who is willing to say“ here I am, use me.” They felt that the power of a personal testimony of a saved man or woman could reach the hardest of the hearts and they encouraged their team members to do so, regardless of their past, education, experience or the lack of thereof.
On a snowy winter day in Russia a new team member, Alexander, pulled the couple aside before the service. He severely stuttered as he spoke. He told the couple that he wasn’ t sure why he came to Russia, except that he had felt a strong nudge from God. Because of his speech impediment he couldn’ t share any testimonies, but he would pray. The couple could tell he was quite shaken and prayed for him.
The evangelistic service was held in an old movie theater. The heat wasn’ t working and everyone was bundled up in warm coats and big furry hats and you could see people’ s breath rising from their lips. But the theater was packed. The Russian people came to hear the Gospel after being forbidden to believe for over 70 years.
As the schoolteachers and doctors, hairdressers and mechanics, shared their stories of God’ s power working in their lives, the room was warming up with excitement and cheers. A preacher was getting ready to deliver an evangelistic sermon, but suddenly, Alexander asked to speak.
He had been an alcoholic who caused a drunk driving accident. His wife and son died in that accident. The tragedy led him to Christ and his life was changed, but the guilt and the shame of his past had a powerful hold on him. As he spoke, tears streamed down his cheeks and the crowd wept with him. Alcohol abuse had been a great tragedy for many Russian people and many in the audience related to his story. Strangely, the more he spoke, the less he stuttered. At the end of his story, his voice became strong and fluid and he invited those who wanted to be delivered from their addictions and strongholds to come forward and accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The entire movie theater rose to their feet. The some team members lined up in front of the stage to pray with the new converts, while others were opening the boxes with New Testament Bibles to hand them out to everyone who was willing to take one.
Alexander lost his stuttering in that service, along with the guilt and shame of his past. Hundreds of Russian people found Jesus and freedom in Him.
I will forever be grateful to the American couple who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1984 and changed my life forever. I did not get to see their faces because they handed that tract to my brother. I don’ t know if they got to see the fruit of their work while in Moscow. I don’ t know if they got to preach a sermon, share a testimony, lead someone in a salvation prayer?
One day I will be able to come up to them in Heaven and tell them,“ Thank you for obeying the Lord. I am a life that was saved through your courage and obedience.”
I look forward to meeting in Heaven people from the world’ s“ hot spots” who gained eternity with Jesus through our ministry, World Missions Alliance, and millions of Bibles we distributed in these countries. But it all goes back to that Gospel tract in Moscow in 1984 and someone willing to travel.
62 SMG Solutions