Monday, March 29, 2004
This is my prayer for Belarus.
Colossians 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Colossians 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Last night I spoke at my church, Hyland Heights Baptist Church, about the trip. I want to share with you what one of the other members of our group said. What he said last night put so many of my thoughts into words. He said it in a way I could never express.
"Wow! How to encapsulate a week into just a few minutes. I guess I need to be the "color" man for a few minutes, and give you a little background on the country and its people.
It's a member of the former Soviet Union, and remains tied to Russia financially, economically and ideologically. Their president, Leonid Shevschenko, is a Marxist in every sense of the word. The KGB no longer exists, at least on paper, but the missionaries assure us that any public meeting is closely monitored and disappearances are not unknown. The term missionary is defined in the Belarusian dictionary as “American spy”. It is a crime to give someone a tract they have not asked for.
Nonetheless, it is a country that has had its share of hardships. They (much like France) have been overrun by every invading army intent on capturing Russia. The door to Moscow from Europe is Belarus and everyone from the Tatars to the Nazis knew this. The German Nazis were particularly cruel. When they overran a village, they would herd the old men, women, and children into a barn, (the young men already were conscripted into the army) then set it on fire. Anyone trying to escape the flames would be immediately machine-gunned as they tried to run across the fields. Nearby was a monument to the hundreds of thousands to die in this way, or in the many concentration camps set up in Belarus. … Sobering to say the least!!
…How are the people? Once you crack through the hard veneer (no one on the street makes eye contact or smiles), and they see that you came all that way because you care about them, they are just like us…It’s like the old saying says ‘They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care’…”
This is so true! We were not there as missionaries, but of friends of the English teachers, students from the universities in America. We could not share the Gospel freely until they wanted it. It was up to them to ask the questions. If they asked what our favorite book was, we could answer the Bible, but if they changed the subject after that, then that was it. It was not like we could share openly as in other places.
Here in America, especially in life after 9/11, we greatly respect our men in uniform, both the military and others like police or firemen. In Belarus, I was scared by anyone in uniform. They could stop me at any time and ask to see my passport.
XATBIHB (Hatin), the village that we first went to, was our first glimpse of Belarus besides customs. Belarusian’s have many memorials to those who died. But with all the honor to those that have died, there seems to be no hope for the future.
My heart broke to see these people. If you have ever seen Patch Adams, then you may remember his test to get people to smile, to connect with them in some way. I was not as crazy at Patch, but I did try to get people to smile. On the streets, no one would smile; no one would even look at you in the eye. Once you got down on their level and had some connection to them, such as being in a class with them, then you would see them smile. I believe it meant a lot to many of them that we, as students from America, would take our time during spring break to not go to the beach or parties, but rather to meet them and learn about their country.
"Wow! How to encapsulate a week into just a few minutes. I guess I need to be the "color" man for a few minutes, and give you a little background on the country and its people.
It's a member of the former Soviet Union, and remains tied to Russia financially, economically and ideologically. Their president, Leonid Shevschenko, is a Marxist in every sense of the word. The KGB no longer exists, at least on paper, but the missionaries assure us that any public meeting is closely monitored and disappearances are not unknown. The term missionary is defined in the Belarusian dictionary as “American spy”. It is a crime to give someone a tract they have not asked for.
Nonetheless, it is a country that has had its share of hardships. They (much like France) have been overrun by every invading army intent on capturing Russia. The door to Moscow from Europe is Belarus and everyone from the Tatars to the Nazis knew this. The German Nazis were particularly cruel. When they overran a village, they would herd the old men, women, and children into a barn, (the young men already were conscripted into the army) then set it on fire. Anyone trying to escape the flames would be immediately machine-gunned as they tried to run across the fields. Nearby was a monument to the hundreds of thousands to die in this way, or in the many concentration camps set up in Belarus. … Sobering to say the least!!
…How are the people? Once you crack through the hard veneer (no one on the street makes eye contact or smiles), and they see that you came all that way because you care about them, they are just like us…It’s like the old saying says ‘They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care’…”
This is so true! We were not there as missionaries, but of friends of the English teachers, students from the universities in America. We could not share the Gospel freely until they wanted it. It was up to them to ask the questions. If they asked what our favorite book was, we could answer the Bible, but if they changed the subject after that, then that was it. It was not like we could share openly as in other places.
Here in America, especially in life after 9/11, we greatly respect our men in uniform, both the military and others like police or firemen. In Belarus, I was scared by anyone in uniform. They could stop me at any time and ask to see my passport.
XATBIHB (Hatin), the village that we first went to, was our first glimpse of Belarus besides customs. Belarusian’s have many memorials to those who died. But with all the honor to those that have died, there seems to be no hope for the future.
My heart broke to see these people. If you have ever seen Patch Adams, then you may remember his test to get people to smile, to connect with them in some way. I was not as crazy at Patch, but I did try to get people to smile. On the streets, no one would smile; no one would even look at you in the eye. Once you got down on their level and had some connection to them, such as being in a class with them, then you would see them smile. I believe it meant a lot to many of them that we, as students from America, would take our time during spring break to not go to the beach or parties, but rather to meet them and learn about their country.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
This is just an account of looking back on my trip to Belarus and seeing God's hand and how he worked in my life. Later, I will put my journals of the trip on.
Enjoy!
-Charity
1 Peter 2:25 “For you were continually staying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
This verse was part of my devotions one of the first days on the trip. It set the tone for my growth during the whole trip. Although I have been seen as a strong, mature Christian, many have not seen the struggles I face. This trip was definitely a growing experience for me.
God taught me so many things in Belarus! First was to not reply on people, but to rely on God. Bo and Liz Kail were not in Minsk with Laurie, Jason, and I, so I did not have them as security on the trip. God taught me to rely on him for strength during the trip. Second, I learned to ask for strength each day, not only strength to make it through each day, but strength to face each new person and to share the gospel with them if the opportunity arose.
I went into the trip not knowing what I would be doing. We got there and found out we were teaching English. (Ha! Some of us have a hard time speaking English, much less teaching it!) We were told that Belarus was a country that was very closed to missionaries. In fact, it is illegal to be a missionary. So we had to go in as tourists and as we talked to them, let the Belarusian’s turn a conversation towards spiritual things before we could really share the gospel. In hindsight, I realize we could have asked different questions to open more doors to share the gospel. But hindsight is always 20/20.
I think that both the Rhode Island trip and the Belarus trip were, overall, more growing experiences for us as individuals then it was a mission trip to share the gospel. We grew to learn more about ourselves and we grew closer to the Lord first, then closer as a team. At the same time, I do not think we can be as effective, as Christians, if we are not growing and learning more about the Lord each day.
On the streets and as we traveled, we did not see anyone who smiled. Once we got into the class rooms, we met people who would smile at us. When we were on the streets you could just see the hopelessness each person carried with them. They had made memorials to honor the dead, especially those who died in the Great Patriotic War (which we call World War II). Many of the people who passed us on the streets were alcoholics and would have short lives because of their alcoholism. Unlike America, there was not a need for nursing homes, but rather orphanages and homes for children whose parents had died, usually from alcoholism.
Belarus is a country in need of much hope! The effects of past wars can still be seen, communism is still a way of life to some, as it has been so engrained in the minds of the people, and there is a desperate need of the love and hope that knowing Jesus Christ brings. My prayer is that we will continue to show the Belarusian’s the love of the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Enjoy!
-Charity
1 Peter 2:25 “For you were continually staying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
This verse was part of my devotions one of the first days on the trip. It set the tone for my growth during the whole trip. Although I have been seen as a strong, mature Christian, many have not seen the struggles I face. This trip was definitely a growing experience for me.
God taught me so many things in Belarus! First was to not reply on people, but to rely on God. Bo and Liz Kail were not in Minsk with Laurie, Jason, and I, so I did not have them as security on the trip. God taught me to rely on him for strength during the trip. Second, I learned to ask for strength each day, not only strength to make it through each day, but strength to face each new person and to share the gospel with them if the opportunity arose.
I went into the trip not knowing what I would be doing. We got there and found out we were teaching English. (Ha! Some of us have a hard time speaking English, much less teaching it!) We were told that Belarus was a country that was very closed to missionaries. In fact, it is illegal to be a missionary. So we had to go in as tourists and as we talked to them, let the Belarusian’s turn a conversation towards spiritual things before we could really share the gospel. In hindsight, I realize we could have asked different questions to open more doors to share the gospel. But hindsight is always 20/20.
I think that both the Rhode Island trip and the Belarus trip were, overall, more growing experiences for us as individuals then it was a mission trip to share the gospel. We grew to learn more about ourselves and we grew closer to the Lord first, then closer as a team. At the same time, I do not think we can be as effective, as Christians, if we are not growing and learning more about the Lord each day.
On the streets and as we traveled, we did not see anyone who smiled. Once we got into the class rooms, we met people who would smile at us. When we were on the streets you could just see the hopelessness each person carried with them. They had made memorials to honor the dead, especially those who died in the Great Patriotic War (which we call World War II). Many of the people who passed us on the streets were alcoholics and would have short lives because of their alcoholism. Unlike America, there was not a need for nursing homes, but rather orphanages and homes for children whose parents had died, usually from alcoholism.
Belarus is a country in need of much hope! The effects of past wars can still be seen, communism is still a way of life to some, as it has been so engrained in the minds of the people, and there is a desperate need of the love and hope that knowing Jesus Christ brings. My prayer is that we will continue to show the Belarusian’s the love of the King of kings and Lord of lords!
