Dear Partners in the Gospel,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! In recent days we have received the shocking reports of the massacre of precious children, their parents and teachers at the Beslan Middle School in Northern Ossetia in the Caucasas Region of Russia. Here at SGA we have closely watched all the media reports and also been in contact with the local Christian community in Beslan. Such depraved evil directed at innocent children is beyond my ability to process. Our tears are flowing, especially for the Christian families, and for all who have lost loved ones to such horrific brutality.

The president of the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Russia, Pastor Yuri Sipko, visited the Beslan catastrophe site today. He asked me to thank Christian brothers and sisters in North America for their prayers and expressions of love for the victims and their families. Pastor Sipko sent the following report and asked me to forward it to concerned churches and individuals.

The UECB Baptist Church in Beslan is located near the school where the great tragedy occurred. The pastor’s name is Michael. Eleven children from the church families were held hostage and terrorized by the attackers. Of the eleven Baptist children who were held hostage, three are now at home and one boy is in the hospital. One woman from the church, Irina, was able to escape from the school with one of her children but saw her 9-year old son shot to death in front of her eyes. Another member of the Baptist church is also named Irina and she has not been able to find her child.

Sergei(Konstantine) Totiev is a church planter in the area sponsored by the Kodiak Bible Chapel in Kodiak, Alaska. He and his wife had three children among the hostages. Their nine year old daughter, Anna, is believed dead, but it is still unconfirmed. Their twelve year old son, Azamat, is in the hospital with a severe eye injury. Their younger child is still missing.

Sergei(Konstantine) has a brother named Temuraz. He and his wife have five children. One daughter, Magina, was hospitalized for a short time but is now home. They are trying to find their other four children.

Please pray for the following children of Sergey Totiev and his brother Temuraz Totiev who are still missing. They are Dzerassa age 15, Anna 9, Larisa 14, Luba 12, Albina 11, and Boris 8.

Today I spoke with the superintendent of the Baptist churches in the region, brother Victor Levashov and also with the pastor from nearby Vladikavkas, Peter Lunichkin. Yesterday Peter visited with Sergey and Teimuraz Totiev. The situation in Beslan is difficult. They are grateful for your greetings and concern, but they are in shock. There are more than 400 children in the hospitals. Many are badly injured and burned. Identifying the injured is extremely difficult. Many are so traumatized that they are unable to say their names or the names of their parents. Identifying the bodies of those who have died is equally difficult as many of them were killed by explosions and the ensuing fires. It is felt that the number who have perished will reach five hundred.

Please pray often for all the families that have been affected. Pray for the pastors and the churches who are seeking to minister to all who have lost precious little loved ones. Pray that the Lord will grant them great wisdom and enduring strength in handling the situation and make them channels of Christ's great love for all the victims and their families. Again, your prayers and concern are deeply appreciated.

Pastor Yuri Sipko for the UECB of Russia.

Dear Pastors and Other Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please share this report from our Brother Yuri Sipko with your church family and ask them to pray for the victims and their families, as well as for the Russian churches wanting to seize the opportunities to minister to families in great need of love and support. Affected families will need spiritual and emotional support from the Christians in the community. Materially, most who have lost children do not have the resources to cover the costs of the funerals. SGA took a step of faith and sent considerable funds with Pastor Sipko to help the churches in the Beslan area minister to the needs of the affected families. Please join with us in praying for all the financial resources that will be needed. Churches and individuals desiring to assist may do so through SGA by indicating "Crisis Response-Beslan School Victim Assistance."

In the meantime, we can be greatly comforted that Jesus lovingly took each child gently by the hand into the joy of His presence. Thank you in advance for your prayers, your love, and your concern. We will endeavor to keep you informed as the reports come in.

In His love and service,
Dr. Bob Provost