Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! For those who are following Ukraine’s news, it is so sickening and sad the destruction and loss from the unrelenting attacks from Russia, especially too in this extremely cold weather the attempts to destroy power and heating sources throughout Ukraine. It is incredible through all of this the continued fortitude and courage of the Ukrainian people.
Wherever Ukrainians have fled to, their great love of country and fellow Ukrainians, and the pain they feel at what is happening, never leaves them. This is true of Father’s House children too and reflected in the photos in the link below. Father’s House, Freiburg posted at Christmas, ‘We all pray for more than any present, one huge gift to all Ukrainians – our victory and the saved lives of military and civilians who are now suffering at the hand of the enemy”.
To match somewhat the same order as the photos –
Yulia, an older girl from Father’s House and currently in the US on a student visa, is a talented artist in drawing very moving pictures of Ukrainian adults and children to do with the war and is selling her artwork to send all the proceeds to Ukraine to help soldiers (I have her contact information if you are interested and I bought one of her pictures – she sells originals and prints).
Gita is a Father’s House graduate and is in Spain now. Her heart too breaks for her country and there are war scenes overlayed on the YouTube of her reciting a very emotional poem she wrote about the realities of life today in Ukraine (it’s unfortunately only in Ukrainian).
The older children and male educators at Father’s House, Freiburg loaded an enormous truck just before Christmas of donated gifts for children in Ukraine, food and supplies. You will see from the photo it was a LOT of gifts to bless children in Ukraine. They regularly help load trucks of humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
I have included photos of two of the many letters children at Father’s House, Freiburg have written to soldiers fighting in Ukraine (both for those they know personally and for those they don’t know at all) to encourage and support them. This letter writing project was started on the initiative of the children themselves. The children have all come from very difficult and hard situations before they came to live at Father’s House and they are, in general, extremely empathetic to the hardships of others, in this case the soldiers.
In past years, an NGO group in Kiev called ‘Business Ukrainian Women’ has brought to Father’s House, Kiev wonderful gifts for all the children. Those children are currently in Freiburg, and the children who have moved into Father’s House from different Ukrainian cities as a result of the war were the delighted recipients of gifts the group brought them.
At Father’s House, Kiev there are currently 60 refugees and 36 of them are children. From a combined fundraiser a very effective generator was purchased so that Father’s House has continued heat and power. The coffee shop started a while ago at Father’s House has now become a little community center where people from Petrivske village can come and warm up, talk to friends and neighbors over coffee, charge phones and work on computers.
Also, at Father’s House, Kiev there are two projects underway they need funds for. You will see in the photos a well is being drilled to give a permanent source of clean, drinkable water. And they are building a bomb shelter that will ensure the safety of the village community along with those living at Father’s House.
Every year Father’s House children perform a play, sometimes written by children themselves. This year the play incorporated the war. It was very moving. I have included a photo of the children taking part.
And to end with a dog story! Bruce has brought in the past many rescued dogs from Ukraine to the US and homes found for them here A lady named Barchelle (‘Chelly’) Wathen has written a recently published book on her dog Shayla’s story – she was rescued by Mykola, a Father’s House graduate and lived in an enclosure at Father’s House (no wonder she loves children) until Bruce brought her here. It is a wonderful story and Chelly is giving part of the proceeds of sales to Father’s House. ‘Shayla and Friends’ can be ordered on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/barchellebolgerwathen
We and Father’s House are very grateful for your prayers, care and financial support towards Father’s House – both as refugees in Germany (all are now settled in nice living situations in Freiburg) and those newly currently living in Father’s House in Ukraine. There are many ongoing needs. Our Ezra Ukraine children’s work website is www.ukrainechildrescue.org and there is a donation page.
Enjoy the photos in the link below.
We must continue to pray for victory and end to the war.
Blessings!
Anne
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2WxWAdpHG6pkvuS19