International Leadership Academy in Belarus | Our ministry

Dagestan:

We prepared for this project for eight months. I saw God's blessing. God wanted us to do this. The story began when we met Christian officer of the Russian Army in Moscow. His name is Alex. He is from the Caucasus military base. Alex shared with us that year-by-year fewer and fewer people want to go to Dagestan and other countries close to Chechnya as missionaries. So we were talking about that for a long time and then we went back to our homes. Nobody knew what God put in his heart. I shared this need with the students of the Minsk Bible College. I told them about Alex's sadness that nobody would like to go there and I asked the students "What do you think; would you go there to spread the Gospel?" They said, "Of course!!!!!" I was touched by their response. I called back to Alex to tell him all our students would like to go to work for God's glory. He was glad to hear that and we began to pray about this mission trip. What was God doing for this trip? He has done EVERYTHING. He did more than we planned. We planned to send only four people, but we were able to send eight people. We planned to send the group for five days, but the group was there for ten days. He blessed this trip in many other similar ways. God is a wonderful God! He opened the hearts of many believers in the States and in Belarus to support this project. Praise Him.

The next step was to prepare this group to talk with soldiers and refugees. We invited Christian Belarusian soldiers to help our students to understand what they needed to do. What about specific questions; what do students have to know to talk about God and His love with army officers and soldiers. They did a great job to prepare themselves for this trip. The Holy Spirit inspired our students!

28 April 2004 - the day of benediction prayer to send students into Dagestan and Chechnya region. In the middle of that night I took them to train station by van. It was significant to see their eyes and smiles. The students were ready to go. We prayed and the train began to go. "God bless you, guys," I said.

Dagestan-report (Vadim Yakim - second year student)

I don't know what associations come to your mind when you hear North Caucasus, but I used to think: Chechnya, terrorism, and of course mountains. I don't know what caused me to apply when I heard for the first time volunteers were needed. Now I realize it was the will of God and this is an irresistible power. I thoroughly prepared myself for this project. It was not only I who prayed, but also all of my friends. God showed His miracles.

We were on the train. God knew what we could expect and we had faith. I didn't know the future, but believed that: "…it is from the Lord that the man gets justice." Proverbs 29:26

We prayed God would use us during the way. On the second day we knew almost everybody in our carriage. Difficulties unite people and we were not the exception. The heat and absence of activities caused people to talk. One of our neighbors was a man from Zhodino. His children go to Sunday School. I had one invitation to the church in Zhodino in my Bible and I gave it to him.

May 1, 2004

Our first moments in North Ossetia, the first impression of Vladikavkaz - it is a desert city with a population of 500 thousand. We were welcomed warmly in a Caucasian manner. We stayed in the town of Beslan, to the west of Vladikavlaz. Our first service we had in the officers' dormitory. We visited one sister in Christ. Her husband is in active service in Chechnya. They have two daughters and the eldest is three years old. Jehovah witnesses began coming to her and we were just a miracle for her. We encouraged her, comforted and affirmed her in truth. In the evening we planned the service. We had to take into consideration the fact that it was almost impossible to plan anything ahead for military people of that region. Everything is spontaneous in the area of the battleground. We had to arrange meetings with officers and soldiers each day for that day.

May 2, 2004

We had Sunday Service and the Lord's Supper. We managed to attend two morning services at 9 a.m. and at 12 p.m. In the latter church I preached and experienced the greatest blessings. Seven people repented before the Lord after the service. The pastor organized a special offering for the military people. In this church I met a brother who served in the engineer combat company in the Caucusas. He told me many stories about the miracles of God. When soldiers are within an inch of death they become closer to God. This is one of the stories: Their brigade of ten people was sent to clear a field of mines. They fell into an ambush. There were about 100 Chechen rebels. At that moment Sergei suggested everybody to say the Lord's Prayer. When everybody said amen, one man rose and saw the Chechens passed them without seeing them. Sergei told me other stories about God's power and His miracles.

In the evening, we had a meeting in the military intelligence branch. They welcomed us warmly. It was my first experience of sharing the Gospel in the military camp. I would like to notice that people there were more open to the Word of God than in our country. We sang a lot and shared our testimonies. We also showed them the movie "Ascension." After the movie, we gave the New Testaments to many of them. I had the feeling those hands were taking living water from us. After our meeting a major suggested we could play soccer with the soldiers, but first we had to lift a minefield. What a reality: "Let's play soccer, but first lift a minefield!"

May 3, 2004

It was Monday. That day we had a meeting with the pastor of the church. The meeting was held in the studio of a Christian radio station. This radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day. It used to be the only radio station broadcasted in Grozny, Chechnya, but now radio waves don't reach Chechnya. We were glad to have fellowship with staff of the radio station.

In the evening, one of our groups visited the anti-tank brigade. There were more than 60 people there. One Christian brother served in that brigade and he invited us to his birthday on Wednesday.

May 4, 2004

On Tuesday we visited electronic battalion. There were more than 150 people at the meeting. We showed them a movie. In the middle of the movie, one brigade got up to go on duty. We had the New Testaments and items of personal cleanliness prepared for them. I went out with them to give them what we had prepared. I was amazed at their eagerness to listen about God. Unfortunately they didn't have time to talk, but I believe God works in their hearts.

May 5, 2004

On Wednesdays the services in North Ossetian churches begin at 9 a.m. In the morning we attended a church in Beslan. We worshiped God for three hours instead of two. By the end of the service two people had repented (on the left in the picture to the left). Sisters in Christ prepared a magnificent Caucasian dinner for us. Afterwards we went to the captain's birthday.

May 6, 2004

That day God performed a miracle. On Wednesday brothers went to make registration for us so we could go to Ingushetia and have a worship service in regiment number 503. On Wednesday our request was denied. We had to fill out many forms and pay extra money. We prayed a lot and God answered us. We received the registration, everything turned out to be simple and inexpensive. We got to Troitsk, a town in Ingushetia without any problem.

There had been one Republic of Checheno-Ingushetia, but after the second war in Chechnya it split. People in Ingushetia are in conflict with Ossetia now and the brother who took us there was Ossetian. But we got there by the mercy of God and He protected us.

We had two meetings in that regiment. One was for raw recruits, there were about 60 of them. Another meeting was on the drill ground and 500 people were present.

We came home late and one tire became deflated. Anyway, we got home safely. God helped us in everything. I got acquainted with one soldier and he told me about three months ago a caravan was exploded on the same rode we took. The soldiers were surprised we were without a military convoy, but came to the place safely. I spoke with him about God and we exchanged addresses and promised to write each other.

May 7, 2004

On Friday we went to Ingushetia again. We visited refugees from Chechnya. It was a small camp and we distributed humanitarian aid among the refugees. People there were Muslims and we couldn't speak about God the same way as in the countries with a Christian legacy. One thing united us - we were both monotheists. We sang for them and they even allowed us to pray for them to Jesus Christ. Local people, who went with us, were surprised that they allowed us to pray to Jesus for them.

May 8, 2004

On Saturday we had a picnic in the mountains. It happened that the Vice-Secretary of the Interior had a picnic with his family and colleagues near us. It was a good opportunity to witness to them of Jesus Christ and sing Christian songs. God didn't let us go to the internal forces in Chechnya, but we met the Vice-Secretary. It was an interesting conversation!

May 9, 2004

On our last Sunday we divided into two groups since many churches had invited us to visit them. At half past six in the evening we went back to Belarus. On the way back we also witnessed about Jesus Christ. The project "Chaplin 2004" was over. We had been waiting for it for so long and it went so fast. Everything we did we did for the glory of God and by His power!

Stepan says (first year student):

"I will remember that day all my life. I saw something unique, what I have never seen."

Our group went to see a camp, with refugees from Chechnya. Our brothers from the mission, "Light in the East," had gifts for the people at the camp.

When we arrived, people came up to us, they surrounded the train track and we talked with them. They told us how they were doing. They told about their families, relatives, and friends. Some of them were not alive. They left their homes, but at the camp they were safe. Later, we distributed gifts to them. Mothers with small children came up, children were reaching out their small hands asking for food and clothes. This was so touching I could not control myself and wept.

Sin is the root of all evil. Hatred, malice, murder, and violence control many people. They do not let others live in peace.

"Receive Jesus in your hearts, repent before Him!" - we were preaching to the people. I was about to shout to them about God's love and grace, but Muslims had their own ideas about God. We could only weep and pray about those people and think one thought - we all need the Savior."

Anton says (first year student):

We sang hymns everywhere - in mountains, in buses, in streets, in churches, in garrisons, in camps, on trains. We saw how wonderfully God worked in the hearts of people who were listening to us. We sang at the railway station in the town of Ossana. After singing we gave them the Gospel by John.

I came up to a young Russian man (about 24 years old). He was unshaved and stank of alcohol. I offered the Gospel to him. He refused to take the book. He said he had the entire Bible at home. I saw our songs touched his heart and suggested he go to the church. He looked at me with contempt. "What must I do there," he said. "There are hypocrites and deceivers there."

I asked him a question: "Why do people go to church? To look at people or at God?" He did not answer, but was thinking. "This may sound sad to you, but there are no holy people in churches. There are forgiven sinners there," I said.

He took the Gospel for his friend. I said good-bye to him and got on the train. It took me home, to my Belarus.

Alexander (second year student)

Sometimes we could see how the Holy Spirit aroused in soldiers interest in spiritual literature. In one of the brigades we showed a movie for 500 people. We were told to show it right on the parade ground since there were so many soldiers. That Christian movie made an inerasable impression on them, according to their own witness. I watched them during the movie and saw their attentive eyes. I was ready to give them the Gospel of John called "The living water." It was joyful to see that some of the soldiers stood up and came up to me asking for the Gospel. Great is the Lord that does His work in them!

When the movie was over, I picked up the last books from the box. There were about 40 of them. I offered them to the soldiers that were about to leave since it was rather late and cold. They began to grab them from my hands with avidity. I saw the same kind of picture when I had fed hungry trout in the river. The water had been literally boiling. Something similar happened to those souls that were hungry for the Gospel. In a moment my hands were empty.

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P.S. 1500 people heard the Gospel. 8 musulmans and 2 russians received Christ.