Stories from the United States of Russia

We were in Russia recently. Tim taught 4 times a day and was quite tired. I, on the other hand, got to visit with people and I heard some wonderful testimonies that I want to share. I'm not giving names because it still isn't safe in some areas to be known Christians.

A pastor -
He was interested in God and cut verses out of the newspaper whenever he found them for his daughter. Some friends invited his wife to a Bible study and she and his daughter started attending regularly. One Sunday his wife was sick and hid daughter cried, crocodile tears he said, for him to take her, so of course he did. When he got there it was all women so he stood against the back. A man came in and called him brother, this confused him, he wasn't his brother. He attended for a year before he gave his life to Christ and he and his wife were baptized together.

A pastor -
His mother was a Believer, but he wasn't interested. He was in a gang and happy with his life. One day, however, he was looking for jazz music on the radio and heard a Christian program. He continued to listen and was convicted and repented. At 15 he was arrested for listening to the radio, they thought it was Radio Free America, and he spent two years in prison. He would have spent 10 if he had been an adult. When he got out people would stand on his steps to see if he was listening again.

A musician -
This man, an atheist, was invited to a Christian concert by evangelists on the street. They prayed with him and he thought that was the end of it. But the day of the concert he had nothing else to do so he went. He went for the three days and heard the answers to his specific problem with the Bible. The last day he went forward to receive Christ. He was the only one for that went forward in the three days of the campaign.

A pastor -
this man had been a detective and successful in ju-jitsu until he broke his back. He was in the hospital for a year and very depressed. A group came to his room and shared with him about Christ. When he got out he started going to Church and came to faith in Christ. After six months of prayer, his wife came to Christ also. She had miscarried and been told she would not be able to get pregnant and yet she did. They prayed throughout the whole pregnancy and have a healthy 10 year old son today.

A medical student -
Another student invited her to her church and she was ready to hear and receive Christ. She now mentors other new Believers from the medical school.

A pastors wife -
As a university student she was invited to a Campus Crusade Bible study and received Christ there.

One man received Christ as a result of the Jesus film and his ministry today is to take the Jesus film to different cities.

A couple planting a church in and unchurched city of 4,000 -
He came to Christ through a friend. She, a Muslim, resisted, but within a couple of years came to faith in Christ also. Their children are grown and one of their sons gave them a ping pong table that they use for outreach. It's set up in their home and they invite people over for tea and ping pong, and the gospel.

God is very creative and I loved hearing these stories. There are more that I'll share later in the week.