A difficult departure

From our Aliyah fieldworker Nataliya

This is the family that is making aliyah in ten days, in the early days of September. Oleg (37), Elena (37), Kostya (4), and Sofiya (1) Cherednichenko. They go with the Hamlet Aliyah Program for specialists. This program will take a year and a half. The family will settle in Nazareth Illit. Almost nine months ago they fled from Donetsk and since then could not go back.

They had never seriously thought about moving to Israel because they had everything they needed: a good life, employment and an apartment. Moving house was not their plan at that time. But then their life changed because of the war. It so happened that Elena, the wife, came to Hesed to collect something for her mother, but it was a life changing visit.

After that the family attended a seminar given by Hesed, then visited the Jewish Agency, put together their documents and visited the Israeli consul in Dnepropetrovsk. They stayed in Baracuda, a house that Christians for Israel rents for Jewish refugees who are about to make aliyah. And now they have ten more days in Ukraine.

When I talked to them I did not sense enthusiasm and sparkles in their eyes. And it is very understandable. They have been through so much sorrow and stress, they are leaving behind their parents and everything that was so dear to their hearts. They have everything new in the future, everything they are not familiar with. A lot of worries and responsibilities.

But they know one thing for sure, they will be in a safe place, protected, cared for. They are ready to do all their best, work very hard to help the country to grow and prosper, to make sure their children have everything they need. And they trust God in all of this! This family needed financial support to buy essential things prior to making aliyah. Christians for Israel provided 2,000 greevna, i.e. 80 euros for their needs. See the pictures below of their shelled house and their 4 year old son Kostya drawing a picture of a tank!

The Cherednichenko family's shelled house

Kostya drawing a tank

Oleg and Elena Cherednichenko

A poem by Nadia van Rijswijk about Aliyah, called "Exodus", based on Isaiah 49.

Exodus (Isaiah 49)

You said You’ll lead Your people, from all over the whole world

Gather them together and ensure they are conserved

You affirmed Your land is their land, and declared You won’t forget

The promises You made, the covenants and all You said

Your made it clear to prophets, but they had no single clue

Of what You meant or how You would make all these things come true

But I see… I’m a witness, for it’s happening today

You’re molding and reshaping every road and route and way

They’re written on Your palm and, Lord, You never let them slip

You beckon the nations to carry them in their arms and on their hips

Lord God this is a marvel, a great wonder… mystery

A riddle and conundrum that confounds and delights me:

How You, throughout the ages, worked out every small detail

Of a plan of rescue – in the future – that would never fail

From north and south and east and west Your ami’s going home

Where, soon, they’ll meet Messiah and bow down before Your throne!

June 18th 2015

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