Joy Beyond Words: Sophia’s Family Story of Faith and Love

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you…” Psalm 84:5 

Special needs parents Oksana and Sergey Anuchin know what it means to find their strength in Christ. Sophia, their third daughter, is twenty-one years old and lives with cerebral palsy, severe scoliosis, and quadriplegia. Since age seventeen, she has received most of her nutrition through a feeding tube.  

Despite having undergone multiple surgeries, including a spinal fusion, “Sophia is a very joyful girl,” says Oksana. “And she loves her family.” While Sophia can’t speak aloud, she understands and can communicate in three languages—English, Ukrainian, and Russian—using a communication device. She can also use her expressive eyes to answer “yes” or “no” to questions. 

Facing Constant Challenges with Deep Love 

For Sophia’s family, daily life requires ongoing complex routines: feeding, changing, bathing, and therapy. And each routine comes with equipment: a power wheelchair, a bath chair for toileting and bathing, a device for lifting and transferring, g-tube bags and syringes for feeding and administering medication… no wonder when the family travels, they have to bring an RV! 

Oksana and Sergey have sometimes felt isolated from community.  

“Because of Sophia’s special needs, we have lost a lot of friends,” says Sergey.  

And for Oksana, sharing about life with disability often leads to blank looks and a feeling of disconnection. 

Renewed Strength in Christ 

When Sophia’s family discovered Joni and Friends Family Retreat, God provided the infusion of community, respite, and joy that Sophia’s family had longed for. For Oksana and Sergey, watching Sophia smile and thrive lightens their hearts. Oksana also discovered a fresh sense of belonging with other moms who navigate disability every day. 

Best of all, as Oksana put it: 

“Jesus is the center of attention at Family Retreat… for me this is very dear.”  

Having trusted Jesus throughout Sophia’s life, Oksana saw Family Retreat hosted by our Northwest Office not only as an opportunity to be blessed and refreshed, but also to pour into others. Knowing how God can offer peace and healing amid overwhelming circumstances, Oksana testified to His faithfulness in her own family’s life, sharing comfort and encouragement with others. She especially loves the image in Psalm 84 of God’s strength burbling up like a freshwater spring amid dry valleys of hardship: 

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs.” Psalm 84:5–6