Tamara Kariakina is living the high life.

Though she lives in a small but cozy one-bedroom apartment in Fallon, Tamara, known as Toma, feels a world apart from the persecution and poverty of her native Russia.

"I have everything," she said. "Sometimes when I wake up, I can't believe I live in America."

Toma arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 21, 2001, thousands of miles and a lifetime away from her home in Volgograd, a city in southwest Russia.

It's been a long journey for the bubbly, animated mother who sings praises of her new home in broken but improving English. Despite the pain she suffered for her faith, she clings to a promise of salvation and a better life for the family she left behind.

She describes a Russia that proclaims to be free, but squelches free speech and dissent. Government critics are still jailed and sometimes killed, she said. People are free to practice religion, but conversation about it can lead to ridicule, or often worse.

Toma was a Russian language teacher in Volgograd, where she graduated from the Volgograd Teachers' Training Institute. A letter from the school principal describes her as distinguished, kind and compassionate.

She was fired from her school after being baptized, the culmination of repeated complaints from parents and faculty about her mention of Christianity in the classroom.

The introduction of Christianity to Russian youth combats the county's rampant moral void, Toma said.

"When I work in school, I see much problem with Russian children," she said. "They drink wine. When they're very little they have sex."

Her son, Alexei, was also a victim of harassment. While on his way to church choir, he was approached by a group of males who accosted him before jumping into two vehicles. The first vehicle swerved towards him and passed. The second, a truck, struck him. The right side of his head was smashed, and he is now disabled. Alexei is not allowed to sing in the choir.

She also described the beatings and harassment her friends endured for their faith. Her father was jailed and fired from jobs because of his Christian beliefs.

Pain sets in her face when she mentions the family she left, but the tears quickly turn to a smile as she describes the blessings of her new country.

Her friends and relatives call and ask if she has enough food to eat and clothes to wear she said. To their amazement, she replies on how she can eat meat for every meal if she wants. Toma tries to send money home whenever she can.

She was shocked by the amount of freedom American women have, she said. Rarely do women drive cars in Russia, a privilege reserved for the very wealthy. Today, Toma drives her own car to the grocery store to buy food that is comparatively cheap to her homeland's struggling economy.

After arriving in San Francisco, Toma moved to Reno with a Russian friend. Her move to Fallon was prompted by employment as a caregiver for local families and involvement at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

In Fallon, she's found a friendly community that displays kindness she's never known, she said.

For now, Toma relishes her newfound freedom and enjoys her job as a caregiver at The Homestead. She's hired a lawyer to help bring her sister, two nephews and son stateside. The family is applying for visas.

She's starting classes at Western Nevada Community College for nursing, and aspires to someday teach Russian at a university.

"I love American people," she said. "In America, people tell me, 'Toma, you always are happy and smile.' In Russia, I no smile. America teach me to smile."

Josh Johnson can be contacted at jjohnson@lahontanvalleynews.com