As we approach Thanksgiving, we are thankful for regions ofUkraine that are seeing hope in the midst of war. As of this writing Kahovka, the hometown of House of Joy, has not yet been liberated, but the Ukrainian army has advanced much nearer to them.The children and staff are all safe, for which we are thankful.
One of the churches that we have been sending financial support to during the war is New Generation Church in Dnepro, Ukraine. Their pastor is a friend of many years, Pastor Sergiy Tsalko. This picture shows (top right) the power generator that NewGeneration Church donated for the village of Vysokopilly so that its citizens could always have water from the well. The central water supply system was destroyed in the war. This village was underRussian occupation for six months. It served as the arena for battle-fields, as a target for Russian shells and rockets, and apparently was a source for Russian military to steal from the resident’s food, house supplies, and vehicles. New Generation Church started coming thereto help right after the village was taken back by the Ukrainian army in a counter offensive.
There are many locations that we have been blessed to be able to provide resources to in Ukraine. Its seems so little compared to what many there are living with day to day, but we are grateful to be in position to help.
To be able to live in peace is a blessing we do not want to take for granted. We are thankful for the privilege of living in a place of peace. We ask you to join us in praying for the peace and safety of the people in Ukraine during this time of war.
We rarely say anything about our family. However, our oldest grandchild, Ella turns 13 on Thanksgiving Day. She is a beauty inside and out. Happy Birthday Ella Joy!
ISRAEL
For several years we have partnered in various ways to be a blessing to children in Israel with the organization MD Terra. At the start of the school year, we helped sponsor a Back-to-School Event for 100 children. 19 children were from a local orphanage, and 70 children were from the children hospitals. In this group were children from Ukraine who came to Israel for cancer treatment during the war. Eleven were children from families who suffered from abuse.
CHRISTMAS AT HOUSE OF JOY
Christmas at House of Joy is, of course, an annual tradition. This year will be extremely different, as we currently have all 49 of the children hidden in homes because of the war. They will not be forgotten. They’re all accounted for, with the staff staying in touch with the families. The team will get Christmas gifts for them. If you want to share a little joy this Christmas, please designate your gift as “Kahovka Christmas”. We will be sharing with many others besides the children in Ukraine this Christmas season.
