Ladies and Gentlemen, as always, I'm your host, Mr. Whiskey, and today is an interesting episode. It's not our usual content. It's kind of like Civilians vs. Nukes, only This time we have someone visiting from far away, I'd like to say, and she is here to show us how home is where the heart is.
It's not about material objects and where we live, but it's about the people that we spend time with. It's all about love and connecting with other people. So here is Alexa, not with an X, but with a K from Ukraine. Currently in the States now, correct? So she's here to talk about her book that is coming out tomorrow.
So exciting. And eventually a podcast. So Alexa, tell us all about that. Yeah. Hi everyone. Uh, thank you so much for invitation. Yes, I'm from Ukraine and I have been in USA one year. And I changed three countries for life, because as you know, war started in my country, like full invasion, but originally war started in 2014 on some parts of our country, and two years ago, it was like, yeah, like full invasion.
Yeah. And can you tell us, um, how, how did that feel? So were you like sitting home and you just saw on the news that it was happening or how did you hear about it? Oh, no, all country hear about it because we heard it like I woke up at four o'clock in the morning, uh, 24th of February, because I started to hear, you know, this, uh, airplanes like that fly very fast.
Wow. Yeah. And bombing, so they fly somewhere close to our house where we lived, and I lived on the ninth floor, and sound was extremely loud, and I woke up and just know in my heart that war started. Some people heard, uh, bombing, shootings, like, It was, like, you don't need news for that. You just know that it started.
That's how I woke up at four o'clock in the morning and I just know that I know that I know that it's work. So my friend lived with me that time and we just started to pack all stuff and waiting when they can go. So, and at that moment, I know that I will never back in this apartment when I lived before.
And yeah, so it was interesting moment because in my heart, I just tell bye to everything. Um, yeah, but I can't tell that I was ready. I just, um, I just need, I just know that I need to do that. Yeah. And so did your town that you were living in get attacked or did you evacuate and leave? Before I got attacked.
Uh, no, I evacuated first day. So when it started, I just, um, we pack everything that we could. I took one backpack with documents and because I have charity organization, had charity organization and business. I just put everything in backpack, all documents, uh, signs and, uh, stamps. Uh, and in other bag, I packed my clothes.
And I didn't took a lot because we didn't know maybe someone was shooting on the road. Like we was absolutely in fear. We just, uh, knows that we need to start to move to the border and just leave the country. Yeah. So I moved in Thursday and 48 hours. We drive way for eight hours because, uh, all roads was blocked and we couldn't move fast.
So that's why, uh, I drive to this town almost 48 hours. And after, uh, we waited three days and I moved to Italy. So we waited for three days for the bus and moved to the Italy Bergamo. So it was like my first shelter where I was. And I can tell that I started to move because in 2014 when I visited Donetsk region, Eastern Ukraine, I saw what was happened and what Russians do with this part of Ukraine, and it was awful.
I just know that it will be long. If they will start, like, full invasion, it will be long, it will be horrible. And if I want to build my life or anything in my life, I just need to move. I haven't it in my heart to stay in Ukraine. I know that some people have it like a mission in their life, but I felt that it's not my mission to be there.
I felt that I have other mission and I need to move to fulfill it. Right. And so do you plan on ever going back to Ukraine once everything is Settled down and recovery starts and all of that. Do you plan on going back one day? No, I don't because I'm not sure that it's finished fast and I don't want leave not for life, I can't change this situation.
Like, really, I can't, I can't influence some of these, I can't, uh, do something for these. Right. Uh, that's why, like, my choice is to leave where I live now and build my life. Uh, that's why I'm here in USA now and I build my life. I know that people that wait, it's very hard because two years they wait to back, not build their lives, not have profession of their language.
Right. Right. Nothing and they just in stress all the time. And yeah, I know that it's hard, especially for people who lost a lot of family members, but like, we can't stop. Like if we will stop, we will die. Like for me, and I'm like very active for me. It's really hard. Like some people can't wait. I can't, that's why I'm doing more than, um, whatever I can.
Yeah. Yeah. You know, because The truth of it is we don't know how long y'all will be waiting. You could be waiting forever and you don't want to just miss out on life and kind of almost give up life on the chance that something will change. And it's not about not to help. Like I have this, um, desire in my heart to support Ukrainians.
And I support, I still work in one of charity organization in Ukraine and we feed 200, uh, old ladies in Ukraine. every month. So like I still involved in charity and in my heart is support entrepreneurs because in Ukraine I had my own business and I helped to projects to charity organization. I teach how to do fundraising campaigns.
Um, and that's why in my heart is to support, is to support Ukraine entrepreneurs. And that's why Somewhere, you know, like everything, what I'm doing now is to build my life in that way so that I can support in the future and maybe rebuild Ukraine because it, war should stop one day, we just don't know when, um, but I still have this desire to help of course.
Yeah. And so you escaped from Ukraine to Italy, you said, and then how did you end up in America and why did you transition over here? Yeah, it's an interesting story because I lived in Italy for one month, and, um, I decided to move to Romania because in Italy, they don't know English language, and you need to know Italian language, and because I was in such stress, I couldn't learn any language.
Right. And in Romania, like I had a crowdfunding platform in Ukraine before, and I worked with, um, one person who is my, who was like my business partner and investor, and their family, they lived, they are from USA originally, but they lived in Ukraine, uh, 13 years. And when war started, they moved in Romania, all their family in Cluj Napoca.
It's down like three hours from Ukraine border in mountains. And he invited me to work with him in charity. And of course I tell yes, because I realized that I can do anything in Italy. Like they gave us the government gave, it's even not government. It was. a charity organization, a Catholic church. They gave us an apartment in a small village, almost one hour from the town, like 40 minutes from the town.
But it was such a small town and you can't go in a big one, uh, because we haven't enough. Possibilities to do that and we was afraid to spend any money. We didn't know what is next And that's why like for me. It was blocked in small village without language without any possibility for a job because uh in Europe people don't like refugees.
It's very hard to build life. Yeah So that's why i'm just like no, I can't stay here. And You When I had this proposal, I just moved in Romania and lived there nine months. I said that I will stay in Romania. I didn't want to be in rush, build something huge because I was still in all this stress and it was a little hard.
Not a little, it was really hard. And thanks God we had a psychologist there that worked with us. So we have a group of Ukraine, Ukrainian ladies. Um, like my age and we have like group therapy and I have my own therapy. I just realized that if I will not work with my heart, with my mind, with my inner home.
Yeah. Uh, I just will, I, I, I will not move anywhere. So that's why I decided to work with myself to work in charity, help doing. What I know and after the site. So after, um, like seven months, I decided to move to USA. And why I decided to do that because I don't know Romanian language. It's really hard language and you talk and try to build friendship like any relationships even business with not native speakers.
I mean, not native English speakers and I'm not English speaker, not native English speaker. So that's why it was so hard to build. Even friendship, we just couldn't give all emotions and everything. So that's why I realized that I need to go in country, uh, with English language. And because I had some friends in USA and know some people, I just felt more comfortable to move here.
Yeah. And you speak pretty good English. When did you learn English? Because it sounds like you knew it for quite a while now before the war started. Yeah, because of my project, uh, almost three years before war started, I worked with this family, uh, Americans, yeah, that I told that they're invested in my project.
So that's why I started to speak English more, but I learned English in the school and from young age. That's good. Yeah. So you escaped Ukraine, you escaped the hardships of war, but then you were met with this whole new world of hardships, which was. I mean, just being in a place where you didn't speak the language, didn't understand the money, the, the way the culture worked and almost were outcasted from everyone.
And so then you ended up in America. And how have you found it being a, you know, I'll say a refugee in America. Have you found it, have people been welcoming or has it been kind of difficult for you? Like, do you feel outcasted at all? Um, no, actually it was. Pretty easy I can tell because Okay. It was a special program in the US for Ukrainians.
Um, the name of this program, U four U United, uh, for Ukraine. Okay. And, um, in this program, uh, they gave possibility to, came for two years and gave food stamp. Medicaid and, um, because Lutheran service, it's like one charity organization. They helped a lot of Ukrainians and they helped me. They helped me to organize all the documents.
So I had my social security number, fast Medicaid, full stamp, and they gave me during three months money for Uber. That's why I could move and try to find a job. So. And when I moved to USA, I decided I will join all Christian networkings, business networkings, because I know that a Christian culture, I'm from Christian culture.
So for me, I know that these people will talk to me and will help me because I know that I can find a help in So I started to attend all business, Christian business networkings. And start to met really good people that helped me, but very interesting story, how I move exactly in Lali, uh, because it's like a miracle story and some people just laughing on this story, because when I decided to move in USA, I had some friends in Charlotte, Atlanta and Pennsylvania.
So I asked them if they can help me, but because they help during almost. Yeah. They was busy. Their house was full and they tell like, Oh my gosh, let's give us time. We will find someone. And during they tried to find someone, one of my friends sent me application from one charity organization in North Carolina.
And she told me, Oh, I know that you looking, um, for hosting family because to move in the USA, you need for someone invites. Right. You are sponsored. Yeah. So, and she sent me this form. I was not serious with this form because I don't know who these people. So I filled this form, just bring coffee, you know, and just answer questions and just send this application thing, forget about this.
And in a couple of weeks, uh, one guys that live here in Bali and with his family, they helped a lot of Ukrainians find hosting families. So he found me and tell, Hey, please come in Raleigh. Uh, here is one family, they are your age, and they have a room, and they so much want to help, and I think it's a match, please come here.
And I think, oh my gosh, Raleigh, what is it? Where is it? Like, I didn't know even barely. And I found that it's only two hours from Shoah. Yeah, and I told him, Oh, please, let's wait a little bit. I wait to answer from my friends. So he waited one week and wrote me again, please, can I organize the meeting with this family?
You would love them. So he organized this meeting. I talked to these guys and say it was really cool and young and like, it was really nice and they haven't kids. So they have rooms. They can invite me. And I told him, Sam, please wait one week because my friends still search. And of course, for me, it's easier to go to my friends.
So they waited one week. We have one more meeting together. And, um, they told me, so what do you want to come to us? And I'm just, please, can we wait one more week? So almost in four weeks, they just like waiting for me, like two weeks or three weeks more. And after I just started, because my friends told me, okay, just come, you're alone, we will find something for you.
And I think, oh my gosh, no, I can't just come to nowhere. And in my heart, I told, okay, who will send me a picture of my room? I will go to this place. And can you imagine something like in a couple hours or 20 minutes, I don't know, but it was very fast. Exactly in the day when I told it in my heart, this family from Raleigh sent me a picture of my room and they told me, Oh, by the way, we forget to send a picture of your room.
And I just, Oh my gosh. Okay. And I told him, okay, I'm going to you. And that's how I fled here. I didn't know anyone. I just, um, I just felt that this right decision, because Uh, I know where you're going, I know this family and yeah, so it was really. Yeah, it was the best solution, but it's still funny for a lot of people.
Like I moved somewhere who sent me a picture of my room, you know, so. Yeah. And are you still with the host family or have you moved out on your own now? No, no. I lived with them seven months. They are amazing. We have very good relationships. They helped me a lot. And because they was, they are young as needs.
We just travel together. We spend time together. Gave me a lot of freedom and yeah, like half a year I haven't car so they helped me a lot and to pass my exams, uh, for driving lessons and everything. So they helped me a lot. Like I, I'm so appreciative and, um, they're amazing. So I lived with them seven months and after I ran the apartment.
So yeah, I rent apartment now. I have a car, a job. So yeah, my life started to, you know, I started to have normal life, uh, two years because when you lost even your habits and your own space. It's so hard, it's just so confused and finally, like I rebuild my life and things that I want, but it was really cool of this, um, transition because now I can.
implement something in my life that I couldn't before because when you live in your habits, it's hard to change something. Yeah. But when you are out, you can see your life from the top, you know, and realize that, oh, that's something, that's something that I don't need in my life anymore. And you just kind of rebuild.
Right. Now, what I want to talk about is you mentioned that you were, you were raised Christian and you, You reached out to the religious community to help you. Did the war and leaving Ukraine, did it shake your faith at all? Did it make you have questions for, for God about what was going on with your life and how, you know, how are those answered and how has your relationship with God been changed by that?
Yeah, it was a huge challenge. Um, yeah, in Ukraine we had a church and I was like one of founder of this church. And, uh, like all my life, like I serve a lot to other people, you know, and it was a moment where I just was absolutely confused. understand why it's happened, why it was us, why Ukraine, why me, uh, why I have so many challenges right now.
So it was really hard. I can tell that I couldn't read Bible somewhere like a half a year. Like I just live by faith and I just was afraid to meet God. And that's where therapy helped me because I, um, Um, I realized, you know, like before I had a lie that I believe before I believe that God give us challenges to teach us something and this is real lie because when you think like this, you will stuck all the time with any problem because you will think that God It's not help you, but he just want to kill you, you know, I can tell that it was my problem.
I really believe that I'm like, you know, especially these like Bible verse were like egos. And I saw those at times it's how egos teach very small kids. They just put them from the mast, you know, but in half a year I had this revelation and God just talking to my heart and he told me, Hey, you are not a bird.
I don't want to teach you like this. You are a person and I'm not teaching you. Evil exists because I give to people choice. And when they choose, Uh, doing like such bad things, I can't stop because I need to stop anyone and just control anyone. But I give free will to people and choose what to do with that.
And if this person doing bad things for you, he choose that I'm going with you through this. And this was like my biggest revelations that God not created this work. He not created. Uh, these things to destroy my life and me, but he with me to go through all these things and he not teach me through this war, he just go with me through this war and help me in anything that I want, anything that I need.
Yeah, so he helped me in any things that I need, and he support me and go with me. And you know, after this revelation, I just started to see God as a father, because before I don't know what I believe. Okay. Yeah, because I truly believe that God teaches us through challenges, uh, through bad things. He give us bad things in our life to teach us, but it's absolutely not.
Like it's not, it's a system, especially when person doing something to other person or worse for something like I know, like I know in my heart that it's not God's plan, but he's planned to help us during all these things that we are as a people create because we have this free will. And this was amazing because after this revelation, I just started to move very fast.
I just started to read Bible again. I just started to spend time with God. Um, yeah. And I just started to move by my revelations and my mission in my heart. And I just know that I know that I know he was me and he wants to bless me. And it's something that you can't shake in my heart, you know, in my life.
Yeah, no, that is so beautiful. You know, I'm very religious too, and one of the big things that people struggle with is they always say, why is God allow evil in the world? Why is God, you know, creating sin and God didn't create sin. People made it through their choices, like you said, and you know, cold is the absence of heat.
Darkness is the absence of light and so evil is the absence of God when people are Sinning is because they don't have God in their life You know, they're not following his word and his spirit and so evil was brought about by us And I'm glad you had that revelation because a lot of people struggle with God.
Why me? You know, why are you doing this? So I'm glad you had that revelation and that you can share that with us. Thank you for sharing that Yeah, and thank you that you opened for this and um, like my next things that helped me to go through all this too Like I can tell that two more things that helps me to go One more is my revelation about my life, like I have a prophetic word from God that I heard from Him in my life and I really believe in this, that's why I hold it in my heart and know that I know that I know that I heard it from Him and I didn't want to lost it.
And second is my book. Um, it's a miracle my book published now. And, um, when, um, all this revelation that is in this book, it's my conversation with God, where he answered to hard questions that I had, it was, it's Like a home inside of us and all our lives, like we have so many rooms in our lives and in every room We have these questions and God started to answer to different heart questions that I had and I just wrote them and I call it this vision steering 2016 till 2020 and they are in one book now.
And it's really a miracle. Why? Because in Romania, I heard, like, I felt that I heard, heard it from God that, uh, write this book and translate it on English. So I finished this book translated through Google translator. And, and I haven't decision to move to USA. So I did it before I made this decision. And when I moved in USA, I work in publishing company and this publishing company published my book.
And I came in Raleigh because someone sent me picture of this room. So, you know, all these things that happen, it's just somethings that give me. Even more faith right now that God needs me and I'm in the place where he is. And before I moved to USA, like when I made this decision, I told, okay, God, I feel that, that it's my time to move there, but I will go there if you are waiting for me there.
And everything what happened in USA during this last year, everything was prepared for me. If I will tell like other stories, like I even love buy my car. People give it to me, um, like books that published, I didn't pay for this. So, so many things happened, like, it, it was really, I told God, I will go there if you are waiting for me there.
So, yeah, that's why I have so many miracles, like, oh, I need to write one more book now. Yeah, of course. And you know what? That's so awesome because it speaks to You know, whatever God take, and it's in Job, the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh, you know, everything is his, you know, we don't own anything. But it is also written that whatever God takes away, he's going to bless us even more in the future, right?
He's not going to show us gold and give us silver or vice versa. And so a lot of people struggle with, especially in the war, you know, that they're like, God, you've taken everything away from me. But you're a clear example of how, yes, what you had was taken away, but God had bigger and better plans for you, and now you're here in the States, spreading this message, and not only has your life been changed, Well, people are going to read your book now and have their lives changed.
Yeah. Um, you know, when a war started this moment, I standing, uh, in my apartment and I had, I so much love this apartment because I was on the top from 13th floor where I saw half of the town and it was. Amazing. I just like, I just, all my evenings, a lot of lights were during day, you can see part of the town, the parks, and it was so amazing.
I felt those times that I'm like a bird and I can see a lot. And it looks like God looking at us, you know. And I standing near this window before I need to move, yeah, like all everything was packed, like all this to bags and I just standing and I wanted to cry just looking in this window and so God, this is so good things.
I'm so high now. And I heard in my heart, I even couldn't cry because exactly in this moment when I thought that God told me, I will show you fire and I had in this moment, I had such a peace. And when we moved in Romania, in Italy, I lived. on like this shelter. It was like, um, a Catholic seminary and this shelter was on the top.
And from our window, we saw whole town. It was much better than I had in here. And it was so exciting because God told me, okay, even here it's higher. What is higher more, but I have higher to you. So that's. This revelation leads me, still leads me, like He wants to give me, uh, He wants to show me more, um.
Wow. Yeah, that's, that's beautiful. God is always giving us more and more, more than we ever imagined or could ask for. And it's so beautiful. So, thank you for sharing that message with us. And I'm excited for when your book comes out. Who, who should read your book? And kind of what is, what will we learn from it?
You know, is a book about You know, working on a relationship with God, but it's also a message of hope, and how to find peace in, in some of the awful things of the world. Uh, yeah, it's, uh, like, Like the main message in this book, it's like invitation to talk to God, because in this book, I'm in, um, in heaven, in home, in the heaven, and I opened this different rooms, come in and have revelation.
And even one chapter in my book was a questions where you can answer to them and write your own room. To find your stuff in period and what is my dream is to collect all the stories that people will create and write one more book to share these stories because it's just one of my revelation. It was my periods during six years.
Yeah. So that I call it in this book, it's a different rooms that I came in and had answers to these questions, hard questions. And now you can come in and you can take your answer. So this is like the main reason of this book, like to invite you to talk with God and not afraid. And, uh, after every chapter that I have, I have a questions.
So this is like a book, but in other ways, like a journal. Yeah. It's like a journal. And even if you will not write answer, but you will read this question and your process will start to work. And that's why I didn't use any pictures in my book. So you can't find this home or rooms or anything because I want to turn on imagination and help people to see.
That's why if you can buy colorful book or ebook, you will see that every chapter have different color. It will help to, uh, start to think about, uh, these and tune on your imagination because I believe that God talk with us through our soul. And that's why all our like pictures in our head or it's music, like all people have different gifts.
Yeah. But all the things help us to hear. Answers in our lives, and God has so many answers to us. We're just afraid sometimes ask him because we afraid to hear something bad, or we afraid to hear that, Hey, I teach you, or be afraid to hear that he's not okay with us, but it's not true. He will never tell us this.
Like, I, I really believe that he wants to support us, help us even in our scenes. If we have it. God will help us to go through this and to get out of this if we really want to do it in our hearts. This is my face right now and my experience. Right, and that is so beautiful and yeah, I definitely agree that people are afraid to, they're afraid of the answers, you know, they're afraid of the unknown being made known because a lot of us The answers we want aren't the answers God has, you know, his, and it's written in the Bible, his ways, not our ways, his ways of thinking are levels beyond us.
But I think that is so awesome. I'm looking forward to reading this book and seeing how it affects my relationship with God and ladies and gentlemen, everyone listening to this and watching this. I have the links in the description for the show, so you can buy this book on Amazon and definitely get it and read it and kind of question yourself and, and ask those hard questions to God.
And I think this is going to be a great tool for everyone. And I'm so glad Alexa, Alexa, sorry, the K throws me off every time, Alexa, you know, that you have made this book to help everyone out. Yeah, thank you for your support. And I really, I really believe that, um, God is so close to us and why we afraid because we have so bad experience in life.
We have so many blocks, fears, uh, people that hold us like we hear, we have so many sounds around. We have such a big pressure from social media, how you need to build your life, how you need to look. Oh, you need, need, need, need. And all this need, uh, around, they just like block us. And I agree. We need to search all the time, our freedom.
And we need to, uh, looking for this freedom in God and his word. It's hard, but it's better way. And I truly believe that if you have, if someone have a big challenge and it's hard, it's really good to work with therapist or like in psychology era just to help because if your soul, if your soul will be healed.
It will be easier for you to hear God and have your freedom. So I truly believe we have some traumas like I have a lot of trauma. Um, and not only because of war but because Father died when I was one years old and I had a different experience in my life, but yeah as I can go through my pain and my traumas.
I can have more freedom and can see it. The beauty of God, because sometimes we can't seize it because of all the things around us. I agree. Yeah. Well, Alexa, before we end things here, is there anything else you'd like to share with my listeners? Any advice or anything you'd like to say before we leave? I don't know.
I'm so full. I mean, I have so many things to tell to people, but I think that the main thing is like, never stop. Just search. If something hard for you, just find how to make it easier for you, how to do this first steps, how to go and never stop, because You never know where is your answer, and you never know who can help you, but if you will, like, close yourself and stuck, it will be worse and harder than if you will move, meet people, try to build, try, just try to do this step by step, and not afraid.
Yeah, as they say, no journey can begin without the first step and usually that's the most difficult step to take is starting, you know, whether it's rebuilding your life after moving or war, you know, starting a new business or whatever it may be writing a book that, you know, you didn't know you were going to be writing, but you can't start without starting, you know, and it's, it sounds so simple, but, yeah.
You know, a lot of people are afraid to take that first step. So everyone, please listen to Alexa and take that first step and start whatever journey it is that you're about to take off on. But yeah, Alexa, thank you so much for coming on the show. It was great. I, I learned a lot. I feel, I feel closer to God having listened about how close you are with him now.
And, and it's a great feeling. I love. You know, my life without God is whenever I feel distant from him, it's just so cold and lonely and I love having him in my life and always working to be closer with him as well as spreading that with other people. And I think the best part about religion and our relationship with God is sharing it with other people and sharing our stories and our journeys with God.
So thank you so much. Yeah, thank you to sailing through the ocean blue nuclear reactors. My crew got in the ship. The stars is our guide, through the waves we ride. Jokes are left to fill the air On this voyage we have to share Working together, side by side As one family we will abide In the heart of the ship, we reside Nuclear operators with pride Powering the vessel, with every stride Our mission, a source of great pride
