Bible Verse “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.” –Psalm 135:3

Dear Grandchildren,

In the summer of 1936, when I was 18, I went to stay with my mother for a while in a town named Lutsk. That same summer I met a young fellow named Leonid Nikolishyn, who asked me to marry him. He was a Ukrainian Christian, a poet, and sang very good tenor. Often we were asked to sing duets in churches so we got acquainted that way.

He was almost twelve years older than me. I didn’t want to marry him, because I was planning on going to nursing school. My mother didn’t like him and would say, “He doesn’t want to marry a student! He wants a wife, and look how old he is!” So we just kept on being friends.

My mother lived about three houses from our church. The minister, Mr. Timoshenko, was young and his wife had a baby that same summer. Often times I would run over to see if I could help with the baby. One day they had a visitor from another city visiting them. The visitor’s name was Mr. Sacevich, and he was scouting several different churches to see if he could find one missing soprano for the choir that was to leave for America.

Just as I entered the room where they were sitting, the minister, said, “Here is Jadzia. She can sing. Why don’t you try her voice?”

Mr. Sacevich told me, “We would pay your travelling expenses if you would be willing to come to our national conference in Kobryn and try out for the choir.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and of course, I would like that! But to be fair to a woman named Miss Jankovska who always sang solos of the most difficult pieces, Mr. Timoshenko suggested that the two of us go, and the judges would decide for themselves that one should be included in the choir.

August came up very fast, and both Miss Jankovska and I boarded the same bus that was going up north to where the conference was to meet. To Miss Jankovska, to think that I was placed on the same level with her was a big joke. She was twenty-nine, and better and more experienced in everything, including singing. She was so very positive of being chosen, that all the way on the bus she made me feel naive and like a big fool.

At last she remarked, “Well, when our choir goes through Warsaw, would you want me to stop at the orphanage and give your regards to the girls?”

I said “Yes, that would be nice,” and kept quiet, hurting like anything inside.

When she got off the bus she said, “Goodbye. We won’t be traveling together again,” And off she went.

The next stop was Kobryn, but since the conference was international and many people would be there, they rented a big barn away from town. There was no other transportation to this place except by horses and wagon. I had to walk five miles to get there. It was a very windy day, and I was walking against the wind.

After a couple miles of walking and fighting the wind, I wanted to sit down and rest for a while. I took out my lunch to eat, and just as I was unwrapping my sandwich, an elderly lady sat down beside me. I shared my lunch with her, and we got up and for another couple of miles, she was my traveling companion. I told her that I was going to America. I really don’t know why I said that. Maybe because Miss Jankovska was so sure of herself, I decided to be just as sure for myself. The elderly lady said that she would pray for me, that I really would go to America, and that made me feel so much better, after hearing all morning just the opposite.

For another mile, I had to walk all by myself, because the other woman’s road kept going straight, while I had to go through the fields on a narrow path until I got to the farm where the big barn was located. As I walked, I admired the beauty all around me. The fields were so colorful with all the different colors of green, yellow and red. As I was nearing the barn, I heard the choir practicing some of the songs. I stood and listened. It sounded beautiful—too beautiful to describe… —Grandma Nadzia

Questions

1. Miss Jankovska said hurtful things to Nadzia. How did Nadzia respond to her rudeness?

2. God gave Nadzia a beautiful singing voice to sing His praises. How else can you glorify God?

3. Even though Miss Jankovska thought Nadzia would never make it to America, God had other plans for her. Nadzia lives in America now! Do you believe that God also has great plans for your life?