A Place Where Hope is Forged: The Story of the House of Mercy

What does it look like to live as a people of prayer? To let hope rise where despair once reigned? In a small village outside Odesa, Ukraine, there is a humble ministry called the House of Mercy, and their story calls us to pray and to believe in the transformative power of Christ.

Led by Pastor Nabil Babbisi and supported by the Odesa Church of the Nazarene, the House of Mercy stands as a beacon of light in a war-torn land. It’s more than a building; it’s a sanctuary for the broken. Over 40 men who were displaced by war or trapped in addiction have found refuge there. But they’ve found something even greater: hope.

Let me share Vladimir’s story. For 21 years, addiction had a stranglehold on his life. He was lost, empty, and defeated. Then he walked through the doors of the House of Mercy, and everything began to change. There, Vladimir encountered the relentless love of Jesus. In time, he didn’t just recover—he was transformed. Today, Vladimir pours himself out for others, offering the same compassion and hope he found.

The ministry doesn’t stop at its walls. Even in the chaos of war, the team continues to cook meals for the displaced and serve food in the streets. “We want everyone to be saved,” Vladimir says. This isn’t just a wish; it’s their daily prayer and their mission.

But here’s the truth: this story isn’t just about Ukraine. It’s about all of us. What would it look like if we, too, lived as people of prayer and hope? What if we carried a vision that no one is too far gone, no situation too hopeless for God to redeem?

Church, I’m calling us to pray—not just for the House of Mercy but for our own hearts. Let’s ask God to break our hearts for the lost, to make us bold in love and relentless in hope. Let us be transformed as we seek His will for our world.