I want to thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement during this unstable time. In the midst of an unthinkable invasion and a war that feels ripped out of centuries past, they have sustained us as we continue to help those that are part of our ministry in Ukraine.
Throughout our 22 years of ministry, it has remained our policy not to solicit donations in our email or mail communications. We have made one exception, when we set up an emergency fund during the military conflict after the Annexation of Crimea in 2014. While that remains our policy, today we are responding to the many inquiries board members and I have received from friends of this ministry, church leaders and others, who have asked how they might be able to help address the wartime needs of our HopeHouse Families as hostile forces draw closer to their homes.
In response, we have created a UKRAINE: FAMILY EMERGENCY FUND to streamline relief efforts for our HopeHouse Families throughout Ukraine.
Yuri Yakovlyev, Co-Founder and International Director, has been in contact with many of our HopeHouse Families to identify a running list of needs that grow increasingly urgent and will persist both during and after this horrific war. By giving to the emergency fund, you would be helping to address the following needs:
- Evacuations
- Relocations
- Home repairs
- Temporary housing
- Furniture/appliance replacements
- Food and clothing
- Other needs still developing
Our mission — to make ongoing, exponential investments in lives for generations — hasn’t changed. During this moment, however, the scope of our operations is broadening: in addition to those we have helped evacuate from Kiev, we evacuated four HopeHouse Families out of Kharkiv just a few days ago.
HopeHouse International has established this fund both to address emergency needs AND to be proactive about the end of the war – so that when it is safe for everyone involved, the work of restoration can begin. If the fund is not completely exhausted, any remaining money will transfer back to our housing and adoption ministry for the influx of orphans this tragic war has helped create.
We believe the emergency fund will be a huge blessing to our families and will ultimately be used for God’s glory, as it will be a part of our HopeHouse Families’ continued testimony of their heavenly Father’s provision for them. If you’ve been asking for ways to help and would like to contribute to this fund, you can find it HERE.
Tomorrow, I will send an update about our HopeHouse Families as Yuri is finishing the process of trying to connect with each one.
We have received word that for some of you, our last two emails have gone into spam or junk mail. Please check for the email sent Thursday, Feb. 24th and please add deneen@hopehouseinternational.org to your contact list to prevent future updates from not arriving in your inbox.
Specific Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for God’s protection on our HopeHouse Families and Team as attacks increase in small cities and towns.
- Please pray divine wisdom for Yuri as he helps HopeHouse Families throughout Ukraine now and in the days/months to come.
- Please pray continued protection for the five HopeHouse young adults (and all others) who are serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
- Please pray that our Family Emergency Fund will provide all that is needed to help our families now and in the days/months ahead as they rebuild their lives.
Thank you for your friendship to this ministry. Thank you again for your encouraging texts, call and emails which continue to give us much needed strength and encouragement during this time.
Please keep praying! And may we never forget that Prayer Precedes Miracles!
With much appreciation,
Deneen and Yuri, Co-Founders
