Gospel Expedition

Mariinsk is named for the wife of Russian Tsar Alexander II. His wife Maria had never been to this place. Once the Tsar visited the village located on the bank of the Kiya River. The local merchants asked him to give their village the status of a town and to call it after his own name. The Tsar granted town status as requested, and asked the local merchants to give this town the name of his wife.

As we cycled through town, we saw evidence of a bad accident. A shattered motorcycle, a wrecked car, and much blood on the asphalt. The motorcycle driver died instantly while the driver of the car was in critical condition. Friends of the perished biker arrived there.

We were told that both drivers were drunk. An alcohol factory works around the clock in Mariinsk. Its production is well sold. All the things which people need for “normal� life are there in Mariinsk town. But is it really normal?

Various questions are running in our heads – Who was he, the motorcyclist? How old was he? Did he have friends? Did he think about God? Many questions but no answers. I am sure there will be a funeral service and people will remember the late young man with the drink that took his life.

Please Pray for These Hopeless People

We entered the local park in the company of two squad cars. We had guards with us. Perhaps there were reasons for it. There were many drunken young people in the park. We set up our sound equipment on the dance floor and began to wait for people. Only about 30 people came, and nine persons responded to the altar call.

Pavel Bak and the local church pastor, Sergei, prayed for them. Sergei used to be a drug addict. He heard the Good News in 2000 and repented. There is now a rehab center in the Mariinsk church for drug addicts and alcoholics. Many people know about the church and its ministry, and about the rehab center.

One young girl wept during our prayer. I do not know about her inner feelings, but do hope that all burdens of her sinful life are in the past now. I can not say the same about the boys who also came forward. After the prayer they resumed drinking their beer.

This year Mariinsk celebrated its 150^th anniversary. The local administration decided to commemorate this date with a new monument to Empress Maria, and put it in one of the most beautiful and romantic places on the banks of the Kiya River. A well-known local sculptor, Leontiy Usov, will create the monument. It will depict the empress sitting on the bench and feeding doves.

The monument will be unveiled in September when the jubilee of the town will be celebrated. No one knows if there will also be a day of freedom from sinful dependancies.

Piotr Lunichkin