Rescued for Eternity: A Holocaust Survivor Meets Her Messiah

After escaping two wars, Valentina now belongs to the Prince of Peace! As a young girl, she was concealed from the Nazis by a Ukrainian family. Finally, Russian soldiers liberated Ukraine from Hitler’s army, and Valentina came out of hiding. But decades later, 89-year-old Valentina had to flee from Russian soldiers who were bombing her home city of Kharkiv. She managed to get on an evacuation train to Volyn (a region in northwest Ukraine) with just the clothes on her back and a small bag. A church in the area fed her and gave her a place to stay.

The pastor of the church, a long-time friend of Jews for Jesus, has a special heart for Jewish people. He was planning to drive Valentina to the Polish border—and in the midst of this story, our missionary Anatoli Emma had been scheduled to speak at that very church! Anatoli met Valentina and asked to accompany her to the border. As the pastor drove, he silently prayed for their conversation.

Although she observed the Day of Atonement, she didn’t feel that her sins were forgiven.

Anatoli says, “Valentina was open and talkative during the three-hour drive. I read Psalm 32 to her, which begins, ‘Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.’  Valentina noted that although she observed the Day of Atonement, she didn’t feel that her sins were forgiven. I explained the gospel, and clearly, God had prepared her heart. She professed faith in Jesus and asked forgiveness for her sins. Alex, one of the leaders from our Israel branch, had come to Poland to help Jewish refugees. He secured temporary housing for Valentina and a plane ticket for her to be reunited with her son in Israel.”

We can’t thank you enough for helping us minister to Valentina and many other Ukrainian Jewish people who are being saved during these tumultuous times.