My heart is so full of so many emotions right now: sadness, awe, glory, pain, and mostly gratefulness and awe. Have you ever done something in your life, and felt like you were solely created for THIS? I have. I felt that way the 4 times I was given the privilege of giving birth to our four miracles. I have also felt this way every time I have been able to share Jesus' love with someone, and see them given a second birth, being born again.
I have only given birth 4 times, but I do not know how many times I have shared the Gospel, going door to door, because I don't keep count, but I truly do enjoy it when I get the opportunity.
I had one of those such days today. We began praying for a village on and off about 5 years ago. We have driven through this village countless times back and forth, in every season, seeing trees covered in gold, brown, red and orange leaves, limbs bearing the weight of beautiful white snow, as well as trees covered in many shades of green. We have picnicked there in fall, winter, spring and summer, near the river. We have prayed as we drove through for God to pour out His Spirit there.
The village is about an hour outside our city. It looks, from the road, to be a small village, and I guess by Russian standards it is, with less than 1,000 people. We began planning an evangelism trip last week with some of our church members. We have been on countless trips in our region, and many villages, but none this close to us. Don't ask me why, but we were recently convicted about it, and decided it best to obey. It's always best to obey :). The church just offered EE training, and there were about 5 students, and we wanted to give them an opportunity to go out and share all they have learned.
Last night, I went to the church to stamp the New Testaments with our church name, address, phone number, service times etc... As I was stamping and praying, I said, Lord, bless Your Word. I said it a few times before I realized what I was saying. I then confessed...Lord, You already blessed Your Word, use me tomorrow, and bless those who will receive Your Word, with open hearts.
We know God's Word does not return void, without accomplishing all He has purposed. The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it. Because of this, we realize that sometimes people wait days, months, even years before they pick up a copy of His Word, but we pray believing that some day, God will draw them to His Word. We decided this time to put a stamp, so at any time, when they read, if they have questions, or maybe have prayer needs, that they have a phone number to call and ask, and know that there is a church, God's house of prayer, not far away for them to go to. While we were stamping, several people came in and said that a storm was coming tomorrow, snow, high winds, and cold, so we did what most Americans would do, we canceled it...NOT...we did it the Russian way, WE PRAYED. (no offense intended, just one of many of our proven "perceptions")
Ten of us, including me, Michael and Caleb, met at the church, this morning for prayer. We began at 10:00 am. We divided into teams of three, with one team of two, and covered both sides of the village completely in about six hours. The temps were high 20's F and windy, but the snow and higher winds didn't come until we were driving away from the last home in the village. God did amazing things, as only He can do, because everything He does is amazing. We had a blessed day with many impressions and stories that just plain need retelling.
Just so you understand what a Russian village is like, I will try to explain. The fences are never ending, though they may not match. Some are wooden, some are metal, but they all connect the length of the whole village. Behind the fences are mostly wooden, log cottage looking homes, with painted wooden shutters (predominantly blue) and dogs, lots and lots of dogs, big (usually German Shepherds, Huskies, Chow), barking and mean dogs, some on chains, that end just where you are standing, when inside the gate, and some that are running free and jumping up onto the high fences. Within the fence, there is a door, big enough for one or two people to walk through. Sometimes it is hard to find the opening, as it looks like the fence in every way, except for the little wire or string that you pull from the outside, which lifts the inside latch to open.
Kak Obwichno (As always) some people weren't home, some weren't interested, some were drunk, some were crazy, some were afraid; and as always the case, some of us were afraid...of dogs and people. And some, actually many, were receptive, kind, wanted to hear about God's love and His plan, and really wanted God's Word.
The people were men, women, old, young, poor, rich, dark skinned, light skinned, fat, skinny, kind, mean and everything in between. They all have more than one thing in common with each other and us: we speak Russian,we have hearts, minds and souls, we are all living, and we are all going to die, we are all sinners, and we all need love, kindness and most importantly, forgiveness of our sins and a Savior.
Michael, Caleb and I started out together as a team. We had the Patrol, so we dropped people out inside the village where the different streets were, then we headed back out to the main road, and started going down the left side of the central road. We parked the vehicle and walked from house to house until we ran out of Bibles, then Michael would go back and drive up to where we left off and start again. When we got to about the 4th or 5th house, house number 37, we opened the outer gate and walked in, past the barking dog, whose chain stopped just short of us. We walked around the side of the house on the little path, and were met about halfway to the door by, a sweet, short, red-headed lady. She had a kind, gentle face, and the most beautiful gold teeth. We introduced ourselves and told her that we came from the city to her village to tell her that God loves her, and to give her a gift, His Word. She was very receptive and grateful. She agreed, as most Russians that we have shared with, that she was a sinner and without hope before a Righteous God. We told her that in the Bible we gave her, she could read more about God and His grace, mercy, and plan for all people and for her life; That He created us and loved us so much that he saw the problem of our sin, and sent His Son, Jesus,the only perfect One, to live, die, in our place,and rise again for us, so that we could have a personal relationship with God. If we only repent, turn from our sin, and accept His free gift of salvation, and asking Him to be our Lord and Savior. I then told her about prayer. I asked her if she had anything that I could pray for her about. She said, "Yes, my husband is ill." Then she invited us into her home. Caleb was standing closer to the gate and she told him to come too that it was too cold to keep standing outside. We went just inside the door, and were about to pray with her and she motioned us into a side room. She would not let us take off our dirty shoes (a strict Russian tradition, upon entering a home).
We walked into the room, and there in the bed, was an older gentleman. She said this is my husband, would you pray for him. None of us were prepared for what lay before us, him, or what God was about to do. He had a sad, sunken face, but with kind blue eyes. He had no legs, and homemade catheter with a sprite bottle, and tube sticking out of him. She introduced us to her husband, Valarry. The first words out of his mouth was,"Yesterday, I wanted to die." Only 61 years old-He told us of losing his legs because of Diabetes. We told him we wanted to talk to him about eternal life, and how much God loved him. Yeah, I know, but YES, HE DOES! No matter what is wrong with our body or soul, or whatever we have been through, He loves us. I believe this with all my being. We are more than these shells, this flesh that is surrounding us, that fall apart, decay, or are racked with disease, pain and hurts. We are meant for so much more. There is more to this life than can be seen, beauty unimaginable, which can only be truly found in Jesus. I am so glad Caleb was with us to witness, the most beautiful thing ever, first hand.
We asked him if we could pray for him. He said yes, but first he had some questions. He said, "I think I am going to die soon, but I have never been baptized." Michael shared with him what God's Word says about baptism. Then we talked to him more about faith, belief and repentance. He was obviously touched and ready. We asked him if he understood in his heart what Jesus did on the cross, and if he wanted to repent. He said yes, and could he do it now, from his bed. We explained what prayer was, talking to God, and telling him what our hearts were feeling, about confession and how we could speak to God that way. He said he wanted to, but didn't know what to say. I said I would help him, if he had that desire, and explained that the words don't mean anything to God unless it was truly from his heart. I had to touch him, so I asked him if I could sit beside him and touch him, to which he agreed. He repeated everything word for word, with tears and great emotion, for all of us. When he finished, he had such peace on his face, we welcomed him into the family of God and I told him he was my new brother. He grinned the sweetest grin, and said I have another question, "Do I need to buy a cross?" (necklace) Sweet, innocent, tender faith. When I think of the lies these people have been told of how to receive God's mercy, through works, prayers, baptism (all paid to the priests, of course, it makes me so sad.) We explained with much tenderness that if he wanted a cross there was certainly nothing wrong with it, but it was not required by God, that he wants us to wear Him in our hearts, soul and mind, not around our necks. Then I looked up and saw his wife, Maria, with tears streaming down her face. I asked her if she repented too. She said, "Yes, right along with my husband." OH JOY.... I got up and gave her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek, and told her she was my new sister. By now we are all in tears. Then he looked up at Michael and said, "You can't kiss her." So sweet, still flirting with his wife. We talked some more about our church and other things, and told them we would come back and study the Bible with them, and bring back some other brothers and sisters to pray with and encourage them. She promised to read the Bible to him every day.
When we arrived that house was full of despair, and death was in the air, but as always, when Jesus shows up, there is hope and life, and promise of a future in heaven. I honestly thought I was about to watch legs grow on him and he would get up and walk and dance, and God could so do that, but wait, the greater miracle as Jesus said, is that He forgives sin (Mark 2:9) Now he has eternal life, and really, when it is our time to die, and we are His, it is truly the ultimate healing. I am so grateful that I still have legs, and can walk into places and lives like that. I cannot wait to spend eternity with Jesus and Valarry. Though I don't get to experience it every day, I was born for this, and I pray that every person reading this realizes that too.
Oh and before I left, I just had to give Dyed (short for grandfather) Valarry a sisterly kiss on the cheek, because I am in love with little old men. Maria, didn't mind. As we were leaving, she walked us to the door. I gave her a loaf of bread and told her that Jesus is the real bread of life, and with Him we will never hunger. I remembered I had a fresh loaf of bread in my bag, given to me by a group of Armenian men (Michael was getting the car) I had just met them in a bread bakery (unlike any you have ever seen, the bakery and the men) I am still not convinced they weren't mafia, seriously...
...but that's another story.
