This Underdog Ag Podcast features a very inspiring story told by Svetlana (Vysotsky) Hensley, wife of Allen Hensley, of Agua Dulce, Texas.
Although she ended up in Texas, Svetlana spent the first five years of her life in Lviv, Ukraine. Then, because of religious persecution (even imprisonment), her parents, Igor and Nadia, fled to the United States with very little money, only the belongings they could carry, each other, and their faith in the risen Christ.
Listen to Svetlana talk about her journey to the United States, that began when she was a tearful child at a train station in the Ukraine. So sad to leave her home, her friends, and her life there, little did she know a church and community in Oklahoma was preparing to welcome the family with open arms.
This story is one of gratitude, humor, endurance, love, and faith. A fitting story to move us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Thank you, Allen Hensley, for recognizing the precious gift your wife and her story are to the world. Thank you, Svetlana, for your willingness to share your journey.
P.S. There are a few surprises along the way in this interview too. Such as, we may know the source of those mysterious crop circles that pop up at times. Also, the power of mowing your lawn and more.
In honor of Svetlana’s father, I am also sharing her father’s obituary below so that the story may live on in the hearts of those who read it:
Igor Fedorovich Vysotsky, age 77, entered through the eternal gates of Heaven peacefully on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in the comfort of his home. Igor is survived by his loving wife, Nadia (Gavrilov) Vysotsky, and his six children, Miroslav Vysotsky (wife Natasha) of Roseville, CA; Lilia Otten (husband James) of Bartlesville, OK; Nelya DeSpain (husband Brady) of Talala, OK; Igor Jr. Vysotsky (wife Lauren) of Cypress, TX; Svetlana Hensley (husband Allen) of Agua Dulce, TX; Isaya Vysotsky (wife Aileen) of Tampa, FL; and 21 grandchildren: Sara, Breyden, Alexis, Emily, Ethyn, Leah, Baylie, Trystan, Mia, Melana, Abram, Jonah, Eli, Miryk, Adelade, Levi, Silas, Kirym, Samuel, Magdalene, and Maverik.
Igor was born on January 25, 1947 in Matsoshyn (village near Lviv) Ukraine to Fedir and Agafia Vysotsky. He was the seventh of their eight children together. Igor attended and graduated from the Matsoshyn school house (completing grades 1-8; and prevented from pursuing higher education because of his Christian beliefs) after which he attended mechanical and technical trade schools where he earned mechanic and electrician certifications. Igor then completed 2 years of compulsory military service and entered the workforce in Lviv Ukraine. This turned out to be a fortunate location for Igor, as he began attending a local home-based church where he met, courted, and married his bride, Nadia, who would remain his life-long spouse for over 54 years, and would be by his side until his last breath on this earth.
As the patriarch of a growing family, Igor worked for various state owned/run enterprises and was often held back from promotions or outright fired for his beliefs and his refusal to live out his Faith in secret. The ongoing persecution for his Christian beliefs strained his ability to provide for his family and he often had two to three menial jobs and drove a gypsy cab during non-working hours to make ends meet.
This was simply the way of life for true Believers under the oppressive regime of the Soviet Union and became a theme of his ongoing struggle for freedom to worship and to live a life that God called him to live. Aside from the “softer” persecution of career and professional development limitations, Igor also experienced direct punishment for playing Christian worship music in the privacy of his own home. He and his pastor were imprisoned for over 40 days after being reported to the authorities by a neighbor. Igor was prepared to serve a much longer sentence but was unexpectedly released without explanation.
Although Igor was able to feed and clothe his children, he and Nadia recognized that it would be a difficult future for their family to build a life they wanted under their circumstances in Ukraine. Together, they made the difficult decision to renounce their citizenship, sell-off or give away most of their possessions, pack up their suitcases with whatever remained, and leave their homeland behind with five children in tow, in pursuit of freedoms of opportunity and above all, the freedom to live and worship their God as He had called them to. They found this freedom in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, having been sponsored by First Assembly of God Church. The Vysotsky family arrived in the USA on November 4, 1989, where they began the second act of their life.
Igor and Nadia embraced the opportunities that America afforded anyone lucky enough to reside inside its borders. They learned a new language, maximized their work opportunities (working just as hard as they had in Soviet Union but reaped the benefits of their labor), became business owners, sponsored other family members to immigrate to the States, raised their five Ukrainian born children and added one American born, and welcomed sons and daughters in law into the family. Above any material gains, Igor and Nadia were blessed with 21 grandchildren whom Igor considered his greatest success and best part of his legacy.
Igor was a man of few words but managed to speak volumes in the way that he lived his life for his children to observe and model after. He lived out his faith by example in his daily devotional time, in reading his Bible, in private prayers and fasting, church attendance and giving. He also taught life skills and deep personal convictions and virtues that his kids have adopted by living those out in the person that he was rather than verbal teaching. He taught the importance of effort, to do tasks the best that one had the capacity to do them, to mind the fine details, the willingness to learn and to try something new, the confidence to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges, the necessity of humor in life, the virtues of sincerity, honesty, justice, gratitude, and servanthood. Igor had a critical eye for detail, offered strong and unfiltered opinions, and quick wit and a dry sense of humor that he employed regularly to entertain himself and those around him; all qualities that have been embraced and adopted by his kids and grandkids.
Igor suffered a stroke in September 2022 that limited his mobility and contributed to his passing on July 3, 2024. He lived a full life and leaves behind a legacy that he could not have imagined during his humble beginnings in the village of Matsoshyn. He lived a life worthy of remembrance. A life that our God called him to live. Igor followed and obeyed and through the many trying times of imprisonment, persecution, loss of earthly possessions, and loss of health, his faith never wavered. He now spends his time in Heaven with the One he loved and trusted all his days on Earth.
Obituary source: https://www.davisfamilyfuneralhome.com/m/obituaries/Igor-Vysotsky/Memories
--
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.
HOST: Kerry Hoffschneider
GUEST: Svetlana Hensley
--
CREDITS:
Mitchell Roush, Producer
Bibi Luevano, Cover Art
Purple Planet Music, Theme
