If you think it’s cold where you are, imagine what the climate might be like in Siberia. You might have awakened this morning to -44 degrees and light snow. All I can say is “brrrr…” Nevertheless, on the inside, there is warmth—a spiritual warmth that has come to those who have received the Good News of Jesus Christ.
North Korea Project
January 19th 2011
It’s Cold Outside
TWR Europe Ministry Director for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus Johann Wiens shares the details of a visit he made to one of the coldest and darkest parts of the world: “I went to visit a small town, 150 miles north of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In this village is a small church with several TWR listeners. We had some time before the evening service, so the pastor suggested we go visit someone, a retired general from the Soviet Red Army. He publishes a small weekly newspaper in town and is very friendly to the church. They can freely publish their articles and advertisements for their events. We sang several praise songs together and spoke quite extensively about what God has done. With tears running down his face, he began to tell his story:” I grew up an atheist. All I ever heard was that there is no God. That is all I knew and all I ever believed my whole life long. I came from this small village and returned here to retire. I have three friends with impossible problems. One was addicted to alcohol. On was addicted to drugs. And one was addicted to both drugs and alcohol. They were hopeless cases. There was no way they were going to change. But they each came to know God and their lives changed completely. They now attend church and you would never recognize them from before. I now know without a shadow of a doubt that God exists and that he loves us and can change our lives. I do not yet believe in him, but would like you to pray for me.For years, TWR’s Monte Carlo transmitting site beamed God’s message of freedom over the iron curtain into the spiritually darkened Soviet Union. Seemingly, the “coldest” of that spiritual darkness was Siberia. Currently, TWR produces programs for Siberian youth, aired from local Siberian FM stations. God’s message of freedom is still needed in Siberia today. Pray that hearts will be warmed with the gospel message of salvation. Sources: TWR’s Johann Wiens and Daniel Plett Photo Credit: Vladimir Ivanov Source: JudyBlog |
