Where Hope Is Growing

News Stories (1).pngWednesday 29 July 2026 15:05

When war reached the town of Borodianka, Tolik and Lena responded by meeting practical needs and caring for those who had lost so much. Four years later, that ministry has grown into something more. Their vision is to see a thriving church established so their community can discover the hope found in Christ.

Greetings from Borodianka!

Hello, we are Anatolii (Tolik) and Olena (Lena). Our family has been living in Irpin, in the Kyiv region, since we got married in 2018.

In 2022, when the full-scale war against Ukraine began, we started our ministry in the town of Borodianka, just 35 km from our home. This was one of the towns occupied by enemy troops during the first days of the invasion. Immediately after its liberation, we went there as volunteers and began helping people through a Volunteer Center, providing humanitarian aid, food, medicine, pastoral care, and ministry to children, teenagers, and the elderly.

Over the last four years, we have continued travelling to Borodianka with a commitment to serve the people there. Our dream is to see a new, young, vibrant church established in this place.

Family Outreach

Our hope is that this church will be filled with young families.

One of the greatest blessings in recent months has been a Family Evening for married couples.

Over the past three years, we have met with several families over coffee or tea, offering practical help and building genuine relationships. Through those friendships, the opportunity arose to invite families who had never attended church before. Four couples came to the evening, each stepping inside a church for the very first time.

We prepared the evening with great care, striving to create a place where everyone would feel welcomed and accepted.

Through interactive activities, we encouraged the couples to listen to one another, and during our teaching we shared biblical family values. We spoke about God's design for the family—a place where sacrificial love, communication, forgiveness, and mutual respect can flourish.

It was incredible to watch barriers disappear. Even more encouraging was hearing the feedback afterwards.

Olya, the wife of a military veteran, told us it had been a long time since she and her husband had enjoyed such an open, heart-to-heart conversation.

Young Life

Today my heart is overflowing with gratitude, and I am eager to share with you the fruit of our ministry—a ministry in which you also take part through your prayers.

As a team, we serve teenagers and young adults through our Young Life club. Around 20–25 young people between the ages of 13 and 21 attend our weekly meetings. They face many challenges every day: strained relationships with family and friends, questions of identity, and spiritual emptiness. Our desire is to invest in their lives, helping them grow spiritually while navigating life's most important questions.

One young woman, Nastya, has a special place in my heart.

I first met Nastya at a sports camp in Borodianka in 2022. Afterwards, she began attending our youth meetings to learn more about Jesus. In time, she repented, decided to follow Christ, and a year later was baptised.

However, life brought difficult circumstances and trials, and she drifted away from her faith.

For a long time, we continued praying for Nastya, never losing hope, while staying in touch and encouraging her whenever we could.

Then, just before Easter, we met again and began talking about life with Christ. I shared the story of the Prodigal Son and how our Heavenly Father is always waiting with open arms.

Nastya looked at me and said, "That story is about me."

She told me she wanted to return to Christ.

Today, we are witnessing a miracle as she takes her first steps back to Jesus.

Please Pray

  • For Olya and her husband Vitaliy, that they would continue drawing closer to Christ.
  • For the other families who attended the Family Evening, that God would complete His work in their hearts.
  • For wisdom as we plan future Family Evenings.
  • For Nastya, that she would remain steadfast in her faith, be firmly established in God's love, and continue growing through His Word and fellowship with other believers.
  • For the young people who attend Young Life, that they would experience God's love, acceptance, and truth.

Thank you for investing not only in projects, but in transformed lives with eternal value.

With love in Christ,

Tolik, Lena and Daniel Hulinskyi

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