A letter from Al Smith serving in Germany/Russia
September 2014 - Partnering in a Bible Camp
Dear Friends,
I include here an excerpt of a letter that we recently received from our colleague Andrey in Kursk, Russia.
Dear Friend,
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Andrey’s son, Kolya, pictured with Andrey’s van. Andrey asks for prayers for Kolya’s health.
God bless you for your work, for your love for my people, for your prayers for my Roma. It is spring again and my group is back on the road carrying the word about the salvation of Christ. From March 10 to March 17 I was able to travel to the Rostov region, to the cities of Shakhty and Novoshakhtinsk. There, four years ago, two Christian groups were formed. A “spirit of deception” worked its way into one of these groups and many brothers and sisters were deceived. Brother Vadim, who has been serving this group from the very beginning, has put a lot of work into these groups, caring for every member. But the temptations and pleasures of this world work their ways into the families of my Roma and they fall by the wayside. But as soon as they come to their senses, they understand their sorry situation and turn in prayer to God. Just like the people of Israel.
Many people think today that they will learn everything in life and afterward they will be able to come to God. But how many young people have confessed Christ but later returned to the world and obtained death? Where are they? What happened to their souls?
During our time together, many such themes were discussed. Many wondered: “Are we living the way we should?” It is very difficult to get out of this predicament but each of us has Jesus Christ, who will never turn away from us, but extends a hand to help everyone who calls upon his name and gives him salvation. Romans 10:13.
Our God is great! A merciful and loving God!
I believe that many of my sisters and brothers will be saved because God loves the Roma people.
Andrey’s letter is a reminder that evangelization is always a work in progress—people don’t just accept the Lord and then live happily ever after. Instead, life’s issues and problems continue, and we don’t necessarily come through every trial and test with perfect marks. Sometimes we backslide: all of us occasionally, some of us more frequently. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that we can get another chance if we repent. Were that not the case, we would be in dire straits indeed.
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Roma church camp - Pastor Andrey Beskorovainiy gets the word out.
The big event in the Roma ministry in Russia this summer was the annual children’s Bible camp from June 23 to July 1. Each year the planning and programming for this event is done entirely by Andrey and his team in Russia, but the financial wherewithal that makes it possible comes from you. The camp is strictly a local church effort, without financial or other support from the global partner.
The children who come to the camp look forward to it every year—for most, if not all, it is the only such opportunity they have. For the kids whose families are not churchgoers, this camp is their best opportunity to hear the Good News, and perhaps to bring it back to their families. I have never gotten over this role reversal, which we have seen in many places in Russia; in my childhood, kids were generally carted off to church by believing parents, not the other way around.
The logistics of putting on the camp every year are impressive. Much of the equipment, the tents, the surplus Army field kitchen, showers, etc. are shared by several church groups over the course of the summer. There is even the old Soviet Army equivalent of a two-and-a-half-ton truck for heavy lifting. Members of Andrey’s church plan the lessons, organize the games and other activities, and cook all of the meals.
You are a part of the PC(USA) mission team, even if you never leave home. Your participation in our ministry, through your prayer and financial support, makes our work possible, even if we get to have most of the adventures and collect the entry stamps in our passports. The travel and programs generate the stories, but it takes a lot of resources just to send and maintain a mission family on the field. Those resources come from your generosity and commitment. We are also grateful for your prayers, not only for our family, but also for our Russian partners. At this time of year we would ask for your prayer support in keeping our family healthy through the very busy summer season, and for our daughter Emma as she gets ready for her last year of high school. In his most recent letter Andrey requests that we pray for the health of his son, Kolya, for their mobile praise team, which is planning several trips over the course of the year, and for God’s provision to help him pay off the loan on the van he uses in the course of his ministry.
May God bless you and all that you do.
Peace,
Al Smith
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 312, 320
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