Petrova Katya

Description

Tell about your childhood, school, family, etc.

My mother was a book-keeper and my father worked as  a mechanic at the factory. He was very conscious about producing quality items. Noone had to check those, for all the workers knew that my father was very responsible. My childhood was hard – I prefer not to remember it. My mother was Russian and she used power trying to make me listen to her. But it did not work. She was abusive – both physically and verbally. I loved school and stayed there long time not wanting to go home. I had a favorite teacher – my mother always tried to ruin our relationships. My childhood was a non-stop struggle for my freedom and independence. Our family used to have a camera so there are many pictures left from my childhood and only on 4 of them I smile. After I finished school my mother left me alone, understanding that she could not submit me. She stopped beating me when I was 13. While beating me with a leather belt, I caught it and told her, “You will never beat me again” and she stopped. She understood that I grew up and could respond. She used to keep telling me, “I am your mother and you must love me”. But I did not love her.

Where did you work? Was your work good? Were you happy with your job?

I worked at a day-care. I loved my job, but it was hard from physical perspective – there were no manuals that could provide some basic knowledge. I had to do everything myself. And my salary was absolutely small – 80 Soviet roubles. During Perestroyka time I worked at the orphanage with babies. They were always hungry. If a worker took out a spoon or a cup, they started crying  – they were always hungry. Food delivery there was not every day, because the orphanage had no money to pay for food. I was not paid for a year. Older kids asked care-takers for food and workers were buying bread for their money and gave it to the kids – this is how those children were surviving. I also worked as a secretary at two different private offices where bosses were cheating both their workers and the customers. Work conditions were hard, but I did not complain because of a regular good salary.

Tell about your present life.

I have no teeth. I have no Internet – I go to the library for that but cannot get Telegram there. During air-raids all the readers are asked to leave the library and often the lights are off there – this all is very stressful. My hearing is very poor so I must keep my radio on very loud. My neighbor yells, because he is disturbed by my loud radio. But it is the only way I get info from the outside world. If I had Internet, there would be quiet in my apartment.

Have you accepted Christ? How long have you been following the Lord?

Of course, since my childhood. But understanding of what I believed in came when I was about 30.

Tell about one thing your sponsor needs to know about you.

It is hard to answer questions about my childhood – I cry when I have to remember that time.