Missionaries: Reverend Mark & Laura Bonhanan

Heart of Ukraine Ministries

UPDATE: June 15, 2026

Greetings from Ukraine!

We have been super busy since our last newsletter and have a lot to share with you!

We recently saw a video of a woman who shared what life with the Lord can be like. She acted out talking to God and Him telling her ‘Daughter, just be with Me and hold My hand’ (as she had her arm up to Him). She shares her concerns as they walk together, and He keeps telling her to just hold His hand and be with Him. They are strolling along, when all of a sudden, she is madly running, holding tightly to God’s hand and racing to keep up with Him as He says, ‘Lets go, go, go; we have places to be and work to do’!

Oh man, do we know that feeling! We feel our stroll with Him turned into organized running chaos as we were presented with many opportunities to share His love, peace and salvation these past couple of months. So, here’s a recap of some of the things that have been going on:

LIVING HOPE SOUP KITCHEN

We continue to see 80-110 guests coming to the soup kitchen for food. The numbers vary depending on when the different pension funds (refugee, medical, retirees) are distributed.
Our volunteers are awesome and work so well together as the body of Christ, making the long hours enjoyable. Praise God He has added a few new volunteers to this ministry: Pastor Vadim and his wife Anna, different men from the New Life Center, and Igor and Natalia from the Flame of Hope charity organization (food closets, individual meals, adaptation centers).
We’ve had a few international guest speakers in addition to our routine speakers. The guest speakers were Kolya, Ukrainian born & a German citizen, then Vlad a Ukrainian born Naturalized US Citizen from Michigan. Through discussion, we found out that Vlad is the brother of a man we have know for years from Sacramento, CA . . .small world!
In May, out of the blue, we received a donation of thousands of rolls from a source in Holland. We’ve prepared them in different ways and served them to the guests three times so far . . . and we still have a full freezer full of more! We also received numerous crates of mushrooms in April from a local business that we incorporated into one of the meals at the soup kitchen.
We are praying about and working on taking another step towards more deeply sharing Christ with our guests, beyond the Gospel message shared each time we feed. We’ve found a British course, Alpha, that has already been translated into Ukrainian and focuses on building closer relationships over a casual dinner meal while discussing Biblical principles that affect the guest’s day to day life. Please pray for volunteers to help lead this.
Here is a link to a video we just had done that reflects all that happens at the Living Hope Soup Kitchen. Please feel free to use it in your church services, small groups, etc. https://youtu.be/rD_IHKiR34w?si=h01590SiXnOT5ONA

REHABILITATION

David’s House Rehab Center had its last client finish the rehab program on February 14, 2026. Yura was with us about three years which involved surgery on a badly healed ankle, his acceptance of Christ and then baptism. He is working for a friend just outside the city and doing well. He attends Light of Life Church on Sundays unless he has to work. With Yura’s departure, David’s House Rehab Center was closed after 17 years, however the location continues to be our Ukrainian organization’s headquarters. Please pray for Yura and all our previous clients, that they may continue to follow Christ.
We have been praying for changes in our rehabilitation ministry for several years, and God opened up the opportunity to change from rehab men living with us 24/7 to them being at a different location with on-site staff. It was definitely God organized, and we are still amazed at how quickly and unexpectedly He worked things out.
Just to review: Together, with some members from a rehabilitation-adaptation center from Zhytomyr (north of us), we helped establish the New Life Rehab-Adaptation Center in the city of Vinnytsia. They operate under our Ukrainian non-profit organization, Vinnytsia – Heart of Ukraine, just as David’s House did.

o A house in Vinnytsia with a small amount of land for a garden was found and rented in December 2025; we pay for the monthly rent.

o We are mentoring the Director, Daniel, as well as giving him a stipend for additional expenses at the center. He provides routine reports, to include donations and expenditures. He recently told us “. . . thank you so much. You are an important tool in God’s hand”, which humbled us as we once again were in awe that God would work through us. Please pray for Daniel that the Lord will protect and strengthen him in this challenging and often times difficult ministry.

o Our contact with the center’s men includes:

§ A Thursday Bible Study that Laura leads, although Mark attends when he can.

§ At least one other on-site visit a week, however we often stop by when in the city.

§ Projects that have included helping them set up an inside & outside chicken coop, then equipping them with 10 of our laying hens plus 10 younger chickens, barley for feed, a grain grinder, etc.

§ Good Neighbor projects such as volunteering weekly at the Living Hope Soup Kitchen, helping us at a camp for veterans and soldier’s families, harvesting our broiler chickens, etc.

§ We visit the church they attend once a month and worship with them at New Life Church.

o This month, we will attend the baptism of one of the men, Slava, who is 24 years old. We are praising God for this new brother in Christ. Attached is an informal interview with him. Other clients include:

§ Yura (39) – heard about Christ in prison and accepted Him as Savior right after he released from prison a few years ago; he is now planning a wedding with his fiancé. He is the ‘big brother’ at the center.

§ Vova (66) – accepted Christ in prison; after releasing, he understood he had no spiritual support around him so he chose to go to New Life Center. He is a quiet stable guy with deep reflections on God, and who likes to work in the garden.

§ Max (42) – accepted Christ before, but is battling with drug addiction. He is settling down now that his physical withdrawal from drugs is over, although he has struggled with colds due to his low immunity. He has fairly good knowledge about the Bible but some doctrinal issues.

§ Gena (39) – says he has accepted Christ, but is struggling with his addiction to drugs. He has only been at the center about 3 weeks and is still working through drug withdrawal. Gena’s Biblical knowledge is minimal.

PRISON MINISTRY

In April, Laura attended her second National Ukrainian Baptist Prison Ministry Conference and was asked to speak again; she spoke on trauma and our responses to it and how to Biblically help prisoners as they struggle with known and buried trauma. The conference was held in Vinnytsia this year, the city closest to us, so no travel and lodging were necessary. Last year the conference was in Irpin, near Kyiv. Please pray for Vitaliy (40’s). After a year of mentorship, he is stepping into the leadership of this national ministry as Victor (70’s) is stepping down.
Laura was invited to visit with some female inmates at the penitentiary in Vinnytsia in March; this was her first time going back inside since the war started (which put a lot of things on hold). It went so well during that visit that she was invited back again, and again. Please pray for a young lady who is clearly into Satan worship yet is becoming more and more open to hearing about God. Additionally, it is in the works for Laura to visit the prison in Ladyzhin and speak to male inmates on ‘how to do their time’ as well as ‘how to prepare for release’.
Along with other volunteers, Laura has participated in events with prison staff at several different prisons for Women’s Day (March), Easter (April) and Pentecost (May).

One of the most notable visits was to a colony (low security level) in Vinnytsia. For some reason, the leadership there was against us visiting, but then would allow us to visit; but after that, they would prohibit us from visiting for several more months, only to turn around and allow us another visit, etc. We are not sure what has changed, but the leadership at the colony allowed us to visit for Easter. The staff were incredibly open and had many questions. Two men stated that they did not really know what Easter was about and what it really meant, nor that they had to make a decision to believe, accept Christ’s work on the cross, and enter into a relationship with Jesus. They indicated that we had given them much to think about and that they needed to make their decisions for Christ! There were several other staff around listening intently and interested in the discussion after the program. We were internally jumping for joy at their questions and statements! Please pray for these staff as God leads them into a saving and grace filled relationship with Him.

CHAPLAINS

We continue to communicate and cooperate with several chaplains in a variety of ways. Some of them are local and visit soldiers in the military hospital, while others travel to the front lines and minister to the civilians trapped there as well as the soldiers resting in the rear of the front-line area.

Trips to front occur, at a minimum, every month. We helped with humanitarian aid in March, April and May. This ranged from money for dry goods, canned goods, and medical supplies, to giving body heat packs, food items, winter socks, etc… Chaplains Dema and Yura, along with a few other Chaplains, are doing some amazing work, not just through humanitarian aid to people, but doing home visits and praying for/over civilians, sharing the Gospel in word and deed, providing communion to those already saved, and leading soldiers in Bible Studies and prayer, etc. Please pray for Dema and Yura and the other Chaplains as they go into dangerous areas to speak God’s Word and care for people.
Local Chaplains were placed in the perfect spots to help when on March 24, 2026, several drones hit near/in the central park of Vinnytsia. Kolya was with 2 other Chaplains walking to the military hospital to visit wounded soldiers when the drones hit less than a block away. Within seconds, they were ministering to victims medically, emotionally, and spiritually. Another group of 3 Chaplains were also close by and ran to help the victims. God knew they would be needed and staged His servants so that they could jump in and show His love and care. The chaplains were shocked by the situation but energized by God using them at such a critical moment; the blood on their uniforms, the mud on their knees, their ringing ears . . . all worth it, to serve their Lord. Please pray for these men and women as they follow Jesus and help those who are lost and starving for what the Lord has.

OTHER OUTREACHES

Church Events – We attend Life Church regularly, but also visit New Life Church monthly, a church plant of Life Church. Laura participated in a Women’s Day party at New Life Church in March and was the guest speaker at the their Women’s Picnic on May 23^rd (here’s a link to a short video for the picnic: https://youtu.be/eBMYDRk6BB0?si=gB-HyGq58GGp9MBj).

Other charity organizations

o In May, we again joined up with many other organizations at a 2-day camp hosted by Noah’s Ark for disabled Veterans & families of fallen heroes. We made and served funnel cakes to over 1,000 guests along with giving them a ‘pocket Jesus’ and Scripture in the form of the ‘Roman Road’ - steps leading to salvation. The men from New Life Center joined us this time in serving and talking with the guests. And yes, we were really tired of making funnel cakes by the end of the camp, but it was well worth it.

o On June 8^th, we linked up with Leonid Schur who weekly ministers to a housing unit of long-term refugees (Internally Displaced Persons - IDP). We provided cupcakes and food items, and Laura spoke to them about how God works through our suffering, using the example of Bathsheba. We visit with them at least once a quarter.

o Clothing is often donated to our organization, among other things, but since our ministry doesn’t have any current clothing needs, a van full of clothing was taken to Flame of Hope who runs two clothing closets in the city of Vinnytsia.

o We routinely donate from 120 to 200 eggs to Raising Hope, an organization that is a ‘family style orphanage’ (similar to foster care), along with other food items.

House/Main Office

o With no more clients living at the house:

§ We have remodeled the men’s washroom into a large office for Laura. Remodeling started in mid-February and she moved into the space in early April when the desk and cabinets were delivered. She has gone from a small 3.5 x 3 feet space/desk to a desk that is three times larger with a lot more cabinet space. This gives her more workspace and storage as she manages all the paperwork and networking for our USA and Ukrainian charity organizations.

§ Mark has combined all the tool rooms/sheds into two locations, the tractor shed and his tool room. He has also worked on setting up the old dinning room/classroom into a real living room for us. Doing all the maintenance himself is easier on one hand as he doesn’t have to speak in another language or deal with hard-headed men, but on the other hand he has no men to help him with it.

o In March, we prepped our fields and planted the 2.5 acres with barley. We now only have a small garden within our courtyard – Laura’s playground. Mark’s also been training Laura on the tractor so she can take care of things if he is tied up with other projects. Apparently, the sight of a woman driving a tractor in the village is a work-stopping long-staring thing . . . but Laura just waves and says “Good-day”.

o As far as animals, we have about 30 laying hens now, and starting in March, we’ve added 50 broilers each month. Our first group of broilers was harvested in May with the help of the New Life Center men; they will return for the next group to be harvested in mid-late June. The broilers provide meat for the Living Hope Soup Kitchen, but also the New Life Rehab-Adaptation Center. We hope to have 4 groups of 50, so 200 broilers in all.

o Unfortunately, in April, we lost our sweet dalmatian Molly to a stroke, leaving us dog-less for the first time in over 27 years. We lost Little-boy (Parson’s Terrier) last November to long term liver damage (from a blood born parasite that almost killed him a few years ago). We are praying about whether/when to get another dog(s).

We hope you’ve enjoyed this whirlwind tour of our ministry over the past quarter. There was so much more we could write about, especially how God is working here in Ukraine and in our sphere of influence.

You can find more information and lots of pictures about our work by checking us out on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram or YouTube. Simply type in ‘Heart of Ukraine Ministries’, and you should find us easily.

We truly appreciate your prayers to the Father for us and those we serve. We can ‘grow weary of doing good’ (Gal 6:9) sometimes, and it’s only by His power we trudge on. Your comments and ‘likes’ on our social media sites help us to feel not so far away, and they encourage us greatly! And, your donations allow us to do more, reaching another and another with His saving grace.

Love in Christ,

Rev Mark & Laura Bohanan

heartofukraineministries@gmail.com

Facebook: Heart of Ukraine Ministries