Oksana and Natasha
— two transformed lives!

By Marina Dolbina
Moscow Street Patrol

Oksana now helps others!

Oksana, now 16, (on the left on the picture) had been living with her mother at a railway station for three years when we met them. They ended up on the streets after being cheated in apartment sale. The harsh homeless life quickly turned the normal mother and daughter into drug addicted street people.

Oksana was one of the toughest girls on the station, she used terrible language and yelled at everybody. Mother Marina drank continuosly. Many times she was put into jail, which made Oksana nervous and caused also her to drink.

During her visits to our street patrol, Oksana began to share with us her problems and asked for advice. In spite of her rude manners she had a soft heart.

Marina her Mother wanted to stop drinking and asked us to pray for her. “I cannot do it by myself”, she said. To her surprise, she was able to abstain from drinking for two months. After this the both came to the rehabilitation center.

Now, one year later, an incredible change has happened! These two broken and burdoned women were able to say “no” to all dark and negative things that filled their lives. A living faith was born in them and their life now is a testimony that there is a way out from a dead end.
And this is not all: Oksana has become our helper at the rehabilitation center. She serves as a support person for new girls.

Natasha burst into bloom

Natasha is one of these girls. 4 years ago she was with us at the shelter home on alcohol rehabilitation. After eight month’s stay she left, believing that she could already handle her drinking, and dis-appeared for three years.
Last fall when we were feeding children on the street, a dirty, bloated, miserable looking girl tapped on my shoulder. “Is it you, Natasha?” She was there with another girl, the both were drinking vodka, talking and laughing loud. It hurt me to look at them. The both were in a degenerated condition, they looked like wrinkled lemons – two young girls who ought to be flourishing and be at the height of their beauty!

Natasha often came to talk with us. She said her life was completely ruined, and her relationship with the family was broken. Natasha had a 2-year-old daughter who was taken care by Grandmother.

I kept on talking to Natasha how pretty she was and she would have a whole life ahead if she only wanted to change. Little by little hope arouse in her.

One day I told her that on the next morning at nine we would come and pick her up in the park and take to the farm. In the morning she really was there! “I stayed up the entire night in order not to miss you”, she said.

Natasha has been doing great and we are so glad for her! Her relation-ship with the family has been restored and she is looking forward to taking her daughter back. God has done a miracle in Natasha’s life, she has burst into bloom!