Think for a minute about how the COVID-19 crisis has affected you and your family. Now think what it would be like to have eight sons, be out of work and be deserted by your spouse during these difficult days.

This is precisely the situation of the Brovko family who live in the south central region of Ukraine. Alexander, the father, is a seasonal agricultural worker but cannot work right now because of the COVID quarantine. Five years ago a fire destroyed his home. His children—eight sons, ranging in age from six to sixteen—were removed by child protective services and placed in an institution.

Aleksander had to sell the land he owned to begin fixing the house and to install new doors and windows. The local government helped to put a new roof on the house. But Alexander didn’t have enough money to finish the repairs; none of the inside work was done. Then, three years ago, the mother of the family began to drink and left the family.

During the COVID-19 quarantine all institutionalized children in Ukraine were sent home because the institutions were closed. Now, the father and his eight children live with their grandmother. In addition, the mother has returned.

All those years Aleksander did not tell child protective services that the children’s mother didn’t live with them because he was afraid that his parental rights would be terminated. Now the mother is promising to stop drinking and stay with the children.

Won’t you join us in praying for this family? Specifically, please ask that God would provide (1) strong resolve (and resources) for the mother to remain sober; (2) help with distance learning for the children (they don’t have a computer, smartphones or school supplies); (3) dishes and enough pots to cook for a large family; and (4) help with providing food, medicine, clothes, and furniture. Some supplies have been provided, but would you please pray that God would graciously meet the family’s ongoing needs?