Oksana’s Visit with Olga L.

Olga lives in Zhytomyr (in 140 km from Kyiv). She always gladly comes to our Hope group meetings. We call this group Hope because all our hope is in the Lord. The group has been meeting since 2015 (it actually was started from a Christmas party organized for kids) and is currently made up of 60 women and mothers of soldiers who died.

Olga always joins the Bible study group on Sundays. She shares with me that she enjoys learning the Bible and our Bible lessons are interesting and open.

Olga has a challenging life. When she was ten, her mother passed away. There were four kids in a family and her father raised all of them—it was a very hard time. She was forced to do adults' work as a child. However, her father saved the family and didn't let his kids go to an orphanage.

God blessed Olga with a great husband. This woman talks about her husband with a warm smile, but with tears in her eyes. She remembers their relationship and family. They supported each other in every moment and they never quarreled—they loved and appreciated each other. Together, Olga and her husband raised two sons. The eldest is Anatoliy, and the youngest is Yaroslav. Yaroslav is a student and Anatoliy works in Poland. Life in a foreign land is challenging to Anatoliy, but it was his father's dream and he wants to make it true. 

Her husband, Viktor, grew up in a good family. He was polite and his parents raised him well. That was reflected in all spheres of his life. Viktor was a patriot of his country. When the war started, he volunteered to defend our land. Olga says that her husband was a sailor and he saw the war in foreign countries with his own eyes. He told her, "Olga, the war is terrible. We have to defend our children from it..."

Viktor's death was a terrible tragedy for Olga and her sons. Even now, she cried when she remembers these events. She doesn't understand why such a good, kind, and honest man perished. She says it would be better if he lost his hand or leg, but still survived... When I listen to such stories, my heart overflows with pain for these women... I feel a lack of supporting words... I pray that God would bring support and comfort to these wounded hearts! Please pray for them. 

Olga asks to pray for her sons that God would guide them His path. May God bring wisdom in their decisions and bring happiness to their life.