If not me, then who then?

The family in which I was born (and it happened in Vinnitsa) was small: I and Mom. But I remember well my grandparents who lived in the village and to which we often visited the guest. They considered themselves Orthodox believers, and therefore always celebrated various Christian holidays. I really liked it, because these days I did not have to work in the garden, to feed the cow. My grandfather often told me all sorts of stories about life, as well as about God. But his tales often came down to the fact that God should be afraid, and therefore, in my imagination, He was very terrible and unbreakable. I did not know another Lord.

Time went by, I grew up and began to meet my future husband. Four years later we got married, son Alexeiiko was born shortly. And three years after the wedding happened unpredictable: I fell from a tree and got a spine injury.

I prayed a lot because I really wanted to get up on my feet, because I was only 27 years old. My mother walked in the churches, invited her husband and I to "whistle" who carried me with my hands, whispered something. We then did not even imagine that it was impossible to do this. But no procedures did not help me. It seemed that the black clouds more and more obscured the sun over our home: two years after my injury, because of alcohol addiction, my stepfather stepped down. And after six months after that did not become and mommy. I fell ill with a flu that provoked a severe complication - meningoencephalitis. My husband could not stand such a load and found himself another - a healthy woman. My son was four years old at that time, my sister was 13. I am in a wheelchair. She felt her helplessness and dependence on both people and circumstances, because the Soviet system did not provide any opportunities to create an accessible environment for such as myself.

When there was still a living mother, she once began to go to church. They gave me the Bible and some other book. But before this dating, I already read the Gospel of Matthew, which very impressed me with the understanding of what the Lord is. And He is not the one to be afraid of, as I thought in my childhood. I realized that I had to be afraid of my sins, to be afraid to do them. While in a sanatorium, I saw people who had similar to my spinal injury, other various diseases. It is clear that I am not one such. Yes, everyone was looking for answers to the questions that were sticking in my head. He asked himself: "Has the Lord admitted that I fell and got injured only because I did not have a native cross?" And if I did not know by heart a single prayer, but would turn to God in my words, would He not hear me? And if I did not have any icons and did not know which of them should be prayed, would the Lord not consider my request?".

Without revealing the Bible, I already subconsciously understood that God is merciful and He hears any person who is looking for Him or appeals to Him.

Притчи 3:5

When the second time got a ticket to the sanatorium, I met a very interesting woman - a Baptist. She was very different from the general rest: she moved in a wheelchair, but had such energy that life "boiled" around her. She was not zazurenoy (although her family, consisting of an alcoholic spouse and three children, did not have great wealth), but on the contrary - was cheerful, lively (taught my son-preschooler to swim), lived a hope for the better and constantly prayed for her husband She always said that everything is necessary to be adjusted, it is necessary only to survive. And what is most important for a person is to read the Bible and be with God.

For some time upon arrival, I communicated with some believers, but their understanding of God and His truths caused me many questions, the answers to which were not always consistent with the Holy Word.

I sought the truth and the Lord gradually and persistently led me to her. I had one acquaintance - Pavel, also on a wheelchair, a person with an active life position. He lived with a woman who began attending the church on Saturdays. It was the first bell, which awakened in me the curiosity to our church. The second "tears" through one of my girlfriends.

One day my friends came to visit me, and one of them said that from now on she no longer consumes alcohol and goes to clean food. When we asked what had happened, she told us that she had received a baptism in the Adventist church on the seventh day. I was so annoyed about the heard, so crying: "How could you? We are friends with you from the first class, I have trouble for misfortune, and you have plenty, there is a place to live, everything is good in the family ... Why did you change the Orthodox Church, is she the same? Where did you get? Why baptized there? " For all our questions the girlfriend said: "You can accept my decision, you can not accept, but this is my decision. So respect him."

At the same time, I learned that my friend's wife, like my girlfriend, also received a baptism in this church. I decided: I need to know where the girls go, what is the church ... I do not know anything about her. To learn about the doctrine of the ASD church, I was also encouraged by the fact that my child grew up and I understood that my, so to speak, mobility was not enough to follow where the son walks, with whom he is a friend. And I really wanted to be surrounded by good friends - educated and good-natured.

My first meeting with the church took place precisely thanks to a friend and a woman friend who invited me to the Divine Service on Friday. I could not accept the Sabbath, either spiritually or physically, afraid I would not stand. It was important for me not to be late for a long time, because when you are in a wheelchair, there are my disadvantages ... My friends and people from the church treated me loyally: they just offered to listen to a series of "lectures", as I defined it for myself. In fact, these were sermons based on historical facts, the essence of which I perceived with curiosity and understanding.

The first thirty minutes on Friday in the church went away quickly. And I decided that I would bring the child to a children's Saturday school, and then we would go home. As a specialist, I am a teacher of elementary school, so I understood that only a Christian school would provide the necessary moral or spiritual foundation for which one would be able to live in life. Therefore, at first I went to the children's classroom only, then took my son and we went home with a good mood.

It was the day when the children had to show a small speech prepared by them in the church. Before this was the time for the transfer of greetings, the collection of tithe, as well as the report of the treasurer on collected funds for a certain time. It impressed me very well. I began to stay at the Sabbath School, then on a sermon. Soon, I was satisfied with everything.

And the moment came when I decided to put an end to the sinful life and to receive baptism. Not everyone understood yet, but already knew that the Lord is my Savior from all the sinner. I wanted to be a model for my son, to go to the survey, to be with the Lord, and also to worry about the fate of my younger sister and constantly pray for her. I believed that my covenant with God would positively affect both my spiritual and material condition.

So in 2002 I was baptized. I was glad for my girlfriend-classmate and the wife of a friend - Paul, who had already married him to this day.

My son also chose a path with the Lord. He is a skilled organizer and participant in Christian camps. In addition, it actively participates in youth: in various sports events - a game of football, volleyball, cycling. He is the organizer and host of many social projects, for example, from the past, this is "Daddy, Mom, I'm Happy Seven I". He is also one of the organizers of the Christian cafe, creative and artistic evenings devoted not only to prominent biblical heroes, but also to our contemporaries who took in the heart of Jesus Christ and were baptized in the Church of the Seventh-day Adventists. He is 26 years old. I met a girl, daughter of a pastor, got married, and now I have a daughter, for which I thank the Lord. Studied at the Agrarian Academy, now studying in Bucha, in, we can say, our Adventist Humanitarian Institute.

Over time, my physical condition, unfortunately, does not change, of course, that the age of forces does not add. There were operations and need for help, but the Lord always sent me good, sensible and decent people.

My younger sister married, her family has not yet accepted the truth in its fullness and has not joined the church family. But her relatives and relatives respect our faith and do not put unclean food at the joint meetings and do not drink alcohol.

When I got injured, I realized that I no longer feel the earth. It was very annoying. But the work in the country, bought by my sister, turned me to a sense of belonging to the land. Therefore, I was happy to podsazhuvala there all that my soul wanted. I understand that in this way the Lord has shown his concern about my needs.

It was he who helped me to get my second degree - to finish the Institute of Economics and the right to separate "social work". It was not easy - no university, no transport, no roads, no even home travel ... - not fitted for the needs of people with a wheelchair. But with God's help, already when I was studying on the fourth year, I proved that I am worthy of the position I occupy now because it is higher than that which I once claimed.

I work in the budget sphere, the head of the department of the Poltava city institution-center for work with people with disabilities of different strengths and different physical conditions who want to show themselves in sports. For example, seeing bowling competitions, hearing impaired people became interested in this sport, and after some time they organized not only the respective Federation, but also became the multiple winners of the Definitive Games. After the competitions in the boccia decided to professionally engage in this sport, and people with trauma to the spine in the cervical department and with infantile cerebral palsy. And so far, many of them have achieved certain results not only in Ukraine but also internationally. Our athletes are part of the Boccia Country Paralympic Team and I am pleased to realize that I, too, although implicitly, is involved in these successes.

I have a steady financial abundance and with my life, the opportunities that the Lord has revealed to me, I can glorify Him at work, because they all know that I am a believer. In our team, nobody drinks, does not bother. I have good friends, neighbors ... But I do not want to depend on anyone. I live not well, but I am glad that the Lord gives me the opportunity to help others.

Last year I was operating. Financially prepared for this. According to my calculations, I had to pay an amount twice as much for the operation. The money left was sacrificed to those who needed help and support.

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I really want to be needed and serve as long as possible for people. So that they understand that even in a state like mine, one can be independent, independent and help others.

I am a regional representative of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities in Ukraine. We communicate with officials, which depends on whether we will create decent conditions for the lives of people of these categories. Moreover, we not only communicate, we control, conduct seminars, tell us why and for whom it is necessary...

With son Alexey

A lot has already been done in Poltava in recent times, but I would like to rejoice not only in the number of necessary measures, but also in their effectiveness. For example, if a city purchases transport, we ask that you take into account not only the need for it to be low-lying, but also that it be equipped with special equipment with means of information for hearing and vision impairment. For pavements to be equipped with lowering curbs from the carriageway. So that in public places there were toilets for people with disabilities, especially in medical or administrative institutions, in catering establishments, etc.

For this purpose, we tend to leave for the facility where this accessibility is created, and we shall explain why you should do this or that only by the above-mentioned norms. We cooperate with the police, because there is a need to provide services to people with disabilities, we conduct promotions, flash mobs with representatives of the authorities. We are glad that the officials are not ashamed to sit on wheelchairs, sometimes even with blindfolded eyes, so as to say, "try on someone else's shirt."

All this social activity requires a lot of strength and even health. But the Lord sends people who support me, so I can not lay hands. I do not have a car - I use public transport. And this, too, is an element of training for people with disabilities, an element of getting used to the situation in which they fell, and an understanding of how to serve such people both for drivers and for passengers.

People with disabilities who do not just sit in a wheelchair, but have an active lifestyle, are few. And those who need support or intervention - on the contrary, a lot. Therefore, I understand what should help them. For who then?

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