Carelinks | Russia
As briefly mentioned in the last issue of Gospel News, Duncan made a trip with our new brother Nikolai to visit an isolated couple. Fortunately they had use of Nikolai’s work truck, without which it would’ve been impossible to drive many hours each way over pontoon bridges and tracks, far into the very heart of rural Russia.
It was an awful trip, rural Russia these days is proof enough that Putin needs a foreign policy issue to take the focus off the poverty of the mass of the population in the rural areas of this vast country. Corrupt Police near the towns, no sign posts because they have literally fallen down, potholes as deep as a man, seriously broken up asphalt, tracks passable only by tractors, no public transport... these are just some of the things we could say. But it was all worth it. Olga and Anatoly unlike many younger people these days got properly married and fulfilled their dream of owning their own home- after saving from tiny salaries in the city, they bought a village house for 1000$, 5 km. walk from a main road and a shop, and virtually inaccessible apart from by walking and hitch hiking. No jobs there of course, only subsistence farming. But this joyful couple have an even more amazing story than that.
Olga was an alcoholic from childhood, Anatoly a drug addict. They met at a rehab centre. Hearing the stories of their childhood and earlier life, one wonders whether there can ever really be healing for those with that background. But they are an example of victory, thanks to God’s operation in their lives. Having tried every program, both of them independently started to read the Bible - online, using internet on their phones or others’ phones, because they say they frequently put their phones in the Lombard [pawnbroker] for just a bottle of vodka. But then Olga wanted to read more and more, and came across our offer of a free Bible. She described with tears of joy how she was told by the rehab centre that a package was waiting for her at the Post Office, and how she went there and ripped open the package to find the NEV Bible, and showed it to everyone in the line at the Post Office. She became addicted instead to Bible reading, and from there started the whole struggle for interpretation... passing through JWs and other groups, she was not satisfied with any of them, and read through the entire commentary in the NEV Bible and then Bible Basics.
Their clothes are from free giveaways and her most prized item of clothing is a T-Shirt with ‘I did it’ written on it. She really has done itat least, done so much. Although she is fully aware that the road ahead is still full of temptation.
Olga, Anatoly with Nikolai outside their home
They live very simply, getting water from their well, growing what they can, but they lack meat or protein. Anatoly has walked far in search of water where he could fish, but found no rivers or lakes.
After attempts to construct a bath from various cracked asbestos sheets lying around near the house, the amount of asbestos dust created was enough for Nikolai to offer to drive in search of water, and we did eventually find a fishing platform about 20 km away. The Lord gave us a perfect day, and the confession of faith from this couple was very deeply from the heart. As we prayed, it was clear the Lord Jesus was present, and we were all humbled before His presence. It was a pleasure to baptize them.
So please do pray for our new brother and sister, they get reception and therefore internet on their phone when they walk about 5 km from their home, so we can continue in contact that way. Again we marvel at how the Lord works to call sincere people unto Himself, and how really there is a power of new creation which makes all things old, even childhoods of abuse by others followed by self-abuse. Real transformation of human personality is indeed achievable by the power of God’s Spirit. Their joy is so great, and really the subtitle of Bible Basics seems so true for them: “Revealing the joy and peace of true Christianity”.
