The Heirloom by MARIYA WIENS


The following story is about the faith of a few women who impacted the faith of future generations. They persevered in the faith despite the push back of the communist gov- ernment during the time when it was not acceptable for people to study the Bible or live out their faith actively. The Bible used by Mariya Wiens, is the same Bible passed down through gen- erations of faithful women. — Editor “Mariya, come here!” My little sister excitedly called. I looked up from my stud- ies. “What happened?”


“Remember Mom told


us about the old Bible? You know, the one that was Grandma’s? Well, she got it back!” (It had been given to my great-uncle and had “dis- appeared” after his death.)


I left my books and


hurried down the stairs. On the kitchen table I saw the bible!


Mariya Arkova, circa 1950s It was quite large and about 3.5 inches thick. The pages


were yellowed with time; torn and tattered from much han- dling. Some parts of that precious book were lost and would never be seen again. But what fascinated me more than anything were the words, or even more, the language used.


I attempted to read a few lines and


then stopped, realizing that I did not understand the script. Turning to John 3:16, I stared at the text with fascina- tion. Instead of the modern “” (God in Russian), the letters were different. The type of alphabet used revealed that the Bible I was holding in my hands was printed over 100 years ago! How were we sup- posed to use the book now, when the trans- lation and language used have long since slipped into disuse?


Even though we


could no longer effec- tively study Scripture from this ancient Bible, it still held another, much more precious value. It was a symbol. A symbol of the strong


faith the Lord had preserved in my fam- ily — a power that withstood the test of persecution, poverty, and depression.


When my mom was a child, she


did not spend her Sundays in church like I have done for years. Not only were children not allowed to go to church, but an adult who gave them any reli- gious education could face persecution. During the 1950s, in order to stop little ones from coming, a policeman would appear at the church door from time to time. Because of this, members of the church came up with an idea. They could gather the kids at one of their homes and have a “birthday party” — in reality a Sunday School class. These weekly celebrations were a source


Melanya (leſt) with her daughter Mariya in 1962.


FELLOWSHIP FOCUS, APRIL/MAY 2021 12


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