God uses a faithful church in central Russia to reach all ages

Alexander B.
SGA-Supported Missionary Pastor in Izhevsk, Russia

This past year has been extremely eventful, both for the ministry and for our family. The summer was filled with ministry. In June, we held a sports town in honor of Children’s Day holiday together with brothers and sisters from the Central Church of Izhevsk. Later on, we were invited to present our family and its values at a local festival.

We asked for prayer that the Lord would help us build relationships with the local administration. We prepared and held a children’s tent camp with a theme on The Life and Adventures of Joseph. We had 85 children, with 36 camp workers of brothers and sisters from different churches. Half of the children were from non-Christian families. So, for the first time in our ministry, 30 children and teenagers repented, along with several children from Chur. There were a lot of tears, hugs, and joy! Praise God! There was not a single injury or serious illness, and we succeeded in avoiding the inconveniences with time with the children and the team. The Lord blessed us in every possible way in the preparation and holding of this tour, while opening the hearts of the administration so that they would not interfere. We found finances for food and vouchers for the children from Chur. There were many other testimonies.

When the camp started, the administration called me and asked for help in organizing a holiday on July 5, called “Family, Love and Fidelity Day.” I had to refuse, since our camp was taking place that week. Even so, our Lord’s plans are just amazing. On July 5, the administration called me and said that they canceled the holiday due to the intense heat, and postponed it till Monday, July 8th, where we had the opportunity to help them. Praise God!

In August, we managed to organize a youth retreat where about 80 people came together. We continue to invite people for celebrations including Harvest Day, where another 80 people came. Praise God that He allowed a Sunday school to start there and local children are coming to it! The village administration asked our family to participate in the All Russian Family of the Year competition. We consulted with the brothers in the church and decided to participate. Surprisingly, we won in the Republic with the nomination, “Young Family,” and the administration promised to award us with a family trip. Again, glory be to the Lord! Please pray that we will be encouraged in our ministry, for upcoming Christmas ministries, and for me as I continue theological study. Thank you so much for your prayerful support!