The Feed

Stories of Feeding God's Children Hungry in Body & Spirit

Hope is Greater: 'None of These Things Can Crush His Spirit'

With a fistful of crayons, Bogdan sits down with his sister Vera inside their home in a small village in Eastern Ukraine. The siblings are about to do one of their favorite activities – drawing.

This activity is also a way for the second grader to help his mother care for Vera, who suffers from serious stomach issues.

Bogdan’s father works two jobs to provide for the family, but Vera’s health care is expensive and their mother has to stay home to take care of her.

Bogdan loves helping his mom cook MannaPack™ Rice meals, which they receive through Mission Eurasia from a church in their village. They use a wood burning stove and well water to cook the meals because they don’t have gas or running water.

Even with the challenges and stress created by the conflict in their nation, Mission Eurasia told us that Bogdan is still filled with happiness. He brings great joy to his family.

“None of these things can crush his spirits,” Mission Eurasia said.

Since 2014, violence in Eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatist forces and the Ukrainian military has claimed more than 3,000 civilian lives, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner

"As Ukraine is about to enter the fifth year of armed hostilities, civilians continue to pay the costs of this conflict.”

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“Bogdan and his family have been so encouraged by the love and care shown to them by complete strangers,” Mission Eurasia said. “The MannaPack meals are helping them find new hope – even in the midst of their struggles.”

Ukraine

Hope is Greater

At FMSC, we believe that food assistance is so important in tandem with community development. We are honored to work side by side with partners like Mission Eurasia that share our belief that hope is greater.

Hope is greater than conflict. It’s greater than drought and famine and disease. It’s greater than earthquakes and hurricanes. It’s greater than poverty. And it’s greater than hunger.

Thank you for believing this. Every time you put on a hairnet and pack meals or write a check or drop a quarter in a bucket, you are saying, "Yes. Hope IS greater."

What you do makes a difference. We need you more than ever as conflicts and natural disasters continue to wreak havoc in the lives of children like Bogdan and Vera in Ukraine and around the world.