A Fruitful Year: A Letter from Our Director
We originally shared this letter with our 2016 donors at the end of the year, but wanted to make sure you all had a chance to read this encouraging update from our Ukrainian director, Andrey.
Dear friends,
What did the disciples feel when they saw the miracles Jesus was doing?
They were excited, and the hair on their heads stood up! Quite a moment in history—they were touching a part of reality that had never been revealed to human beings before.
I find myself as weak and incapable as humans always were, but I find God as powerful and faithful as He always was and will be. Here in Ukraine, God is on the move and He is using Last Bell Ministries! He is saving souls, reinforcing His servants, breaking barriers, restoring ruins. I’m seeing God’s miracles.
This was very fruitful year!
God blessed us to embrace many more trade schools and colleges where orphaned youth study. We’re out of room for our monthly youth club meetings (75 attended the last one!). Our Restoration Project succeeded in six projects, restoring the homes of orphans—and this program started just a year ago. We mentored and supported fifteen young people in our Shelter building for three years and recently helped them all move toward independence.
We had the privilege of graduating a group of twenty young families from Stop the Cycle, after five years planting the seeds of wise parenting. They have thirty children who did not end up at the orphanage. Thanks be to God!
We were blessed to witness tears of repentance in the eyes of four young moms who joined the church, who are now actively learning the Bible with us and getting ready for baptism.
God brought us to a place where we can help young single moms through the new residential family center. These orphanage graduates will be loved, supported, and mentored so their kids can have brighter futures.
We’ve heard many stories of young people who were thrown away at some heart-rending moment of childhood – whose lives were changed by this ministry. To God be the glory! We are just grateful witnesses.
Thank you for being our friends and partners in 2016!
~Andrey Pankyeyev
Director, Last Bell Ministries
2 Corinthians 4:5-7