A Locked Gate

Having heard Jim talk about many of the Russian pastors and meeting several of them in Idaho, I already had names to associate with many of the people when we arrived. However, over the course of the past week, names have become faces, and faces have become people, and people have become friends. It is amazing the bond that occur in a matter of hours and days.

Anatoly is the regional pastor of Tambov. In addition to pastoring his own church, he oversees the other nine churches in the region.  This 50-something year old man has weathered some amazing things and has a testimony that brings tears to your eyes...starting with the Soviet years when his father was taken away from his home for being a Christian. 

Yesterday, he took us to a snowy, humble neighborhood to show us an opportunity. It's hard to put into words how it affected me to see this man standing before a wooden gate and struggling to de-ice the lock so he could show us the proposed church site.  It was FREEZING cold, he had no gloves on, and it took at least ten minutes to get the lock open. Then with watering eyes, he showed us the foundation of what he hopes to be a home for his church family. He explained how the land is purchased, the foundation is poured, and now they are praying for the resources to build the church!  It stabbed at my heart to hear the amount that will make this church building a reality...approximately $30, 000 and a team to help build it...the cost of a new car. The cost of MY car.

It amazes me to think that this amount of money could build a whole church...a light-giving, life-breathing church in the middle of an established neighborhood.  Currently, Anatoly's church is meeting in a missionary building.  If they were able to build their own church building, the missionary building would be available for a desired ministry to have a halfway house for orphans who are transitioning from the orphanage...

It's a dream. It's a possibility. It's a locked gate.  Praying that we will be able to be a part of helping this vision take shape.  Please pray...