Alexey and Tanya

     We were both born in 1980. Now we can say that we are happy people. Both of us serve in the rehabilitation centre "Salvation" and we know what we live for. We are happy to have the opportunity to help people. Things have not always been this way though. We used to be drug addicts and only lived to come up with money, no matter which way, to buy drugs. Every single day was like the previous one. Almost no friends left - a drug addict can not have friends after all. The hope for our lives to ever change had been long gone.
     We learnt about a rehabilitation centre where drug addicts were helped. So, we went there from different cities (Tatiana lived in Surgut and Aleksey in Tobolsk) and were shocked with what we saw. The girls and guys, the former drug addicts, worked, sang and rejoiced. Their eyes radiated a great desire to live and hope for what they had done to remain in the past.
     The center workers, however, was what amazed us most. All of them were the center's alumni. What kept them in the center passed our understanding. They were not paid and lived with us in the woods in difficult conditions. Nevertheless, they could always make each of us feel supported and encouraged. We went through rehabilitation, internship and stayed in the Center to serve by helping those who we used to be like. We made good friends and found it nice being around each other. Aleksey was always there to help, encourage and support me. He proposed to me shortly and we got married.
     We had a daughter in a year and named her Darya which means "given by God". Indeed, she is our most precious gift. We live and serve in the "Salvation" Center, tell people about God's love and that there is a way out and hope for the better. This place is very special to us because here we found freedom and met each other.