Sharing God's Light with the World

On October 22, the youth of Bethel Lutheran Church (Rochester, MN) and Byron United Methodist Church (Byron, MN) came together for a special mission: assembling 40 Ray of Life kits for families in Ukraine. This event was made possible through the generosity of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Thousand Oaks, CA), who helped fund the effort — a beautiful picture of churches across the country uniting to bring hope overseas.

What made this build even more inspiring was the sight of both youth and adults working side by side, packaging light, love, and prayer into every kit. Those very lights are now on their way to Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, where they’ll soon begin their next chapter — illuminating hope in the darkest places.

We recently received a heartwarming update from our partners on the ground. In a village in Ukraine, a trauma-informed art therapy group has formed for women displaced by war — all gathering in the basement of their building, without power, but lit by Ray of Life lamps from our early shipments.

Vadim, one of our friends in Ukraine, shared these words:

“We bring life and hope for the future to those who have lost it. We are laying the foundation for the restoration of this and future generations. We bring the LIGHT of Christ into the very darkness. Your lamps ministered to these people.”

From church basements in Minnesota to the underground rooms of Ukraine, this is what your support makes possible: light that heals, hope that endures, and faith that travels farther than we ever could.

Light brings hope. Hope keeps people alive.