For thousands of Ukrainian children affected by the horrors of war, comfort can sometimes come in small packages.

Lam Bao Yan, who with her husband runs Love on Ukraine, a non-profit organisation that serves victims of the war, recounted how a four-year-old boy from Mariupol had been immensely reassured by a little toy sheep, which functions as an audio Bible.

“He was so traumatised that he didn’t want his feet to touch the ground because the ground had been shaking from the bombs,” said Bao Yan, 39. “He would hold on to the lamb for hours. And he told his friends to listen to the lamb. He told them, ‘Jesus is calling to me and He says don’t be afraid.’”

The audio Bible has been a great comfort to the traumatised children of Ukraine. Photo courtesy of Lam Bao Yan.

Through fundraising page GIVE.asia, Love on Ukraine is hoping to raise $60,000 to give out more of these audio Bibles, which has a built-in speaker that plays God’s Word and children’s worship songs in the Ukrainian language.

“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.

A Ukrainian child sleeping as the audio Bible lamb reads God’s Word to her. Photo courtesy of Lam Bao Yan.

Having distributed these toy lambs to some 1,500 children already, Bao Yan has heard accounts of how other children, haunted by their experiences in the war, would hang on to the lambs for comfort.

“They would even sleep with the lambs, refusing to let people take it away. They have lost everything. This is not only a trauma recovery tool, it is their only toy,” she said in a previous interview with Salt&Light.

In a quote on the GIVE.asia page, Arden Melnyk, who is a father of a four-year-old Ukrainian boy, said to donors: “Thank you for your gift of love. My son loves the sheep audio Bible. He is no longer crying and fearful like before. He has been inseparable from it, and sleeps so peacefully to the sound of the Scripture and worship songs.”

Help children affected by the Ukraine war

At just $20, you can help one Ukrainian child find peace, hope and comfort in God. Registered charity “All Good Gifts” has been appointed to receive and disburse these funds to Love on Ukraine in full. If you’d like to contribute, visit the GIVE.asia page here. 

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