| Dear friends and supporters of Last Bell Ministries,
As many of you know, Last Bell’s Executive Director, Liz Millikan, has been on a sabbatical from the ministry since mid-July. We wish to inform you now that Liz has resigned from the organization. This comes with clear confirmation in her heart that God is leading her in a new direction. Her future activities will include foster parenting young children and caring for the increasing number of Eastern Ukrainian refugees arriving in her community. We know you share our gratitude to her for many years of service to the graduate orphans of Zhytomyr, Ukraine! In its eight years of existence, Last Bell has become a robust non-profit organization. Significant credit for this is due to Liz’s boundless dedication.
The foundation of Last Bell’s success is its Ukrainian staff. Their commitment to helping teens transition from institutional living to a thriving adulthood is no small feat. Fortunately for our youth, Liz Millikan made excellent choices in building our staff. One individual in particular has shown himself to be a worthy successor in the Executive Director position. Andre Pankyeyev has worked for the organization since its earliest days. He has filled several roles as a key organizer, as a house parent in our residential program, a counselor, and a manager. Andre’s unique abilities, experience, and love for our youth made him the correct choice for the interim Executive Director position during these past few months. The board of directors anticipates asking him to remain as the permanent Executive Director.
Last Bell serves hundreds of formerly-orphaned youth each year. Our staff of fourteen are giving holistic care and mentoring to address their diverse needs. On any given day, you might see Tanya delivering food and medicine to a young man in the hospital, or Simeon helping someone understand legal documents, or Oksana counseling a young mother who struggles with disciplining her toddler, or Vitya helping a young man find a job. There is so much happening! This summer, as Ukraine fought to be independent of Russia, our staff remained steady and committed. They continued their regular tasks while orchestrating special outings with three distinctly separate groups of our youth. One example is our family program called Stop the Cycle, which hosted over fifty people for a transformative time of intensive learning with a bit of respite on the shores of the Black Sea.
The impact of this ministry is far-reaching, and the future has a hopeful quality. We expect to see more lives being transformed as we continue receiving youth exiting Zhytomyr’s regional orphanages. Our staff is modeling a new way of living to many who have never before witnessed the love of Jesus. We are aiding the children of orphans who choose to end the vicious cycle of abandonment. We are truly a part of God’s plan to bring hope and freedom to captives (Isaiah 61:1), and we are actively working toward a Ukrainian future without orphans. We’re excited to see how God will use Last Bell in this journey!
We are so grateful for your faithful prayer and your thoughtful support of this worthy cause. Thank you for caring! We invite you to contact us with any questions about Last Bell’s future. You can do this via email, by requesting contact from a board member at info@lastbell.org, or through the mail, by sending a note to Last Bell Ministries, PO Box 247, Atlanta, IN 46031-0247.
With grace and peace from the Last Bell board of directors,
Dave Liebel, Irene Millikan, Mary Millikan,
Glenn Grosh, Ellen Jackson, and Don Lawton
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