Povestea Tamarei din Magadan, Rusia

Povestea Tamarei din Magadan, Rusia

“Faith Stories        

Tamara

Saved Sinner (printed with permission)               

My name is Tamara. I was born in 1975 on the 25th of May. All my childhood I was waiting for a miracle. At the age of 3 in 1978 I lost my parents, they were killed because they were involved in drugs.  When I was 4, I was transferred to an orphanage. At the age of 7, I was raped by my classmates, who were twin brothers. When I turned 10, I had a serious learning development, and I had to go to a psychiatrist. I was too unhealthy they said.  They didn’t know what to do with me so I was sent to a specialized school, where I entered to be a seamstress. But instead of studying, I felt the freedom and started to meet men and drink heavily. It all ended in a tragedy. I was raped and thrown down from the 3d floor apartment building. They said I would never walk.  They gave me a room in a dormitory with thieves, drug addicts, and others for whom no one cares, and we were all left to ourselves. For two years every night I practiced walking. I walked away from that place and it is the first miracle of my life.

From 1995 to 2000, I lived on the streets. I starved often.  I even ate dog meat that someone else would kill.  I often felt I would die from the cold. But deep inside I also knew that it all will end some day, and I believed God would bring me somewhere where people would help me.  I lived as a prostitute for these years and I was often beaten up. Then, New Year’s eve, 1999, I had a second miracle in my life. I felt like I was a few minutes from death and I had to come before God. I had been beaten up very badly and lying on the frozen ground and the men were just about ready to finish me.  At that moment, I knew I had to make a choice for God and ask Him to forgive me for all that I had done. When I awoke these men were gone. But I was so happy I was alive, hurting very much and lying on the frozen ground crying because I knew God had forgiven me my sins. 

I tried to live differently but it didn’t work and one day I came in to the parish of the Nativity of Christ. It was a church in a small apartment. I immediately felt something inside of me, I felt that I had come home, and my journey was over.  I had found these people that I knew somewhere existed. It was Sunday the 29th of January, 2000. I found love and understanding, which I thirsted for all my life and needed so badly, because I was so mixed up. The parishioners treated me like a lost daughter who had come back home.  After so many years of trials I wondered is this now my life?  I cried so hard, but they were tears of great joy. Everything happened so fast I received spiritual healing and Fr Michael [ Shields ] helped me to get medically clean and it took two years with much medicine.  But it is all from God, my healing, my conversion, my faith, and my love that was growing in my heart.  This was the greatest miracle of my life. 

In 2000 on the 22nd of April I was baptized. It was like I had wings and, I felt love all around me and it was filling me up like I was an empty well. The night I was baptized a man I was living with asked to sleep with me.  I said I can’t  because  I am now a new born Christian and he kicked me out of the room and I spent the whole Easter night in the cold in 40 below zero in the streets where I once walked as a prostitute  but now as a child of God. I was so happy because I was free and a new person.  

Brothers and sisters, I am the sinner who has been lost and am now found. If God can save me and bring me to the church, He can save anyone. So please hear me. I am praying for all who read this story of mine. It isn’t very long and very special but I want to say God is with me and believe me, Jesus is a powerful savior. He is always available to hear our prayers. Turn to Him and He will show you the way. I am a witness to this. Praise to Jesus Christ!  Both now and forever!”

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