The Faces Tell the Story

As in any location, the people who live there give color and life to the neighborhood, the city, the country. The faces we encounter have a story to tell.

Here in Ulyanosvk I have had the opportunity to meet individuals whose lives are truly impacted by their surroundings and yet they have risen above their own set of circumstances to come faithfully to a little Nazarene church where they cannot help but feel the presence of our Lord and Saviour. They love their teacher and friend, Miss Masha. They love Maxim and Svetlana, and I am sure they love Sasha, Masha's husband.

In general, the impression I have had of the people I have seen everyday walking around the city and who are the heart of this Russian city, is that even though the wall of communism came down, they remind me of a Sims computer game. There is still a sense to me that they are under a control and that their freedom really isn't free.

The main church in Ulyanosvk is the Orthodox church. There are two baptist churches, one lutheran church, one Methodist church, and one Nazarene church. There are numerous muslim, mormon, jehovah witness, seventh day adventist, moonies and the unchurched is right up there. The men, women, and teenagers are given to alcoholism, especially the men. The majority continue to be under the rule of tradition and an old lifestyle.

When Gorbachev led the way for the wall of communism to be broken there grew two classes of people, the rich and the poor and the two shall never meet. Maxim described his country to me as giving new birth and so they are growing with the hope that in time Russia will become a "gooder" place.

Please let me introduce to you just a few of the faces I am growing to love. Each person has a story. As I share just a little bit about each person please remember that God is sovereign even in the city of Ulyanosvk Russia.

Andre is a young man who used to be in the military. He had money and was very intelligent. He was attacked. His head was bashed in and he was left to die. He was in a coma and is now physically impaired but boy he works and he solves problems and is faithful to his church.

Albert and his sister Anya are twins. Yesterday they celebrated their 13th birthday. Their father is a heavy drinker. Their mother goes to the orthodox church and yet these two walk at least 15 minutes to come to church for services and every day to help our team work on the building.

Natasha and her sister Nastia also come from a home where the father is a heavy drinker. Their mom does not go to any church.

Alesia was born out of wedlock. Her father was a muslim. When he found out he had a daughter he went and got her. The mother willingly gave her away. She then lived with her father and grandmother. Her father was a heavy drinker and is now dead along with her grandmother. She now lives with a cousin and although she was a muslim by birth she is a big part of this little church.

There is a little girl named Albina. She lives with her mother in the apartments designated for the deaf because her mom cannot hear.

Katia is a young woman who cannot walk because of cerebral palsy. The doorways in her apartment are not wide enough to get a wheel chair in and out of so her mother just comes to church. The church people then go to Katia.

There are many others who have very similar stories. I think the thing we need to remember though is as God is freely a part of our lives in America, he too is here in Russia working in the hearts of his willing vessels to seek and to save that which is lost.

When I leave this very old city of Ulyanosvk I will remember the words of the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow.". Because of the power of the Gospel, even though it is heard predominantly inside the four walls of this little church, we who have served on this witness team can rest assured that this Gospel will shine and as with the sparrow He will watch over these precious people.

"The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes byond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.