Habakkuk 2:4 "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith."

1. A cursed life of hate and self-condemnation.

My name is Ruth Ushomirsky. I was born in 1982 in Ukraine. I was the second child to a family of teachers. Because of poverty my parents quarreled. My father beat my mother. I was afraid that she might die. I asked her to divorce him. I hated my dad. I even wanted him to die. To release my pain I hurt others. Since my early years the goal of my life was to find an appropriate husband. I dreamed of a romantic foreigner. I hoped that my life would change when I entered Kyiv National University chemical department, but nothing changed. I still hated my father and hated and condemned myself. In the sixth month of my student life I was disappointed at people and studies and lost any sense of meaning in my life. I didn't attend my classes and missed my exams. I constantly compared myself with other girls and envied their beauty. Trying to compensate for a lack of love, I ate and slept a lot. But I couldn't find peace for my soul.

2. The new blessed life – life of faith.

When I was deepest in despair, God invited me to Bible study. Jesus entered my heart at the Spring Bible Conference 2000 through John 8:11, "'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" They were the best words I had ever heard. I found forgiveness for my evil desires at the cross of Jesus. My conscience was freed from guilt and condemnation. So I could forgive my father. Jesus gave me his purity. He was the one I had been looking for all my life. His love healed my heart and quenched my thirst.

While studying Genesis 12:2 with Sh. Rebekah, who became a missionary to Turkey, God gave me a hope and vision: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." I wanted only to have a happy family. However, God wants to make me into a source of blessing for many people.

In 2005 God established my family with Sh. Ilya, the best husband I could ever dream of. God fulfilled my dream to marry a foreigner. But he is not romantic at all, which is much better for me. Our key verse is 1 Pet. 2:5 "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." During the last 3 years of waiting training, I learned to live by faith and to love God with all my heart, and not his blessings. I pray that God may use our house church as living stones and a blessing for world mission.

I thank God that he called me to be a shepherdess and a Bible teacher. I could study the Bible with one faithful sister, Lena. At first it was hard for me to study with her, because she is a little older than me and always wanted to teach me but because of my pride I didn't want to allow her to do it. But God raised both of us through our Bible study. I thank God for his faithfulness to bless us to finish John's Bible study, in spite of my unfaithfulness.

When I forgot his promises and looked at my weaknesses, I lost this assurance and burning desire. But I thank God that through the World Mission Report in Germany he renewed my faith and vision. He gave me one word, Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I pray to receive the Holy Spirit and by his strength to be a brave witness of Jesus and an excellent Bible teacher with fluent English. I thank God for his divine love and for the many prayers of my shepherds: M. Dr. Peter and Sarah Kim, M. Point and Rebekah Levitsky, and M. Joseph and Maria Ahn. May God make Ukraine a missionary sending nation. May God make America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. May God bless Purdue conference with the mighty work of the Holy Spirit.