Киевская Христианская Церковь

“I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death” (Psalm 118:17, 18).

I grew on the streets. Since early childhood, I ran from home, because I did wrong things and my father was very cruel and was beating me severely. There were periods even of 6 months that I did not live home – my habitat was at the attics or at the basements of buildings.

Such life brought me to the prison when I was seventeen. I was sentences for the robbery and ordered to stay in the strictest prison.

I want to give all the glory to God. That is why I will share the details of my past life for that purpose. This will help you understand from how deep a pit God delivered me.

One of my “feats” was robbing of one of the largest Malls in Kiev – “Ukraine” Mall near the Circus. I loaded four trucks with different goods and took one million rubles of cash.

Some fact about me:

My total prison term is 27 years, 20 of which I was in the “cell” area (the strictest).

I was one of the criminal “shadow” bosses in one of the prisons, not just a simple “bad” guy.

Since I was seventeen, I lived outside prison walls only for 18 months. All my life I spent in prisons.

When I got freedom this last time, I got the tuberculosis diagnosis. I lost weight and had only 80 pounds. I could not walk, and then I could not even raise my head from the pillow. I was perfect candidate to the “death camp movie actors”. When my mother came to visit me, she fainted right there at my bed – this is how bad I looked.

Doctors said I will not live long – my lungs and liver were in very bad condition.

There was a night when I knew that I would not make it until morning. That night I began to ponder on the words of the believers, which they shared with me – Paradise and Hell are real – what if this is true. The fear rose in my heart that I could end in hell – suddenly I understood that I would spend eternity there. I began to pray, cry, and ask God to forgive me. That moment I received the assurance that I am forgiven and will live. That time I decided to go to the rehabilitation.

I went through the rehabilitation and became the member of the church. Later I was baptized. Now I serve is different places - visit people in the hospital and often go to the tuberculosis section to preach the Gospel there.

Biggest miracle in my life today is that I have a job. I refused to work when I was a criminal. This is not acceptable in criminal world. Many times prison wards beat me severely for refusal to work and placed me to the strict “cell”.

I could not even conceive the idea that I will work. Now I cannot imagine being late at work.

I tried to make more money, but my Christian brothers advised me to care about my health and make just enough to live and have necessities. I decided to be faithful in the little and got a job at printing factory getting 100 Hryvnias (4 US Dollars) a day.

Later God gave me the job at the market as fish seller.

The one, who spent 27 years in prisons, now entrusted with goods and the money. I am proud that my boss trusts me more than he trusts other sellers.

This year my girlfriend and I announced our engagement at the church.

Praise God for His mercy to the perishing!