Non-profit organisation Love on Ukraine is looking to raise a further $50,000 for audio Bibles, including child-friendly audio Bibles built into soft toys, to share the Gospel with children and adults affected by the war in Ukraine. To give towards this cause, visit their Give.Asia crowdfunding page.

Natalia, 6, has cancer.

As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Natalia’s father has been drafted into the military, while her mother is also ill with no means to care for her.

Natalia spends most of her days all by herself in the hospital, as she has for many months. When Singaporean Lam Bao Yan came to share the love of Jesus with her and prayed with her, Natalia was delighted. “I never have any visitors,” she told Bao Yan.

Bao Yan left Natalia a gift – a soft-toy lamb with a built-in audio Bible. The toy has a built-in speaker that plays God’s Word and children’s worship songs in the Ukrainian language.

Before leaving her, Bao Yan reminded Natalia to be strong. “Whenever you’re in pain, remember that Jesus is comforting your through the sheep, and that you are not alone anymore.”

Natalia, 6, with Bao Yan. Natalia has cancer.

In another remote village, a 7-year-old girl named Yuliia (main photo) came up to Bao Yan and expressed her amazement to find a Singaporean in Ukraine amid the war.

“It’s my dream to visit Singapore because my Dad was a sailor who often went to Singapore,” Yuliia said.

Yuliia’s father would tell the family about Singapore – a “garden city”, with a building shaped like it had a ship atop. Singapore is beautiful, he would say.

But when Bao Yan asked to meet the father, Yuliia’s mother told her that he had died at the frontline, just over a month ago. Bao Yan gave the girl the sheep audio Bible as well.

Said Yuliia: “My dream to visit Singapore will never happen, but today Singapore came to me. Seeing you is as though my father’s friend from Singapore came to visit me on his behalf, and the sheep audio Bible is like my father’s last gift to me from his friend. Thank you.”

Ukrainian soldier Yaroslav, with Bao Yan at a frontline hospital in Ukraine.

At a hospital on the frontlines, Bao Yan met a soldier named Yaroslav, who was there receiving treatment for his injuries.

When she started sharing the Gospel with Yaroslav, he took out a pocket Bible and waved it at her with great excitement. He had been given the Bible by someone, and he had put it in his left breast pocket. A few days prior, while on a mission behind enemy lines, he was spotted and shot at.

But the pocket Bible took the impact and stopped the bullet from killing him.

He opened this pocket Bible and the showed me the damaged pages, and where the bullet stopped.

Since that day, Yaroslav has not stopped praying, asking God how could to know Him better. “This is an answered prayer!” he said when Bao Yan gifted him with an adult version of the audio Bible.

The small booklet with Psalm 90, which belongs to Ukrainian soldier Yaroslav. He was shot at behind enemy lines – but the bullet was stopped by this Bible booklet.

Since March this year, Lam Bao Yan and her husband Rudy Taslim have run Love on Ukraine, a non-profit organisation that serves victims of the war.

Through fundraising page GIVE.asia, Love on Ukraine had hit their initial target of raising $60,000 for audio Bibles, which are hypoallergenic, washable and rechargeable. They were then able to gift the lambs to about 3,000 orphans and children, including those with disabilities, in hospitals, at a cost of $20 each.

Now, Bao Yan and Rudy are hoping to raise a further $50,000 to give out more of these audio Bibles.

“For children whose lives have been disrupted by war, listening to this audio Bible is the closest they can get to experiencing the story time routine they once had with their parents. This gift provides a sense of normalcy and routine, bringing them the comfort and peace they so desperately need,” reads the write-up on the GIVE.asia page.

The audio Bibles, which are hypoallergenic, washable and rechargeable, cost $20 each. Love on Ukraine hopes to gift them to some 3,000 orphans and children, including those with disabilities, in hospitals.

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