Olena

My name is Olena and I live with my parents Khmelnytsky, a large city in western Ukraine. My parents did everything possible for my brother and I to have a happy childhood. We had everything we needed. In the summer we were often sent to the village to visit our grandparents, who played an important role in our upbringing. In fact, my grandmother was the first person to tell my brother and I about Jesus. She often took me to the Orthodox Church for worship. In general, my family is cool!

My brother introduced me to Young Life. I accepted Christ into my heart about six years ago at camp when I was told the whole truth about salvation. I remember that day vividly, I felt truly free and realized that it was all thanks to our Lord. I decided that I wanted to live with Him from that day forward. After repenting, I was invited to help at club. I was trained and became a leader. Since then and to this day, I have been growing and building my relationship with Christ through reading the Bible, praying for those in my life, and loving on teens in my community.

As a DGL scholarship recipient, I am pursuing a management degree from Khmelnytsky National University. After graduation, I would like to work as a manager in a company or factory and eventually go into business for myself. I am proud to have the opportunity to be the first person in my family to graduate from university.