Visit with Larisa C.
Larisa has been in our Program for over 20 years. She was first invited to Holy Trinity Church by a missionary friend. Larisa used to be a faithful Stephen minister before her homebound lady died. Still, she has already asked Lena if she could continue serving as a Stephen Minister and asked for a new homebound widow assignment.
Larisa was born shortly before WWII started. Lena asked her what life was like in Kyiv during that terrible time. She said, “I was left in Kyiv with my mother. Most of the people left in Kyiv were women with children. In order to get some food, women would get together and walk to nearby villages. Though I was little, I remember my mother making skirts of our old curtains. She would trade the skirts for wheat from village women.”
Lena was curious about what happened to Larisa when her mother was gone. Larisa shared, “My mother would leave for a day or sometimes two days. She taught me to hide under a bed if someone would walk into our apartment.”
Larisa recalls the worst part of that time was finding food. Since they lived in the bottom part of Kyiv, they had to go to the central area, which required walking a long way on the only street that led to downtown. “I remember one episode very clearly. Women of our neighborhood took their children and got together to walk up along that street. When we made it to the top, we saw a German officer with a gun. He told us we could not pass. When our group of women with hungry children tried to pass him, he took his gun and started firing into the air. Women and children started yelling and crying and running back. All except my mother and me. I remember the face of that officer. Lena, he let my mother and me go downtown. As I look back at that time, I see how God was protecting me.”
After the war, Larisa's sister was born. Larisa had a good childhood overall. Her family continued living in a small apartment in the bottom part of Kyiv. Later, she graduated from the Polytechnical University and worked at the factory as a technical engineer for her whole life. In 1968 she gave birth to her son. Unfortunately, her marriage lasted only a year, and then she had to take her baby and run from her abusive husband. She lived with her child at her parents' place until ten years later, she met a good man, married him, and then had a daughter. They were happily married until 1995, when he died of brain cancer.
After her husband died, her son was living in Russia, and she was left with her daughter. And just a week after her husband died, Larisa was asked to quit her job since many people were laid off at that difficult time. She recalls, “I remember I was praying all night long asking God to help me keep the job. And He heard me. The following morning I was told that I was the only elder worker in our department whom our factory leadership chose not to fire. I knew it was God's answer to my prayer. I learned about Christ from my missionary friend, and when I came to Holy Trinity Church I was amazed by the music. I joined the congregation choir and began serving as a Stephen Minister. I am so happy I know Jesus.”
Now Larisa lives with her daughter, who is 48 and has no kids. The photo shows Larisa with a handmade blanket that Greg brought along with other presents to MMK in September.
We are happy and honored to serve widows like Larisa with you.
