Yakovenko, Valentyna

Опис

Tell about your childhood, school, family, etc.

My childhood was very happy and joyful. My father was a kind, sincere, and warm-hearted man. He worked at a mine. We were people of sufficient means. My grandmother went to church. At home, she spent a lot of time reading the Bible and praying. That’s how I learned that there is a God. I went to a bilingual Russian-Ukrainian school. I loved my friends very much. I loved nature, too.

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

I worked for a coalmining company Artemvuhillya. I was responsible for the calculation and pay-out of salaries, and dealt with other issues related to the operation of the coalmines. The working conditions were good. I loved my job. But during the times of perestroika, the mines began to close. There was a shortage of work. As a result, my pension turned out to be very small. I am quite dissatisfied with this.

Tell about your present life.

War is a destructive force. It brought grief and suffering into my life. My nephew was killed, and two other nephews (officers) volunteered to fight for our country. I have been praying for them. I ask the Lord to cover them with a blanket of mercy. After my marriage, I lived in Mayorsk, near Bakhmut. This town is not far from the demarcation line between the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine (on the Ukrainian territory). In August 2022, intense fighting broke out in our area. Our house, car and all our belongings burned down. My husband and I were injured. We evacuated rapidly with nothing, but our clothes on.  Our circumstances are difficult now. But thank God we are alive and experience His care.

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

My grandmother believed in God. Her prayers were very sincere. She also sang psalms in a divinely inspired way. It seems to me that it was then that I fell in love with God and was drawn to Him. When I grew up, I bought a Bible and read it every night, and grew in faith and love for God.

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

I have a strong faith in God. I believe in the blood of Jesus Christ that He shed for our salvation. I also want to thank those people who, in our difficult times, fulfill the Lord’s commandment to help the poor and needy. Thank you for your kindness and sincerity. I wish you lots of happiness, health and long life in the Lord.