One80: Testimonies of Transformation

93: Red Scarf Rebellion: Trading Communism for Faith, Svetlana Khomiak (Ukraine)

• OneWay Ministries • Season 4 • Episode 93

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What happens when a young woman raised under communist atheism begins to question why authorities are so afraid of a God they claim doesn't exist? 

Join us for Svetlana Khomiak's remarkable journey from Soviet indoctrination to profound faith in this powerful testimony.

Growing up in Ukraine during the height of communism, Svetlana experienced the full force of atheist teaching—"no God, beautiful life" was the constant refrain. But a summer stay with her grandmother, who secretly hosted worship services in her rural home, planted seeds of curiosity that would eventually lead to an extraordinary encounter. Following a mysterious, supernatural guidance—worship music that only she could hear—Svetlana was led directly to a secret house church hidden in an apartment building, defying all logical explanation.

Refusing to wear the red communist scarf, see the consequences of Svetlana's newfound faith and strong conviction, from persecution to a communist household transforming with God's power.

Whether you're facing opposition for your beliefs or simply curious about how faith survives under extreme pressure, Svetlana's story reminds us that God will always lead genuine seekers to ultimate truth. As she quotes from Matthew 5:10, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Helpful links:

Prayercast Ukraine

Matthew 7:7-8

Matthew 5:10

Postwar Soviet Ukraine a brief history

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OneWay Ministries

Syd Berenyi:

Welcome to 180, transforming testimonies from next door to across the globe. Be amazed at how God works to bring people to himself. Share today's 180 with a friend. It might be the best news they hear today.

Svetlana Khomiak:

And one day I go in the main street, very big street, and I pray and I said today is Sunday, I want to be with your people and I pray and walk in the street and I hear big choir, orchestra music in my mind.

Margaret Ereneta:

Svetlana Komiak grew up in communist Ukraine under atheist indoctrination, but when she searched for the truth she found music to her ears, literally. This is your host, margaret Aronetta. Welcome to Svetlana's 180.

Svetlana Khomiak:

and poor and time was hard for everyone. My parents worked so hard for giving to us everything for life, for we enjoy life, but they don't have enough time for teach us. So most time we stay in the school and school teach us about no God and teach us in communist vision.

Margaret Ereneta:

You'll see in Svetlana's story that the atheist message was that you don't need God. There is actually no God and the government in the schools was the theology and the moral authority at that time and every place where you go.

Svetlana Khomiak:

It's that without God, beautiful life. We have a lot of activity in a school, we have pioneer clubs and we sing. I was and I was happy. But every time, whatever we do, they always say no God and everything's perfect without God. So why we talk about exist and that is make me looking for God. I start thinking why people afraid God and teach us no God.

Svetlana Khomiak:

To find God in my country is not easy because time for persecuted Christian most churches is closed, no Bible, no preacher. It was hard time to find God but when you look for God from all heart you always find. One day in the summertime my parents took me to my grandma in a small village. It's pretty far away from my city. My grandma, when we have war, german Christian people stay in my grandma's house and my grandma accepts Jesus and she opens her house because Christian people persecute and most preachers sit in a prison so nobody wants to open house for worship to God. But my grandma, she was old and she did not go to prison so she opened house People because parents stay in the prison. Kids they come in my grandma's house and they do worship, they pray. That was a very hard time and my grandma. She read the Bible and she explained to me who is God and teach me about God. Neighbors came to grandma's house and they do worship to God. Came to grandma's house and they do worship to God, because church is close but people want to pray together, worship together, and everyone came in my grandma's house. I learned how people worship God, how people love God. I saw that light in the eyes and I started thinking I would like to be like that.

Svetlana Khomiak:

But summertime is over and I come back to my city. I very would like to find in my city same people like my grandma, but it's not easy because nobody say I'm Christian, because Christian people must be in a prison. So I start pray to God. When I was in grandma's house they give me New Testament and I start to pray and in Matthew 7, 7 said seek God and you will find Knock and they open. So when I reading that words I say God, you said seek and I seek. I looking for you.

Svetlana Khomiak:

And one day I go in the main street, very big street, and I pray and I said today is Sunday, I want to be with your people and I pray and walk in the street and I hear big choir, orchestra music in my mind and I just walk and listen that music. It's Christian music, worship music. And I walk and listen and I walk. I don't know how I walk, how long I walk, but I go in one house in the fourth floor and I knock to the door. People opened for me and said who are you? I said I am from God and my God told me that is the place where people worship to God.

Svetlana Khomiak:

That was a conspiracy house. People decide they don't want to reveal it, so they don't want to invite me in the house because they think maybe I'm a spy and police coming with me. But I start to say God, tell me your address, can I come please? And they opened the door. They were very shocked and I'm shocked too.

Svetlana Khomiak:

And that was place where people worship God. And I say God, you said, seek me and you can find. It's amazing, I did this and I found your people. It's a miracle because it's not in the orchestra, it's nobody's sin, it's my brain, it's. I just walk and I just go and I just find.

Svetlana Khomiak:

But people was very quiet and people quite pray. Nobody's sin, because neighbors will be called to police and I pray too, because neighbors will be called to police. And I pray too and I say God, thank you, I found you and I found a place to worship to you. That first time I have experience to see God. I would like to next week come in again in that place to worship to God, but they change location and I'm missing many, many Sundays. I can't find the place where they go and I just read in Bible what I have and learn who is God. And it was amazing time to learn God. I read in Bible. I not understand many things, but Holy Spirit teach me and now, when I looking back everything what I learn in that time it's right.

Margaret Ereneta:

So now she goes from that secret conscription house that changes location every week and can't find it, to an official registered church of the state, which is very different.

Svetlana Khomiak:

But we still have a church. It's a registration church. So my second step I'm looking for registration because I need church. So my second step I looking for registration because I need church. And I found that registration Baptist church and I start worship with the people. They have rules in it no kids in the church, no sin, no reading Bible. They take your Bible. So that's why people go from that church and start worship to God in a house.

Svetlana Khomiak:

My parents they don't like for I reading Bible, I reading Bible, not at home. I just go someplace for nobody see I reading Bible and my grandma die and I came in a funeral. My and I repent in a funeral. Holy Spirit touched my heart and I learned I can't live like this anymore and I make decision Life with God. It's amazing and I want to be with God. That was my repent. I accept God in my heart when I make choice. All pressure is gone, worriedness gone, I have peace, I have joy, I have happiness and I start new life. When I came from my grandma's house I don't want to wear a red scarf because it's uniform, communist uniform, and I was different. I was changed.

Margaret Ereneta:

So the change in Svetlana is very apparent right away, because this red scarf is the symbol of communism in her country and she wants a new uniform and she is not going to fit in and fitting in is part of the culture in this society. So we'll see what happens.

Svetlana Khomiak:

And I even changed my clothes I don't want communist clothes and they start to persecute me. They try every day to put this card for me and I every day say I'm sorry, I can't wear this. I'm new person. That was hard in school because every student, every teacher, they try talk to me. You're not normal person. You should do like everyone and Christian people. It's not normal people. You should be like our country. You should go to college. You should have easy life, beautiful life, happy life. But when you go to Christian, you don't have easy life. You will have hard life. And I said my God don't say we have easy life. Life is not easy. And when you follow Jesus, jesus said they persecute me, they persecute my kids and I. When I follow Jesus, I need to be like Jesus in everything. Teacher put low grade always. It's not fair. And students always make like a comic for you and a teacher always say oh, svetlana, she is not normal, she's supposed to be like everyone. Right now, something happened with her.

Svetlana Khomiak:

My parents. They start persecute me because they don't like it for I follow God. My parents have education. That is number one for them and when I start to live a godly life, you can stay in university because when they know you're Christian, you need to be out. That was why my parents started to persecute me and they told me Svetlana, please finish and then you can believe. Finish school and then you can do whatever you want. When I was in college, my teacher told me you can't be Christian. You need to make a choice college or God. Of course I accept God, not college. So, teacher decide to push my parents, use my parents. They invite my mom and have meeting in a college with my mom and they start to teach my mom where's your daughter? She go in a coat. That is very dangerous. They do sacrifice people.

Margaret Ereneta:

You'll find this type of persecution in countries that are hostile to Christianity. They often prevent Christians from going to university or they even revoke their degrees, and then they can't work. It's really sad and it happens a lot.

Svetlana Khomiak:

And my mom. She was very worried. Is that true? I say no, mom. My Jesus is love. He don't want sacrifice, he loves and he fills me with love and with joy and I'm very happy for you. With love and with joy, holy Spirit fill me and I start singing from my heart for everyone in the world. I live with Him. I don't regret it. How happy I am that he is with me. My friend, when my mom see how I happy, how I sin, she believe me and she start to cry and Holy Spirit start touching my mom and my mom accept Jesus. It's amazing what God did this. Holy Spirit touched her and she accepted Jesus. When we came home, my mom started to go to the church. So when we came back home, we were like two Christian persons and my daddy was watching us. He said, okay, you can go to church, but I'm very happy for Svetlana to finish college, but I can't because teacher every Sunday stay by church and watching me.

Margaret Ereneta:

So the story thickens here. Svetlana is not actually able to go to church because her professor is going to the church watching her. How sad.

Svetlana Khomiak:

I told them I stop go to church, but I don't say how long I stop to go to church. When I came to church I saw my teacher and she said, Svetlana, you said you stop go to church and I said yes, but I don't tell you how long I stopped. I was missing one church, but this time I came with my mom. My mom wanted to go to church. Do you want to go to church? Let's go with me. But my teacher was very upset. That was sad. I found church. I go to church be singing in the choir player orchestra. I was married and have my kids and god very blessed us. But after that my daddy except god, mom, sister except god, my grandma accept God. Most my family they was communist family Light turn darkness in my family and most people accept God. That is amazing how far, how powerful it's God and all communist people in my family. They go to heaven to see.

Margaret Ereneta:

God. In closing, we asked Svetlana to give advice to others who are being persecuted right now and of course, she went right to the Bible.

Svetlana Khomiak:

Jesus said don't worry when they persecute you. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for this is the kingdom of heaven. That is words from Matthew 5, 10. That's what Jesus said to us. We are blessed when we persecute for righteousness, because our kingdom in heaven, god, thank you so much for your beautiful God, your amazing God, and I just thank you what you do in our life. I thank you, god, what you did in my life, and I just ask you for your blessing. That words and for that words will be help for somebody, for people not afraid, persecuted for righteousness because our life in heaven. In your name, we pray, amen, amen.

Margaret Ereneta:

Thanks for listening today. Join us as we pray for the people of Ukraine with PrayerCast.

Syd Berenyi:

The link is in the show notes 180 is brought to you by One Way Ministries. No-transcript.

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Ryan Henry

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