelmed dear Lisa for your prayer and and all the amazing support you are giving us so that we can help our neighbours from Ukraine. Those who come here at the centre feel so touched by our hospitality but at the same time they feel under pressure because they know that people in Moldova are poor and how can they give so much. When we tell them that many people from the UK praying for them and helping us to help them, they are so moved to tears. THANK YOU for all for your generous gifts.

The food price is going up every day and I have heard that soon we will have a shortage of food so we would like to buy a good reserve for at least one month. Also diesel price went up with 11% in the last 3 days. People are so worried here and some Moldovans left country already. Who knows how and where this situation goes but we must remain focused on our Heavenly Father because He is Faithful.

It is very hard time for us but we are deeply encouraged by your support. Thank you so much dear Lisa and all the amazing people who are are helping us through Link to Hope.

The washing machine and the dryer are working not stop and are doing a great job.

God bless you – Slavic

We are concerned to hear about the food situation and the price of diesel going up so rapidly. We have send funds for them to buy food in advance so there is no fear that they will run out.

09/03/2022 – Dancu, Moldova

Who gets excited about seeing washing machines and dryers appear? Well people that have escaped Ukraine with very little clothing and possessions are one group and the other is us.
Slavic and team in Dancu, Moldova says
“Good morning dear Lisa, thanks to YOUR supporters help we bought the washing machine and the dryer and just been installed and already in use washing the bedding from the community centre where we have 22 refugees plus 8 staying in house close to the community centre. This is a great help dear Lisa because many refugees come here with very little clothes and they are so encouraged that they can wash their clothes here” Here are some photos of YOUR washing machine/dryers being installed.

08/03/2022 – Stauceni, Moldova

This is the latest update from Mihai in Stauceni.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your financial help, moral support, and prayers. With tears in my eyes I come to tell you that your help is very important in these days full of pain, tears and despair both for the Ukrainian people and for us in Moldova. Thanks to your support, we can now help refugees in Ukraine who are becoming increasingly vulnerable. if at first some came with their wives, now there are more mothers, children and the elderly who need a lot of care. In the building of the center in Stauceni, at this moment, more than 160 refugees passed, who received a place to sleep, hot food, a hot shower, transport from customs with Ukraine and to customs with Romania and comforts. . I was able to provide these things with your help. Today is March 8, International Women’s Day. , we decided to make a program dedicated to refugee women and children in Ukraine through which we wanted to show the Love of God. Thank you very much and may the Lord bless you”

07/03/2022 – Bozieni, Moldova

More refugees have just arrived in Bozieni, Moldova. The original number they were asked to host was 15 but a further 30 refugees have now arrived. The community centre run by Pastor Ion has now run out of mattresses/beds for people. So we have just sent £1,600 of YOUR funds to buy more of them along with all the bedding that is needed. We have been overwhelmed by peoples generosity in giving funds so we can help the people on the ground. Thank you so, so much. Moldova is being overwhelmed by people so YOUR money is vitally important and directly contributing to ensuring the safety and support of refugees.

4/3/2022 – Stauceni, Moldova

Here are some photos received today from Stauceni where Mihail and his church are looking after a number of refugees and where we have sent funds to support their work.

3/3/2022 – Kharkiv, Ukraine

We support Nicolai who works amongst the Roma community in Kharkiv, Ukraine. As we now know this has been badly bombed by Russia. We couldn’t get hold of Nicolai for a few days and were naturally very worried. We have now managed to contact him and he is making his way across Ukraine to the Polish border with his church! 22 of the members have gone with him to try to reach safety. They desperately need petrol, medicines, food, basic essentials. We have sent over £1,000 to try to help them buy the items they need. They don’t want to cross the border into another country until the rest of the church join them so it is a waiting game for the moment.

3/3/2022 – Dancu, Moldova

We have worked in Dancu for many years and we have built them a community centre. This also now has refugees staying in it. Of course while seeing the bigger picture of the war, it always comes down to day to day details that matter ie you can house refugees but bedding needs to be changed and clothes washed. Some refugees stay for one night and others stay for longer but you want them to sleep in clean beds and have clean clothes. We have therefore sent £1,200 to buy an industrial washing machine and dryer.

The church and others are driving to the Ukranian border and then driving people back across Moldova to either stay in Dancu or go straight to the Romania border. When they go to the border they need a tent to make sure if it rains or snows that the donations don’t spoil. So we are sent over £150 in order for a marquee to be bought.

2/3/2022 – Cosnita, Moldova

Ruvim & Pasa run the canteen we have built in Cosnita. It is right next to Transnitria that is a disputed area. Every time we have visited the project over the years we have had to cross over a bridge manned by Russian troops. They use their van to go and buy food for the canteen and they also have refugees flooding into their village who they are helping. The van has broken down so we have sent funds out to repair the van so that they are able to continue to help the poor people in the village as well as new people arriving. Also in the back of our minds is that they may need the van if there is an invasion and they need to get away quickly.

2/3/2022 Stauceni, Moldova

Mihai our project manager from the village of Stauceni, Moldova wrote to us to say:-

I want to say a big thank you for all the love with which you have served the people of my country so far.
For me personally, you and the entire Link To Hope team have been, are and will be a great blessing and encouragement.
I want you to know that you are doing a work that leaves a mark on history and produces a change in the future.m
until now I partially understood the heart with which you were with us but since the war started in Ukraine and our country has been flooded by a very large number of refugees who are housed in our homes and churches and we must take care not to they lack the necessities, I began to look differently at the service of the people of another country.
Our church has already hosted 41 people of different ages who came with virtually nothing because they had to flee a war that came upon them unexpectedly.
Our church mobilized and reacted very quickly but we feel that our reserves are running out but the refugees keep coming, some are for a night or two and go on through Romania to Europe, others stay with us indefinitely,
We need funds for bed linen, pillows, duvets, kitchen utensils, food, toiletries for children and special food for them up to soap toothpaste and much more.
therefore please stay with us in these difficult days for the People of Ukraine. Pray for them to stay strong until this terrible war is over, and for us to pray that we can continue to help them. May the Lord bless you and reward you as He knows best.

We have responded by sending £1,000 over to Mihai to use on the goods that he needs to buy. He has responded today with this e-mail

I am very encouraged by the way God works.
I thank the whole people of Great Britain for their support and help in these difficult times!
You are the ones who contribute to wiping away every tear of Ukrainian children, women and the elderly who have been left behind in their home, their country, but their dearest father, husband or son and whom I do not know if they will see again because they are still fighting for freedom.
Yesterday evening, a 9-year-old boy named Nicolai came to our Bible study with his mother, his father stayed in Ukraine to defend the country.
When I asked Nicolai what she wanted most, through tears and despair he replied that his greatest wish was for his father to
stay alive and come after him and take him home.
I couldn’t control my tears when Nicolae and his mother talk about how their house and town were bombed. and now I don’t know where to go because Nicolai’s father doesn’t answer the phone anymore and they don’t know what to think. and so children only come to our church or call 25 at the moment but many come to our country every day.
remember to pray for the people of Ukraine and for us so that we can serve them.

28/2/2022 – Borziesi, Moldova

The request has come for us to help refugees that are coming over the border from Ukraine. As many of you will know we have built a community centre in Borziesi for the local poor community. This is now being used to house and feed refugees. We also built a canteen in the village of Pervoimascoe and that is being used to feed the refugees. Here are some photos of the mattresses and bedding that your funds have bought.