Even though Russian Christmas was six months ago, we still continue to get wonderful reports from SGA-sponsored missionary pastors about the fruit of Immanuel’s Child outreaches that were held. Not long ago, we received a moving one from Ukraine and Pastor Vadim Adelfin, who describes how God sovereignly moved to open ministry doors after one seemed closed.

Vadim said that they had been visiting the village of Kompanievka in central Ukraine for some time. But when he arrived at the local school to inquire about holding a Christmas program for the children, the school administrator refused and said that they had many of their own activities. A visit with a higher official also proved fruitless, so Vadim began the drive back to his home in Kirovograd. Then an idea struck him . . .

I was wondering why God did not open the door for evangelism in Kompanievka because we had done so much work there. But as I passed the road to Marievka, it came to my mind to go to the school there. “You’ve been going to Kompanievka for 10 years, and you have not been to Marievka!”

So I drove to the school and went to the central entrance. As I walked up the steps to the school, I heard a knock from an upper window. A boy was knocking to point me to the back of the school, so I went back there and entered the building. In the corridor was a woman on duty, and she asked me why I had come. When I told her I wanted to bring a puppet theater to the school, she clapped her hands and said, “God sent you to us!” Surprised, I asked her why she had said that, and she replied that during a previous break, a secular puppet theater had refused to come to the school. She ran and got the principal, who asked me about the cost. I told her there was no cost, and that we would even bring gifts for the children! Two days later, the whole school gathered for our ministry.

Vadim and the team from the church told the biblical story of Christ and the true meaning of His birth. Afterward, there was a brief time of games and contests, and then the gifts were distributed. Sixty children and 10 adults heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the principal told Vadim afterward that there were many poor large families in the village. Right after the program, they went to the village administrator who gave them a list of needy families. Later, the church team visited those families, offered them Christmas greetings, and told them about Jesus. These visits have opened the door for ongoing Gospel ministry, and several families are open to hearing. We’ll be sharing those stories later.

Said Vadim: “Sometimes God closes the doors in one place to open them in another place.” Please pray for ongoing follow up ministry with these families. And please pray for the coming Christmas season and its related Immanuel’s Child outreaches. It’s not too early and the churches are already planning!

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