In 2023, after the full invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Hope Lebedyn were given the idea of creating a bakery to help feed the people in the Sumy region. The ovens were donated but it meant a rebuild of the kitchen area, including a new-phased electrical supply to power the ovens – even the doors of the building had to be widened to accommodate the equipment. The price of bread was ever-increasing and poor supply chains for shops made it harder to purchase essentials. Bread which once cost the equivalent of 65p was now costing nearly £4. This was when the average salary in the region was just £200 per month.
Once the bread-making was in operation, word got out, which led to queues starting to form outside the bakery. The team at the mission centre in Lebedyn held services to share the gospel message and distribute the bread to those in need who attended.
We were dedicated to letting the people know that God had helped provide this bread. People listened intently during the service whilst the waft of fresh bread filled the air. Over the next few months, service attendance grew into the hundreds and as the numbers grew, we held more services. Aid and bread were given out.
16-year-old Oleksiy used to attend the church occasionally. When the war started, his father began to drink heavily, leaving his family in great need. So, Oleksiy and his mother decided to go to church to receive bread that was provided by the bakery. With time, Oleksiy became interested in spiritual things and started regularly attending Bible studies. Last year, he came forward at church to receive the Lord into his heart and was baptised. His mother has also started to study the Bible seriously. Today, Oleksiy helps to deliver loaves of bread to the elderly in his community that were baked in the bakery, and he eagerly shares the gospel with them.
We took the bread out into the villages where many elderly people had been abandoned with little help. Care homes for the sick and elderly were short-staffed due to many of the workers fleeing for safety. Hospitals were desperate for help, especially in the children’s wards where children sat abandoned. Soldiers waiting to go on the nearby frontline were given baked pies filled with cabbage – the equivalent of a British pasty. All were given prayer books and the gospels of John.
In the first year, 10,000 loaves were baked and distributed and in this past year, this has surpassed over 20,000 loaves plus all the small items baked. The loaves were double the size of those that they could purchase in the shops.
All of this has had a positive impact on the community, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the local bakery. Competition was on their doorstep but instead of charging locals they decided to give away their bread for free. Svetlana, a local lawyer, and her husband, who is the baker, owned the popular bakery in Lebedyn town. Svetlana decided that one Sunday morning she needed to go to the church to find out more about this local phenomenon. She sat in the service intently listening and God touched her life. At the end of the service, there was a call for people to be prayed for and to repent. To everyone’s surprise, Svetlana came to the front and instead of addressing the issue of lost business, she went on her knees to accept Jesus into her life. The transformation was such that the next three month’s supply of flour and yeast were sponsored by her.
As the region next door to the Kursk region witnessed greater military activity this simple ministry of supplying bread has introduced so many to Jesus – the true Bread of Life! We pray that many more will find Jesus because of this amazing work.
"...supplying bread has introduced so many to Jesus – the true Bread of Life!"
