Twin brothers Valentyn and Mykhaylo live in a small, rural village near our Ternopil site in Ukraine. Natalya, their mom, suffers from multiple sclerosis. She’s unable to work, and must receive regular treatments for her illness. Her husband, Andriy, commutes 40 kms to work daily, while Natalya stays home and cares for the family.
“I do all the jobs around the house myself,” says Natalya. “My mother, Maria, also lives with us, and she has a severe form of diabetes and also requires care. I am not afraid of work, and when i’m feeling well, I’m not worried. But I often feel weakness in my arms and legs, get headaches, and get tired easily.” she says.
Valentyn and Mykhaylo are a great help for Natalya, and she deeply cherishes them. “My boys are active, inquisitive, and hardworking,” she smiles. “They always put their toys away, help clean, feed the chickens, weed the garden, and help me cook. When I am feeling weak, I sit down and pray. My boys run to me, hug and kiss me, and tell me they love me. It is the best medicine for me. I think God gave me my boys to inspire me to go on with my life despite my illness,” Natalya reflects.
The biggest problem that Natalya faced was a lack of water. There’s no water supply network in 
her village, so people rely on well water. “We have a well in our yard, but because the weather has been so dry, we haven’t actually had water in it since 2015,” Natalya explains. “Only two or three wells out of 30 actually have water in our village. We often had difficulties cooking, watering our gardens and animals, and washing our clothes.”
When the family’s gas boiler broke and needed to be repaired and refilled with 200 litres of water in the middle of winter, Natalya realized how dire their water situation was. If they made their well deeper, they would be able to access a constant supply of water. The family, however, couldn’t afford to deepen their well with their small income from Andriy’s job.
Natalya and her family were filled with joy when they learned they would have their well deepened thanks to a special donation through our gift catalogue! “The day we had water in our well was a big celebration for us. It truly tasted special,” Natalya beams.
“My life has become so much easier,” she explains. We’re teaching our boys to value this gift. We explain to them that God’s love is endless, and we pray for you and others to be blessed with His joy, compassion, and love. We send our sincere thankfulness!”
You can help another family in need achieve water security by giving the gift of clean water.