A Strange Summer

Just Jesus

What a strange season and time we are all walking in and continue to walk in…. during this time of uncertainty, fear of a multitude of unknowns and lots of new ways of doing things, we have been calling out – just Jesus…. We want to come out of this time changed – changed on how to love, changed on how we trust, changed on how we give, changed on how we live, changed on how we do family, changed on how we serve, changed on how we share Jesus, changed on how we love Jesus and simply be changed for better.

Over the several months of quarantine we have had so much time to do some home repairs, garden revamping and lots of canning (I, Archie, have not been here in for canning for a few years due to being stateside)!  We have composted since we moved here to our home in Mohyliv and this year we decided to spread out the, literally, tons of compost out into our garden and till the soil with the compost.  As you can see from the pictures below, we have already been so blessed by so much squash, cucumbers, cherries, raspberries and strawberries for canning!

We continued up until this month cooking and visiting families each week.  Unfortunately, this month we have been hit with some illnesses.  Ruslan came down with a fever and so did several other people from our church and so we have been quarantining ourselves as well as everyone from the church.  It looks like we are all healthy and well and can begin visiting our friends in the villages and the elderly in our city and in the villages beginning next week and we are all so very excited about it!!

One of the best parts of quarantine was finally getting our Bella home with us!!! After many, many flight changes and moving around, we finally got Bella home on July 14th!!!!  We are thankful for everyone who poured into Bella’s life this past year while she was stateside and all the amazing people that supported her during her year of school.  Ruslan and I are so grateful and couldn’t have done it without you!

Ruslan and I have loved having some sunset evenings together!

As we continue on for this last month of summer there are still so many unknowns with school, ministry and virus. We ask you all to continue praying with us as God leads and we will hopefully be able to have a few day camps in August along with continually feeding and helping those in need. The Crisis Center is still functioning and people are able to be blessed with clothing and food every week as well as people have begun donating from our own city in order to help others.

Please consider being a part of helping those in need with food, clothing, water and other essential needs by making a tax deductible donation to raisinghopeukraine.com. We are so grateful for all your support! May you be blessed!

Prayer requests:

* We are still planning on enrolling the kids in a Christian school in Vinnytsa this September and will need a total of around $550/month (this is for all 5 children and includes transportation, lunch and tuition and books).  
* Crisis Center  – we are working towards opening up a small rehab branch at the center by next year and continue to open the doors for people who need clothing and food.
* Support families in need.
* Health for our family
* Our church – Our pastors, Igor and Lena, are still in Spain treating their younger daughter.  She has leukemia, as of last month they found no cancer cells! But, she will continue the course of treatment which means they will be in Spain for the next two years probably.  Prayers for finances for them, Igor’s business and Alina’s continued treatment. She’s been a champ!

_________________________________________________________
All donations are tax deductible and can be made via our website at:
raisinghopeukraine.com
or
by sending a check to:
Raising Hope Ukraine
836 Appenzell Dr.
Hummelstown, PA17036