Anton Ostapenko

• Born: 1991 (Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan)

• Biography: Works as a boiler inspector at a power plant. Along with his sister, was introduced to Bible truth as a teenager by his mother. Baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2005

  Married his wife, Natalya, in 2015. They enjoy snowboarding and skiing. Anton also enjoys playing guitar, fishing, and playing tennis

On April 19, 2019, authorities in Sharypovo searched ten homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses and questioned the brothers and sisters present. Brother Anton Ostapenko was arrested and placed in pretrial detention until his release on December 20, 2019. He is charged with organizing the activities of an “extremist” organization.

During the six months Anton was confined, there were a few times when he would turn away from the security camera, go to the sink in his cell, and weep from anguish.

Prayer became his primary source of strength. Anton relates: “I begged for Jehovah to help me to develop endurance.” He also makes this observation: “I had a lot to learn. Spiritually, I grew up there and got stronger. . . . Interestingly, when you find yourself in a challenging circumstance [like this], it seems as if you cross over from theory to practice. After all, there is not always a Bible in your cell. So before imprisonment, I simply read about Jehovah. But there [in prison] Jehovah fully showed me what sort of a God he is. Let me tell you, I was delighted by it! He became not just Almighty God but a loving Father who truly understands my circumstances and offers his help and support in ways I had not even imagined and always at just the right time.”

Kingdom songs also encouraged him. “My wife and I always sang songs together, which helped us memorize them. That came in handy in the detention center. After lights-out, I took great pleasure in praying and singing a song, and that helped me to fall asleep with a calm heart.”

As Anton now awaits the outcome of his case, he is able to continue working secularly. However, he is not able to leave the Sharypovo area. This restriction prevents him from being able to take his mother to her medical appointments.

We pray in full confidence that Jehovah will continue to grant peace to our brothers enduring persecution.—John 14:27.