At camp this summer, Natasha was our youngest mom with the smallest baby. Little Yuliana was just a month old! 

Natasha began attending our Day Center in 2021, where staff member Katya befriended her. Then Natasha dropped out of contact for a while. When we found out Natasha was pregnant, Katya renewed their relationship. We welcomed her into our Stop the Cycle program, which serves orphaned youth who’ve become parents.

After the baby was born, Katya and Stop the Cycle director Oksana visited with diapers, groceries, and other supplies. Natasha lived in her boyfriend’s village house, which was in poor condition and far from the city—not a healthy home for a baby. Natasha’s legal guardians in the same village didn’t offer any help with her newborn. 

Soon after the first visit, it was time for family camp! “Thank God Natasha and Yuliana were with us at camp,” Oksana wrote, “where we all became friends, where we talked a lot about the responsibilities of parents.”

In part because of her positive camp experience, Natasha accepted our invitation to stay at the Shelter for a week. At sixteen, Natasha’s already a very good homemaker, and brought potatoes, carrots, and beets to share. (Her garden produced 70 pounds of potatoes!) She joined a friendly group of Shelter moms who work hard, help each other, and love attending church together. 

That week, Natasha made some long-overdue doctors’ visits. But we hoped she’d want to experience all the Shelter has to offer. She liked it so much, she soon asked to stay for the winter. 

Orphaned moms like Natasha often have no one to turn to. But because of your support, our Shelter doors remain open, even in these uncertain times. Thank you!

Camp season stretched all the way into late September this year! Family camp was postponed, mainly because war prevented us from going to the cool, breezy seaside. Local camps were too hot until the fall. But the new dates made it possible for two more orphan-parented families to attend, including single dad Igor and his daughter. With many facilities closed, we were thankful to find a good place owned by Christians. At the last moment God brought everything together.

This was an especially youthful camp. All the parents were 22 or younger! Ten moms, five dads, and 12 kids attended, plus our staff and one volunteer from our Educational Outreach program. It was wonderful to see so many dads.

Swimming and sauna time were restful, and families bonded over ping pong, billiards, and crafts. Every other day the staff provided a special treat, like popcorn and mocktails, or fresh cotton candy eaten outside with sticky fingers. 

At the heart of family camp is an invitation for families to build healthier relationships with each other and with God. In the morning, every parent listened closely during parenting lessons, and at night they learned about growing in the Christian life.

For the first time, our group included a single dad. Igor’s girlfriend died of complications from drug use. At first, he told us, he couldn’t imagine parenting by himself. For a while Igor’s daughter stayed with his sister, a Stop the Cycle mom with four children of her own. Then Igor brought her home. Now he finds joy in being a dad. Igor and two other dads spontaneously decided to sing with our worship team in the last service. 

Last Bell surrounds orphaned parents like Igor with love and support. The special days of camp always lead to new ways we can serve our families.

Camp donors, thank you again for making it all possible!

After six months of exile, some of our refugees are back in Zhytomyr! 

Our city was targeted early in the war. After a long reprieve, missiles again hit the outskirts in June. Since then, it’s been quiet. We’re around three hundred miles from the front lines.

Many of our moms continue enjoying the hospitality of a Christian community in the Netherlands, where they feel safe. But a few families decided the benefits of being at home outweighed the risks.

Our friends in the Netherlands chartered a van, adding to the list of their many kindnesses. They sang our families on their way with Psalm 121.

If you know the Kaplun family, you won’t be surprised that fearless Alona and her two kids are home! Alona and Sasha have been part of Last Bell’s community since its founding. Sasha works for a local missionary, and both of these former orphans are role models and volunteers. The kids couldn’t stop hugging their dad.

Lida and her little boy also returned. Lida’s husband is on the front lines, and she’s worried. Please keep praying for the safety of our soldiers. 

One young mom returned to her fiancé, who’s also part of Last Bell’s community. Watch for their special story in our holiday letter!

All our orphan-parented families appreciate your prayers: those who remained in Zhytomyr, those in other countries, and those now returning to normal life in a country at war.

Camp donors: thank you again! Because of you, our students had a beautiful week in the mountains in August, and our family campers arrived home a few days ago. This break from the troubles of war was very welcome.

When we meet them, our students are working through teenage questions like Who am I? What’s my place in the world? And because they’re orphans, Will I fail because of my family history, or do I have a real future?

Camp can show our students how capable they really are. Staff member Katya shared these stories:

Rafting was a new experience for this group. Katya said “the fear was visible in their eyes” even before they started. But the staff paired them up and made sure they’d be safe. At the bottom, the students buzzed with stories about the thrills of their ride. Katya said it was “one of the most vivid memories of camp.”

Not all our students are strong or in good health, so our staff asked the organizers to find an easy hike. Partway up they realized their chosen trail was quite difficult. But every student reached the top! As they walked, our staff led a discussion encouraging our youth to persevere through challenges until they see the end results.

Another day was all about the culture and history of Ukraine. The leaders shared about Ukrainian ancestors, famous people from Ukraine, and all the progress in Ukrainian society. “We prepared traditional food together,” wrote Katya, and tried on traditional clothes “which were passed down from generation to generation.”

At camp, orphaned youth experience hourly attention and love, and they often open their hearts to God.

This trip helped our youth see themselves as beloved children of God who are truly capable of leading successful lives. Our staff shared this message not just in words, but by literally walking up a mountain beside them!

YOU made these foundational experiences possible. We’re so grateful.

In the past few weeks, we’ve shared the basics about two of our three main programs: Educational Outreach and Stop the Cycle.

During this time of destruction and loss, our third program seems like an especially hopeful endeavor. The Restoration Project is all about restoring and rebuilding. 

In this program, a crew of orphanage graduates apprentices in the home renovation trade, working under staff foreman Sergei. The homes they restore belong to fellow orphans. So the Restoration Project meets two of orphaned young adults’ biggest needs: vocational skills and safe housing.

Last week, you saw our crew working on Sveta’s house. Making safe homes for orphaned youth is the crew’s central purpose. But they play many other roles! They’re our in-house maintenance crew and moving company, our furniture-builders, our handymen for small repairs, and our heavy lifters for boxes of war relief supplies. Sometimes, they even make repairs to the government-owned social dorm where many of our students live.

Six months ago, many of our moms evacuated Ukraine with their children. First, they traveled to Poland. A month later, they left Poland for the Netherlands, where they were welcomed by a generous Christian community in the town of Vriezenveen.

Now the kids are starting a new school year in this new country. 

Many of you will remember Nadia. A few years ago, Nadia and her daughter Eva were part of our crisis housing program, the Shelter. During Nadia’s stay, she worked hard and completed her Master’s of Education. Nadia and her daughter are now refugees in Vriezenveen.

Nadia has been chaperoning our youngest group of kids as they take the bus to school. They had the new experience of spending 45 minutes to get to a school 10 minutes away, since the bus picked up so many children! 

This younger group is in a single class, all learning Dutch together. “The children like school,” Nadia reported. “They return home tired and happy, with a lot of news, and new foreign words for their mothers.”

This week, the older kids started high school in another city. They have a long bike commute. The high schoolers are in regular classrooms, since they’ve learned basic Dutch already. 

“The children miss home, friends, and schools where there’s no language barrier,” Nadia said. We’re very thankful for everyone in the Dutch schools making this transition easier.

Thank you for your prayers for our refugee families, as they face new challenges every day!

Several months ago, we wrote about Sveta, whose husband’s war-related death was the first in our community. He was killed on active duty. At the time, Sveta had just learned she was pregnant with their second child.

In the months since, our staff have visited Sveta several times. Oksana Pankyeyeva, director of our Stop the Cycle program, shared this photo in June. Oksana told Sveta there were a lot of people praying for her, and Sveta said she could very much feel our prayers.

Many orphaned youth struggle to find safe housing, and orphans who become parents are no exception. Sveta’s home was in need of some work, so our Restoration Project crew stepped in to help. In early August, the crew began taking off wallpaper, priming the walls, and puttying. 

Naturally, Sveta was devastated by the recent loss of her husband, the father of her children. Last Bell’s staff are Sveta’s support system, walking alongside her, ready to meet any needs that arise. Thank you for helping us surround Sveta with a loving community in her time of grief. 

After the war began, we made the hard choice of pausing some services. From February until June, our moms’ group wasn’t able to meet. 

When Ukrainian teens age out of state care, they enter a bewildering new world without support. Many then become young parents, and family life can be overwhelming. Without intervention, orphans’ children often become orphans themselves. 

Stop the Cycle is Last Bell’s support program for orphaned parents, mostly single moms. Counseling, crisis housing, and home visits help our families stay together and healthy. We host a special family camp every summer. (Thanks again to our camp donors!) 

But monthly meetings are the heart of Stop the Cycle. Moms make friends, learn about parenting, and take home bags of food and diapers. After four long months, in late June our group was reunited. Staff and parents talked together about helping children manage their stress in a crisis. 

We had another Stop the Cycle meeting in August. Again it was wonderful to see everyone after so many months apart!

Thank you for praying for and supporting our orphaned youth in every new chapter of young adulthood!

Dear friends,

When the invasion began, you met the challenge of a humanitarian crisis with an outpouring of gifts. And you’ve been giving ever since. We want to share how your generosity has provided for the real needs of our community in Ukraine. 

The breakdown here shows our war relief expenditures through June 1, 2022 – about 14 weeks. There are three primary spending categories:

TRANSPORTATION: $49,000

The largest portion went to transportation. We purchased a new van during evacuations; your gifts also paid for hundreds of gallons of fuel for evacuations and multiple trips every week to deliver humanitarian aid around our region. This category also includes vehicle parts and repairs, as well as transportation for pastors and Christian friends serving in military units.

HUMANITARIAN AID SUPPLIES: $42,000

Almost a third of your donations purchased groceries, diapers, hygiene kits, food, clothing, footwear, and medications. Our team broke down bulk items, made family-sized packages, and shipped or delivered them. The recipients included our own orphaned youth and families; low-income families impacted by war; and displaced families who’ve fled the fighting farther east.

FIRST AID AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: $41,000

The rest benefited those defending Ukraine, including orphaned young adults. In addition to regular military, Zhytomyr’s “territorial guard” serves at the checkpoints and barricades that protect our city and villages. We supplied first aid, such as first aid kits, tourniquets, hemostatic bandages, and medications; protective equipment like knee pads, footwear, bulletproof vests, helmets, and sleeping gear; and miscellaneous supplies like flashlights, duct tape, tools, and walkie-talkies.

TOTAL WAR RELIEF SPENDING AS OF JUNE 1: $132,000

All of your gifts have kept our community safe, fed, and clothed. When we’re discouraged by the ongoing devastation of this crisis, we’re encouraged by how many of you have reached out to help. Thank you!

Megan Hershey
Executive Director

Every year, some of our youth have life-changing experiences at camp. 

In 2017, Sasha declared he no longer wanted to live a “purposeless life,” as he described it. After camp our staff helped him enroll at Hebron IT Academy. In 2018 he became a Christian.  

In 2019, one of the dads almost left camp. But our staff convinced him to stay, and later he said camp strengthened his relationship with his family. After that, he regularly attended Stop the Cycle meetings.`

2020 was a special year. Many former orphans joined our camp team, beginning to teach and help alongside our staff.

Last year, ministry director Andrey drove one vanful of youth to camp, including a young man named Valera. At a gas station, Valera began having a seizure. Andrey shared about what followed:

“After the seizure I lifted him up, helped him walk to the van, put him in the front seat, buckled him, and left him to sleep. As we continued driving, I was looking at him and crying. I was so sorry this boy had been left by his parents….

“At camp he was always close to me, helping with the multimedia equipment. He was very excited because he had responsibilities.

“After camp he started to attend our church. After a time he lost interest; he forgets a lot of things because of his illness. But I believe camp boosted his relationship with the leaders at Last Bell.”

Camp always gives young people like Valera time away from the pressures of daily life, which are often overwhelming for orphans. This year, camp also gives them time away from war. Someone always chooses a “purposeful life” during these quiet days. Will your donation send that person to camp?

Another friend has added $5,000 to our matching fund for a total of $10,000. Just $125 doubles to cover one camper’s expenses! 

Thank you for continuing to bless our community of orphaned youth.

Good news! A friend of Last Bell has generously offered a matching grant of $5,000 for camp costs this year. 

Starting today, every dollar up to $5,000 will be doubled to make an even bigger impact. 

The cost for one camper (or camper’s child) is about $250. That includes fuel for transportation, housing, meals, snacks, crafts, and other needs. It also covers costs for staff, who will be leading, encouraging, listening to, and praying with our orphaned youth and moms. 

Your gift today will give our youth and our families a week in a beautiful natural setting, away from the threat of missiles. In the middle of all the fear and anxiety about recent events, our staff will share the hope they have in Jesus. 

Many of you have already been giving to our war relief fund. Thank you for considering this new need as well! We’re so grateful. 

In the summer, it’s been our tradition to load up vans with orphaned youth and drive to the beach or mountains. The war is ever-present, and a neighboring city was recently attacked. But since Zhytomyr and western Ukraine are currently peaceful, we can dream about and plan for these special retreats.

For some youth, camp is their first 24/7 time with caring adults. Everybody swims, hikes, swings in hammocks, plays, and rests together. In the evening, our youth often open up with personal stories for the first time. 

Camp is even more important this year. Our community needs time away from military barriers, the threat of missiles, and reminders of war. At camp they can talk through everything with our staff, and learn how to find meaning in all the events of their lives through the good news of Jesus.

Our staff needs this time away, too. It will be healthy for everyone to slow down, enjoy God’s creation, and hear God’s guidance for whatever the next months may bring. 

In 2022, we’re considering new forms of camp, expanding outward into the new needs created by war. Meanwhile, we’re starting with what we know: camps for orphaned students and orphan-parented families. 

Educational Outreach Camp

• Location: Carpathian Mountains (western Ukraine, near Romania and Poland)
• Dates: Late August
• 40 youth, 10 staff members/leaders
• Cost: $12,000

Stop the Cycle Family Camp

• Location: A Christian campground in the Zhytomyr region
• Dates: Mid-September
• 15 moms and 25 kids plus staff members/leaders
• Cost: $8000

TOTAL COST: $20,000

Our teens, young adults, parents, and kids all love camp. Will you help us provide a few days of normalcy for them this summer?

This one week makes a big impact year-round. Thank you for giving! 

PS – If the war prevents us from holding camps this year, all camp funds will be rolled over to camps in 2023.