Visit with Vladimir G.

Last week, Lena visited Vladimir G. He has been in our program since 2011. Vladimir is always polite, quiet, smiling, very clean, and dressed in his suit jacket.

Vladimir is 86 years old. His wife died last year, and he does not go out any longer because of his poor health. 

Vladimir’s family did not do well during WWII. His family had many kids and had to evacuate from Kyiv. Vladimir was the only child who came back to Kyiv. He is very weak with lots of health issues and is happy to be alive. His mother died in 1946, and his father died two years later, just after he got back from prison.

Vladimir spent his young years in multiple hospitals but later managed to graduate from a technical college. 

Vladimir met his wife in 1964. Unfortunately, the couple had no kids, and his wife’s niece, Oxana, was the only close family for them. Oxana is 57 years old, she is Vladimir’s Stephen minister, and she lives in a village two hours from Kyiv. She is going through breast cancer treatments, but she still manages to come to a Bible lesson every Thursday. She visits Vladimir every week to cook and clean for him. Lena made an interesting observation: Vladimir’s apartment is the most ascetic and clean apartment she has ever seen, and she assumes it is because of Vladimir’s poor vision. Vladimir said that the food vouchers are a tremendous support since his pension is minimal (we assume it is because all his life he worked at home making nets).

Lena did not come to visit Vladimir with “empty hands.” She brought him a nice handmade blanket and a couple of scarves (for his balcony walks).

This man is lonely but very, very thankful. 

Thank you for your faithful support to our widows and pensioners.