Monday, July 12
Russia
A patient receives care at the new MPC medical clinic.
Florence has been in Moscow now for nearly three years. She left Nigeria hoping to find a better life by joining her brother, but she hadn’t realized that Moscow is often not a safe place for a person of color. She became afraid to leave her home. When she developed an acute respiratory disease, she didn’t call an ambulance to take her to a hospital because in Moscow ambulances will often refuse to serve people of color.
Florence visited the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy’s (MPC) new medical clinic. Upon examining her, the doctor immediately called an ambulance and she was hospitalized for two weeks. Florence credits MPC for literally saving her life ... but not only physically.
Before this life-altering incident Florence had heard about Jesus Christ but had not known him personally. After her hospital stay, she began attending the Sunday services at MPC. After one service, she spoke to us, MPC’s chaplains, and said that she wanted to give her life to Christ and serve only him.
While it is still dangerous for Florence to leave her home and move about Moscow, she now has a new family and a Savior, and her outlook on life has changed dramatically. Florence is only one of the hundreds of people who come from Africa who see MPC not only as an advocate in their safety, but also as a spiritual home where they are able to experience the full grace of God.
—Bob and Stacy Bronkema, PC(USA) mission co-workers
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) People in Mission
Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, U.S.A. Committee: The Rev. Robert Bronkema, pastor, the Rev. Stacy Bronkema, team ministry
St. Petersburg Lutheran Seminary: Hannah Kang, team ministry, the Rev. Joseph Kang, theology professor
The Rev. Garth Moller, director, Kargel and Baedeker School, St. Petersburg Christian University
Gary Payton, regional liaison, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland, World Mission Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of the Russian Federation: Alan Smith, teacher/counselor, Ellen Smith, coordinator for congregational twinning
Partners/Ministries
Russian Orthodox Church: Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia
Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of the Russian Federation: The Rev. Yuri K. Sipko, president
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States: Archbishop Edmund Ratz Interchurch Partnership: Archpriest Vladimir Fedorov and Ms. Marina Shishova
PC(USA) Agencies' Staff
Stephanie Ling, BOP
Sara Pottschmidt Lisherness, GAMC
Tammy Lloyd, GAMC
Prayer
God of grace and love, we thank you for being faithful to us even in the midst of realities that test our ability to see beyond the present. Give us the foresight to rely upon you for all things, especially when our safety seems at risk. Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Ps. 5, 145 and Ps. 82, 29
Josh. 2:1–14
Rom. 11:1–12; Matt. 25:1–13
