A NEW UEC FACE

Olya Skidina has been coming to the UEC basically every day for the last half year. As Olya says, it was quite an interesting story how she first came to the Center. It all started when her neighbor decided to learn to play the piano. Numerous apartment buildings constructed during Khrushchev's rule have such thin walls that a phone ringing in the neighboring apartment can often be overheard. As a first-year Aviation University student studying to be a programmer, with much new material to learn and homework to do, she could hardly manage the distraction of a beginner's piano lessons. Then an acquaintance told her about a library that had books on computers and English study materials. The acquaintance, Lyonya, is a first-year student at ICU. He himself became a regular UEC patron after he first received a free Bible at the UEC in the fall of 2005.

What Olya found in the Center when she first came was not only a variety of books that she could use for her studies, but also four quiet rooms where she could actually read those useful books. She also discovered many wonderful films in English on video cassettes and DVDs that she likes to watch in her free time for both pleasure and developing her English listening skills. Moreover, it was in the UEC where Olya met some Christian friends her age. Young members of Nivky church invited her to Student Night (the church's outreach activity for students) and the Soup Group (a group led by Chris and Lena Lovingood that weekly enjoys some hot soup and discussion of basics of Christianity). Olya has become a regular visitor at these activities and now brings her friends to the UEC.

Pray for Olya as her faith grows.

Posted on 09 May 2006