Tanya’s Story: An orphan, survivor and child of God

Join us in witnessing the faithfulness of God through Tanya’s life. Hear how she grew up in an orphanage, survived the war in Ukraine, and still proclaims God’s goodness shown through CBN’s Orphan’s Promise and partners.

Summer Camps at the Orphanage

In 2008, CBN’s Orphan’s Promise began running summer camps at an Orphanage in South Eastern Ukraine. It was here that Karen Springs, an Orphan’s Promise volunteer, met Tanya.

The summer camp ran each year where there were roughly 70 children, and it’s throughout these camps that Karen and Tanya built up a friendship. Tanya was only eight years old when her mother left her at the orphanage, and she sadly never knew her father.

“Tanya was only eight years old when her mother left her at the orphanage and she sadly never knew her father.”

The impact of the war

Tanya eventually graduated, yet Karen was able to remain in contact with her and help her from a distance.

“When the war started, I immediately wanted to know how she was doing,” says Karen.

Tanya and her family were fast asleep when the shooting began. She shares, “At 5:30am, our friend called us and said, ‘Are you still sleeping?’ and I’m thinking, ‘What else should we be doing?’ And she says, ‘Get up! The war has started outside!’ I said ‘what war?’” It was that moment they stood out on their porch and could hear gunshots being fired.

As the firing grew worse and the bombing began, it was then that Tanya told her husband it was time to leave. But leave to where? “We didn’t have anywhere to go,” she says.

Later that night, lying down in their cellar, Tanya began reading out of a children’s Bible to help her kids fall asleep and find peace. After lots of reading, they eventually slept. “But we couldn’t fall asleep because of how scared we were. I laid down to pray to God to give us an answer if we should leave this place or not. Because if we didn’t have an answer from God, they could shoot us. I told God, ‘Please show me if You are going to be with us and answer my prayer.’” With tears in her eyes, she expressed “it was a sincere prayer…very sincere.”

The next day Tanya had an incredible peace. An assurance in her spirit that everything would be fine and now was the opportunity to leave.

“With tears in her eyes, she expressed ‘it was a sincere prayer…very sincere.’”

Starting over in Western Ukraine

Tanya and her family ended up in Western Ukraine with virtually nothing. Tanya tells us, “my kids hadn’t eaten anything for a day and a half.” They managed to find a house, but there was “no running water, they didn’t have any furniture, they didn’t have a refrigerator, they didn’t have a place to cook their food, and so I reached out to say how can we help you,” shares Karen.

“Thankfully, because of the generosity of Orphan’s Promise and the donors that came around, we were able to support Tanya and her family. We’ve been able to provide them with food that will help them get through this time of transition.”

“To all the people who gave money to us, a huge thanks and may God bless them. It’s a big deal for us, a really big deal. It’s not just the money but for making things happen. For me, it means a lot!”

We are so grateful to our partners. Because of your giving, projects like the summer camps can continue running, and who knows what further impact in people’s lives will come from these. We’ve already seen it happen here. It’s the longevity of relationships, continual support, and empowering others to make the changes that CBN’s Orphan’s Promise is enabled to do. So thank you!“To all the people who gave money to us, a huge thanks and may God bless them.”

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