Lada

My name is Lada. I live in Prague, Czech Republic, in an apartment with my mother, stepfather, and stepsister. I was raised in Ukraine. Before the war, my life was ordinary, but my family was not religious. I knew that God existed, but I had no idea how to talk or turn to Him. When the war started, my family was forced to flee our home and move from place to place. This brought fear for the future, myself, and my family. We stayed with a Christian family in the Czech Republic. The father was a pastor of a local church, and they invited us to their services. Even though I didn’t understand the Czech language, I felt all of my fears vanish when I was there. 

When my family moved to Prague as refugees, I felt deep emptiness. After some time, I met a Young Life leader who invited me to club. I felt accepted there. It was a place where I could be myself, and where people listened to me and loved me. I then went to Young Life camp, and learned more about God as a living and loving Father. I repented and accepted Christ into my life. I realized that God had always been near, just waiting for me. Deep peace entered my heart. I am now a Young Life leader.

As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying languages at Charles University in Prague. I want to become a teacher and work with international students, including those from Ukraine and help them adapt. I also want to continue leading with Young Life, expanding it beyond Prague, opening new clubs across Europe.