About Young Hope
Young Hope is the organisational name for groups of adults from different communities and backgrounds coming together with the expressed purpose of bettering the lives of teenagers. We help youth discover and develop life skills, equipping them to face challenges with confidence, deal positively with pressure, bounce back from disappointments and adversity, achieve realistic goals and treat themselves and others with respect.
Mark and Lera Hamilton are the founders of Young Hope in Belarus & the Baltics. Mark, originally from Australia and Lera, originally from the USA both started traveling overseas to this part of the world in the early 1990’s. They first pioneered Young Life in Belarus on September 8, 2001 when Young Life Australia commissioned them to establish a youth movement internationally.
Since then locals have expanded the work to 4 out of the 6 Belarusian States. Young Hope is now in Minsk, Mogilev, Vitebsk & Brest states.
Having successfully built an indigenous model of the work which is maintained and grown through locals, Mark & Lera moved to Vilnius, Lithuania to pioneer Young Hope in the Baltic countries in October 2008.
There are currently 4 staff and 42 volunteers.
When asked, “why Belarus & the Baltic countries?” they respond, “we fell in love with the people, culture, and history of this area; there is a great need here with very few groups working among youth. It is our hope, with God’s help, that we can introduce Jesus Christ to every young person and give them an opportunity to follow Him”.
Young Hope is a group of Christian adults from a broad diversity of church traditions, committed to the purpose of communicating to young people, in simple and understandable terms, who Jesus Christ is and his relevance to their lives. Our focus is on the disinterested and unchurched young people of our community.
Young Hope seeks to carry out its purpose through the building of personal relationships between Christ-centred adults and young people. As we enter the world of youth we share our lives and common experiences, and Jesus becomes real to them.
In dealing with real people in real situations we look to not only better the person, but also bring justice to unjust situations. Our Humanitarian program, brings tangible aid, such as food and clothing, and practical support, such as work shops.
By connecting youth with young adults offering positive models in a safe environment as well as meeting physical needs, Young Hope builds resilience for Life, hope and freedom.