Valentina

My name is Valentina. My friends call me Valia. I live in a dormitory in a city in southwestern Russia. I am from a large family with five brothers and sisters. During my childhood, my father was an alcoholic. This negatively affected his relationship with my mother, causing screaming and physical violence in our house. My parents divorced when I was eleven years old. I missed having a father who could take care of me, and I have no positive memories of him. I also missed having a mother because she always worked. I found and received love and care from the church that I did not have at home. I did not have an earthly father, but a Heavenly Father who changed me, gave me an education, blessings and opportunities to serve.

I have known about Jesus since my childhood. I attended a small church with my parents. I prayed and read my Bible because the church told me to do it. However, it was not until God answered a prayer for the healing of a friend that I started to realize that God was real. My personal relationship with the Lord then began. Later, I met a Young Life leader from the city where I used to live. I learned about the ministry and became the only girl leader on the team where I currently live.

As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying mathematics at a university in the city where I live. After completing my education, I want to work at a school and continue to minister to teenagers there. I hope to remain an active leader in our Young Life ministry.