Faces of The Fellowship: Anna

The Fellowship  |  June 12, 2019

“Welcome! Come in!” Anna says to Fellowship representatives as they enter her apartment, which is small, but decorated with potted plants wherever they will fit. Anna then sits down at a small table and begins to tell her story.

When she was five years old, the Nazis invaded her village in Ukraine. Her mother fled on foot, bringing Anna and her siblings to the Ural Mountains, while her father stayed behind to fight in the Soviet Army.

For four long years, Anna, her mother, and her siblings lived in the wilderness. There was not enough to eat, and survival was uncertain. When they were finally able to return to their village, they found their home destroyed. They struggled to survive in the post-war destruction.

Eventually, Anna got married and had two children. In 1996, Anna and her husband Ivan made aliyah (immigrated to Israel). However, adjustment to Israeli life was difficult. Their young daughter died unexpectedly, and their son moved to Moscow.

When Ivan passed away three years ago, Anna was left alone, struggling to pay rent for her public-housing apartment. She has few friends and doesn’t speak Hebrew well. As a result, she’s lonely and once again uncertain of her future.

“The food support from The Fellowship is so important to me,” says Anna, who receives monthly food deliveries and visits from field staff that provide her much-needed companionship. “I’m very grateful for the support of Christians, and I say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart and soul,” she adds as she kisses her hands and raises her eyes toward heaven.