International Leadership Academy in Belarus | Our ministry

Yelena Hulup

I was on the train going to my ministry field. My neighbor was a young girl. I didn't have courage to start talking about God with her. I was reading and listening to music.

People often sell something on trains. That time a deaf-and-dumb man offered some statuettes. I took 4 spiritual laws and put it near the statuettes. The man didn't take the booklet. I put it back to my bag.

In a while the girl asked me if she could read the booklet. I gave her 4 spiritual laws and engaged into conversation. She believed in God and went to the Catholic Church from time to time. We talked with her about God and about life. I explained the essence of prayer to her, since she had said only learned prayers before. She was satisfied with our conversation.

Michail Sychev

On Saturday I went to visit my friend in the army. We used to study at builder's school together. His name is Vladimir and he is an unbeliever.

When I found him we sat on a bench to talk. He told me about himself, his hard life in barracks, how he was humiliated. According to his words nobody even his mother wanted to be with him.

I responded to him:

- Do you know how hard it was for Jesus when He was rejected and not understood even by his disciples, his closest friends? His Father wasn't with Him when He took all the sins of the world.

Then I told him how Jesus had been bitten but forgave. If He hadn't forgiven them, he wouldn't forgive us. Then I told him about the love of God and how it was important to accept His sacrifice, repent and have a new life.

- Yes - he said, - I realize that I am a sinner but I am not ready to turn to God.

He moved to another subject, but I still have hope that he will change and turn to God. When I told him about Christ he said:

- Misha, you are speaking so devotionally that I begin to believe in God.

I don't know what impressed him so much, but I hope that it deeply went to his heart.

Sergey Ahramenya

We went to Lyahovichy to evangelize. We handed out invitations to a Christian concert, devoted to Easter.

In the morning we walked around the town, went to houses, handed out invitations and tried to tell people about Christ. At one apartment people expressed interest to the concert, but said they were busy. Then I asked them:

- Do you know about this holiday? Do you know who Jesus is?

- We know, but very little.

Then I told them about Christ, His sacrifice for us, His resurrection. I also said that if a person accepted Jesus Christ he would change and have time to do good things.

A man said that he and his wife would come to the concert, since they needed to learn more about Christ to accept Him. I believe that he said those words sincerely and will accept Christ.

Ruslan Romeski

On Wednesday afternoon I went to the park. I saw three men sitting on the bench and eating. I came up to them and offered to each of them a New Testament. They eagerly accepted my gift. I began to talk with them about the way of salvation. It turned out that one of them had read the Gospels four times.

I told them that God had sent His Son to the world to die in order to save each person. God offers us His a gift and we should believe in Jesus Christ, ask Him to forgive our sins and begin a new life.

One of the men said that they had been to prison. He added that it would be difficult for them to accept Jesus into their hearts and begin a new life, since they had many problems. I said it shouldn't prevent them from turning to God. Then I shared my testimony, of how God had changed my life.

By the end of our conversation I have offered them to accept Jesus into their hearts. They said they were not ready yet. I advised them not to delay it, since the more they would wait the harder it would be to do.

Olesya Yevseenko

Last weekend I visited one elderly man, who was sick and lacked fellowship. Only our family visits him. He is a war veteran and he told me how often he was close to death during the war. Once all his friends were shot and he miraculously survived. He agrees that the Lord kept him.

It was easy to talk with him about God since he initiated that conversation. I asked him questions of the inquiry:

- Are you satisfied with your life?

- Yes.

- Do you believe that there is truth according to which we should live?

- Yes.

- To what religious group do you refer yourself?

- Orthodox.

- How often do you go to church?

- Sometimes.

- Who is Jesus in you opinion?

- Teacher, Savior.

Then I gave him 4 spiritual laws and thanked him for his attention.

Svetlana Karpik

One day I went for a walk with two other girls. When we passed two young men sitting on the bench one of them stood up to meet with us. His name was Denis and his friend's - Oleg.

He was surprised and interested in the fact I studied at Bible College. He asked me:

- What will you be when you graduate form it?

- A missionary?

- Is it interesting? You'd better study to become a stewardess, then you would be closer to God. I went to church with my grandmother, but it didn't help me. What does your faith give to you?

- Forgiveness of sins, joy, peace, hope. God also loves you and gave His only Son to die for you. (John 3:16).

- So what? Mothers also gave their lives for the sake of their children.

- It only proves that if you love you are ready to sacrifice.

- What shall I do?

- Ask forgiveness and turn away from your

- Are you satisfied with your life?

- Yes.

- But there is no God. Have you seen Him? Who has seen Him?

- I haven't seen Him, but there is Bible. You believe history, don't you? Do you believe that there was Napoleon and Stalin though you haven't seen them?

- Yes, I believe, but this is history.

- You can study the Church History.

After these words we left, since Oleg had been waiting for him.

Tatyana Romanovich

On Saturday I went to my friend's birthday. She invited her school friends. We began talking about school life, different subjects. We devoted a lot of time to Russian literature. I said that my favorite book was "Master and Margarita" by Michail Bulgakov. The girls asked me if I knew the true meaning of the novel. I said that first I would like to listen to their opinions.

One girl, Katya, said it was a story about Jesus, Satan and many other things. I said that Satan tried to capture human soul. He is a deceiver and may appear in a good image, but he does evil anyway.

Then we spoke about validity of the Bible and about different believes of people. I could use the knowledge I had received in class "Biblical worldview".

By the end of our conversation I have invited them to the music festival in "Bethlehem" church. They said they had to study.

Stepan Prokopuk

On one wonderful day we came from college. We took a bus. At on of the stops a lot of people got on. I saw an elderly woman by me and offered her a seat. She thanked me and began sharing with me what had happened to her on that day. At that moment I remembered that I had a card with words from the Scripture.

- Here is a gift for you, - I gave her a card.

- What is written there?

- I'll read it for you…

I began to read Psalm 91. There was such a silence in the bus that it made me nervous. But listeners were amazed by what I had read.

Then I told her about our eternal home in heaven. Unfortunately I had to get off but had time to say: "We should be prepared to meet with Jesus". I was thankful to God that He used me in His work.

Yevgenia Nikitina

On Tuesday I went with brothers from Minsk Theological Seminary to one elderly woman. She lives with her daughter. She can hardly walk. Her name is Zinaida Arkadyevna. She always believed that she could earn the Kingdom of Heaven by doing good work. She believed that each person is a sinner and after death will go to hell but if a person does good works on the earth he will get to heaven.

We talked with her and she listened to us attentively. She didn't understand everything but the Lord helped her to understand the most important thing - Jesus Christ can save her from hell and give her the precious gift of heaven. Zinaida Arkadyevna shared some episodes from her life. She has a son who drinks and leads a sinful life style.

The most important thing for us was the salvation of her soul. We talked about salvation, sin, importance of going to the church. We also spoke about mercy and justice of God, blood of Jesus Christ shared for us, His sacrifice. Everything that is required from people is faith, saving faith for receiving eternal life.

In our hearts we prayed for this woman. God wonderfully answered our prayer -Zinaida Arkadyevna repented. It was a miracle! We were very happy for her. We gave her a book, prayed for her and promised to visit her again.