Oksana wrote, “Do our friends know that everything is closed now?” She listed factories, small businesses, hairdressers, theaters, schools, kindergartens, and more. Grocery stores and pharmacies close by 5 PM. Bosses withhold wages. “There is no normal life, only war.”

In the villages, the shelves are empty because deliveries have ceased. We’ve distributed food and supplies to nineteen families, and we’re thankful this is still possible. 

Nina, an orphanage graduate, called us recently. Her village was out of medications, diapers, and baby food. After we told Nina where to find diapers, she collected documents from all eight moms in the village, found a car, and picked up diapers for all the children. Then our team brought food, children’s medications, and other supplies. “We left everything to Nina,” Oksana said. “She will distribute to those in need.” So, through one orphanage graduate, a whole village is receiving help. 

Former orphan and staff member Yuliana was a nurse for many years. Now she’s overseeing our first evacuees in Poland. Recently many at the retreat center were sick, and Yuliana became nurse-in-residence for a couple of very tiring days.

Thanks to another recent evacuation, Yuliana’s job will be getting easier. Staff member Lena V. drove with two orphaned students into Poland. We’re thankful for their safety, and for the car Lena brought, which a volunteer delivered to Yuliana. It will be a huge help at the rural retreat center.

Yuliana was also encouraged by Sunday’s church service at the retreat center. The whole volunteer team came, including a Christian friend from Zhytomyr. Many from the retreat center attended. “Even when it seems you will soon fall for lack of strength,” Yuliana said, “God gives strength and restores spiritually and physically.”

L: volunteer Nastia took Yuliana’s family out for pizza as a break from her nursing work.
R: new and old friends at the church service on Sunday.

So many of our staff members are now far out of their comfort zones. No one had trained for war, evacuation, or meeting needs in another country and language. Please pray for them as they take on new roles, both in unfamiliar places and at home where the familiar has become unfamiliar and dangerous.

Thank you for your unflagging support and prayers.

Two long weeks ago, this was the scene at our Day Center:

Now, not even those students’ schools and dormitories are safe. Oksana and our photographer recently dropped by this bombed-out school in our city:

We did receive encouraging news from our group in Poland, who are settling in there and beginning to create routines. Several of the moms, kids, and individuals decided to gather for a Bible hour every day. After the first meeting staff member Yuliana shared, 

“I prepared a message, but didn’t even have time to read, because so many of our girls were willing. I listened to Natalka [Kalchuk] and I shed tears, understanding how God had prepared her through leadership school, and how she was so gifted with words that it touched many hearts. It was like hearing a whole sermon today… 

“Many girls are praying for Ukraine, for their loved ones who stayed at home and have been sitting in basements for several days. We were joined by two unbelieving women and one believer… Everyone who joined our group listened to everything and even sang praises with us.”

We’re in day 15 of a war that threatens the lives of millions, and a refugee crisis in surrounding countries. It can be overwhelming, even to watch and read about. We ask you, friends, to stay the course with us, and we know you will. Please keep praying for everyone involved: for those huddled in their apartments, waiting for the next air raid siren; for those crowding into trains trying to evacuate; for the drivers on their fifth or tenth evacuation run to the border; for those trying to comfort their children after suddenly leaving home; for those staying to serve and risking their lives in so many ways. 

Director Andrey’s story is a good illustration of how difficult circumstances are in Ukraine right now. Evacuating isn’t as simple as packing up a suitcase and driving to the border. With over two million people who have fled the country thus far and many still trying to leave, every form of transportation is overwhelmed, drivers are busy every hour outside of curfew, every bed is filled on the way to the borders, and everyone is exhausted. 

“The problem we faced,” Andrey wrote, “was that my aunt and her family live in the city of Cherkasy” (normally about five hours from Zhytomyr). “We though it would be quite easy for them to come to Zhytomyr so we could all go to the Polish border together.” At first, no one would take them. Finally, for a fee, someone took Andrey’s aunt, cousin, and cousin’s child to a nearby train station. 

“There, by God’s providence, they were able to squeeze into the train and ride for four hours standing, just as we saw in movies about World War II. Then they were transferred to another train, with no toilet. They suffered, the child became ill and began to cough heavily.” They were on that train for sixteen hours.

Andrey and his mother, along with other refugees in their vehicle, picked them up in Lviv, a completely different part of the country from their original plan. 

“When we arrived at the train station, we saw again a picture of WWII – crowds of people nervously running from the central entrance, filling every inch of the station square. Volunteers cooked on the street and distributed food to confused people fleeing the bombings in eastern Ukraine.”

Finally all together, they drove to the Polish border. But before that, as they slowly drove through the packed streets of Lviv, a desperate woman approached Andrey’s car. She asked Andrey to pick up her friend. 

“To go where?” Andrey asked. 

“At least to the station, to anywhere,” she said. 

By chance they had a vacancy in the car, so of course they picked her up and took her to the border with them. “Now they are there [in Poland],” Andrey said, “and my wife and children are here in my native Ukraine. We pray they will be preserved there by the Lord, and we will survive here and wait for the time we’ll meet again. Meanwhile we have a lot of work to do.”

As our staff works day and night in Ukraine, we’re thankful for your partnership in the same work through your gifts and prayers and so many other offerings.

Many of you will remember Stop the Cycle mom Inga, with Oksana in these photos from 2020:

Today Oksana and Andrey are picking up Inga and her two children, as well as Inga’s niece and a neighbor, and bringing them back to the Shelter. Two former orphans – Shelter staff member and resident doctor Anya and volunteer/part-time photographer Masha – are making food and preparing the Shelter for them. Tomorrow, Inga’s family will begin evacuating. Please pray for safety and for all the logistics for Inga, that her needs and her family’s needs will be met. 

Yesterday, we promised two stories: one about Andrey’s experience getting his mother and some of her family members out of the country, and photos of our youth helping in Zhytomyr. Tomorrow we’ll share Andrey’s story.

Most of our work right now is helping prepare evacuees and taking care of our youth and families who are still in Zhytomyr. But people are already beginning to clean up some of the damage from shelling and bombing, when they’re able. A church attended by some of our staff and youth was damaged recently. Some of our guys who receive help from Last Bell wanted to give back, so they came and did some physically challenging cleanup work.

One piece of good news: former Last Bell staff member Nastia, who moved to California with her husband a few years ago, flew to Poland to help Yuliana and our moms. She arrived today. Everybody was so glad to see her!

Even as we evacuate people, deliver groceries and hygiene kits, visit with and encourage our youth, and meet all kinds of other wartime needs, our leadership is prayerfully considering the near future of Last Bell’s work. Our heart is always to serve orphaned youth and families. As we determine how God is leading us to fulfill that mission in these new, drastically different circumstances, we’ll let you know. Watch for an email later this week with some thoughts from our leadership team. 

Thank you for giving, praying, and reaching out. 

Our first group of evacuees reached their final destination on Saturday. After a long bus ride, and some tears from exhausted little ones, they’re now at a beautiful retreat center in several small houses. Many refugees are only able to stay in place for 14 days, but the director of the retreat center said our group could stay as long as they needed to. “We greet you warmly and consider you our family,” he told them.

Yuliana expressed how much God has been taking care of them, even in the little things. Her little boy is allergic to most bath soap, and before she could buy special expensive soap for him, a volunteer gave her some. Yesterday the kids made some artwork to say thank you to their hosts and to process some of the things they’ve seen.

We’re so thankful for these wonderful hosts in Poland, and for all the volunteers who have so warmly welcomed our moms and kids!

Our group that left Saturday has safely arrived in Latvia, praise God! We don’t have photos yet but they’re also in a beautiful place, with people we know. 

In Romania, our moms are in a tent camp (below, left), working on documents so they can receive better services there. Please pray for quick processing so they can move on to more permanent housing.

Below, on the right, is a photo of Stop the Cycle mom Tanya holding her boy, beside one of the organizers in Romania. Tanya shared, “The day after our departure, my husband called and said a bomb had fallen in the area where we live. I understand that we came here for a reason… It’s much better, my child is calm and I’m calm.”

We’re continuing to meet needs in Zhytomyr as well: getting moms and orphaned youth ready for evacuation, passing out much-needed groceries and other supplies to orphaned students and others in our community, and spending time with our youth just so they know they’re not alone. Two girls have had birthdays since the invasion began, but they’ve agreed to celebrate properly when things are peaceful again. 

We’re grateful for some good news from evacuees, and we’re glad to be a resource for our community in such a difficult time. In Zhytomyr there are air raids almost daily, and today there was another big explosion. Life is precarious and dangerous, and the situation just gets worse every day. Please pray for safety for our staff and youth still in the city. 

Watch for more stories tomorrow: we’ll share about Director Andrey’s experiences getting his mother and other family out of the country, and a story about our youth helping out in the midst of the destruction. 

Thank you for your many donations, which are at this very moment keeping vulnerable people safe, warm, and fed. Thank you for continuing to pray for all our people and for Ukraine. 

The photos and videos coming out of Ukraine, including our city of Zhytomyr, are horrifying. Destruction, debris, gaping holes in buildings, damage to schools, hospitals, churches. Residents of Zhytomyr have been killed in these attacks. 

The Shelter was once a warm, welcoming home for orphaned moms in crisis. Now, it’s just a staging ground for evacuations. Director Andrey recorded this sober tour of an emptied-out Shelter building, children’s stuffed animals and toys still displayed on beds and shelves:

We continue to meet the needs of students and others orphaned youth who are still in the city. We’re handing out supplies any time we’re able to meet up with our youth. And we’re continuing to stay in touch by phone or video chat with students we aren’t able to see in person.

We’re also starting to receive a few photos from staff member Yulia S., who’s with the first group of evacuees to Poland. Now that they’ve made it safely across the border, they’re able to rest, cook, and take the kids out to play. The Polish people are taking good care of them, and they’ll be moving to a retreat house soon.

Two groups began evacuating yesterday, headed for two different countries. Please pray for their safety on the road and for quick, smooth border crossings. We also appreciate your prayers for those who are still in Zhytomyr, either staying for now or waiting to be evacuated. 

Thank you for your donations, your prayers, and your fervent messages of support. We know you are with us. 

This morning, we sent our first group of evacuees toward the border of Poland. We needed to get our moms and their kids out of a city increasingly under attack. Three vans have left with many of our Shelter moms, as well as some other Stop the Cycle graduate families. 

Please pray for these families as they drive, and pray for a safe border crossing. The husbands and fathers who are helping them drive will need to turn around and come back before they cross. A friend is ready to receive them on the other side, and they do have a place to stay for now. We’re hearing that the Polish people are taking care of all immediate needs, so for now our moms will be able to hold back the money they’ve so carefully saved while at the Shelter.

This is devastating for our families. They’re terrified, grieving, and exhausted. Please pray for them. And please pray for Yuliana S., who will be taking them over the border. She is the only staff member who will be crossing, so the responsibility is falling very heavily on her young shoulders. She is evacuating with her children and, like so many others, leaving her husband behind. Some of our older families evacuating are also leaving behind husbands and dads.

Many of our other staff members are staying together at the Shelter, and continuing to meet the needs of other families and orphaned students. A handful of staff members have evacuated with their children to a safer region of the country. 

One bright note: staff member Lillia gave birth to a baby girl this morning! She was supposed to go to the maternity hospital that was shelled today, but felt a small voice telling her to go to a different hospital. 

Today’s events mark a new stage of this disaster, with some of our people in Zhytomyr and some trying to get to safety. The separation is very hard. We’re so thankful for your continued prayers for all our people, and we’ll send more updates as we receive them. 

The Last Bell Team

Dear friends, 

Even as I write, an army base near Zhytomyr has been hit by bombs. When the air raid sirens go off, everyone in the Shelter and Day Center takes cover, and we all pray. We’re thankful none of our staff or youth or friends were hurt this time. But the war feels very close. Sometimes it’s in the skies right over our people. 

Even as the circumstances feel immediate and dire, we know that God is with us. Our staff continue to reach out to orphaned students and our families, bringing hope wherever they go. 

One of our Stop the Cycle moms had fled from a bombing near Kyiv, and didn’t have time to pack up enough medication, diapers, or baby food for her child. We invited her to the Shelter to pick up supplies. 

Staff couple Sasha and Yuliana have been staying at the Shelter to support our moms, in spite of their own exhaustion. The Shelter is open to anyone who’s anxious and needs support, whether to spend the night or just to drop by. Many youth are dropping by the Day Center as well.

Earlier today, Andrey and Oksana drove to a village in the direction of Kyiv, which required going through nine Ukrainian military checkpoints. “Every time it’s a little scary,” shared Oksana. “Severe people with weapons stop us, check documents, check the car.” They explained their mission and were able to pass through, delivering supplies to three Stop the Cycle families and one student who needed epilepsy medication. 

At one point in recent days, a couple of our men on staff distributed some water and pillows to Ukrainian soldiers building barricades nearby.

Lena Voznyuk shared, “We always tell our guys that we’ll be there. That Last Bell is their family, and we won’t leave them. Now is the time to prove it, and show them the love God gives!”

Lena is making sure that students receive the hygiene kits and groceries they need, and she welcomes anyone to visit the Day Center for encouragement. She and our other staff members are also calling and video chatting with our youth who’ve fled to the villages and feel vulnerable and alone.

Over the next few days, you may see our communications slow down. Please be assured that if there’s any important news related to our people or our ministry, we will send it out right away. No email means the new, uneasy status quo is holding and we’re focusing our U.S. time and energy on supporting our Ukrainian staff and youth. We always appreciate your prayers for safety for our whole community, for the peace that comes only from God, for miraculous protection of Ukraine’s citizens, and for a miraculous halt to Russia’s plans of domination. 

There may be days when we don’t send out a new email but do share news on social media. You can connect with us on Facebook here and on Instagram here. 

A crisis always binds a community together. We have seen over the past week that we’re so rich in friends. Thank you for your emails, messages, donations, and offers of help. We know you’re praying day and night, and we’re glad to have such wonderful ministry partners. 

In the shelter of the Father’s wings,

Megan Hershey
Executive Director

Please note that for the duration of the war, our stories may be delayed by a few days, with some information removed from online publication, for the safety of our staff, youth, and families.

Dear friends, 

We’re thankful to report that at the moment, everyone is still safe. It has been a harrowing few days, but our staff and youth and families are staying together, helping each other, and praying. 

Every evening in the Shelter, residents and staff gather to pray for our country:

Every day, the attacks draw closer and become more serious. But our staff members continue to carry out our primary mission: to love and serve orphanage graduates.

All the grocery stores and pharmacies in Zhytomyr have run out of baby formula and baby food. We were able to buy some extras before the crisis, which is now a huge help to our moms. We’re taking groceries to orphaned students, helping with transportation needs, and supporting families in other ways as we stay in close communication with them.

We’re so thankful and encouraged by your donations, and all your emails, calls, and texts to say you’re praying. We want to extend a special welcome to those who’ve given for the first time this week. We’re so grateful you’ve reached out to help Zhytomyr’s most vulnerable youth and families. Right now, all new donations are going straight to humanitarian aid for our community.

Please keep praying! Join people all over the world who are crying out to the God of love on behalf of the country we love. We will continue to update you as we have news. 

With gratitude and trust,

The Last Bell Team

Dear friends, 

Overnight, the military base near Zhytomyr fell under attack again. A siren sounded this morning, so our Shelter families huddled together in the storage room on the bottom floor. 

Everyone is overwhelmed and exhausted, and this situation could continue for many days.

We appreciate your prayers for our youth, families, and staff during this time. The Psalmist declares that God is faithful to His people, and we invite you to pray these powerful words of protection and justice over our community:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely He will deliver you
from the snare of the fowler,
and from the deadly plague.

He will cover you with His feathers;
under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the calamity that destroys at noon.

Though a thousand may fall at your side,
and ten thousand at your right hand,
no harm will come near you.

We will continue to update you if the situation changes. Thank you, friends, for being with us during this time. 

Megan Hershey
Executive Director