Jehovah’s Witnesses: Russia convicts 72 year old widow for reading the Bible and preaching

Admin l Friday, March 12, 2021

 

MOSCOW, Russia- In continuation of vicious attack on Jehovah’s Witnesses,  a Russian district court sitting in Chelyabinsk has convicted Sister Valentina Suvorova for reading the Holy Bible and sharing her faith with others.

Valentina Suvorova is widow who has lost her son,  mother and sister in death. Born in 1948,  in Sorovskoye, Kurgan Region, Sister Valentina Suvorova and her husband Vladimir  were among hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested  on March 26, 2019 when heavily armed law enforcement officers stormed  more than 20 homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Chelyabinsk and Yemanzhelinsk.

However, after a lengthy investigation,  was criminally charged on December 5, 2019, for reading the Bible and sharing her faith with others.  She was thereafter placed  under travel restrictions.

“We could not wash up, brush our hair, or make ourselves presentable. They turned everything upside down all around us and began their search of every nook and cranny, every cabinet, jewelry box, wallet, and pocket. . . . They looked inside pots, and they even looked at all the drapes and our bedding—absolutely everything”, she said of the incident when men under President Vladimir Putin’s supervision invaded her home.

Sister Valentina Suvorova retired after teaching at the Chelyabinsk Music School for more than 30 years. Having lost her husband during this ordeal of persecution, she is worried about how the persecution might affect her.

Valentina explains that her regular routine of personal Bible study served as a spiritual bulwark. “Reviewing the daily text, meditating on what I read, and applying it helped me to deal with all the challenges,” she says.

Valentina adds that meeting preparation and attendance, personal study, and family worship play a significant role in enduring stressful times. “I learn something new at every meeting that I try to apply,” she says. She adds that sincere prayers provide her with much relief, saying, “I always thank God for his help.”

Valentina continues to remind herself and others: “There is no need to fear anything. Be firm and strong in the faith, and remember Matthew 6:33 and 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.”