An Update From Pastor Jeff and much more below we are so thankful for your support of Kingdom Bridges. Your prayers are making a difference. |
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Summer Camps: A Place of Safety, Joy, and Hope
In Ukraine today, war is not an abstract threat — it is a daily reality for children. Just a few weeks ago, one of the schools in our network was hit by missiles. Windows blown out, walls crumbled, classrooms destroyed — places that should have been safe havens for learning and laughter were reduced to rubble in an instant. Praise God that most children were out of school for summer break when the strike happened, but the trauma remains.
For children in Ukraine, the sounds of sirens, drones, and explosions are normal now. Many go to bed each night not knowing if they will wake to another raid. These precious kids carry a burden no child should ever have to bear. That’s why our summer camps are more important than ever. This summer our Serve Ukraine network of churches are hosting 23 summer camps, giving nearly 3,000 children the chance to be a child. When you look at the joyful photos from our camps — children waving flags, singing songs, playing games, and listening to Bible stories under big tents — you see more than just a fun event. You see a glimpse of what childhood should be. You see moments of peace and laughter piercing through the darkness of war. A Place to Just Be a Child
Each camp is more than a day of games and songs — it is a place of refuge and relief. It is a safe space where children can run and play without fear. Where they can share a meal with friends and hear that they are loved by Jesus and by His people.
For many of these children, it is the first time in a long time they have felt safe enough to just be a child. To laugh loudly, to smile without worry, to forget — even for a moment — the nightmares that wait at home. While our teams provide food, fun, and smiles, they also plant seeds of the gospel that take root long after camp ends. Each child hears the good news of Jesus Christ — a message of hope that can never be bombed away or taken by war. And many of their parents hear it too when they come to pick up their kids or sit at the camp edges to watch. Through our network of churches, relationships are built. Families in need are connected to local believers who continue to care for them in practical ways — with food, clothing, counseling, and prayer. Pray for Safety of all participants and for the Children to enjoy a time away, a time of joy and peace in the midst of the storms of lifeWe do not pretend it is easy. Hosting camps in a war zone means our teams are constantly adjusting to air raid alerts, power outages, and shifting security needs. Yet despite the risk, these camps continue because the need is so great.
Every camp is a declaration that evil does not get the last word — that hope will rise, that light will shine in the darkness, and that Jesus is near to the brokenhearted. |
A Path is Opening For the
Most Vulnerable in Moldova
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The PATH Network: From Forgotten to Flourishing
Across Moldova and Ukraine, thousands of orphaned and at-risk young people grow up in state-run orphanages, boarding schools, or foster placements that, at best, provide temporary shelter. But what happens when these kids turn 16 or 17 — when they “age out” of these places with nowhere to go and no one to help them?
For too many, the path that follows is heartbreakingly predictable. Without family, mentors, or real-world skills, these young people are vulnerable to trafficking, homelessness, exploitation, crime, and deep poverty. Many spend nights in bus stations, fall into dangerous
relationships, or become trapped in cycles of addiction just to survive. These are the sons and daughters our Heavenly Father calls us to see.
These are the young people the PATH Network exists to reach.
A Growing Network of Hope
The vision of the PATH Network is simple yet bold: It is empowering independent lives one step at a time. We do this through a growing network of local homes and the Summit Center — working hand in hand to give these teens what every young person deserves. Our work revolves around four tiers each working toward one coordinated path:
1. Community Outreach Centers - Where meet potential young people that engage with our mission. These are fun, social places where young people gather and are introduced to the PATH Network.
2. Residential Homes – Safe, nurturing environments with trained Christian caregivers provide the foundation these young people need before moving on to the Summit Center. Most orphaned and at-risk youth would struggle if placed directly into independent living. In these homes, they live in a supportive residential setting under the care of trained professionals. They attend local public schools and receive daily guidance to help them reach their educational goals, learn to live with others, and take the first steps toward owning their path to independent living. At this stage, they need consistent supervision, structure, and plenty of encouragement as they begin to heal and grow.
3. Summit Centers – They live in apartments provide young people with a safe place to live more independently while they continue receiving mentorship, job skills training, advanced life skills, counseling, and ongoing support in faith-based community. The goal is to help them grow in self-reliance while developing the specific skills needed for their chosen career path. They’ll have access to a variety of job training opportunities, building practical and soft skills that translate into any work environment.
As they progress, they’ll begin to chart their own path—exploring their interests and building confidence in the job market. By the time they complete the program, they will have spent a full year living independently, managing their schedules, and confronting past trauma so it no longer holds them back. They’ll be equipped with employable skills that match real opportunities with our business partners and rooted in a faith community that continues to walk alongside them.
Most importantly, every step is self-directed. It’s their path—they own it, grow resilient, and work hard to achieve the life God has for them.
4. After Care tied to Job Path - We partner with local businesses by placing our workplace staff in their companies to help support their employees, ensuring lower turnover and higher productivity. We also work closely with these businesses to gather input on the training and skills they want in future hires—shaping our Summit Center programs to meet real workforce needs. In addition, we bring in world-class training opportunities to strengthen their teams. The goal is for these businesses to hire our graduates and welcome our staff into their workplaces to help care for employees—many of whom will be Summit Center graduates themselves.
Across Moldova and Ukraine, thousands of orphaned and at-risk young people grow up in state-run orphanages, boarding schools, or foster placements that, at best, provide temporary shelter. But what happens when these kids turn 16 or 17 — when they “age out” of these places with nowhere to go and no one to help them?
For too many, the path that follows is heartbreakingly predictable. Without family, mentors, or real-world skills, these young people are vulnerable to trafficking, homelessness, exploitation, crime, and deep poverty. Many spend nights in bus stations, fall into dangerous
relationships, or become trapped in cycles of addiction just to survive. These are the sons and daughters our Heavenly Father calls us to see.
These are the young people the PATH Network exists to reach.
A Growing Network of Hope
The vision of the PATH Network is simple yet bold: It is empowering independent lives one step at a time. We do this through a growing network of local homes and the Summit Center — working hand in hand to give these teens what every young person deserves. Our work revolves around four tiers each working toward one coordinated path:
1. Community Outreach Centers - Where meet potential young people that engage with our mission. These are fun, social places where young people gather and are introduced to the PATH Network.
2. Residential Homes – Safe, nurturing environments with trained Christian caregivers provide the foundation these young people need before moving on to the Summit Center. Most orphaned and at-risk youth would struggle if placed directly into independent living. In these homes, they live in a supportive residential setting under the care of trained professionals. They attend local public schools and receive daily guidance to help them reach their educational goals, learn to live with others, and take the first steps toward owning their path to independent living. At this stage, they need consistent supervision, structure, and plenty of encouragement as they begin to heal and grow.
3. Summit Centers – They live in apartments provide young people with a safe place to live more independently while they continue receiving mentorship, job skills training, advanced life skills, counseling, and ongoing support in faith-based community. The goal is to help them grow in self-reliance while developing the specific skills needed for their chosen career path. They’ll have access to a variety of job training opportunities, building practical and soft skills that translate into any work environment.
As they progress, they’ll begin to chart their own path—exploring their interests and building confidence in the job market. By the time they complete the program, they will have spent a full year living independently, managing their schedules, and confronting past trauma so it no longer holds them back. They’ll be equipped with employable skills that match real opportunities with our business partners and rooted in a faith community that continues to walk alongside them.
Most importantly, every step is self-directed. It’s their path—they own it, grow resilient, and work hard to achieve the life God has for them.
4. After Care tied to Job Path - We partner with local businesses by placing our workplace staff in their companies to help support their employees, ensuring lower turnover and higher productivity. We also work closely with these businesses to gather input on the training and skills they want in future hires—shaping our Summit Center programs to meet real workforce needs. In addition, we bring in world-class training opportunities to strengthen their teams. The goal is for these businesses to hire our graduates and welcome our staff into their workplaces to help care for employees—many of whom will be Summit Center graduates themselves.
Exciting Developments are Underway
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This fall, we’re stepping into a brand-new chapter.
This vision — safe homes, a growing network, a Summit Center to equip and launch them — is no longer just a dream on paper. It’s happening now. Walls are being painted. Furniture is being moved in. Our staff is being trained. Teens who once wondered if anyone cared now have open doors, warm meals, and caring mentors waiting to receive them.
God is doing something beautiful through your prayers, your giving, and your partnership.
Keep Praying — Keep Believing
Would you pray with us for each young person who will step into these homes this year? Pray that they will not only find shelter but discover hope, healing, and a family of faith that never gives up on them. Pray for our leaders, caregivers, and volunteers, that they would have strength and wisdom for this sacred work.
And please know: your support is building bridges from forgotten to flourishing, from brokenness to belonging, from survival to thriving.
Together, we are putting vulnerable youth on a path to independent, abundant life.
- Our first boys’ residential home will open, housing up to ten young men who would otherwise face the streets alone. This home is being renovated, and will be finished in a few weeks. We are in the process of hiring staff for the home and registering our first beneficiaries. We have received funding to renovate home and begin this home.
- A girls’ home is nearly ready as well, it has been offered to our network at no cost and is ready to bring young ladies into as soon as the fall. So that young women can find the same safe refuge and caring guidance.
- By the end of this year, we believe we will have 30 orphaned and at-risk teens will be settled into these PATH Network homes — each one beginning a journey toward a brighter, hope-filled future.
- The Summit Center has been operational at a basic level offering classes and meetings for young people. We are working to finish renovations and building out a more thorough program to begin offering the young people in our residential homes.
This vision — safe homes, a growing network, a Summit Center to equip and launch them — is no longer just a dream on paper. It’s happening now. Walls are being painted. Furniture is being moved in. Our staff is being trained. Teens who once wondered if anyone cared now have open doors, warm meals, and caring mentors waiting to receive them.
God is doing something beautiful through your prayers, your giving, and your partnership.
Keep Praying — Keep Believing
Would you pray with us for each young person who will step into these homes this year? Pray that they will not only find shelter but discover hope, healing, and a family of faith that never gives up on them. Pray for our leaders, caregivers, and volunteers, that they would have strength and wisdom for this sacred work.
And please know: your support is building bridges from forgotten to flourishing, from brokenness to belonging, from survival to thriving.
Together, we are putting vulnerable youth on a path to independent, abundant life.
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