This Mother’s Day, we will honor the beauty of motherhood close to home — and we remember the mothers far away, carrying a weight few of us can imagine.
I wonder what it must be like . . .
To be a mother living in the fifth year of war.
To gather your children in the night and run to a basement, holding them close as the sound of missile strikes shakes the ground above you…
To hear your child cry — not just from fear, but from exhaustion — because this has become their “normal.”
To know your children cannot go to school…that their learning, their friendships, their childhood itself is slowly slipping further and further away.
And to face all of this alone.
No husband beside you.
No stable income.
No clear way forward.
Only a growing fear that if you cannot hold it together…someone may come and take your children into state care. Or that, in desperation, you may have no other choice but to let them go.
This feels unimaginable.
And yet, these mothers are real.
And they come to us.
They arrive at Hope Ranch weary and worn — not just physically, but deep in their souls.
They come brokenhearted. Unable to rise out of depression. So depleted that even engaging with their own children feels overwhelming — because every ounce of energy has gone into simply surviving.
They come without hope.
They don’t know what awaits them…the gentle, restoring presence of the Lord going before them, walking beside them, meeting them in their deepest place of need.
And then, something begins to change.
Over the days and months of our Reestablishment Program, hearts begin to soften.
Strength slowly returns.
A mother who once could not get out of bed begins to sit beside her child again…to listen…to speak…to smile.
She learns new skills.
Practical, life-giving skills that open doors to meaningful work.
She finds community.
Other women who understand her grief.
And carry one another in prayer.
They remind each other that they are not alone.
And through Scripture — taught with nurture and care — she begins to hear the voice of God for herself.
To understand His Word.
To believe that He sees her…and loves her.
And what about her children?
They receive their mother back.
Not just physically present — but emotionally and spiritually renewed.
The home begins to change.
Where there was silence, there is conversation.
Where there was heaviness, there is laughter.
Where children once carried responsibilities far beyond their years, there is now a mother who can care for them again.
And where there was fear…there is hope.
In June, we welcome more.
As we prepare to welcome new groups into our Reestablishment Program beginning this June and continuing over the next ten months, 251 war-widowed mothers — along with 343 of their children — have already registered.
Because of this overwhelming response, we are now prayerfully interviewing each mother to first identify those facing the most urgent circumstances, while also seeking the Lord’s wisdom about how we might expand our capacity to serve this unexpected number of families.
Only God opens doors like these in the midst of a war — and with your prayers and support, we walk faithfully through them together.
Please also pray for us as we continue to prioritize the adoption of orphans into Ukrainian Christian families amidst the many challenges that war presents.
Your continued support of HopeHouse International is allowing the love of Christ to reach those in their brokenness — restoring widows, rescuing orphans, and helping create healthy, Christ-centered families that will shape future generations.
This is not possible without you.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us in His sacred work.
