One area of increased need is the lack of available medicines. It is almost impossible to find medicines anywhere in Ukraine, even in Western Ukraine where stores are still open — yet the requests for them are becoming more frequent and more urgent. Yesterday, I was speaking on the phone with HopeHouse Co-Founder Yuri Yakovlyev when I got a message from long-time HopeHouse supporters Chad and Heather Hammond. They told me Chad was flying to Budapest, Hungary, today and asked if he could bring anything in a suitcase to deliver to Yuri.
I asked Yuri, who responded very quickly: “Yes! Medicines!”
Thanks to your giving to our emergency fund, we immediately purchased and sent over-the-counter medicines that are no longer available in Ukraine. In Costco-sized portions and in hundreds of quantities, the following items will tomorrow be on their way to our HopeHouse Families and their churches in Ukraine:
- Advil, Tylenol, Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Vitamins C and D3
- Zinc
- Neosporin
- Bandages
- Antihistamines
- Cold and flu medicines
- Cough lozenges
Yuri has a contact who will meet him at the Ukraine-Hungary border and deliver 2 large suitcases and large duffle of these medicines to our staff in Western Ukraine. From there, medicine packages will be sent to our families across the country.
Pastors all over Ukraine, many of whom are HopeHouse Fathers, have chosen to stay in their communities and are each sheltering 100 or more people in their basements. They have seen this as an opportunity to share the Gospel while providing aid to refugees in their time of need. When these medicine packages arrive, our HopeHouse Families will be sharing them with thousands who are being sheltered by churches around Ukraine. These medicine packages are just another example of how through your giving, the Lord has opened a door to ministry opportunities with an exponential impact on a growing sphere of Ukrainians affected by this war.
