International Leadership Academy in Belarus | Our ministry

Summer project in the town of Beresovo, Tyumen region, Siberia, Russia

Beresovo is a settlement with 12 thousand inhabitants, it is a center of a small region. It used to be an exile place, you can not escape from there, it is surrounded by forests, lakes and rivers. Dangers are everywhere, there are wild animals in the forests. There are two schools there, one orphanage, a music school. The orphans are mostly social, it means their parents have abandoned them because of alcohol addiction or imprisonment.

There are about 20 smaller towns and villages with 2000 or 3000 inhabitants in the region of Beresovo. There are no churches there, no ministers, but people go into destruction and there is a great need for evangelism and care. Most of the population are Khanty and Mancy - small local nations. Witchcraft is very popular among them. I believe that one day they will hear the Gospel.

My project started on May, 26. It took me two days to get to Sverdlovsk (old name Ecaterinburg). I was tired, but after an hour and a half I had to continue my trip. It took another day and night to get to the next place.

I was reading the book "The Lord of the Rings" on the train and a young man sitting in the same compartment asked me: "Did they find the ring?" "Yes" - I replied.

We were discussing the book for a while, then he asked me about music. He told me about books he liked. He asked me where I study. He was surprised when I said that I study at the Bible college. He said, only crazy uniformed people study at such colleges who read only the Bible and nothing more. I said this was only his wrong imagination, I am a normal person like others. He said that he had no idea about religion. He tried to read the Bible when he was younger, but did not understand anything and gave up, put the Bible away. I told him about Christ. He asked about Jehova witnesses, Mormons, Islam, Buddhists. I did not know much about other religions that is why I told him about Christ and Christians. Christ performed a great miracle for all people. He saved all who believe in Him from their sins, from hell, gave hope. Non believers think that all this is rubbish, madness, but we believe our Lord and our faith is life for us. "May you go to disco, may you smoke and drink wine?" - he asked. Many people ask such questions. I do not know if we may smoke or go to disco. As for me I do not want. God delivered me from such habits and desires. He has changed my life. This is not about "may", this is about "want". I do not need such entertaining.

His next question was "Where protestants came from?" We talked a little bit about history, about Reformation. "I was mistaken when I thought that Christians are narrow minded people." - he said. I was so happy that my neighbor had learned about Christ and something new and important.

When I came to the river Ob some people met me and took to the boat. It took another 6 hours to get to Beresovo. When I arrived I saw a big crowd of people on the bank of the river. Young people took me to a house when I had to stay. I met the people with whom I had to stay for a month and the local pastor. I was tired but we were talking long.

The next night we had a youth meeting in the church. They asked me to tell about myself, my family, my college, my study at the college, subjects we study. We had a very good fellowship.

Afterwards we took guitars and went to the park. The sun was shining but it was rather cold. It was the 30th of May. We went to bed very late but it was not late for me, in Belarus it was several hours earlier.

Next night we had the Bible study. But before we visited a blind woman from the church. She could not attend the services. She was 91, but remembered many poems and songs and was very optimistic. It was great! She said all her relatives died, she was alone but she loved the Lord so much that he gave her joy.

At the Bible class we discussed I Thess.5:22. We spoke about what a person consist of - spirit, soul, body. It was very interesting.

On the next day a young missionary from Ukraine came and we discussed with him the program of the summer camp. Afterwards we went to the church and prepared the next Sunday service. We practiced songs.

June, 2. We continued discussion the program of the summer camp. A summer camp is a serious thing. First we planned to begin the camp on the 10th, but some experienced people advised to start on the 6th , i.e. on Monday. We agreed. After the discussion we went to the prayer meeting. We prayed much and long. We came home after midnight. June 3. We all were busy with physical labor. The game and play ground was very dirty and we were working the whole day to make it usable. Honestly speaking Russia is dirty, very dirty if you compare it to Belarus.

But on the other hand I must say that we in Belarus pray not much. Churches in Russia pray more, and this is good. In the evening we prayed and afterwards we visited a couple. They invited not only us but some people who come to the church but do not believe in Jesus as their Savior yet. We sang songs and prayed. I thank God that He showed me how and how much we should pray in the church in Beresovo. It was very encouraging for me.

June, 4, Saturday. In the evening my friends came and we were preparing for the next service. Then the pastor wanted to know my ideas about the coming camp, about their church, what I thought of the people in the church. We talked about interrelationships, obedience and serving one another in the church. We finished with the prayer.

June, 5. Sunday morning service in the church! It was worth of long preparation before! We all enjoyed the fruits of hard work for the Lord. That day we had two services. In the evening I was so tired!

Monday - the beginning of the camp. We had invited very many children, but only 3 came. I think this was not a bad result, because the local church had never had any summer camps yet. In the morning we sang songs with the children, the missionary from Ukraine told a very exciting story and then went to the park. Two other boys joined us in the park. We played together. They did not want to leave us and went to the church with us and joined our camp. After lunch we started to talk about God and what He can do. Later we played football and other games in the church yard. After the games the children went home. They stayed at the camp only during the day time.

The same was on the next day. We saw that the children liked to be with us, to listened to us speaking about God, singing and playing together.

On the Wednesday some other children joined us, totally there were 10 children. We went to the forest to "feed mosquitoes", they were so big there! But we had a good time. We cooked our dinner on a fire. Everybody liked the idea.

In the evening the mother of the boy who joined us in the park came to us. She was concerned and wanted to know what we did to her boy that he did not want to stay at home, did not want to go to any camp she offered him, but wanted to stay with us. Yury, the Ukrainian missionary explained to the woman everything and she said with relief that she liked our camp too and would not fear for her son any more. The boy was so happy!

I liked the story with the boy and his mother. The boy benefited at the camp, maybe not much but he listened to the Gospel. All the rest the Holy Spirit would do.

On Friday more children came. After prayer we watched a movie, because the weather was not very good. After the film were talking about the Bible, how it changes lives, what it does for us. In the evening we had a service in the church.

Two girls from another village came to us and wanted to be at the camp. We decided to take them and to work day and night, because the girls could not go to their village and to stay with their parents each day, it was far. The next days we all were exhausted by the time when we had to go to bed. It was hard! More children came. Our talks with children became more interesting, they asked more questions, liked to talk and to tell stories. Step by step the children became one team. We celebrated the birth day of one girl together. Everybody had much fun.

On Sunday except two services we visited the sick. We tried to spend the whole day for the Lord' glory. On Monday we had baptism in Beresovo. Four people were baptized. They were the first fruits in the village. The Ukrainian missionary was the most happy one among us. He had been working for three years to help those people accept Jesus. But that day was our common joy.

The next day we discussed a very interesting topic - "Friendship". We talked what a good friend must be like, what must we do to be good friends, the children told about their friends. After the discussion we watched the film "Polianna". They liked the film very much.

On Wednesday our main topic was "Why must we tell people about Jesus Christ?" After the talk we watched the film "Patriot". In the evening one young man asked us to help him prepare a composition, he studied at the institute. Although we were working till the morning we survived.

Thursday was the last day at the camp. We planned to spend the day in the forest, but it was snowing at night and raining in the morning, it was cold. As for me I found the weather like that attractive, exciting and unusual. One part of the day we had fellowship in the church, after lunch we went to the museum of the history of the town of Beresovo. The children learned about the old instruments, cloths, habits and crafts.

In the church we had the final talk with the children. I was happy because the children talked much. They told why and what they liked at the camp. We prayed together.

I know God took me to Beresovo not in vain and hope to come back to that small town which became dear to me and where God blessed me with such a nice fellowship with children and adults.

On Sunday after the service we had a party with people who had no peace with God and even did not believe in Him. We tried to demonstrate God's love to them, to be patient and kind with them. The next day we visited the sick at the local hospital. The teenagers and children who were at the camp came to the church some days later. I felt they needed fellowship in the church. They wanted to see one another and people in the church.

I think one visit at the hospital was very important for me. One woman who worked at the orphanage took me to see 6 orphans at the hospital. Hey were so happy to see her. We spent some minutes in the hospital with them and later we were allowed to take them out. We treated them in our home and played together. Some of the children had parents, but they were alcohol addicted and did not care for their children.

Visiting the sick taught me to listen to the people's needs. I know that I was not good at listening to others, God taught me this through the orphans and the sick in Beresovo. I hope very much that God will call me to the ministry in Beresovo again.