Viola recalled some especially stressful situations. Every week, in order to buy groceries, she needed to pass through control points along the border. She was walking home from school one day, and her parents were doing something in another town nearby. Ruslana was home to welcome Viola from school. Suddenly, the alarms and sirens went off everywhere, which could only mean one thing – bombing was about to commence. Everyone on the streets panicked and started running home or to find shelters. All cars disappeared quickly from the streets and Viola ran home as fast as she could.
The family lived on the 7th floor. Viola had the forethought to not take the elevator in case of a power outage. She ran up the stairs in seconds, banging on the door till Ruslana opened it. Ruslana was also in shock about the events unfolding. They looked at each other and realized they were home alone. What should they do? What would they need to do if war returned to this part of the city? Viola’s parents were in another town. How could they get in touch with them? Where could they find shelter? What other city was reachable by foot? They were so afraid and anxious. Viola and Ruslana started to call around to friends and church members, but the electricity was unstable and unreliable. Suddenly, an all-clear sound was heard. They found out that this event was a drill for the very real possibility of invasion. Their nerves were at a breaking point.
Often the family would travel to a very small town near Pervomaisk where some shut-in members of their Pervomaisk congregation were living. Many people had found a temporary refuge in these apartments with relatives and friends from the church. Viola’s family would bring these families fresh groceries. Viola said that on these trips she came so close to being home that she could see her house, her school, her street. From her outlook, she could even see the ruins of the church her grandpa had built and that her dad had pastored for so many years; the distance to home could have been covered by foot in 40 minutes. “You could almost be home – but you couldn’t go home.” This was very difficult, Viola recalled, a heart-felt trial, and her emotions came out in tears. All you wanted to do was to walk home – and it was not possible. People were still thinking that maybe after a short time, all the fighting would finally cease and they could return home. The thought that she would never return home never crossed Viola’s mind – it was unthinkable.
After four months of living under such stress near the war zone, and considering all the prior months in refugee camps, Viola’s parents accepted an invitation by American friends to fly the family to the US and take some time to recover from the turmoil and the trials. So, during the Thanksgiving holiday week of 2014, the family flew to the US and lived in the state of Kansas. A new life started for Viola in America. But living in America meant Viola could not be in close contact with her Ukrainian friends due to the time difference (8 hours from Kansas). That was a great loss.
Viola started high school in Kansas and made new friends during this season of her life. She attended 9th grade for nine months in the US. Viola said she liked America very much. Every day she liked going to school. Being there was almost like a fairy tale for her after the trauma of the previous months. She had friends, she was safe, she could do what she wanted to do, and she tried track and field for the first time. She joined the school choir and sang with her class mates. And she played in the school orchestra. At the local Baptist church she would attend youth group and worship services with her family. And as a family they also had the opportunity to travel around the US a little, so Viola saw Minnesota, Missouri, and other states. Viola recalled seeing films about America in school back in Pervomaisk, but now she was actually living in the US.
Viola said her greatest problem in America was that she really missed her extended family members, like grandparents, cousins, and her friends. She was especially close to her grandma Rita. It was very seldom possible to call these people on the phone, and so Viola cried a lot during these months. Their host, Susan, would comfort Viola with kisses from her grandparents to each cheek. Viola said at the beginning of her time in the US, even though she really liked it, she wanted desperately to go back to Ukraine to be with her family and friends. She told her parents boldly that she was a Ukrainian patriot and did not want to live abroad. “Send me back to Ukraine, please!” was her constant plea. But over time she adjusted well to her new life in America and was less eager and determined to return to Ukraine. Living in the US long term began to sound like a really good plan to her.
But then her parents decided to return to Ukraine. Viola remembered screaming and yelling, “I don’t want to leave here. I have a future here in America; I want to stay! You are taking everything away from me again!” But it was no use. Viola could not stay in the States without her parents, and her parents were called to return to Ukraine. So, the family flew back to their homeland late in the summer of 2015. They landed purposefully in the city of L’viv this time, for a new season of ministry and service was about to begin.
Elisey started working at the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary, and also had plans to start a new church. Initially, Viola cried a lot and just wanted to return to America. But again, school started. Viola repeated 9th grade and made new friends, in L’viv this time. Her father started a small church plant, Disciples Church, and Viola found herself serving there as much as she could. She especially got involved in the youth ministry of Disciples Church and helped in Sunday school. She was baptized in 2016, the first believer to join Disciples Church through baptism. She was sixteen years old. She started to feel more comfortable with each passing week in L’viv. She thought, “After all, these are my people, these Ukrainians.” She found many opportunities for telling people on the street and in her school about God and a personal relationship with Him.
Viola finished high school in L’viv and, in the fall of 2018, entered the technical university as a student in the field of applied linguistics. She said that she hopes that the way God has led her will be a testimony to others to walk with God and trust Him. She knows L’viv is God’s place for her; God led her here, and she is supposed to study and serve here right now. God knows what her future holds, and she trusts Him. Viola learned to follow God one step at a time. When the next step became clear, she took it by faith. She believes nothing happens by chance; it is all God’s good plan unfolding. As tough as her experience has been, she is thankful for a faithful God.
Viola never returned home to Pervomaisk. Various people from the church have been able to go to her house there and collect some of her clothes and personal belongings and sent these to Viola when they were outside the occupied territory again. Viola said so far, she has had three lives: her first one was in Pervomaisk, her second one was for a brief time in the US, and now she is enjoying her third life in L’viv. And she laughed and said, “I am only eighteen. We’ll see what else will happen with my life.” Each of these lives has been completely different from the others.
Some people from her old life, like Olya, Anton, and Ruslana, have reappeared in her new third life, as they have also moved out of the war zone and resettled in L’viv. Her friend from 3rd grade has reconnected recently with Viola. Due to the war, they had not seen each other for four years. They were able to communicate with letters and emails as her friend had moved with her family to Poltava. In the summer of 2018, Viola was able to finally meet up with her friend in Kyiv, where her friend studies now. It was a wonderful reunion.