Andray and Marina Shcherban were both raised in large families in which faith, hard work, and time spent together were front and center.  And while theirs isn’t as large as the ones in which they were raised, the Shcherbans are bringing up their four daughters with the same values.

 

Andray is one of 11 children.  He grew up in Oregon, the second child of parents who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. He credits his parents for his strong moral compass.

“My dad did an amazing job providing for us and working, and our mom was there for us and lead by example on honoring our father for his hard work and respecting him. We grew up in a healthy Christian household, so we never understood wrongdoing since our mom was a role model. No one is perfect, but they always owned up for their mistakes and would change as we all grew. My dad worked three jobs, and I don’t know how we never missed church service. Even when our mom was not feeling it, our dad packed us up and we went to church.”

Marina is also from a large Ukrainian family.  Like her husband, she grew up in Oregon.

“I have 12 siblings. We grew up in the same church with my husband, Andray.  Growing up in a large family was fun! Our family was close with our cousins, and we would go camping three times a year. We were all about the outdoors and getting together on a regular basis, visiting each other’s homes.”

The Shcherbans moved to Greenville six years ago, looking for a quieter life for their family. 

 

“We wanted to get away from the city to somewhere safer and with better potential,” Andray says. “I always dreamed of having my own property, but after I lived on a farm I realized I didn’t want that.  When Thornblade came up and I saw the river in the backyard, I said, “I have to have it!”

Andray and Marina have four children: Sarah, eight; Rachel, six; Esther, three; and Naomi, one and a half. 

“Sarah, the oldest, is what we call the Family Manager,” they say.  “She’s thoughtful, calculated, and she acts and thinks twice her age. Rachel is in Lala Land. She loves diamonds and sparkling things and is up to having a good time with no real worries. Esther is extremely loving, but she has full energy levels to play. She always hurts herself because she has no limits when it comes to running, jumping, and going crazy. Naomi is in love with Esther, and since they are the two at home that don’t go to school, they are just lovebirds enjoying life acting like little kittens. In the winter, we love the holiday season, bonfires, and arts and crafts. In the summer, it’s the beach and pool time at home.”

Marina is a stay-at-home mom to their four girls. Along with his brothers, Andray is the owner of Kamanski Construction Inc.

“With over 34 years of experience, we’re a family-owned, Design-Build-Remodel that manages everything in house. Our dad officially retired this year, but my brothers and I help and push each other to be better and improve while focusing on the same values, like treating others the way you want to be treated.  I remodeled our own home here in Thornblade. We removed everything down to the sheetrock and restarted on all three levels. We had additional wasted space in basement, so we turned it into finished livable square footage, with a full living quarter. I’m a visionary and love to create value. It’s not a job for me. It’s my happy place, and I love doing this!”

As busy as their work keeps them, Andray and Marina follow their parents’ example, making time for their spiritual life.

“Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. We follow a living God that you have a direct connection with, and it’s a personal relationship, and these things you do out of love are his hands, feet, and voice. We serve in the best understanding in what we know and continue to improve, even if we are not perfect.

“We go to Emmanuel Church in Spartanburg where Pastor Dmitriy Serioglo is main pastor and teaching is Biblical/Practical. We do food drives, toy drives, and local outreach locally. However, Marina’s brother Alexy has been serving in Honduras for 10 years, four of those years in an orphanage. After age 18, the kids had nowhere to go after the orphanage. Alexy felt the call of God and sold most of what he had and moved to Honduras fulltime. He has now opened a local church, and they do kids ministry for the community once a week. Hope For Nations does mission trips to the mountains and supports local families that they know and meet as they do street ministries. A few times a year, they turn the church into a hospital and provide medical and dental services. They have missionaries and evangelists that fly in to do gospel outreach on soccer fields. We are committed to this project as a family, spiritually, and financially and visit to serve as needed.”

No matter where they go, the Shcherbans take with them their devotion to faith, family, and hard work. And while there are some things they miss about Oregon – time spent outdoors, Mount Hood, and the beaches – they have found everything they wanted in the South Carolina Upstate.

“In Greenville, we have found the culture, the way of life, and the opportunities we were looking for.”