I first got to know about Hope Now 20+ years ago at St Helen, Bishopsgate. Working in the nearby Lloyd’s Building, I would go to their Tuesday lunchtime services. From time to time, guest preachers would visit - one of these was Vic Jackopson, a good friend of the then minister, Preb. Dick Lucas. I remember Vic explaining something of the work of Hope Now and I was immediately attracted by the mix of evangelism coupled with practical care embodied by his ministry. Up until that point I had felt that Christian charities were either all about Gospel proclamation or social welfare - but never both together!
I started getting involved with Hope Now, but really just as a financial supporter. Towards the end of the 90s Vic found out that I knew something about computers and thus a friendship started.
Vic came to my local church on a couple of occasions: I remember both very clearly. On the one (at an evangelistic meal), Vic gave some of his testimony and explained how he had been in a near-catastrophic plane incident and yet he hadn’t been afraid of potentially dying. And I thought: Wow, Lord! I want faith like that! On another occasion, he had been coming to speak at the main Sunday service. He had not realised beforehand just how many young children would be in the service, so he completely changed his message at the last moment and preached in a way that not only made a serious point for the adults but equally had the children enthralled. And I thought: Wow, Lord! I want to communicate the Gospel like that!
Then in 1999, Vic asked me whether I would consider joining the board. Now I’d done stints on my church council and, frankly, committees never really excited me, but I really sensed that God might have a purpose in me taking this on. It was quite challenging to understand all the various projects that Hope Now was involved in and Vic said I really must join him on one of his frequent trips to Cherkassy.
This was a bigger deal for me than it seems, because I actually hadn’t flown for 15 years as I had become absolutely terrified of flying. But then I thought: well, if God has a purpose in all this, I’ve just got to get on with it! It didn’t help that the day we were travelling, there was a massive accident on the motorway near Gatwick and I was the only one of the team to make the flight!
But the next three weeks opened my eyes to Gospel work as I toured orphanages and cottage homes with Vic, seeing especially the eagerness with which the Gospel was received and how Hope Now funds were transforming conditions for those forgotten by Ukrainian society. I could not get my head around the generosity of the people who, though they had so little, were happy to give away what they had to me who had plenty. It was a great privilege to get to know people like Misha & Leyna and David & Katya (who also started out with Hope Now and now run their own missionary organisation in Cherkassy).
In April 2001, the board of directors travelled out to Cape Town for Colin Garnett’s wedding to Deanna. It was during this trip that we again had the opportunity to see first-hand some of the projects Hope Now was supporting. One of which was ministry at Pollsmoor prison. Sensing the real spiritual hunger in that place and the openness to the Gospel, it was only 6 months later that I gave up my city job and followed God’s call for myself to Cape Town. If it hadn’t been for Vic and Hope Now, I guess I would have never thought about short-term mission let alone caught the bug for myself or ended up sharing the Gospel myself in prisons on the other side of the world.
Most Hope Now supporters will know that, practically and logistically, South Africa was just too much for Hope Now to continue and in 2003 Hope Now pulled out - although I continue to be very grateful for the ongoing association, which our prison ministry in Cape Town has with Hope Now.
During the next 8 years I would have a number of visits from friends made through Hope Now. Aileen Callendar was amazing. Bob McCloud visited - and I guess he is, in many ways, the inspiration for what we have now in the “Good Pasture” project for ex-prisoners. David Bute sent out a team of 8 for Mission Impossible! Not so impossible as it seems - we’ve had more repeat visits from Ukrainian friends for prison ministry than from anywhere else in the world to date!
About two years ago I started thinking about doing some further Biblical studies. I ended up coming back to London, choosing to do the Cornhill Training course which is focussed on teaching and preaching the Bible. Ironically, Cornhill was started by Dick Lucas and one, David Jackman, (who, as those of you from Hampshire will know, was the minister at Vic & Sue’s church of Above Bar).
I’m feeling like I’ve come full circle. I thank the Lord that He used Vic and Hope Now as the vehicle to fire my own passion for mission. Along the way I have met some incredible people, some very special people. Thank you Vic & Sue for all your support and encouragement. It’s been an amazing journey.
During the past ten years Vera and I have visited the Day Care Study
Centre in Cherkassy to oversee and play a part in the refurbishing and
equipping of classrooms to better serve the needs of the students who
have physical or mental disabilities and their teachers.
Dealing with disappointment, while never easy, says something about who
we are. Now there are a group of Ukrainian musicians who are having to
do this as they come to terms with the decision of the British Border
Agency to refuse them visas for entry to the UK in October to help us
with the Silver Jubilee tour.
During May, as the 2010 holiday season approached at Kompas Park (KP),
Khreshchatyk deep in Ukraine, the annual pilgrimage of work teams from
the UK took place.
My name is Alyona. 9 years ago me, my parents and all our big family (I
have three sisters and one brother) came to Ukraine from Moldova.
Because of some difficulties with the language, I missed one year at
school.
01.02.2012 Pray for Alla, Lena, Ksenya and the team presently working in Calcutta for another two weeks with Tear Fund projects
02.02.2012 Pray that the Mission Fund, which undergirds all that is done both here and in Ukraine, will have the finances to meet all our obligations
03.02.2012 Pray for all the older people that came to our Christmas party in Cherkiassy, that the Lord will bless them whatever their situation or background
04.02.2012 Pray for those who had a well installed last year, that as they share their water they will get opportunities to share their faith also
05.02.2012 Pray for all those who are attending the Bible School that they can give adequate time to studying, working and being with their families
06.02.2012 For all the foster parents of children supported by Hope Now, that they will have patience as they have to deal with problems that occur from time to time
07.02.2012 Our auditors visit the Southampton offices today to audit our accounts – pray that all will be in order as figures are checked
08.02.2012 Give thanks for all the volunteers that come into the office and give of their time so sacrificially, doing jobs at times without even being asked
09.02.2012 Pray for Frank and Lin as they plan for the summer at Kompas Park, and visit churches to speak about the varying areas of service possible
10.02.2012 Pray for Misha and all the staff at the Ukraine office as they consider all the requests from those asking for help
11.02.2012 Pray that all the plans for the Annual Weekend Away next month will come together well, and that people will register early while rooms are still available
12.02.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina, Director of Kompas Park, that she will be given wisdom in her decisions and management of the Park
13.02.2012 Give thanks that the young people in South Africa are doing well with their education, and pray for wisdom for Margaret Ferguson as she guides and directs them
14.02.2012 On this St Valentine’s Day, pray for the students we support who are in relationships, that they will be sensible and keep up their studies
15.02.2012 Pray for David and Valerie Reddaway as they oversee the Bible School, and the Church planting and twinning programme
16.02.2012 Pray for Jon as he attends a Men Meet meeting in Milford on Sea this evening
17.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Buckinghamshire to attend the Vetinerary Christian Conference this weekend
18.02.2012 Pray for Maria Shevchuki of Kuchkivka village as she celebrates her 86th birthday today
19.02.2012 Pray for the Directors and Staff of Orphanages we are involved with, that they will look after their children with love and dedication
20.02.2012 Pray for the young girls in Swindon House, and boys in Cornah House as they learn new skills which will prepare them for their futures
21.02.2012 Pray for Jon in his many responsibilities, that he will have wisdom in each decision that he has to make
22.02.2012 Pray for Lidia Savelieva and her vision of a sheltered home for older people to be realised, and pray for finances to come in for this project
23.02.2012 For Larisa Vovk in her work of overseeing the work being done with children in the orphanages and cottage homes
24.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Carlisle for the Northern Vet’s Christian Conference
25.02.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrell Knight and the work they do in the American Office for Kompas Park
26.02.2012 Pray for the Food Programme in Ukraine, especially through this winter time, that all those in need will receive help and no-one will be overlooked
27.02.2012 Pray for Vitaly and Ludmila Sidenko in their work with the African Students at 2nd Baptist Church, and Ludmila’s work with the deaf community at the same church
28.02.2012 Pray that we may be able to assemble a team of dentists and nurses to treat the children in the internats
29.02.2012 Give thanks for all our supporters who pray regularly for the work of Hope Now, and give sacrificially month upon month – pray the Lord will bless them as they bless the people of Ukraine
