Through the train window beside me a landscape of rolling,
snow covered hills, fields and villages lit by a setting sun, slides gently by.
Brother Brian Niemitalo, Misha Ustjuzhanin and I boarded our train in the
1000 year old city of Kazan and are on our way to Russian Republic of Udmurtia.
We have just shared a meal of bread, cheese, tea and prayer and now all
of us are sitting apart quietly lost in our own thoughts. Brain is across
the train isle from me writing in his journal, stopping, pen in hand, now and
again to peer reflectively out his window. Misha, our long time
friend and translator also watches out the same window lost somewhere in his
own thoughts. As for me, I am going to take this rare opportunity to
begin writing an update for the mission blog.
My last update was written from Rzhev, a city located a few
hours southwest of Moscow. Since that update Brian and I have spent time
in Cheboksary, the capital city of the Chuvash Republic and Yoshkar
Ola, the capital city of the Mari El Republic.
Much of our time in Cheboksary was taken up in the
university where we continue, year to year, with the help of Christian teachers
in the university, to meet with English students to share our language and
faith. During our time in Cheboksary we also had a large public meeting
which I had previously arranged and planned together with university teacher,
Victor Ivanov and professional musician and song writer, Evgeny Panteleev.
The meeting was held in Victor's church with the help of his
pastor, Nickoli, and some members of his congregation and was open to all, but
was specifically designed for the university students to allow us an
after class venue in which we could focus exclusively on the gospel. At
this meeting I took my text from Isaiah 53 and beginning there attempted to
reveal, as simply and clearly as I could, Christ Jesus through creation to His
blood soaked cross and triumphant Resurrection. Brian spoke after
me from Mark 1:14-15 and John 15:1-11.
For the 30 or so people at the meeting, "The Raw Gospel",
as Christian musician Evgeny Panteleev, put it afterwards,
was spoken. It truly is rewarding to see the Lord working in the hearts
of the students. I, along with Brian Niemitalo, Shane Juuti and the other
local Christian teachers have been patiently sowing seeds in
the university for some time and are beginning now to see
see the very positive fruit of the Spirit in their hearts. One young man,
for instance, named, Artoym, wrote me after one of our university class meetings
saying: "Thank you Gregory! I'm very glad I was fortunate to see you
again. And this time I understood everything you told us! Also you have
inspired me to know more about God. You've given me a great feeling of
happiness and peace! Thank you very much! Hope to see you again!"
We spent four very fruitful days in Cheboksary (I have
really only touched on all the things we did) then moved on to Yoshkar Ola.
We only had a day and a half in Yoshkar Ola, so our host, Pastor
Alexander Mityakov, made sure to use every moment to full capacity. We
arrived early to Yoshkar Ola by bus from Cheboksary and Alexander picked us up
in his little car. He informed us that he had arranged a meeting for us
with a group of psychologists near the bus station and within ten
minutes of our arrival Brian and I found ourselves sharing tea and the gospel
with four professional psychologists in their small city centre
office. It was wonderful to see their hungry eyes as we spoke.
The director, who spoke English and translated for us as we shared, grew
very excited when Brian told him how we are not saved through works, but through
faith alone in Christ Jesus. With a big smile and suddenly bright eyes
the director exclaimed "I have never heard it spoken of like this
before!" The meeting was tempered, though, by a young man who
arrived a bit later. He was not Russian, but a Belgium exchange student
working with the psychologists who didn't believe at all in God or in a
need for God. He was a very intelligent young man and debated
with us patiently, but we hope that our Lord's Spirit, who is most patient of
all, might have touched his heart with the biblical answers with which we
countered his questions and opinions.
After the hour long visit with the psychologists
Alexander drove us directly to the college where English teacher, Ellina Panteleevna, and many of her students
were expectantly awaiting us. I had met
with Ellina and her class once the year before and they have been
excitedly waiting for my return. We talked with the class and shared our
language, culture and faith, but I was careful yet about going too deeply into
faith subjects as I didn't feel it was quite the time. It is a sensitive
matter to be preaching in the classroom and I felt Ellina still uncomfortable
with the subject, so in this way we try to patiently watch and wait for the
right times to share the gospel. One of the things we always do is leave
our contact information. I have many, many Russian friends on the Russian
version of facebook which allows any students, teachers or others to keep in
contact with me if they wish. Some of the veterinarian students
from this college, for instance, had keep in contact with me over the year and
even helped the teacher to set up our return visit to the college. These
students are usually very open to faith matters. Before we left from
Yoshkar Ola some of the veterinarian students even saw us off at the
bus stop where we fellowshipped and prayed together with them before
our departure.
After the meeting with Ellina and her students Alexander
drove us to another school in his village which he and his wife, Anna, have
been praying to minister in. It seems the Lord heard their prayers and
now we too have been able to meet and make friends in this school and even have
been invited to schools in other districts as it happened that there was
teacher seminar taking place during our visit and so we also spent time getting
to know teachers from other Mari districts. From that meeting we went to
the village church and visited with a village family, then later had a bible
study at the church. Directly after the bible study Alexander took us
back into the city where he had arranged for us to meet a Muslim friend of his
and also a young woman who is a Rhythmologist. (I had met with
this Rhythmologist and her group last year as well). At this meeting we had Christians,
a Muslim, a Rhythmologist sharing a meal and all debating and discussing our
various versions of truth. Of course we know there is only one truth and
that is Jesus Christ, so as bizarre as this meeting may have seemed,
still we felt the leading and guiding of God's presence I am
sure this will not be our last meeting together with these dear souls He is
calling to. By the time we got home and finished our prayers before bed
that day it was after 2am.. such is a typical day for us in the Russian mission
field...
Since I began this update on the train many days have
passed. Unfortunately I ran out of time on the train and didn't get this
update finished, let alone sent out. We have, since I began this update,
visited Udmurtia, Birsk (In the Republic of Bashkortostan) and are now in
Ekaterinburg. Brain and I went to sleep late again last night after a
visit with a young man and his father who Brian has been ministering to here.
We have slept in this morning. It has been our first full night's
sleep in many a day, but now we must be up and out.. I will take this update
with me and if God allows, will find an Internet cafe someplace to send it...
I don't know if I will have time to write another update
before we leave for home, but there are many more wonderful stories to tell..
If I have to I will write and send another update from home..
God bless you and thank you all for your prayers,
Gregory and Brian in Russia,
