10/22/04

SGA President Visits Grieving Beslan, Russia
Brutal Terrorist Attack and Murders Still Under Investigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joel Griffith
815-282-8900

(Beslan, Russia) -- SGA president Dr. Robert W. Provost has just
concluded a two-day visit to Beslan, Russia, which was the scene of the
horrific terrorist attack at a local middle school that left hundreds of
school children and adults either dead or severely wounded. Even seven
weeks after the tragedy, the town of 35,000 is still in deep mourning
and the evangelical churches are doing their best to reach out to the
afflicted families -- even in the midst of mourning their own lost
children. Dr Provost commented that it was truly a life-changing
experience . . .

"Unless you have been here in Beslan itself, it is impossible to even
imagine both the scope of the catastrophe, as well as the depth and
breadth of the numbing sorrow that has gripped this Russian town. I
walked the aisles of the vast new School Cemetery covered with beautiful
wreaths of flowers and wooden crosses adorned with photos of the dead
children, their parents, and teachers. I visited every room in the
large school building that was largely destroyed. I listened to the
personal testimonies of eyewitnesses, surviving hostages, parents and
grandparents who lost precious children, and community pastors serving
the grieving families. To the degree possible I relived those horrible
first three days of September 2004. One of the pastors who lost two
beloved daughters called it the Russian 9/11 -- the ninth month and the
first day at school number one."

Local estimates of the actual number killed exceed 500 children, men,
and women, with an additional 700 hospitalized. More than half of the
faculty and staff were killed, most of them while trying to save
children. Many of the older children who perished could have escaped but
instead gave their lives trying to save younger siblings. Concerned
nearby residents approaching the school were shot by snipers. Parents
were shot in the parking lot. Mothers with infants in their arms were
given the opportunity to leave, but many could not leave their other
children behind with the terrorists. Many families lost children and a
parent. One entire family of four was killed. In another large family
only the father survived.

Every single room in the large school building was destroyed by the
grenades and bombs, by the spray of machine gun bullets, or by the fires
caused by the explosions. More than one hundred bodies could be
identified only by DNA analysis.

In many stricken families, the surviving adults are emotionally still
unable to return to their work. Their lives have been devastated. Anger
and a spirit of revenge are consuming the community. According to Dr.
Provost, local governmental officials are discovering that the answer to
this seemingly hopeless problem can be found in the local church! While
33 Sunday school children and one Sunday school teacher from the Beslan
Baptist Church were among the hostages (15 of these children and their
Sunday school teacher died), their grieving Christian families have
found strength in the Lord to cope and go forward, as Dr. Provost
relates . . .

"Observing their faith, local officials have come to the pastors and
asked them to encourage church members to reach out to their grieving
neighbors. One official asked the youth pastor to arrange programs to
help the children and youth in the six surviving public schools in
Beslan. Slavic Gospel Association of Rockford, Illinois, has provided
resources for Ossetian-language New Testaments and Russian Bibles to aid
the church members in their outreach."

"We have also scheduled a special grief counseling conference for the
training and equipping of church workers, and have committed to help the
church conduct several youth camp sessions beginning with a camp for
high school seniors in November. In addition, SGA partners have provided
resources for financial assistance to affected families, and are also
helping the Beslan Baptist Church expand its facility to accommodate
more children and youth in their excellent programs.

"Beslan's pastors have requested that we convey their deep appreciation
for all the prayers, letters, cards, and financial support. They are
also asking that prayers will continue for them and for their church
members as they reach out each day to the grief-stricken community." 

Persons having interest in the SGA Beslan Relief Fund are encouraged to
please visit our website at www.sga.org/beslan. Information is provided
concerning the opportunity to have a part in this important outreach.

SGA is an interdenominational mission which has been working in the
former Soviet Union since 1934. SGA focuses on helping churches in the
lands of Russia with Christian literature, pastor and lay leader
training, sponsorship of national church planters, and humanitarian aid.
SGA is the official representative of the Russian Union of Evangelical
Christians-Baptists and a sponsor of the Eurasian Federation of the
Evangelical Christians-Baptists.

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