A great testimony one of thousands former orphans in Ukraine

This is a testimony of our friend who experienced all the horrors of life. Please read and pray for the children in the orphanages who have not heard about Christ yet.

Hi, my name is Katya, I am 32 years old. I was born in Ukraine. My parents were not saved and I have never heard about God from them. My dad drank a lot and beat my mom. He did not bring any money to the house. There were 4 children in the house: 1 boy and 3 girls. Later my mom started to drink too. She did not take care of us. We used to see how our parents argue and fight with each other. Very often we just did not have anything to eat. No new cloth to wear. As a result 3 of us were sent to an orphanage. Later my youngest sister Sveta got there too.

I don’t remember everything what happened in my childhood but I remember that I was scared and I was hungry often. I remember a time when I saw a pool of blood and a woman laying on the bed. Everybody fussed. I was very scared and could not understand what was going on. I was about 3 years old at that time. Later my sister told me that our dad was drunk and he abused a woman. He cut her with a knife. She was laying on the bed bleeding.

Later I found out that my dad cut some other people but they all were left alive by the grace of God. But one of them was not lucky to survive. My dad killed his own brother and he was jailed for 15 years. Practically I did not know my father. He was a stranger to me.

So when I was 6 years old I was sent to the orphanage near Chernobyl. My classmates abused me quite often. So did my teachers. Sometimes the teachers pricked needles under our fingernails. Sometimes they striped us naked. Children were humiliated. Some became unsociable and reserved, some just the opposite became hardened. Nobody stood up for me.

I also remember how one teacher abused a girl. She did not clean her ears the way he wanted(enough to clean) and so he took a knife and started to "clean" her ears with it. He was very cruel. All the children were afraid of him and trembled when they saw him.

And I suffered it all until 11 years old. But once one girl started to pick on me and laugh at me. I was afraid of her because she was stronger than I. But suddenly I became very angry and started to fight with her. And I won. Everybody was really shocked! Nobody expected that.Even I did not expect that. I felt assurance that I can fight back. Later I just fight with everyone who offended me. I was not afraid of other children anymore. I became a “hero”.

I did not want to study because it was not interesting for me. That’s why I did not live in the orphanage but I existed. I felt like a lone wolf, estranged but hardhearted at the same time.

When I came home on holidays there were too many strange people who would smoke and drink together with my mom. And the house was filled with smoke and alcohol. It was dirty and all the stuff was scattered all over. We were really hungry that is why our mom taught us to steal everything and everywhere. I did not like it at all. We used to search for food in garbage cans. We were not squeamish about anything. Sometime we would find fresh goods and became very glad about it. We hide them so our mother did not know. We knew that if our mother would find out that she would take them away.

When my eldest sister Natasha graduated from the orphanage she said that she would drive away all alcoholics and would make order in the house. But later Natasha became one of them. She started to drink. We were shocked and terrified. Nobody could protect us and we were left alone.

Later my brother Slavik graduated from the orphanage and promised to “break up” their meetings. But he also joined them and started to drink too...

When I graduated from the orphanage and came back to home I saw even worse picture. Not only my mother drank and lived amorally but also my eldest brother and sister joined her. I was terrified. I realized that there was nothing for me to do at home. Nobody waited for me and nobody needed me... My mother’s "friend" tried to rape me. I was really scared! It was very painful. Nobody needs me, I was all alone and scared. I did not know where to go, no help from anywhere…

I was looking for another place but I did not have any place to go… One day I met my friend from the orphanage. Luba was trying to find herself after the graduation too. We did not know where we could spend a night. We were hungry and exhausted. Very often we just ate green fruits of the trees. Actually we were ready to eat anything to satisfy our hunger. We were afraid to steal. Honestly I did not like to steal. No job, no home. We were scared!

One day Luba remembered about another friend she had and decided to go and ask her for help. We did not have any other choice and decided to visit her and ask het to help, to live some time there... When we came we saw many young drunk people there. We were invited to try some drugs. We said:" No!" What is going on here? What shall we do? Hundred of questions were in my mind! My friend Luba was very scared and she did not know what to say. I said NO! We would not do it! I realized that we had to run away. We tried to open the door but one young man locked it. I did not know what to do… But there was a balcony. It was a second floor. I realized that we need to jump and run away. I tool Luba’s hand and told her to jump. She was afraid and cried. I understood that if I jumped just myself Luba would die there. I prayed all the time: “God, please help us!” So I pushed Luba and jumped after her. Praise God we did not hurt ourselves! We ran away as fast as we could. It was very late night. We did not know where to go and what to do. How to live? We were scared and trembled. But we were glad that we ran away and did not stay at that horrible place.

We remembered about one dormitory for students and decided to go there and ask to spend a night there. It was quite far. When we came there we asked security to let us in. They let us in but only for a one night.Also we had to leave this place at 6.00AM. First night we did not have any pillows just old mattresses but we were glad because we had a place to sleep. Next several nights we slept even without mattresses just beds with metal net.

Sometime later I found a job. I also found a place where to live. I did not know how. Luba and I were so glad about that even though a room where we lived had no furniture, doors and windows were broken. But someone left old potato. We were so glad about it! We had something to eat. I had to work hard to pay for the rent.All money I had I paid for room where we lived.It was very difficult...

Today I have a family, a husband and 3 children. 2 years ago I came to know Christ. Today I am a Christian and I am happy about it! The Lord changed my life and my thoughts. I am happy to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord! When I feel bad I can pray to Him and I know that He listens to me. He takes care of all my needs and helps to solve all my problems. Of course we have problems and worries in this world but it is much easier to live with Christ! He helps in everything and He gives assurance and peace into heart. I remember that during all my childhood and youth I always prayed to God when it was difficult. My words were: “God, please help me, God please save me”. I did not know who God was and I did not know how to pray. I did not know that He could help me if would just ask Him.

Today I teach my children who is God and why should we come to Him. I read the stories from the Bible to them. My children attend a Sunday school. I pray for them and I would like to protect them from the terrible life I went through. Praise God for everything what He had done in my life!

It is very sad that many of my classmates drink. Some of them are in jail. Girls live amoral life. If only someone could tell them about Christ maybe then some of them would change their lives...

Praise the Lord that  Katya is a Christian today and she knows Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior who changed her life! In Ukraine nowadays thousands of orphans experience the same stories after the graduation. We cannot change everything in the world. But we have the Lord who can do what we cannot. We ask you to help us in our Special Project for the graduates. We know that we cannot do much for the children... But we ask you to help even in little so we could help them.

Also you can visit a blog our friends who trying to help orphans in Ukraine.There you will find more information.Thank you!

If the Lord touched your heart we ask you to carry out our dream. Look here to help orphans who want to have a better life after graduation. To protect them and help them. Please play that the Lord would perform a miracle! Thank you! May God bless you!