I want to extend our warmest welcome and continued, heartfelt appreciation for joining us in this sacred ministry of walking with a widow.
Allow me a brief introduction: For the past 25 years, HopeHouse International has been dedicated to rescuing orphans in Ukraine by helping Ukrainian Christian families meet the housing requirements necessary to adopt and raise them within their own country. But from the very beginning, our true mission has always been about souls. Because we work specifically with Christian families, we know these children are being raised in homes where God’s Word is taught and lived out—bringing both evangelism and discipleship through the family.
When war broke out, adoptions halted, and home construction was no longer feasible in active war zones. But God opened our eyes to an emerging crisis: the rising death toll of men in combat across Ukraine has led to a growing number of War-Widowed Mothers, many of whom face overwhelming despair. With no means to provide for their children, some feel forced to abandon them or place them in orphanages.
In response, and by God’s clear leading, we launched the War Widow Reestablishment Program in 2024. Its purpose is to prevent the abandonment and institutionalization of children left fatherless by war—by helping stabilize the lives of their mothers.
This program provides long-term stability through a three-pronged approach that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of Fatherless Families:
- Vocational training, certification, and job placement in the IT sector from Graphic Design to Internet Marketing
- Trauma care to help regulate the nervous system in the midst of an ongoing war
- Evangelism and discipleship with our campus pastor and ministry leaders
By addressing these core areas, we’ve seen God work in lives to stabilize them, and as stability grows, so does hope—for today, for the future, and for eternity.
THE IMPACT
At Hope Ranch, our ministry headquarters in Ukraine and God’s unexpected provision during the first year of war — we see His hand at work every day through our War Widow Reestablishment Program. These women arrive bearing unspeakable grief, paralyzing fear, and the weight of profound loss. Most come without any knowledge of, or experience with, a personal relationship with Christ — they arrive without hope.
But through our ministry programs, we witness God moving in supernatural ways. During their time at Hope Ranch — their launch into 6 months of vocational training, trauma healing, evangelism, and discipleship — they encounter Jesus. They experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and it changes them.
“I came to Hope Ranch with nothing left inside me. Because of my tragedy, I thought my life was over. But here… I felt peace for the first time since the war began. I met women who understood me. I met people who prayed with me. I encountered something I couldn’t explain—until I understood it was the love of God for me. Now I know I’m not alone.”
— Tetyana, Ukrainian War-Widowed Mother
We are so grateful to have your help — to nurture what God has begun as these brave mothers leave Hope Ranch to continue their 6-month program online, returning to their war-torn realities where they will take their first steps of faith.
Through a faithful rhythm of encouragement notes and regular intercession in prayer, we aim to walk alongside our War-Widowed Mothers as a reflection of Christ’s love — reassuring her that God is with her, and that her story, and that of her children, is still unfolding with faith, purpose, and hope.
This is evangelism.
This is the beginning of eternal impact.
This is what we, together, are a part of.
NEXT STEPS
HopeHouse International has always been founded on prayer. We have had prayer teams across the country for the past 25 years, and we have seen over and over that PRAYER PRECEDES MIRACLES!
While you are waiting for your pairing with a War-Widowed Mother, the most important thing we can be doing is to pray!
We are still recruiting War-Widowed Mothers to fill all of the slots in our groups. Some express interest but then back out — fighting war trauma and hopelessness, many are paralyzed by the uncertainty of war. Please pray that God will make a way and remove all obstacles that would keep them from coming and participating in our Reestablishment Program.
Even though we may not know all of them specifically yet, we believe that your pairing with a War-Widowed Mother is a divine appointment. Please be praying for her as she is preparing to come to Hope Ranch.
We’ll be in touch with more details and instructions as the War-Widowed Mothers’ arrival date approaches. You’ll also receive additional guidance to help you prepare for writing your encouragement notes.
Please reply to engage@hopehouseinternational.
Devotional Study Book
“LORD I WANT TO KNOW YOU”
BY KAY ARTHUR
We’ve sent a copy of Lord, I Want to Know You to each of your homes. Here are a few things to know as you receive it:
- This is a gift from HopeHouse to all our Walk With a Widow Volunteers with a no-obligation invitation to read what our War-Widowed Mothers will also be reading with our discipleship leaders in Ukraine.
- This is voluntary reading, and there is no reading plan or timeline involved.
- The purpose of this invitation is for us to study the names of God together, trusting that He will teach us more about who He is.
- When we understand who He is, our prayers and words of encouragement will come from an even deeper place of knowledge and truth.
- God is supernaturally using all of us connected in the mission of HopeHouse International – and together, we are a part of His Kingdom work!
We are deeply grateful to serve alongside you.
With appreciation,
Deneen Turner
Co-Founder & President
HopeHouse International®
