Having taken up the post of CEO on 1st November 2010 with an official hand over in Ukraine, the next few months were very much a time of refocusing and planning for the coming year. This was made so much easier by having a committed Board of Directors fully supportive of Ali and I, and Brenda who has become a first class bookkeeper, administrator and friend.
The first event of the year was the annual weekend, held at the Wessex Hotel in Bournemouth. I was keen to include as many of our supporters and partners as I could, God’s work is so diverse I felt it was good to be able to share what He is doing through so many people connected in various ways with Hope Now.
We had updates from supporters past and present and it was a special joy to welcome Alla Kostyunina as our guest from Ukraine, along with Andrii Vaskevych the concert pianist who played so beautifully for us. Michael Ridgeon also entertained us with some magical illusions and daring tricks with water! All in all the weekend was one of fun and fellowship, and I was grateful for the close family feel we all enjoyed.
My first solo trip to Ukraine was in March where for two and a half solid days Misha and the Ukraine staff worked tirelessly to update me and begin planning new projects, student support schemes, family help, children’s work and building projects. We were able to visit Pastors, internats and some families whom we support, and it was good to see how much work these people had put into the various projects. This was also a chance to see Zozulenka, who have improved dramatically since October. Hearing first hand the life stories and sufferings of the people we serve truly touched my heart and the enormity of the task ahead at times seemed to big for words. However God is faithful, and little by little we have been able to respond to the majority of the requests. The fields are still very fertile though, and there is much to be done, so it was in early June that Valerie Reddaway (Head of Church Planting and Equipping) and I travelled out to Ukraine again along with Jenny Howell, one of our supporters who has a keen interest in ex offenders.
Once more it turned out to be a very hectic few days but we were all encouraged by what we saw, the people we met and the meetings held, sometimes as late as 9.30pm. However good use was made of all our time and we flew home again just 5 days later. Having the next three days in the office preparing the newsletter, Ali and I were ready for some time together, so we took our camper van, along with Rupert, up to Scotland for a holiday. Dehumidifiers are wonderful inventions, it rained every day and we had to dry our clothes, the dog and ourselves most days, but the good news was – no midges! It was a lovely time to relax, even to do a spot of fishing, before returning to catch up with the outstanding work.
July’s trip to Ukraine was at the end of the Kompas Park camps and it was good to meet some of our supporters from the USA who were helping with a camp that week. My next visit in August was somewhat more physical, as I took part in the Life Cycle Tour. Spending time with Liena and members of the cycle club was a real blessing as we sped through the Ukrainian countryside. Much encouragement was forthcoming as I struggled up the hills and avoided all the yamas (holes in the road) but it was so good to complete my section of 70 miles. Better than that was the wonderful response of our supporters who raised in excess of £13,000 in sponsorship for the poorest families we serve. It seems if we attempt something for God, He equips us and fortifies us each day.
Whilst at Kompas Park again the music group Zozulenka had come for their weeks training, it was an opportunity to meet them in relaxed surroundings and see the programme that Lena and Natalya had put together, the young people worked so hard and I was really looking forward to the tour in November.
September and October were busy months with speaking engagements most weekends and taking care of the final plans for the music tour. 21 churches and 6 schools had invited us over the 21 day period and Andrew Holt had chosen some places for us to visit en route, to show the group something of our country and heritage. In fact English Heritage was very kind in offering reduced rates for our group at several sites including Stonehenge.
The tour turned out to be a total success, not only making a profit but enabling us to introduce more churches and supporters to the work of Hope Now. It was with some sadness we bid Zozulenka farewell at Heathrow at 6am one morning – but God willing, they will be back next year, in fact we already have 13 requests for them to perform, most of which are new churches to Hope Now.
As we look back over the last year I give thanks for God’s faithfulness to our work, for the amazing experiences He offers us, and the way in which He continues to bless us so much.
Thank you for your continued support as we strive to do His will in 2012.
01.05.2012 Pray for the music group Zozulenka, and their teacher Natalya, as they busily practice for their return tour here in November
02.05.2012 Pray for preparations that are being made for the cycle tour this summer, and for opportunities for the participants to share their faith as they cycle around the villages
03.05.2012 Pray for Brenda and Ksenya as they speak today at the meeting of the Oasis Group at Locks Heath Church
04.05.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they attend the Baptist Assembly annual meeting in London until 7th
05.05.2012 Pray for our students at Universities and Colleges as they complete their studies for this semester and take their end of year exams
06.05.2012 Pray for all those who receive food packages through the feeding programme, that no needy person/family is overlooked
07.05.2012 Pray for David John as he completes his preparations for the teaching sessions at the Pastor’s Conference next week
08.05.2012 Pray that we will have full teams of volunteers for all the camps that will take place this summer at Kompas Park
09.05.2012 Pray for the young people from Rainbow House in South Africa, and for Margaret Ferguson as she supports them in their studies
10.05.2012 Pray for the work of the mobile medical unit, and for Dr Doreshenko to fully recover following his recent illnesses
11.05.2012 Pray for the ongoing support of the Mission Fund, which undergirds all the various projects that we have, that adequate funds will be received each month
12.05.2012 Pray for Larisa and the work she does with the family support group, which encourages mutual sharing and prayer
13.05.2012 Pray that the Humanitarian Aid system that we use to send money to Ukraine becomes quicker and more efficient
14.05.2012 Pray for Anastasia Vovk as she plans camps in various villages around Cherkassy, and pray she finds a team of helpers to assist her
15.05.2012 Pray for safety in travel for Jon, David Reddaway and David John as they travel to Ukraine for the Bible School Graduation and for Ksenya as she returns to Ukraine to help Alla at Kompas Park
16.05.2012 Pray for the ongoing work of Cherkassy’s first sheltered accommodation, especially now plans to renovate the house have been drawn up and the costing received
17.05.2012 Pray for the Church twinning programme, that more UK Churches will offer to twin with a Ukrainian Church for mutual support and encouragement
18.05.2012 Remember before God all our children in cottage homes, thanking God for the security and love they receive from their foster parents as they grow up in these Christian families
19.05.2012 Pray for the work party travelling to Ukraine today, to prepare Kompas Park for the summer season
20.05.2012 As Jon, David and David return to the UK, pray for the newly graduated students as they take up their responsibilities back in their churches
21.05.2012 Pray for the children in the orphanages we support, and for Larisa and Misha as they oversee our work in them
22.05.2012 Give thanks for all our volunteers who come in and help with the monthly mail out, and do other jobs so willingly, often without being asked
23.05.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali to be refreshed as they take some time off together and have a break
24.05.2012 Pray for ex-prisoners who are now leading churches and serving in their communities that they will be faithful to what God has called them to do
25.05.2012 Pray for the young people in our pre-independence homes, that they grow in confidence as they study and plan for their future
26.05.2012 Pray for Vika Lavrenko and Stanislav Dyachenko, sponsored children who celebrate their birthdays today, also for the quiz at Ashley BC this evening in support of our work
27.05.2012 Thank God for our Board of Directors, whose support of the work of Hope is so encouraging; pray especially for the two new Directors to become more familiar with Board matters.
28.05.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina and her team as they prepare in detail for the planned camp activities at Kompas Park during the summer
29.05.2012 Pray for Misha in
all the work he does at Alpha House and in the Ukrainian Office of Hope Now; pray also for the plans he and Lena have in using Alpha House as a summer day camp in August
30.05.2012 Pray for Vlad Serdyuk, one of
our sponsored children, as he celebrates his birthday today
31.05.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrel Knight and the Hope Now supporters in America, especially in their plans to visit Kompas Park this summer
