Hello dear American Christians and supporters of Hope Now. With all my heart, I want to thank you and Vic Jackopson, who baptized me on June 4, 2006 at Freedom Church inside Prison 62.
I was born in 1982 in the Kiev region of Ukraine where, from my earliest years I noticed that people gave respect to the strong and abused the weak. I was determined to be one of the strong. When I became a student, I had no desire to study but longed for the delights of the flesh. Short of money, I was acquainted with guys who thought nothing of robbery but were seriously amateurs. After one or two unplanned events, I decided to up my game by associating with big-time, professional criminals.
My first conviction (occupational hazard) came when I was twenty. As the charges were very serious, I was held at the central prison of Kyiv, at Lukjanovka. There, for the first time, I called on the name of God, even though I did not know anything about Him. I had a small New Testament in which there were not many pages. I even tried to read it, but it turned out to be nothing to me. For the first time I was praying the Lord’s Prayer. As I was threatened with a long term, my thoughts were these: “If God helps me to avoid punishment I will correct my life,” and in March 2003, I received the long-awaited freedom. At the court, my criminal record was sent to the inspector to be assessed again, and my punishment was changed to a subscription that didn’t allow me to leave Kyiv. I was still under examination, but was already free.
The first thing I did with my “colleagues” when we became free was to go to St. Sophia’s cathedral. There we offered money, lit candles, and the priest sprinkled some water on us. I felt some release there. I thought that all my sins were forgiven. After leaving the cathedral, I started again to become engaged in criminal affairs. I remained only four months in this freedom, at which time I got a wound and a new criminal case. As previously, I was sent to Lukjanovka. I already had many acquaintances there that welcomed me with pleasure.
In March 2004, one of the courts in Kyiv condemned me to five years of imprisonment with a delayed sentence of three years; that meant that I got the term conditionally. In prison I had become acquainted with many more criminals, so I did robberies together with them. I was living in a fool’s paradise where I thought such luck would always be mine, but, in 2004, Obolonsky court condemned me to twelve years of “Hard Labor.” My friends told me not to worry, that I would go to one of the camps of the Lugansk area where there were acquaintances that would arrange for my quick release. However, the Lord intervened in my life and began to work. When I was on the way to jail, I learned that the train was going south in the direction of Odessa. I was in great confusion. When I arrived, I learned that it was Prison 62. When I was in quarantine, an assessment barrack for new prisoners, convicted men who were believers came and told us that God is love. I felt strong disagreement with them. I had decided that they were simply trying to avoid the difficulties of prison life. I thought they all were hypocrites. However, when I got to my allocated barrack, the first things that I noticed were people with gray faces without any emotions. However, at the same time there were people who had simply joyful faces. At first, I thought that there were some joyful events in their lives, but later I learned that their faces differed from the faces of other condemned persons for a reason. Nearby me lived one brother who had come into quarantine barrack. I began to look closely at him. Several times, I visited the Prayer House (church). I liked the quiet music there, the silence, and the Word that sounded there was touching my heart. I heard the testimonies of how the Lord changes people’s lives. I began to think that maybe God could change my life also.
One Sunday morning I had nothing to do, and decided to go to the Prayer House. Vic Jackopson was preaching. I cannot remember the theme of his sermon, but I remember one episode. He asked one man from the hall to exchange clothes with him. He had a dark uniform and Vic had a new white shirt. Vic showed that there was a pass from the jail in the pocket of his shirt, and having such a pass, that person could easily leave the jail, and Vic would stay and serve the rest of that man’s term. The same principle was in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us; He suffered for our sin. I was under strong conviction after these words. I reflected on this example for a long time.
I accepted Christ as my own Savior. He gave me not only eternal life, but also He relieved me of my punishment in the jail. Instead of 12 years, I stayed only three years and two months. I was released on November 10th, 2007. I was accepted very warmly at the church in the village of Brilivka. They invited me to spend nights at their homes and supported me spiritually and materially. I entered the Pastors Training Institute of Bila Tserkva. In August of 2008, the Lord blessed me and I married Alyona, a woman who loves God very much. In May of 2009, God presented us with His heritage, the wonderful girl whom we named Esther. Now I serve as a preacher in the village of Pilipcha and town Bila Therkva. I continue to study at the Pastors Training Institute. I publish the Christian newspaper, “The Hope.”
God bless you. With love, respect and prayers for you, Yura and Alyona Karpenko
Some will say she is far too young to marry at eighteen, but in the
Ukrainian culture, it is not unusual and, I dare say, there are many
older Americans reading this letter who married as young and will
testify to long and happy marriages
My name is Andrii Meleshko. Born in Smila, 20 kilometres west of
Cherkassy, into an unbelieving family, I grew up without my father, who
had left the family when I was just one.
