On November 14, 2025, Brothers Aleksey Goreliy and Oleg Shidlovskiy were released from a Russian penal colony. They were both convicted on September 19, 2022, and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Taking into account the time they each spent in a pretrial detention center, their sentences are now completed.

Aleksey and his wife, Inna, were separated for more than five years. Inna described how difficult that time was: “Aleksey was especially distressed about missing out on watching our son grow up. But praying to Jehovah gave him peace of mind. Seeing those prayers answered helped him to stay positive.” She added: “We’ve learned how vital it is to manage our thoughts. Negative thinking is like boarding the wrong train—you can’t just stay on it; you have to switch trains. When sadness overwhelmed us, we made a conscious effort to replace those thoughts with positive ones. And Jehovah always supported us and reminded us of his love.”

Oleg and his wife, Natalya, were also separated for over five years. Reflecting on that period, Natalya shared: “Looking back, we realize how important it was that we strengthened our spirituality when we had the opportunity—because these trials came upon us so suddenly. Being apart from my husband was especially difficult. Loneliness set in, and I felt the full weight of responsibility for our family on my shoulders. Yet, throughout it all, I constantly felt Jehovah’s loving care—spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. And despite the challenges Oleg faced in prison, he managed to stay positive. He kept his trust in Jehovah and became known for being a calm and balanced person.”

We are happy that Aleksey and Oleg are reunited with their families. And we are confident that as long as we rely on Jehovah, he will sustain us during difficult times.—Psalm 77:1.