For each of us, this year was special, filled with experiences, expectations of change, uncertainty – what would tomorrow bring to us. I think many of you will agree that this year even the inhabitants of the most stable and wealthy countries felt the fear of being left without work, without providing for their families or felt the fear of losing someone of their very close friends or relatives. Horror and helplessness seized people lying in hospital beds and having absolutely no hope for the future.

Now we understand more than ever the life of hundreds and thousands of people who live below the poverty line, who every day face such feelings and questions: What will we eat tomorrow? Will our child survive after a serious illness due to lack of funds for medicines? Will we will we survive this winter or maybe we won’t wake up from another cold night in our unheated house? For the fourth year in a row, with the help of many sponsors, we had an opportunity to help some families in Ukraine to survive in the times of frost and fear of freezing. We could help those families who even before this terrible disease of COVID-19 had no hope in their life and were in a great need.

Because of your care, these people felt the touch of God and realized that someone needs them and someone cares about them. This year, more than fifty needy families received coal to heat their homes, (that is more than 25 tons of coal). And in spite of the quarantine, we were able to do it starting from September until December, and having managed to do it before the coming of frost.

A year ago, a young mother came to our church, she herself brought up two her children, and one of them was a lying invalid. This year she has accepted the Lord into her heart. She told us the story that when the last year’s coal was almost run out and only the last bucket was left for heating the house, she turned to God in her evening prayer and asked for help. She did not tell anyone about her struggles. To her great surprise, God heard her need and helped her very quickly. The next day we were visiting her with another portion of coal. The main thing is that no one told us about this; just the Lord prompted us and pointed at this family. For them, it was a miracle from Heaven. For us it was a great testimony that God does everything on time in the life of the ones who trust Him in everything.

We want to thank each of you whose prayers and participation are with us. And we wish that in this new 2021 year you would hurry to do good and not be weaken, because by doing good we will reap good fruit in due time. May the hand of God and His mercy be over each of you and your homes!

Gennady Arkhipov, appointed to be responsible for the service of the mission “Hope for the East” in Donetsk region and your brother in Christ.