We receive regular news from our dear Matushka Maria Bocharova. She shares everything: both joys and sorrows. It is very encouraging that we have not a formal connection, but true Christian love. Of course, these letters are addressed first of all to all those who support them during this long, difficult period. We publish them so that our donors get to know our families better. All the matushkas pray for those who help them and leave them to their problems and difficulties.

«For a year now we have been living in the church of St. John of Kronstadt in the village of Koltushi, Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad region. We were invited by Archpriest Artemy Litvinov, the rector of the church, God bless him. He did not leave us in a difficult situation. Here at the temple I work in the refectory and in the bakery. This year I went to study as a seamstress, of course the training is costly, requiring additional expenses in addition to tuition. I require equipment (machine, overlock, ironing device), as well as fabric in order to work. I really want to learn to sew vestments. It is my dream. But, everything is God’s will. My daughter also needs money to study, and not only to study, my daughter is growing, and with her growth grows her needs. I need a new computer, because the previous one is already old, and now it is necessary to study. There is distance learning. And also additional education, paid courses, tutors, and everything else is very expensive. My mom also lives with us. She is a «2nd group invalid.» She has a heart condition, but she helps at the temple as much as she can, as much as her strength allows. Medicines are our constant companions, we can’t do without them. I was not known for my good health before, and after the death of my husband, all my ailments became more acute. Your help is very tangible for us, God bless you all with good health. We fall prostrate to you for what you are doing. I’m sorry, maybe I wrote it wrong somehow, but I’m not an eloquent person. Your help was especially tangible during the pandemic, when there was no work.»

«Good day, dear Mrs. Yulia [Sysoesva]. I just received your book about Father Daniel and the holy myrrh. Everything is just right. I was sick for the second day, so the Lord sent me all this for healing. I immediately anointed myself. Thank you my dear for your work, for your help and for your care for us unworthy. May God grant you bodily health and spiritual salvation. God bless you.»

«By the grace of God, we are fine, we live Thank God. There is nothing new. We are still working hard, our daughter is studying, soon we will be on vacation. In the summer, if God gives us a vacation, we will go to visit the grave of Fr. Roman, this year we need to finish it, we decided to fix the fence (the place there allows us to do this) and lay tiles. Last year we failed to do this. These are our plans.»

«Dear Matushka, we thank you for your help, this good deed that you do helps us a lot to live in this harsh world, where a lot of things depend on finances. My daughter began treatment of teeth, having problems not with one, but with several at once, and it is very expensive. Your help is very, very helpful here. Living in this world, I sometimes fall into despair at the thought that we are very dependent on finances, especially when it comes to health. To get to a free doctor has become very problematic, there is a month’s wait, so we have to turn to paid doctors. It’s horrible what’s going on. God sends us these trials, and I the sinful one sometimes lacks humility. But thank God for everything, look around, and others have it even worse. Thank God we live and work at the temple, and it is very strengthening. My daughter goes to school, everything is normal, but more and more I realize how much she misses daddy. Daughters are always dads’ daughters, and they listen to their dads more. But that’s okay, I guess it’s our cross. I still work in the refectory, and in the first week of Lent, the Lord allowed me to go to the choir, thank God for everything. Dear Matushka, once again accept our prostration, may God bless you and through the Mother of God’s prayers. We pray for you and your family, and we remember the bishop in our prayers for his repose. Now it is the time of Great Lent and we have resumed reading the psalms again. We remember you all. God’s help to you and a prostration to you.»