Operation Christmas Love

Operation Christmas Love aims to show love to families and elderly people who really need it. One such family is the Borodiy family. Iryna and her five children; Vlad, Yulia, Nadia, Mariya and Anhelina, have to get through difficult times by themselves. They feel betrayed as the person who they used to love so much, has left them all alone. It is their father. He decided that the family could cope without him and left for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Two years ago, Iryna was forced to get used to living alone. In spite of poverty and all the difficulties she has met on her way, she cannot say anything bad about her former husband, as he is the father of her children. However, she mentioned that he has a psychiatric illness, which may explain the situation.

Iryna comes from a non-Christian family. However, when she studied at college, she met some Christians, who invited her to church. She realised the difference between life with God and her former life and she eventually repented of her sins. Iryna didn't get baptised, as her parents were against it. Shortly afterwards, she met her husband and got married. She left her life of churchgoing behind.

However, as the usual troubles and difficulties began to appear, Iryna remembered that God was the one who could help. She began to go to the local Baptist church together with her husband where they got baptised. They had five children.

Life has always been difficult for this family, but when Iryna was left alone with the children, she was in despair. How would she provide for the children? How would she do renovation work on the house? It would go to rack and ruin. When it was especially difficult, Iryna knelt and prayed. Miraculously, God always answered her prayers! She found a night job as a watchwoman close to her house. During the day, she can be with the children and work in the fields and work at night. Together with the older children, she cleared anything they didn't need from their yard, cut down the old trees and used them as wood for the winter! It is not long since the family was enrolled in the F2F programme and they will regularly receive food parcels and clothes now! Aren't these things God's answers to prayer?

Iryna is a little sad that her eldest son has to live with her mother, as she is alone and needs care. Besides, there is no place for Vlad in their small house. There are only two tiny rooms for the five of them. Iryna also hopes for a better life for her children. She is anxious about Yulia now, who wants to continue studying at medical college. She knows that it is very expensive and they will never find such a large sum of money. Meanwhile, Yulia is studying at school. She plays the piano, sings in the youth choir and helps her mother. The other girls are also very clever and study hard. They all go to Sunday school. Maria started school when she was four, but fell ill and had to stay at home. Anhelina is at home with Iryna.

When we came with the OCL parcel, the family was really happy to receive it. They were grateful for every item in the parcel - whether it was flour, rice, buckwheat, tinned fish or sweets. Iryna said that the parcel was also God's answer to her prayers. With these products, she will be able to prepare perfect meals for the Christmas holidays. She shared that she is going to bake a cake and some cookies, make a salad with the tinned fish and that the children will have enough chocolate!

Iryna knows that she is not alone with her problems. She knows that God will never forsake or betray her. However, there are many other families who don't know these truths. For them, an OCL parcel is just another proof that they are not alone.