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Pray with us for the New Year

Written by Jo Ann Carr on . Posted in Last Bell Blog, Orphaned Moms, Orphaned Students, Videos.

This month, our Ukrainian staff dedicated a week to prayer. They set up a small prayer room in the new Day Center, and staff members signed up for two-hour slots. The Board and I also set aside time for focused prayer.

At the start of a new year of ministry, it was important for all of us to spend time reflecting on God’s faithfulness in 2025, refreshing our own hearts for ministry in 2026, and anticipating and praising God in advance for His work in and through Last Bell in years to come.

Video: the prayer room (25 seconds)

Over the next two weeks, would you consider setting aside half an hour or more to pray with and for our staff and their ministry to orphaned youth?

Our staff and Board prayed for funding of the 2026 budget (we currently have a shortfall) and for guidance in ministry this year. Will you pray for these needs alongside us?

__________________________

Anna Cherniy prayed “for the hearts of the children who come to us, that the Lord would touch them and they would find Him.” She also prayed for her daughter, with health problems, and her son-in-law, serving in a combat zone.

Marta Balanchuk prayed that donors “would understand that they’re 100% doing God’s work when they support orphans.” Yulia N. prayed blessings over the donors.

Several staff members thanked God for His faithfulness through many years of ministry.

Katya T prayed for God to “open new doors, and show us His way. That we… would be strong in Him, and feel and hear His voice. That He would give us wisdom to lead each student and each mother.”

Khrystya prayed “for new God-given connections” to support the ministry. Many team members prayed, as Khrystya wrote, for “restoration of the team’s strength, health, endurance, and wisdom.”

I prayed several Psalms over our supporters and the ministry in Ukraine.

__________________________

Lately, because of the enemy’s attacks, many people in our city and across Ukraine have lost electricity, heat, and water. We appreciate your prayers for them, and for orphaned youth to ask for help when they need it.

Your prayers are very meaningful to our staff as they go about their daily work with our youth. Thank you for trusting God together with us: “You, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you” (Psalm 9:10).

Thank you!

Marguerite Havard, Executive Director, on behalf of Ministry Director Andriy Pankyeyev and all our staff in Ukraine

Roma talks about his grandmother, following Jesus, and learning wisdom

Written by Emily on . Posted in Day Center, Educational Outreach, Last Bell Blog, Orphaned Students, Restoration Project, Videos.

God began working in Roma’s heart in his earliest years, as his grandmother faithfully took him to church. When he met Last Bell, he hadn’t yet made a decision for Christ. 

In this video, Roma tells the story of saying “yes” to God. You won’t want to miss a moment of this captivating interview!

Your gift before December 31st provides all kinds of help to orphaned youth, from housing and medical advocacy to groceries and winter clothes. Those things are vital to their well-being! 

Your generosity also provides mentorship from Christian adults. Our staff patiently teach orphaned young people about God’s love, listen to their questions, and connect them to local churches. Nothing matters more to our staff members than drawing orphaned youth into a relationship with God.

Will you give to invite orphaned youth into the richness of following Jesus?

lastbell.org/donate

Roma makes friends and chooses faith

Written by Emily on . Posted in Day Center, Educational Outreach, Featured, Last Bell Blog, Orphaned Students, Restoration Project, Videos.

When we met him, orphan teen Roma was silent and withdrawn. Years later, he told us his most difficult memory was not having even one friend. But after Roma found Last Bell, everything changed!

You can bring hope to other orphaned youth like Roma with a gift before December 31st: https://www.lastbell.org/donate/

Watch for another video after Thanksgiving in which Roma shares the whole story of his faith!

Youth Camp: Helping orphaned students win at real life

Written by Jo Ann Carr on . Posted in Camps, Educational Outreach, Last Bell Blog, Orphaned Students, Photos, Videos.

A few months ago, we asked for your help funding 2025 camps. And you came through! In faith our staff began planning, and in faith you gave to make it happen.

Now summer camps are finished, and we’re seeing the results! Last week we wrote about family camp. Student camp took place in early August.

Camp is our best opportunity to teach and to build relationships, and it only comes once a year. Our staff thoughtfully plan every activity, keeping in mind the particular needs of orphaned teens.

The youth we serve have spent time in orphanages, in foster care, or moving from home to home. Because of these disrupted childhood years, they often haven’t learned what adulthood will be like. So our staff developed a game called “Real Life.” At various stations, students make decisions about college, work, church, relationships, shopping and saving, temptations like gambling, and other challenges. During the game, a preacher calls people to repent.

It sounds simple, but the game was eye-opening for some of our students. One young woman agreed to “marry” someone, and her hand was tied to his. When the preacher came, she wanted to repent and follow Jesus, but her husband didn’t. It was a real dilemma.

Later she told a staff member about a similar situation with her real boyfriend. She said, “Maybe God is telling me something?” She decided she’d go to church, even if she had to go alone.

Our staff shared several other stories about this year’s student camp:

• Pavlo comes to many Day Center activities, and he’s received help with his vision. The staff chose him to captain a camp team. At one point, he had a chance to win an individual competition. The staff were touched to see him give up his win to support his team – a reflection of the selfless care he’s received.

• Several youth prayed to repent and follow Jesus. Daria only had a children’s Bible, and was very excited to hear the staff would give her a real adult Bible.

• One young woman, who almost didn’t go, shared her story with staff member Katya, including her suicidal feelings. “She asked for support,” writes Katya, “and now often remembers the words, ‘there are no coincidences with God.’” She wants to spend more time with people who follow Jesus.

• Anya, who lives in a foster family, opened up about the pain she experienced in childhood when she saw other people with their parents. Her birth parents hadn’t been part of her life since she was three. Anya, too, started coming to church after camp.

Our staff will help the new Christians settle into local churches. Orphaned students visiting the new Day Center will also find help with tutoring, medical advocacy, and more.

We’re so thankful for your investment in these short but powerful weeks of camp. Your generosity will unfold in the lives of our youth for years to come!

Camp photos on Facebook:

Family Camp

Student Camp

A future for orphaned youth in Ukraine

Written by Emily on . Posted in Last Bell Blog, Videos.

Who are orphaned youth? Why does Last Bell exist? If you’re new to our ministry, this video is a great way to learn more! 

And if you’re a donor, prayer circle member, volunteer, or involved with Last Bell in some other way, thank you! All the joy and vibrancy you see here is because of your compassionate giving. 

Learn more:

Areas of Support for Orphaned Youth

Our Mission & Values

Stories About Our Youth

Nina, Anya, Sasha, and Alina at camp

Written by Emily on . Posted in Camps, Last Bell Blog, Orphaned Moms, Orphaned Students, Uncategorized, Videos.

Nina

Nina was new to Last Bell last year. She had trouble trusting our staff. She wouldn’t share her heart or her needs.

But after camp, everything changed.

Nina began to open up. She started coming to Stop the Cycle meetings to learn about parenting. She appreciates and wants mentorship from our staff, and asks for help when she needs it.

Nina at family camp in 2024
Nina talking with a staff member

Camp is the most effective way to launch orphan-led families on a path of healing. And a whole family can go to a week of camp for just $1000.

One of our moms shared these thoughts about camp last year:

“Nobody loved me when I was a child. That’s why I didn’t know what ‘loving your child’ was at all. When I gave birth to my daughter, I did everything automatically. Only a month later, the understanding came to me that I am now a mother. It is extremely important for me to hear all this about family and love for children.“

Anya, Sasha, and Alina

Orphaned teens often feel unloved and unwanted. After an abrupt transition out of state care, they enter a world that seems totally indifferent to their needs.

Their isolation can turn into chronic unemployment, addiction, abusive and exploitative living situations, even suicide.

But Last Bell’s youth have a different experience. At camp, they discover they’re not alone. Just one loving adult can change everything, and our youth have a whole team!

Even with wartime inflation, just $400 sends an orphaned student to summer camp for a week. There, our youth learn about the Father of the Fatherless, who created them and loved them from the beginning.

Orphaned student Alina T. wrote, “Camp was filled with love and warmth from the leaders, and I had the opportunity to talk to a leader about personal matters. After camp, I wanted to go to church even more.”

In this one-minute video, staff member Christi and students Anya and Sasha share how camp opens hearts to God:

With a gift to camp, you can share the good news about Jesus with orphaned youth. It may be the very first time they hear that God created them and loves them.

Youth camp is in August, but the funds for housing and other costs are needed now. Dad Camps are in May, and family camp is in June. Will you make a gift toward camp today?

One minute with Director Andrey

Written by Emily on . Posted in Last Bell Blog, Uncategorized, Videos.

No question, this was a tough year. You may have lost a loved one, or you may be struggling with finances or mental health. My heart aches for all of you who are suffering in this pandemic.

Our students and orphan-led families, many of whom were living in poverty and ill health before the crisis, have been hit especially hard. 

We invite you to spend just one minute with Director Andrey, hearing his heart for orphans. And, if you are able, please consider making a donation to Last Bell before the end of the year.

In spite of the unusual challenges, we reached over 675 orphanage graduates in 2020. But we urgently need your help to finish the year with the resources to continue consistently serving our vulnerable teens and families who are so close to God’s heart. Will you join us with a joyful gift?

What is Last Bell all about? 2020

Written by Emily on . Posted in Last Bell Blog, Newsletter, Videos.

What is Last Bell Ministries all about? In three minutes, learn about the loving care and practical help our staff offers to orphanage graduates in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. If you want to be part of this exciting work, please consider us in your year-end giving. God bless you and yours this holiday season!

A Conversation with Megan

Written by Emily on . Posted in Last Bell Blog, Uncategorized, Videos.

We’re ending the year with joyful hearts. We invite you to celebrate with us: by God’s grace we’ve reached over 475 orphanage graduates in 2019, offering deep services to meet their complex needs. We’ve seen our youth flourishing and the orphan cycle ended in many families.

I’d love to tell you about the orphanage graduates I’ve met and my personal experience seeing Last Bell’s work in Ukraine! Would you join me for a brief conversation?

To go deeper, we welcome you to read our full December letter, where we share three special stories about our youth, along with the first data returned from our Wellness Initiative. For example, we’ve learned that through our Stop the Cycle program, $1500 prevents one child from becoming an orphan.

Friends, we’re so grateful that you come to know and love our youth, think about them, ask about them, pray about them, and give toward their wellbeing and the transformation of their community.

You equip us for this work. Would you consider giving a year-end gift?

Success for Shelter Moms

Written by Emily on . Posted in Orphaned Moms, Stop the Cycle, Videos.

Shelter Crisis Housing is a home where orphan moms can stay in a true emergency and receive comprehensive help for their families. But how do we know this model is effective?

Eight of the moms who started the Shelter program have completed the steps and accepted all the help we provide. All eight are now in stable housing and able to care for their children. That’s a 100% success rate for those who follow the program.

Donations for the Shelter program lead to:

  • children at home instead of an orphanage
  • moms able to provide safe, loving households
  • healthy family stories replacing generational abuse and neglect
  • a post-orphanage community founded on God’s love

That’s worth celebrating! In this video, we welcome you to walk through the doors of the Shelter to learn, laugh, play, and heal with our families:

But wait, there’s more!

Orphanage graduates from all Last Bell’s programs benefit from this residential home.

Our Restoration Project crew has breakfast and lunch at the Shelter, along with morning devotions. Sergei (RP foreman) and Anna (Shelter staff) demonstrate a positive model of marriage and child-rearing. The guys sometimes babysit or help residents move in and out. The RP apprenticeship keeps them busy, but the Shelter weaves them into our larger community.

Students in our Educational Outreach program may stay at the Shelter if their trade school dorm is closed for a school break, or between holiday visits with friends or relatives. Orphanage graduates of all ages stay when they’re in Zhytomyr for medical treatment or work on documents. Or they just drop by for a hot meal and conversation!

Orphan moms from Stop the Cycle (Shelter’s umbrella program) wash laundry at the Shelter, take showers, pick up groceries, sit down for meals, and just stop by to visit. Donated clothing, coats, and shoes from American friends, as well as diapers, medication, and vitamins, are stored, sorted, and handed out at the Shelter. Moms and students alike drop by for used clothing. Oksana Pankyeyeva offers counseling and individual consulations at her Shelter office.

So many friends added bricks to this amazing building. Many thanks to the original donors who helped us purchase it; the staff and youth who filled it with laughter and love those first years; the RP crew and other workers who converted it into crisis housing; the staff and volunteers who serve our residents now; and current donors who put sheets on the beds and borscht on the table.

May God bless your own giving and receiving of hospitality this season!

More than Housing: Autumn at the Shelter

Written by Emily on . Posted in Videos.

This autumn, we’re celebrating Shelter Crisis Housing. The Shelter provides security for orphan moms in the midst of difficult and dangerous circumstances.

The Shelter is housed under our Stop the Cycle (STC) program. Through STC, orphan parents attend parenting classes, receive groceries and used clothing/shoes, and have access to mentorship, biblical counseling, help with paperwork, and many other services. But sometimes an orphan mom needs more than just outside assistance.

Why crisis housing?

Most orphan moms, or moms-to-be, struggle with parenthood. But some find themselves in true crises. Natasha K. shared about her situation prior to the Shelter:

Of the 14 moms who’ve stayed with us, five left abusive relationships; seven lacked a safe place to live after giving birth, so the child would have been removed; and three, like Natasha, came from unsafe conditions. Every mom was unable to work (and pay for housing) because her children were too young for school.

A High-Impact Program for Family Transformation

We like to say our Shelter program is “more than housing.” What does that mean?

During their two years at the Shelter, a mom’s every need is provided for. Our goal is to resolve the crisis, but more importantly, to help her establish family stability: a safe living situation, skills to provide for herself and raise her child, a job, and a church connection. To that end, we offer assistance in several areas:

HOUSING: a safe place to live · housing documentation · finding a house or renovating a current home · help moving when ready

EDUCATION: documents for education · educational activities for kids at the Shelter · registering kids for school · babysitting while moms study

EMPLOYMENT: finding a job · babysitting while moms work · helping moms save 50% of income while safely housed

PARENTING: parenting, housekeeping, relationship skills · Stop the Cycle and MOPS · modeling our family relationships · having fun as a big family

SPIRITUAL & RELATIONAL: church attendance & relationships · healthy connections with relatives and friends · personal and family counseling

FOLLOW-UP: staying connected to moms personally · continuing Stop the Cycle and MOPS · seeing moms at church · home visits

As we celebrate, we’ll be sharing extras on social media, including a Facebook photo album with profiles of our current Shelter residents. Join us on Facebook here and Instagram here. We’ll also share Shelter prayer requests on our prayer circle email list. To be added, just reply to this email.

To support Shelter Crisis Housing, click the Donate button above.

Knowing and learning about orphanage graduates is one way of loving them. Thank you for reading about these vulnerable Shelter families, and for your prayers!

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