Gospel Expedition

The trip to Ivanovo was hard. The rough road took a toll on our cyclist’s hands and bodies. We dropped in at the town of Volgorechensk about 30 km away from Kostroma. We were warmly welcomed and fed by the local church there, and then we were on our way again.

Shortly before we entered Ivanovo, Vladimir commanded everyone to stop at the bus stop. At first we wondered why, but two minutes later a thunderstorm began accompanied by heavy rain. Everyone understood then! The rain was so heavy that car drivers couldn’t see the road and had to stop. Then marble-sized hail began to fall, and we were afraid that the windshield would shatter on our vehicle. But gradually the storm ceased and we continued on our way.

Red Tape and More Rain

At the entrance to Ivanovo, the police joined us and guided us to the church. After lunch, we went to a park where the meeting was planned. In order to get permission, local church coordinators had to get 15 signatures of various officers, and to sign an agreement with a security agency to keep order during the event, as the local police agreed only to “ensure order.”

There weren’t that many people in the park yet because they hadn’t gotten off work. But people who walked in the park stopped and looked at the stage. Some people were invited to come by the church members.

We began our program and shared the Gospel with the audience that had gathered, but at the end, another thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail hit again. We were forced to stop earlier than we planned, just as we did in Kostroma.

Please pray with us for more favorable weather!