Zhuk, Maria

Опис

Tell about your childhood, school, family, etc.

After the end of the war (World War II), my mother and I returned to Ukraine to her home village. It was half destroyed. We were obliged to live with several families in one house. I rarely went to school because I had no clothes. When I turned 12, I went to work for a teacher’s family. I lived in this family for three years. When I was 16, I got my passport and moved to Kyiv to work at an industrial plant.

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

I moved to Kyiv and went to study at the evening school. I was working and studying at the same time. That’s how I got my secondary education. At the factory, we made silk fabrics. The work was interesting, but also difficult. We had a choir at the factory. I learned to sing Ukrainian songs well there. We even went on tours to different cities. Then I received a diploma in cooking and started working in this specialty. I did not enjoy this work because it was physically difficult for me. But in return, I learned to cook delicious food.

Tell about your present life.

I have a big family. I have a daughter and two sons. My daughter has a disability. One of my sons was taken to the war zone. I worry about his life every day. I also live in constant tension because of the missile attacks. Because of this, my health has deteriorated even more. When I was born, this terrible war (World War II) ended. And I thought that this horror would never return to my life. Although I was small, I remember a lot, and my mother also constantly shared her memories of the devastation that the war brought. And now my grandchildren are experiencing what I went through in my childhood. I live one day at a time, with faith in the Lord, in His church, with faith in the Victory.

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

I love the Lord very much. My mother taught me to love Him when I was a child. We went to church on all holidays. I pray and speak to the Lord every day. He is my helper in all life situations. I have been in our church community for 15 years. I have made a lot of friends, people who are close to me. It is like a family. Together it is easier for us to overcome the difficulties we are facing now. Through faith in the Lord we find peace and become better people.

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

I have great respect for the sponsors of our church. I am very grateful to them for their care and help. I am a very ill person, I have many different sicknesses, which is why I constantly need different medicines. Every month I spend almost my entire pension on medicines. My daughter has a disability. She has almost lost her eyesight. She also needs help and support, because she has no one else but me. I would really like to meet my sponsor to thank him personally for all the help I receive. I wish him good health and well being.