Light and hope – Living Lutheran

What started as an Epiphany project became a light that is now shining across the country and into Ukraine.

Project organizers like to think of it as a faith link.

The link started with Lutsen (Minn.) Evangelical Lutheran Church, which raised funds for 30 Ray of Life solar light kits that members assembled on Jan. 7 as an Epiphany project. The lights were delivered to Ukraine, where the electrical infrastructure has been severely damaged during the war with Russia.

The idea for assembling the kits originated with Dave Nonnemacher, director of New Horizons Foundation-USA, a Romania-based nonprofit. He saw a need and had a contact at New Vision Renewable Energy in Philippi, W.Va., which has been manufacturing Ray of Life solar light kits primarily for remote villages in 40 countries since 2011.

The kit includes a solar panel to charge the battery. When fully charged, the battery lights up LED strips that provide light for up to 21 hours. There is also a connection to charge a cellphone so people can stay in touch with their relatives and friends. Nonnemacher wondered if these light kits wouldn’t also be helpful for Ukrainians who were living without electricity, bringing them light and hope in what some are calling “gospel in a box.”

“This connection between our church members with the people of Ukraine seemed to be one way to send hope and light to them.”

That Epiphany project at Lutsen became a link in the Ray of Life chain—which led to another link.

Across the country in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Louise Evenson, a member of Ascension Lutheran Church, learned about the light project through an online daily morning meditation given by Thomas Murray, pastor of Lutsen.

Evenson was captivated by the idea of bringing light to the Ukrainians. “When reading about the devastation within Ukraine while knowing a Ukrainian student who was attending California Lutheran University, this project of light touched my heart,” said Evenson, who coordinates the effort at Ascension. “This connection between our church members with the people of Ukraine seemed to be one way to send hope and light to them.”

Murray connected her with Nonnemacher to discuss the project. By this time, Nonnemacher had participated in setting up a logistical network from Isanti, Minn., to Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, where he partnered with the Mariupol Chaplains Battalion to deliver the Ray of Life kits to villages near the front and to others without power.

And the faith link continues to grow.

This spring Ascension held a campaign that so far has raised over $23,000 to provide 178 solar light kits ($125 each) and 100 water purification kits ($25), which have been delivered in Ukraine or are on their way.

Since domestic shipping rates are so costly, churches and groups in Minnesota are assembling solar light kits with the funds raised by Ascension. In June these funds helped members of Lutsen assemble an additional 40 solar light kits. Members of Edina (Minn.) Community Lutheran Church and Ukrainian refugees in West Virginia are now part of this faith link too.

To date, Nonnemacher has made four trips to Ukraine and plans to return in November. The batallion and others have been able to deliver more than 500 solar light units to Ukrainians.

“What we offer is badly needed in Ukraine right now and will continue to be needed and useful as the days get shorter,” he said. “Attacks on the infrastructure continue and rolling blackouts, or no access to power at all, is the norm.”

Evenson notes that it is indeed a faith-linked project, with room for more links in the chain of help for the Ukrainians.

This article was adapted from a story submitted by Evenson.

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