People Stories – Anastasia
As I read the recent news stories about the conflict between
Russia and Ukraine and Crimea, I remember the adage that there are always two
sides (at least) to a story. We see the news reports and cringe when one bigger
country invades another smaller country or annexes part of a small country
because the first is bigger. Why does
that happen? What is the purpose? And more importantly, how does that affect people’s
daily lives.
As always at the end of summertime in Beijing, we meet lots
of people who come over to teach or to study.
Meet our new friend Anastasia. She comes from Crimea, pronounced /kraɪˈmiːə/. When
she told us she’s from Crimea, I first thought of Ukraine. Isn’t Crimea that
peninsula in Ukraine? Well, it was until Russia annexed it in 2014 into the
Russian Federation. Anastasia doesn’t say she’s from Ukraine; she tells us that
she’s from Crimea. So we receive new lessons in geography and cultures.
But how do all the politics affect daily life? Imagine a
person from the US who can fly to any country in the world. Few countries would
deny an American the freedom to choose where to vacation, where to study, where
to go (assuming proper visas). Now imagine a person who wants to go to another
country or region - America, Australia, Europe, anywhere - but can’t due to
economic sanctions. She can only go to either India or China. Imagine pursuing
university studies then in the middle of your student career the government
changes the plans and stops offering your major. What do you do then? Anastasia
planned to study English interpretation and translation but instead changed to
English Education. Now imagine a 21-year-old university graduate, fluent in
Russian and English, conversant in Spanish, moving to China to teach English to
kindergarten children.
Anastasia tells us that many people in Crimea appreciate the
Russian influence that has raised workers’ wages, increased their pensions, and
paved potholed roads. Yet in other ways, life became much more difficult
because of the Western sanctions against Russia. Limited travel, fewer goods
& services, water & electricity shortages, 80% inflation. For example,
McDonald’s pulled out of Crimea as a result of the economic sanctions that also
pushed out suppliers and major credit card companies. Many people regard having
McDonald’s as a sign of economic progress.
As Anastasia told her life story to us, we learned much of
God’s grace in her life. Her family in Crimea attends a faithful church
pastored by an American. At a young age, she lost her mother and still tears up
when speaking of her. Her father has since remarried and continues to pass on faith
in JC to his family.
