Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

I often think of the words of Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA” in which he states: ”And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free....” I wholeheartedly agree. My heart fills with gratitude to God and this wonderful land where, regardless of who I am, where I came from, or what my goals are, I have that priceless gift of freedom. Freedom to pursue my dreams. Freedom to worship. Freedom to get an education. These freedoms, however, did not come without a price. My story begins in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. My parents had graduated from college and gotten married. In 1985 my oldest brother Paul was born, and one year later Victor, my twin brother, and I were born. Olga, the youngest, was born three years later. Life was arduous for everyone in the Communist Soviet Union. It was especially difficult for Christians. Christians, both young and old, were mocked, slandered, and persecuted. Young Christian students were given bad grades by the teachers. Through all this the young people trusted God and kept their faith as they got older. My parents were like this. My parents were faced with ra