Dear Friends and Partners:
I had an awesome time ministering in Russia. On the first Sunday we were in Russia we were able to minister at a local Russian church in Sosnovyy Bor for their children’s church and then I was able to conduct a family service the second Sunday.
I was also able to do our “What is a Christian” program in a government ran Orphanage. We were not able to give an altar call or pray with the children, however the Gospel was clearly presented in a fun and exciting way. The children were on the edge of their seats as they listened intensely to the Gospel message. Some of them had never heard this message before. After presenting the program I was able to tell them that if they ever wanted this experience of being born again that they could pray anytime and anywhere and God would change their hearts and give them this experience of being born again. It was awesome to see these children participate in this program and have a good time as they learned from the Bible what a Christian really is.
I was also able to conduct 2 training sessions for Russian Children’s workers where I taught for about 25 to 30 minutes, then answered questions about an hour and a half to two hours. It was awesome to be able to compare ideas with the Russian children’s ministers and see how much we really have in common.
We also visited a home for troubled teens, a drug rehab center, and several home meetings where we were able to give encouraging words and minister the word.
We do not know for sure how many people were born again. However, this was an awesome time of planting seeds into Russian churches and people.
The thing that stuck out the most about the trip was the hunger and desire of the Russian church to receive all that God has for them. There is a real need for the American church to come along side the Russian church and Russian believers to be an encouragement and a blessing to them. Around 20 years ago when Communism fell the American church flooded Russia with evangelist and missionaries. As time went on the American church has forgotten about Russia and concentrated on other areas of the world. Russia needs us more than ever to come along side them and work with them to reach their country with the gospel. If a Russian church is not Russian Orthodox they are considered a cult. The Government and media spreads propaganda against these churches, so that most Russians have a bad attitude with any church that is not Russian Orthodox. Also, it is considered unpatriotic if you do not attend a Russian Orthodox Church. This makes it very hard to spread the Gospel in Russia. After the fall of communism people were hungry for the truth, however as time went on the hunger for God has decreased and the desire for material things has taken its place with the new found freedom.
Our local church here in Springfield, OH has an awesome relationship with a Russian church in Sosnovyy Bor, Russia. We are like sister churches. We encourage each other, share resources, and travel to each other’s churches as much as possible. It would be awesome to see more American churches partner with local Russian churches and pastors to see the Kingdom increase in Russia.
If you would like to find out more about how you could partner with a Russian church or pastor check out the web site below for Russians Reaching Russians
http://www.russiansreachingrussians.com
Click on the links below to see pictures for my trip to Russia
Album # one http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047694&id=1039164099&l=f65cccb520
Album# two http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048134&id=1039164099&l=756aa73425
Things I learned about Russian Culture:
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 1: Most Russians live in high rise Apartment buildings called flats and have very small living space.
Things I have learned about Russian Culture part 2: Most Russian homes cannot adjust the heat up and down in their homes. If it gets too hot they open the window.
Things I have learned about Russian Culture part 3: Russians put Sour Cream in and on a lot of things. They even like a table spoon in soup
Things I have learned about Russian Culture Part 4: Russian furniture is very low to the ground and usually very hard.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 5: Offer a Russian official a bribe (gift) and you’ll probably get what you want and get it a lot faster.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 6: If your church is not Russian Orthodox you are considered a CULT by government & most people.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 7: The hot water in Russian sinks is Very Hot! It will scald you if it is barely on!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 8: when eating in Russia don’t eat too much soup. Save room for the 2nd & 3rd course or you will get too full! Then comes the Tea!!!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 9: Russian hospitality is like southern hospitality! As soon as you walk in the door they start trying to feed you and give you Tea! They do not take no for an answer either.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 10: Russians don’t shovel their sidewalks. They walk on over a foot or more of padded down snow. Don’t step off the path or you will sink in 2 foot of snow!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 11: Russians eat some kind of soup for at least one meal each day. Sometimes More!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 12: Russian bathrooms consists of 2 rooms 1 has the toilet the other has a bath tub, sink, and a washing machine. No dryers. Not much room to turn around in either room. Just do your business and leave.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 13: Don’t ever burp in Russia! It equals passing gas!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 14: Russian drivers think nothing of driving 60 to 70 MPH on snow covered curvy roads! They even got up to 94 MPH a few times on straight stretches.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 15: Any part of the street is fair game for a Russian driver. They drive on both sides of the road and the middle.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 16: Russians drink everything out of tea cups. No Glasses or plastic. Just small tea cups.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 17: Never ever wear your shoes in a Russian home under any circumstances. Hats also!
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 18: The EPA & PETA would go crazy here! Russians love to wear fur coats and hats. A lot of factories with smoke stacks pushing smoke out. The air is not very clean.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 19: Russians drink hot tea for every meal and then some. Every occasion and gathering calls for hot tea. Really there does not need to be an occasion to drink tea.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 20: Most Russians I have met are very hospitable and remind me of southern hospitality.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 21. They do not plow their streets like Americans do. The roads have a wall of snow on each side with tire tracks they drive through and the snow in the middle of the tracks drag the bottom of the cars.
Things I have learned about Russian culture part 22: People walk down the middle of the roads and drivers don’t slow down or swerve to miss them.
Things I have learned about Russian Culture part 22: Russian Taxi drivers are very prompt. As soon as you call them they are there. We never had to wait on them they were usually waiting on us.
Things I have learned about Russian Culture Part 23: Less than 50 percent of Russians own cars. They walk or take public transportation everywhere.
Things I have learned about Russian Culture Part 24: Russian busses are either too hot or too cold. If they are hot you will get motion sickness with all the bumps. If they are cold they are the temperature outside which was around 0 degree’s F. or less at times. Russian trains are cold also! Brrrrrrrrrrr!
God Bless You
Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
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