Bohdan grew up in a Christian family. He was surrounded by the love of his mother and grandparents, who raised him as best as they could, despite not having a father. His dad left the family before Bohdan was born.

As this young man grew up, so did his inner sense of patriotism toward his country. Bohdan could have avoided military service when he was called up to the army, but he could not even understand how anyone would choose not to serve in the military.

So, Bohdan joined the army in January 2014, and a few months later, in March, the Russian invasion began. He was immediately sent to the front lines, where at the age of nineteen, he learned quickly and dramatically that war was hell. As corpses lay on the battlefield, he was covered in layers of dirt in a nearby trench.

Bohdan had to pull his best friend to safety only to watch him die. His friend's phone was ringing in his pocket, but he couldn't answer the call, as he knew it was the boy's mother. How can anyone come to terms with a situation like that? War takes away sons from their mothers.

Months later, Bohdan was shot three times in one day. The bullets hit his helmet and bulletproof vest. When he got out of the car he was in - it was blown up too.

Bohdan fell to his knees, overcome with shock and fear, but suddenly understood that it was God's mercy to him through the prayers of his mother and grandparents, who constantly cried out to God in tears.

Next, Bohdan decided to study at the military academy. His family felt relieved because they thought the war would end soon, but it didn't. Bohdan graduated from the Academy of Land Forces and received the rank of Senior Lieutenant. Since then, being at the front lines has been his profession.

One year ago, Bohdan married Maria, whom he met on the battlefield, where she was providing first aid to wounded soldiers.

Maria grew up as an orphan. She graduated from medical college and decided to go to the front lines at nineteen, wanting to be helpful to the war effort. She is 22 now, and Bohdan is 27.

During a recent Russian shelling attack, Bohdan was wounded. He was unconscious and was carried off the battlefield by a nineteen-year-old soldier who was wounded himself. Bohdan was given first aid and sent to a hospital in Dnipro, and the soldier who saved him was transported to a hospital as well.

Unfortunately, Bohdan received poor medical treatment at this hospital, so his mother paid a driver to bring Bohdan to a military hospital in Lviv. Bohdan was shell-shocked. Several shell fragments were removed from his eye, although he still had two remaining. He doesn't hear out of one ear because of a damaged nerve.

However, his mother is more worried about Maria, who also survived enemy shelling but was left with shrapnel fragments in her body. Unfortunately, she also had burns from hot aluminum that landed on her. She is in the same hospital in Lviv. They both need help now.

Bohdan's mother's tears have not dried in eight years. But God heard the cry of her heart and saved the lives of Bohdan and Maria.

However, the war is not over, and many mothers are still weeping, and the pain in their hearts is unspeakable. May God have mercy on Ukraine and send peace! --by Oksana, a HART caseworker in Drohobych, Lviv Province, Ukraine

Please pray for Bohdan and Maria. Funds given to 'Medical Care' will be used to support Bohdan & Maria and other soldiers being looked after by our partner churches throughout Ukraine.