It is early morning here in Rzhev, Russia; a city located a few hours south-west of Moscow. Brother Brian Niemitalo and I have been traveling for ten days now. We began our trip in beautiful Crimea, which is eastern Ukraine; in Simferopol, near the Black Sea. The weather there had been deliciously warm and sunny. In Simferopol we stayed in the apartment of a family Brian had met in Russia on his last trip. We spent our time visiting the two young sons of this family, Igor and Oleg, and some of their friends, Ivan and Evegenia, who took it upon themselves to show us around their beautiful area. In the evenings we and the boys held Bible studies in the apartment and listened and answered questions.
From Simferopol we headed back to Moscow and then made our way to Shekino. Brian and I were invited to stay in the home of very dear Christian friends, Lyubov and Anna Kuzmakova, a believing mother an daughter whom we have known since our first visits to this area in 2001. Over the years Anna has mastered the English language and has been helping us with our mission work in Western Russia for some years now, translating and serving along side us whenever she can. Anna, a childhood Christian, remembers the first time she met us in 2001. She had been part of a group of children we had given bible lessons too at the hotel we were staying at. We were the first Americans she had ever met. She related how she had run home after that meeting and excitedly exclaimed to her mother that "Mom! Even the Americans know Jesus!"
In Schekino we spent an evening of precious fellowship with Pastor Vitaly and members of his Lutheran Church which we have been supporting for many years now. The theme of our meeting that evening was how the Lord has been changing us. The Pastor himself, for instance, was at the very first meeting I ever attended in his area about eleven years ago. I remember how he pointed out at that first meeting, not without some passion, how "We Orthodox do not need you Lutherans here!" I smile and rejoice to think how God shortly after came into his heart in a big way and how for some years now he has been the pastor of the Lutheran church that was established during that time. So we were able to look at each other and at our own hearts as well and see how we have all matured over the years, because of Christ's grace and love, and how we have come to realize more and more our eternal need of Jesus.
We were also able to meet with believers and non-believers outside the church during our time in Schekino area. I hesitate to write "non-believers" when I speak of Russians, because Russia is a country where many, if not most of the people we encounter, believe in God. Unfortunately this believe is mostly cultural and has little depth other than an acknowledgement of God and the Orthodox church. Still, this belief, however deep, is recognized by our creator and we find it often blesses in that the hearers are truly willing to listen and share in what we have to bring them concerning our Lord's gospel message.
One example of this is Zhenya, a good friend and colleague of Anna Kuzmakova. She has always believed in God, but recently Anna has noted a change in her heart and a deeper desire to know God. After Anna told us about this, Brian began to pray for Zhenya during our evening prayers. I felt, as Brian prayed for this person he had never met before, that somehow the Lord was going to arrange for us to meet with her, something I had been trying to do for some years already but without success because of limited time and schedules, etc. When we arrived to Schekino Anna telephoned Zhenya and sure enough she was able to find time during her lunch hour break from the college where she teaches to come meet with us.
Our meeting was blessed from the beginning when we took each other's hands around the resaurant table and prayed. We shared our hearts with Zhenya and she shared hers with us. We talked about Jesus and what He has done for us how repentance and faith are necessary for us to know Him. Before we left the restaurant we prayed again and then walked Zhenya back to her college. After warm embraces Zhenya looked at us and said with deep sincerity that "I am so glad you are in my life now!" and I replied, with equal sincerity that "Yes, we are in your life."
This is how it goes in Russia. Much of our ministry is one on one or in small groups, as it was with Zheny or with the boys in Simferopol. These meetings are often inspiring and we recognize God's leading and Spirit in them, but at the same time we realize that we need to be patient. One of the things we have to learn as we meet with these precious souls, sometimes for years before we see richer fruit, is that we need to be lovingly patient, diligent and consistent in our prayers and ministry for them, asking God's love and grace both for them and for us as we seek to know and share in His precious salvation message.
Now, as I wrote when I opened this letter, we are in Rzhev. We arrived last night and had dinner with Pastor Valery and his family. Now we are sitting in a wifi cafe and hopefully I will find time to post this article along with some photos before we go to meet with the Baptist Pastor, Misha, whom Brian first met in 2003 with Cal Niemela and Bruce Selin.
It has been a relatively warm November here in Russia, though I saw this morning, as I look out the church window that the puddles had frozen over.. I don't know what the Lord has in store for us next as we serve here, we are only a third of the way through our journey, but I am expecting, as always, His of love and grace upon us.
Please keep us in prayer,
Your brother in Jesus,
Gregory
Brain and Anna with the boys, Ivan and Oleg in Simferopol.
Greg and Anna with Zhenya
Anna and Zhenya
Anna and Greg.. "Going to the Bank!"
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