News and Information

February 12, 2025  

My name is Christina Maniakina. I am 18. I used to live in Donetsk region with my parents and brother, but since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we were forced to move to a safer place. Entering the seminary, I also found a new home, because I have nowhere else to go now. My parents live in one of Lviv churches. 

I was 8, when the war first began in Donbas, so I know very little about a peaceful life. Still, my parents tried to make our childhood as happy as possible. I love my parents very much. 

I am a responsible person, my friends can rely on me. It’s important for me to be an easy-going person, for I like to make friends. I have visited church since my childhood. At age 10-11, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the gift of speaking tongues. That was when God touched my soul in a special way. In 2022, I received water baptism. 

Sometimes it is quite hard for me to believe and keep trusting the Lord in the midst of the war, seeing all those atrocities that happen. But I realize that only God can stop this war and that having close relationship with Him is very important. So, I came to the seminary, because this is a place, where young Christians grow, mature, and study together. Here I can study and practice ministry. Because I know that I am called to serve people. I remember the first days of the full-scale invasion. So many people left our town, but so many stayed. And those children needed at least a little bit of happiness in their lives. So, we started serving them by organizing day-time camps. Sometimes we had to hide in the bomb shelter, sometimes we heard explosions all around, but we kept serving. And this is what I want to do – to serve people. And I believe that I can learn how to do it here, at the seminary. 

Congratulations to Christina for being selected for this award. A scholarship was created in Stan’s name that goes to a seminary student at L'viv Theological Seminar in honour of Master's Foundation founder, Stan Watrich