Fresh air for Elena
The Almighty needs our hands! The Bible tells about us, the nations, that we will be involved in the return of Israel: “…they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips.” (Isaiah 49:22b). Today we are part of this prophecy about the return of the Jewish people.
We met Elena not so long ago. A year ago, we helped her son Andrei to make aliyah with his family, i.e. to immigrate to Israel. They live and work in Eilat now. Andrei insisted that his mother would immigrate to Israel too and asked us to help her, but Elena didn’t want to do that. Because of a misdiagnosis and a mistake by a doctor one of Elena’s feet was amputated. Recently she had a cerebral haemorrhage resulting in blindness in one eye. Elena is only 65 years old, but she has had a very difficult time in her private life.
Elena in her apartment on the fourth floor | Photo credit: Christians for Israel
Elena’s mother lived in Leningrad during the Second World War and survived the occupation and famine. Thousands of people died of starvation in besieged Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Elena’s great-grandmother was one of the people who died of starvation and was buried in the Peskarevsky cemetery. Everybody who died at that time was taken there. Elena’s father was a chief engineer, researcher and geologist in a large institute in the former Soviet Union, for which he had to travel a lot. He always kept his Jewish descent secret, but had secret meetings with other Jews in the city.
This year Elena agreed to emigrate from Ukraine to Israel! She was at her wits’ end because of the whole situation she ran into and her son just continued to press her: ‘dear mother please come we are waiting for you here’! Finally, Elena agreed. She knew whom to call. We started to help her straight away with this process.
First of all, Elena needed a passport. To apply for an international passport, we had to take her to the city hall with her wheelchair. It was not that easy. Once outside Elena repeated several times: “friends, look, I am in the street, into the fresh air!” She was pleased as Punch and I had tears in my eyes.
“Friends, look, I am in the street, into the fresh air!” | Photo credit: Christians for Israel
Unfortunately, in our country nothing is suitable for the disabled. Disabled people can only manage with other people’s help. For example, there is no elevator in the dilapidated apartment building where Elena was living on the fourth floor.
Going up and down the stairs – four floors and no elevator | Photo credit: Christians for Israel
After applying for a passport, we applied for some more documents needed to acquire a visa. Since Elena is immobile, we went to different departments to get all necessary documents. On November 28, Elena received a visa and by the end of December Elena will leave for Israel. her son will come for her. God is faithful and one by one His children return to Eretz Israel.
Elena with her newly obtained international passport | Foto credit: Christians for Israel
In the Bible we read the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.” (Jeremiah 31: 9).
People like Elena need a lot of comfort and encouragement. We are grateful to our Creator for another well-loved person whom He has helped with our hands.
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