What I Left for You is a wonderful mystery and suspense novel that is also a dual timeline novel about different generations of a family. I loved getting to know the modern and the old. I felt that I was living with them and a part of the family. To be 100% honest with you, this book made me cry. But it also made me laugh. I cried sad tears and happy tears and felt soo many emotions.

Modern day we have the recently unengaged McKenna. It’s not a sad thing though. Because he’s a jerk and she’s very much better off without him. But the sad thing is about her job. She’s on a leave of absence shortly after the book starts because of a death of a child. She’s a social worker and though it wasn’t her fault it’s procedure. And yes, that made me cry. A sweet innocent two year old dying. Even if it’s just in a book. My mama heart just could not.

There are gaps in McKenna’s family history and she wants to find out what they are. She starts researching and that leads to her taking a trip with her best friend to find answers.

WWII
Our second storyline is her ancester Helena. Helena is Lemko and lives in Poland during WWII. She’s a professor. She’s educated. And those are both things that are not normal for the time period but definitely not normal for her people, the Lemko’s.

I love reading about WWII. It’s a habit or a compulsion trying to learn as much as I can about the time period. This is an area that I haven’t read a lot about. Poland isn’t somewhere I’ve focused on or visited. I’m sure we all know about the persecution of the Jews but they weren’t the sole focus of persecution by the Germans. They were out to get all the minorities and that included the Lemko’s.

Helena’s story is heart breaking and will make you cry. It may not be exactly a true story but it’s based on. The people really did live like this. They really faced these challenges and lived this life.

This was an amazing story. I will definitely be reading it again.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 is a gripping dual-timeline story set in WWII Poland and present-day Pittsburg, featuring characters Helena and McKenna. The book is a blend of hope, faith, and redemption, even with its heavy themes.

I love when a book stays with me, even when the weight of it feels a bit heavy. I also enjoy when a story teaches me something new. I enjoyed learning about the Lemko people and found the author’s connection to the story intriguing. I appreciate the research that went into this story and the interconnection between the past and present.

While the cover art isn’t appealing (to me, anyway) the author’s previous works encouraged me to read this book, and I was not disappointed. I love how she took two stories and wove them together into a cohesive, believable, and moving read.

“No matter what, God.”
A quote I won’t soon forget.

#CoverLoverBookReview received an advanced reader copy of this book.
Opinions are 100% my own.

No matter what, God.

This Christian WWII dual time-line novel is an incredible read, evoking a myriad of emotions when much of Europe and its inhabitants were destroyed by Adolph Hitler. Written with excellence, many times I felt as if I were there – the home of the Lemkos in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains, or Krakow, or the German work camp. For those triggered by child abuse, there are two instances noted but not detailed.

What I appreciated most were the faith journeys of Helena and her great granddaughter, McKenna. McKenna struggled with recent events in her life and learning what her great grandmother endured. Some had a strong faith that grew through trials. Others talked about their faith or doubts with close family or friends.

At times, there were difficult things to read even once, yet I definitely would read it again. There are many good times that readers will enjoy, and times that could have broken those who endured them. The primary characters are three dimensional, engaging people in whom I was quickly invested.

Helena was one of the few Lemkos who went to school past early elementary grades, then graduated from the university in Krakow. She became a lecturer there when women were not yet allowed to be professors, and sent money home to make her mother’s life easier.

Jerzy, a friend and professor, and Helena changed their life direction in 1942. Polish Jews were forced to live in the deprivation and disease of the Jewish ghetto. Jerzy and Helena went in to see Helena’s dear friend, Risa. Hours after Risa died in the ghetto hospital, they risked everything to smuggle her baby girl, Teena, out. Jerzy and Helena married and moved to Dubne, where Helena’s mother welcomed them with open arms.

Helena and Jerzy assisted several partisans and Lemkos escape prison, after which Helena would never see Mama or Teena again. The couple was captured. Jerzy was killed, and Helena was sent to a work camp. By the time Helena could safely go home after the war, Mama and Teena had been “resettled” to an unknown destination by Polish and Ukraine soldiers, then that Mama died. The rest of Helena’s life was spent seeking Teena.

In 2023, Helena’s great-granddaughter, McKenna, accompanied by her best friend, Taylor, went to Poland. McKenna took a sabbatical after her life overturned. She wanted to learn more about her family, as her great-grandparents moved to America after the war. McKenna’s Baba (grandmother) said Helena, her mother, would never talk about their life in Europe. On her deathbed, Helena told Baba that she had a sister in Europe. Baba asked McKenna to see what she could find about her sister. McKenna and Taylor worked with a professional genealogist. McKenna’s family history and surprises would change her life.

Results of the research, traveling, and writing of this remarkable novel were personally meaningful to its gifted author, as readers will discover. I am beyond impressed by this novel and the spiritual and life journeys of Helena, McKenna, and others. This novel is, to me, well worth re-reading. Each change of narrator, either Helena or McKenna, begins with verse(s) from the Song of Lemkovyna that were profoundly moving. I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate Christian WWII historical fiction, Poland then and now, family, and spiritual growth.

From a thankful heart: I received a prepublication copy of this novel from Celebrate Lit through NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my honest review.

I loved this wonderful story set in 2023 and in Poland during WWll. I laughed and cried while reading this tragic but beautiful story of courage and grit. I loved both Helena and McKenna as these women found their courage in Poland during WWll and now. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I have never heard of the Lemko people . This story is a heart wrenching story based on one girl from the
Lemko people .

1938 Poland & 2023 present day both very different battles .

The book brings to life some very heavy topics ; losing friends and loved one , concentration camps , suicide , murder and rape . It follows Helene in the 1930s and McKenna in modern day putting together her family history only to find that she is related to Helene.

Although there are some very heavy parts the book also concentrates on finding and making your own family , family , love , courage , determination , standing for others and holding on .

This story especially the 1930 part shows a people and woman who will do anything for family and loved ones .

The story made me research the Lemko people . I learned a lot . I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about this time and people .
Thank you to netgalley for a free download in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025
What I Left For You
I literally just finished the book at 1:29 am. I can't sleep. I lay here thinking of how heart wrenching that this really happened.

I know first hand the havoc that occurred during WWII. My mother was a young child in England but she remembers the sacrifices that were made during this time. She remembers family members who didn't come home the same. She remembers the joy she felt when she had a bit of a egg. She remembers the sirens signaling the need to go into the shelters.

I can not even fathom how many survived and died during this war. Terrible things happened and we ask why? We don't have the answers. I'm sure many questioned their faith. Many others depended on their beliefs and prayed for the end of this terrible catastrophe.

Helena suffered greatly. Emotionally and physically. She held on to her faith that GOD will bring an end to this.

A powerful book. A book I won't forget.

This was a really good story that will pull on your heartstrings. I thought this story was very well researched and I learned a lot about the Lemko and Polish people and what they suffered during WWII. I liked how this story showed a woman who lost so much and yet still found the strength to keep going forward and to lean on God. I liked how McKenna was able to discovery her great grandmother’s story and was able to learn from it. I liked how she learned that she can be strong even while going through the hard things she was experiencing in her life. I liked seeing McKenna’s journey to discover her family history. It makes me want to learn more about my own family. This book is well done but will make you cry as you see the terrible things that Helena and others went through during and after the war. But the ending is so worth what they went through.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

What I Left for You, by Liz Tolsma, is the third book in the Echoes of the Past series. This is a series of stand alone dual time line stores that focus on someone in history and their present day ancestor. In this story we meet Helena during WWII and follow along with her through the war. We also meet her great-granddaughter, McKenna, and follow along with her as she researches her family history and returns to her family’s homeland. Before leaving her grandmother asks her to try to find her sister, whom she has never met and never talked about.

This story is so nicely written and easy to read and imagine. I enjoy the richness of the family history and the steps McKenna takes to find out the truth of her families’ history. I especially appreciate the additional information the author gives after the story about the Polish people and what happened to them during the war. I enjoyed how determined McKenna was to follow through on her research while dealing with a personal tragedy. I also love how the story shows a different look into what happened during WWII. It is sometimes hard to read of the extreme difficulties and hardships the people endured. The overwhelming strength these people had to survive is unimaginable. This is a must read story for those interesting in WWII history and those who enjoy researching family history.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

This compelling historical novel opened new information and insights into the situations during World War II in Poland, a place my maternal grandmother’s family came from. This story shares the lives and struggle of the Lemkos, a Slavic people who suffered much. I appreciate the author’s connection to the area and her personal experiences, which greatly enriched the book. She brought the realistic characters to life as well as their trials and tragedies. I recommend this tale as an authentic representation of what life was like during the war—under Germany and later the Soviets. Be ready to feel deeply and to mourn the losses Helena faced as well as admire her pluck and spirit and her trust in God. The dual-time presentation made for an intriguing way to unveil the details of this captivating drama. We witness not only Helena’s courageous deeds and personal struggles but also follow those of her great-granddaughter, who is researching her family history. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #WhatILeftforYou #NetGalley

My Thoughts

What I Left for You is book three in the Echoes of the Past series that is written by
Liz Tolsma. This is a dual time line Christian Historical Fiction. This book took me in an emotional journey that I wasn’t prepared for. One of the most amazing things about this author is that she does careful research and while you’re reading you’re also getting a history lesson that you may have never learned in school.

Readers are transported back to 1939 Poland. We’re sent to a world where we see right before the invasion. Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow. When the Germans close the university, she sees the Jews be forced to ghettos. So she takes her friends infant daughter and hides in her small town. Her courage and strength to save friends and family is inspiring.

Blended and woven together with 2023 we meet a woman McKenna who has always wanted to learn her families history. She takes a break after a case that she was the assigned social worker on goes wrong. She finds more than she ever would have imagined.

While this is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone book. I learned so much that I didn’t know before because of it. I love that the author brought Poland to life through the pages. I may or may not have cried a few times while reading.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read such an amazing story. All thoughts are my own.

This book has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I absolutely love a dual timeline story. I have read many books about the war that took so many lives where the focus was mainly on Jewish people. What a nice surprise to see this book’s journey with Polish heritage. As I read the dual timeline I witnessed the cruelty that these people suffered.

We travel back in time to 1939 where we meet Helena. What an exceptional character she is. Her bravery to save a friend’s baby is nothing short of heroic. I loved how she kept her promise to her friend whose wish was for Helena to raise the baby as her own. Being unmarried she wasn’t sure how she would explain the baby but God always has a way even when we aren’t quite sure what to do.

Being introduced to the term Lemko intrigued me. I have never heard this term but the author does an amazing job of giving us historical facts which definitely helped the story become realistic. During this time period they were very poor but their strength to survive was evident. After finishing this book I did do a little research of my own to understand these people more.

As we move forward to 2023 we get acquainted with McKenna. Her job as a social worker is demanding and emotionally stressful. When she needs a break she along with a friend journey to Poland to research McKenna’s family. Oh my was this fun to read. I felt like I was beside her each step as new information about ancestors came to light.

What McKenna uncovers bridges the gap between past and present. McKenna was at times not sure she could uncover everything about her past ancestors but it was fun to see how much research was needed . I think at times she may not have been fully invested because of the tragedy she left behind due to her job.

There are several other characters in the book that add to this wonderful story. I have decided not to mention them because I want readers to discover them. They are important to the storyline and even show how God protected them in danger. The tragic events were described in a way that illustrated how survival came at a cost.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

What I Left for You is book three from the Echoes of the Past series. It is certainly well written and thoroughly researched. Even though I am not that keen on a dual timeline, this one was excellent.

My heart ached for McKenna and what she was facing from her job as a social worker. Since I love researching genealogy myself, I could easily relate to McKenna's search.

I found it fascinating, learning about the Lemko people. I learned yet a couple more angles of World War II.

If you are interested in history, the World War II era, and the art of researching genealogy, you definitely must add What I Left for You to your TBR list. It certainly is a must read!

In 1942 during WWII the Germans were forcing the Jews, Pols and the Lemko Rusyn’s into ghetto camps to work with very little water, food and health care. So many died. In 2023 McKenna begins to search for her ancestors after tragedy happens in her own life. DNA tests, research and calls overseas send her and her friend on a journey to Poland to try and find out what happened to her grandmother’s unknown sister. The war tore so many families apart, many not knowing if their loved ones survived or were killed. Liz Tolsma did a great job of showing the atrocities done to these human beings with little respect for life. Although this was a work of fiction, so many real truths were brought out. We should never forget the terrible things that happened so as not to have them repeated.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review.

This is a very touching novel about a marginalized people who experienced great tragedy during WW II. We often read accounts involving Jews but this novel opened my eyes to others who suffered too. The descriptions of those in ghettos and those in labor camps were hard to read.

This is a dual time novel, Tolsma going back and forth, revealing information in the current era as we have read the correlating historical event. The current section involves a young woman seeking her historical roots. As there was tragedy during WW II, there is also tragedy in the current time involving the death of a child. Why God would allow such things is a theme recurrent in both the historical and current narratives.

The Author's Notes are very informative and set the novel in historical and geographical fact. This is a very timely novel as many are having DNA tests to discover their heritage. Much of this novel is based on Tolsma's own investigation into her Lemko ancestry. Except for the distracting and unnecessary relationship breakup of McKenna with her boyfriend, this a good novel and I recommend it. Be sure to have tissues nearby.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This book begins in 1942, in Poland. Helena, a Christian Jew who works at the university with her friends, Jerzy and Risa. Risa, a Jew has been imprisoned in the ghetto and is about to have a baby. Helena and Jerzy risk arrest to visit her. They get there just before she dies but not until she asks Helena to take her baby. Removing the baby is a risky adventure but she is successful and raises Teena as her own.
The story bounces back and forth between WW2 and current day where we meet McKenna. Her grandmother asks her to find information about a sister she never knew she had. The relationships get a little confusing at times since there are so many unknowns. McKenna travels to Poland to investigate her ancestry and in the process learns more details about the occupation and “rehoming” of the Lemko people. McKenna enlists the help of Filip to track down information.
This book is a history lesson with love, faith, and adventure all thrown together. At times its joyful and uplifting and at other times heart wrenching, sad and tragic.
The stories of both women are very intriguing and I found it hard to put down. There are a lot of questions that come up. Who are McKenna’s ancestors? Did her grandmother really have a sister? What happened to Helena and Teena?
There is a glossary in the beginning that helps with the ethnic vocabulary and the author includes the historical basis for her story.
This is from the publisher’s website:
“A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.”
I highly recommend this book, especially if you like faith filled, history based romance.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher, Barbour Publishing via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I have read several books by Liz Tolsma but none affected me more than What I Left for You (Echoes of the Past, #3). It centered around the atrocities that were inflicted upon the Lemko Rusyn people during and after World War II. The people who called themselves Lemko Rusyn had a distinct identity of their own. They lived in Northern Poland not far from the Ukrainian and Russian borders but spoke their own language, practiced their own religion and had their own customs and traditions. I had not known about their existence until I read What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma. The author acknowledged her own ancestral ties to the Lemkos in her notes. This personal connection only enhanced the story for me. What I Left for You was beautifully written, captivating and heartbreaking. It was written in a dual time line that alternated between two strong female protagonists. One of the two women lived in Poland during World War II and the other lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2023. The one that lived in Poland during World War II was the great grandmother of the granddaughter that grew up and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Helena Kostyszak grew up in Lemkovyna, a town that was comprised of people of the Lemko-Rusyn culture. Most of its people were poor and not well educated. They lived on farms and raised their own animals. There was one church where all Lemkos worshiped. Generations of families lived there for centuries. Helena had a happy childhood there but she wanted more. One of her relatives gifted her the money to pursue her education. Helena traveled to Krakow, Poland to study. Leaving her mother and Lemkovyna behind was a hard adjustment for Helena. She had never lived in a city before she moved to Krakow. Helena excelled at her studies and was soon employed by the university as a female lecturer. Women during that time were not allowed to become professors so they settled for being lecturers. Helena soon assimilated into her new life and made several good friends. Then the Nazis invaded Poland and Helena’s and her friends’ lives changed drastically.

McKenna Muir grew up with a loving family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her great grandmother had grown up in Poland but rarely if ever spoke about her life before she immigrated to America. She had recently died. Even her beloved Bubba (grandmother) knew very little about her mother’s life prior to her arrival in America. McKenna had gone to college for social work and she was now employed by an agency that specialized in social services. She excelled at her position she held at the agency and gave a hundred percent of herself to her clients. McKenna’s role at the agency was becoming increasingly more and more stressful and difficult lately. McKenna was recently engaged when she learned that her fiancé had cheated on her and wanted to terminate the engagement. Then to add to her misery, a not quite three year old little girl, the daughter of one of the mothers whose case she had been assigned to, had been killed by the mother’s boyfriend. That news almost destroyed McKenna! She felt as if she had failed both the little girl and her mother. Of course there had been nothing that McKenna could have done to prevent it from happening but she was so saddened by the news. Her best friend convinced McKenna to take a Sabbatical from her job after her engagement was broken and she had learned about the child’s murder. McKenna’s best friend suggested that they travel to Poland together to research McKenna’s family history. This was something that McKenna had wanted to do for a long while. With everything that was going on in her life, McKenna decided that the time was right. She needed to get away from all that she was dealing with. What would McKenna discover about her family? What secrets would she uncover?

What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma was moving, heartbreaking, hopeful and tragic. It portrayed the many atrocities the Nazis imposed upon not only the Jewish people of Poland but on a group of innocent civilians known as the Lemkos. The Nazis preyed on the Lemkos because they were different and for no other reason. If that was not bad enough, the Poles and Russians did the same thing to the Lemkos after the war ended. History was repeating itself. Nothing had been learned from the past atrocities carried out by the Nazis. Families were displaced. They were ordered to leave their homes and were relocated. Often families were split up. Sometimes children were even separated from their parents. It was a cruel and heartless thing to do to people just because they were different. What I Left for You opened my eyes to a new aspect about World War II that I had never heard of or knew about before I read this book. I applaud Liz Tolsma for her impeccable research and pursuit of the truth that she was able to gather in order to write this book. What I Left for You was about family, tolerance, compassion, love, friendship, loss, tragedy, cruelty, the atrocities that occurred, secrets, evil and hope. I really enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Barbour Fiction Publishers for allowing me to read What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Liz Tolsma writes in a way that just captures your heart. You feel all the emotions like you're on the journey right beside the characters. Her writing style is simply exquisite - there is no other way to describe it. The fact that she has based this story loosely from her own family makes it so much more interesting, and I love her notes at the end about that. It was such a fascinating story, especially with the dual timelines. Tolsma wove them together beautifully.

Historical fiction fans will love the way Tolsma brings lesser known bits of history to life. What I Left for You will make you cry, smile, and everything in between. I highly recommend this beautifully written novel. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Left for You is the second book I have read written by Liz Tolsma and I look forward to reading some more. What I Left for You was a captivating book, filled with history and emotions.

The character development was fantastic. I loved getting to know both Helena and her journey during WWII and McKenna and her journey as a social worker and looking into her family tree.

I enjoyed the storyline and setting a lot. My husband has recently started looking into his family tree so I could relate to McKenna’s journey. It has been a fun adventure to go on. That aspect of the story tied in really nicely to the WWII setting. I enjoyed getting to know a different story of WWII from a viewpoint that is not always talked about. This was also great timing as we start to study about WWII in our homeschool in the next few weeks.

Liz Tolsma did a great job of intertwining faith throughout the book.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I was not disappointed. I didn't realize it was a series when I requested it, but it was an excellent stand alone novel. It just makes me want to get the others because the author did so well on this one. I loved the dual timeline, the characters, and the plot line. I admit it was a roller coaster of emotion from heartbreak to hope, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend this novel to those history/historical fiction lovers out there. I will be looking for more from this author in the future.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Barbour Publishing

“No matter what, God.”

If you have read other reviews of What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma, you probably have already seen this quote, most likely headlining the review. I wanted to pick another quote, and there are several that I will mention later, but in order to face the darkness that is presented in this book, you need hope to hang on to. The darkness isn’t graphic, but we are dealing with persecuted Jews and other unwanted minorities, work camps, and unspeakable evil that we can only pray to learn from to avoid a repeat.

Tolsma starts her puzzle (for indeed, that is what a dual timeline is) with a young Polish Lemko woman, Helena, who is a guardian of a small child in Nazi-occupied Poland. The other woman is a recently unattached, present-day social worker, McKenna. A Pennsylvania native, McKenna has also been responsible for a young child’s safety.

I love how an author (Tolsma is so good at this) starts at the end of a combined story, but takes us back to the beginning of each separate thread and very slowly weaves the strands together. Each chapter starts with a line from the tragic “Song of Lemkoveyna.”

A glossary, pronunciation guide, and explanation of who the Lemkos are, is in the front of the book and most helpful. I still wished for a map, due to my own unfamiliarity with Eastern Europe.

Tolsma draws the reader into her novel with her first ominous paragraph, expertly setting the tone of dark expectation and dread. Indeed, as we read, and even the characters question God’s presence, slowly, the seeds of faith are being tended in hearts. Slowly, some look upwards in this harrowing tale, realizing that ultimately, “evil will never win. God’s good always triumphs.”
Also, a word of advice given is “ Remember the good.” That is exactly what first Jerzy, then later Helena do in order to survive the deplorable conditions they find themselves in. Even
McKenna, as she searches her ancestral homeland for clues to a long-lost relative, begins to view her difficult life differently. We can’t change what happens, but we can certainly change our perception of those events.

This is such a compelling book! You won’t be able to put it down. Grab some tissues, your fave comfort animal and drink, and settle in to learn about a minority persecuted in WWII that you probably had never heard of before. Discover the strength of the mother-child bond, and the immense love for one’s homeland. As we consider the lengths that Jerzy, Helena, and others go for love, ask yourself, how far would I go for another? Would I try to make it on my own power, or would I needs look upwards?

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Happiness flies away on butterfly wings. Contentment is enduring. Lasting.”

“Everything about me was icy. My fingers. My cheeks. My toes. My heart. My soul.”- Helena

“You don’t have a crystal ball or a direct line to God.” “Ah.” Taylor sat back, broke the chocolate bar in half, and took a bite. “That’s where you’re wrong. I do have a direct line to God. It’s called prayer.” “But you can’t see into the future.” “I do know who controls what’s going to happen.”

“Every life is precious, created by God for a special purpose, so we aren’t going to leave you.”

“for tonight, and only for tonight, I would trust the Lord to watch over us. Tomorrow I would have to make the choice whether or not to put my faith in Him once again.”- Helena

“In times of war, we put our own needs aside and give our best to the greatest good.”

“From here the Lord will lead us in the way we should go. If we can’t trust Him, there is no one to trust.”- Jerzy