The children had also been experiencing hate from the village, specifically Alex Jr. Alex Jr. was a very bold six-year-old child who was not afraid to preach the gospel. He once saw his school principal drunk on the streets. Alex told him that it is a sin to be drunk, yet Jesus still loved him. Alex was bullied in and outside of school. Luckily, Aleksandr had a sister who was able to escape to the United States right after the Soviet Union fell. “My sister had been encouraging us to come to America since she heard what was going on. We decided it was time to leave.” The Patsenkos began the immigration process.
While the Patsenkos were waiting for the documents to be finalized, Lubov’s mother sold her house. The Christians found an old and beat-up store to rent to use as a church. They transformed the store into a beautiful and operating church. About a year or two after, with no warning, the police boarded up the doors, making it impossible to enter. When the pastor asked why this was done, the police responded by saying that the church was government property and that their documents were not valid. Everything that was in the church was no longer theirs.
A year after this happened, the Patsenko family was finally allowed to immigrate to America. Lubov remembered how their friends called them crazy for leaving with so little. “We only had $700 and the clothes on our back. When we were getting a ride to the airport, our friend wondered where the rest of our luggage was. I told him that these three suitcases contained a pair of clothing each for our family. He told us we would not be able to survive in America with what we had.”
The process of leaving for America was difficult. Before they could buy plane tickets, the family was supposed to pass a medical check-up. By the time they finished the check-up, there were no available tickets for another month. “I told the lady at the airport that I was not waiting another month. I started praying for God to have mercy on us. And all of a sudden another lady came out and said that there are some spots available on the plane,” Lubov said. “The Lord answered our prayers.” They were finally going to their new home. The United States of America.
On June 14, 1996, Aleksandr and Lubov arrived in Portland, Maine, after landing in New York City. They immediately got to work. They settled down and got their children enrolled in school. It took a lot of time for them to adjust to the new culture and life, not to mention learning an entirely new language.
They both thank God every day for the blessings they have received in the States. Lubov does have some regrets. “As much as I am very thankful and blessed to be here, my heart aches for the family and friends I left behind. I am sorry that I was not able to help them.” Leaving the country that you grew up in takes a lot of strength. Lubov and Aleksandr sacrificed everything they had to keep their children safe. They left behind four of their married daughters and a couple of grandchildren. The technology was not advanced back then, especially not in their village. It was hard to keep in contact with loved ones. Thankfully they were able to reunite with two of their daughters after they immigrated to America with their own families. Aleksandr and Lubov have since then peacefully retired and are very thankful to have escaped Kazakhstan. “In the hard times, I looked up to my husband. I could not have done it without him,” Lubov said.
