Gospel Expedition

After a long period of poor roads, a new team consisting of Boris Berezhnoi, soloist and leader of Blagovestie (Good News), and Albert Redin, leader and soloist of Inheritance — together with me, Leonid Kartavenko — joined the Expedition again at the airport in Blagoveschensk.

We arrived a day earlier and were able to meet the Expedition cyclists in Svobodny. I had parted with the Expedition in Kansk a month ago. On August 21, I saw them again but they looked like new people. They didn’t resemble those clean, neat men with whom we went to Germany, where the Expedition began. Now they were weather-beaten, brown, tired people, some with beards. They looked not only mature, but older. Only one thing did not change in their appearance — their shining eyes and unfailing desire to reach people with the Gospel.

A Temporary Roadblock

The town administration in Svobodny did not allow us to have the evangelization in the central square, nor at the stadium. They said that the Orthodox Church didn’t have any activities in those places either. Praise God, the evangelical church is located on the central town street, so we decided to have an evangelistic meeting in front of the church house.

Journalists of two local TV stations and other mass media workers met us at the entrance of the town. A highway patrol car was waiting for us too, though no official order was given to them to accompany us. It reminded us about the parable in the Bible about two sons. One of them said that he would go and did not go, and the second said that he would not go, but went.

Our group was accompanied by winkers and the sounding of horns stopped all traffic in the town. People came out of shops and houses, asking each other what was happening when they heard such a noise.

We so much wanted to tell them that it is Jesus from Nazareth entering this town. The posters put up throughout the town answered their questions, inviting people to the evening service.

The senior pastor for Russia’s Amur region was with me in the car. He accompanies the Expedition in this territory, which he supervises. Looking at the fuss around us, he recalled the story about Mordecai, to whom malicious Haman wanted to do evil, but he was the one who helped Mordecai mount a horse, leading him around the town giving him all possible regard as if to the king. In this way, the Gospel of Christ entered the town of Svobodny.

Threatening Weather

We put our sound equipment by the church house, checked it and then rain began. Dark clouds covered the sky. My first wish was to take the equipment to the church, but, praise God, the cyclists had stronger faith than me. They urged us just to pray and we prayed. I was looking at the clouds with caution, but the rain became less intense and then stopped a few minutes later. We saw a rainbow in the sky, no . . . there were two rainbows simultaneously! They were large and beautiful. Perhaps one rainbow was for everyone, and the second was designed for me so that my faith would remain strong.

The service by the church began, but people continued to arrive. Believers of other denominations and unsaved people came. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and some drops of the rain reached us, but the grace of God was abundantly pouring on the listeners.

The service was very rich. Boris Berezhnoi and Albert Redin sang, as well as Edward and Natalia from Irkutsk. They are going to leave for home tomorrow. Members of the Expedition shared their testimonies and preached. But as usual the most important part of the event started after the official part of the meeting, when all members of the Expedition and the cyclists talked to people. Such discussions continued in small groups till late at night.

Then according to our usual plan we had dinner in the church, with part of our team staying in Christian homes while the cyclists prepared benches and slept in the church. It is impossible for them to stay in Christian homes, as believers will not let them sleep and will talk all night long. But the cyclists need rest as more kilometers await them tomorrow.

Leonid Kartavenko