My Story: Meet Tania Chirka

Born in the Ukraine under communist rule, Tania Chirka felt like there was something missing in her life. But it wasn’t until she moved to Ireland that she found what she had been looking for.

(From the October - December 2019 issue of VOX)

I was born in the Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union and we did not have our own name as a country. At that time, people believed the government and were against religion. I did not have a Christian family. My auntie became a Christian and for 20 years, she was praying for us. It shows that prayer works. I really believe that if it wasn’t for her prayers, I would not be who I am or where I am today.

I always felt there was a protection over my life (on several occasions I had accidents that could have killed me). Now I understand that it was because of what she was doing behind the scenes, praying for us.

My journey to finding God was a long one. My auntie kept inviting us to church and so my whole family went a few times. I attended Sunday School and it wasn’t a great experience. It felt like just another day of school - very formal and sitting at desks. During that time, they taught us how to pray. I started praying without understanding who I was praying to or why I was doing it. Eventually I lost interest. I lost connection with church and with God.

“The most important thing is to have love and to know Jesus; everything else is secondary.”

Something missing

As a teenager, I started struggling with depression. For years, I felt like there was something missing. Even if work was going well and I had good relationships, it was never enough. I felt this dissatisfaction with life.

My thought life was a disaster. Negative thoughts were really bringing me down and I became a really unhappy person. I started reading psychology books to try and understand why I was feeling like this. Over time, these books helped me a bit but there was still a big part missing.

By this time I was living in Russia and a friend invited me to church again. I started going to a small group - they were great people who were really helping others and they worshipped together. I felt there was something right about these Christians. But I had all these questions. I did not know who Jesus was.

Then lots of things in my life went wrong at the same time. I experienced a relationship break up and the political situation was difficult for me as a Ukrainian living in Russia. A lot of things came together for me to come to Ireland because my family lives here. But it wasn’t an easy process.

Overwhelmed with pain

I had so much hurt inside me because of everything that had happened. I felt overwhelmed. But my sister started going to church and because I didn’t have a job (I wasn’t allowed to work because of my visa situation), I started going.

There were lots of things that I didn’t understand or seemed funny to me. I had so much pain that I could not hear the message. Sunday after Sunday, I sat in the church crying. Gradually, I felt something in me was changing, especially when people were worshipping. I could feel the presence of God. I know that God was healing me.

I don’t know the actual moment that it happened. They would invite us to pray if we wanted to give our lives to Jesus so I prayed that prayer a few times. And at some point, I just knew that I was saved and I wanted to get baptised.

Changing

My life began to change. When I was reading the psychology books, things changed a little bit but now everything was happening quite fast without me doing anything. When I met Jesus it was completely different. Even my thoughts started changing. It was a gift from God and He helped me so much. Looking back, I’m so happy I went through what I did.

I wanted to live in a way to please God. God spoke to me about doing the SALT course (leadership training) with Christian Churches Ireland (CCI). But I didn’t want to do it because I didn’t want to be a leader. Eventually I said, “God, if you want me to go, you have to provide for me.”

With my visa situation, I could not work and there was no way I could pay for the course. But the day before the closing date for application, somebody came to me out of the blue and gave me the money for the first term. I submitted my application the next day and went for an interview. Later they told me that I didn’t really pass the interview but they prayed and God told them they should accept me!

SALT was an amazing experience. I learnt so much and met so many amazing people. After that, I did an internship with CCI until my documents came through and I was able to find a job in an office.

I was on a temporary contract and I kept praying for it to be made permanent. I wanted security but more than that I wanted to know what God wanted for me. So when they ended my contract, I asked God, “What is next?” My family are all Christians now and we were all praying.

What am I doing here?

When God spoke to me about going to Africa, I didn’t want to go. But God told me to go to Mozambique [on a short term missions trip] so I went straight away to get my vaccinations even before my application was accepted! Arriving in Mozambique, I remember thinking, “What am I doing here?”

I was afraid of Africa. I’m a very emotional person, and when I see somebody in need, it breaks my heart. In the end, though I was so happy I went. I saw poverty but I also saw how much God is doing. I saw missionaries from all over the world who are serving and laying their lives down to be there.

I discovered that children are just children everywhere. Some are broken by poverty but kids here in Ireland can be broken as well even though they have everything. The most important thing is to have love and to know Jesus; everything else is secondary.

Since that trip, I have realised that what God is doing is more important than other things. Even poverty is not such a big deal. Now if God is sending me I am happy to go. I know why He sent me to Africa. I realise that something I was afraid of is not actually so scary.

Back in Ireland now, I’m learning to wait and trust God for what comes next. He is still doing so much in my life. I know God sent me here. I absolutely love this country. God has given me a peace that I never knew. I’ve discovered that Christianity is real. People don’t know that because they haven’t experienced it!

Life is difficult for everyone and many of us have had difficult things that happened to us but the reality is that Jesus gives us a new life; the old one is gone. You have to let go of the past. You have to forgive yourself and others. I know I am a new creation.