Comforting Those Who Mourn
Update from Russia, 4. May 27, 2007
Don’t let your mind be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to The Messiah (2 Corinthians 11:3)
5/20/07, Sunday: Went and visited Madina’s family. (Madina’s 10-year-old brother, Marat, was killed in the school massacre.) Her parents were both feeling very bad (physically), and so I mostly hung out with Madina, her little sister, and their baby brother. …I’m amazed at how much Madina does for her family, how she helps in so many ways. Only to turn 17 on August 18th, Madina is already like a mom in so many ways – and she doesn’t sit around and complain. Later, I went with her to visit her grandma. Her grandma was really glad to see me, and insisted on feeding me, though I tried to refuse since I really wasn’t hungry. Of course, that made no difference to her grandma, and so she proceeded to prepare some food and tea. Her grandma sat and talked with me, and again poured out a lot of her heart about her pain from Marat’s death. I shared that we still pray for them and haven’t forgotten them, nor has Jesus. Before leaving, she gave me a brand new towel as a gift; I was again reminded/convicted about how these people so freely share the little that they have while I am so often so selfish and stingy.
5/21/07, Monday: Had a pretty packed day today… guitar and English lessons, and then our Bible reading time; we went through James 2 and discussed it. Later, I went to Mairbek’s to celebrate his 11th birthday with him (he survived the terrorist attack but lost his mom there). He and his family insisted that I stay the night, so I did.
5/22/07, Tuesday: Went and visited a little boy, George, who lost his mom, dad, only brother/sibling, and grandma in the school massacre; only George survived. He is doing okay, but his aunt (who he lives with now) explained that he is very sensitive and cries easily. As I observed, little George is quiet, but he smiles often.
5/23/07, Wednesday: AM fellowship. Later went and visited the Mother’s Committee. One of the moms, Larissa, who survived the attack along with her son, asked me what group I was specifically - in terms of faith. She said that she’s gone to some different fellowships, Baptist, and Evangelical, but none of it makes any sense to her as of yet. PRAY FOR HER! Talked some w/ Svyeta… she told me how her granddaughter would have followed me everywhere I went had she survived the terrorist attack (Zalina). Svyeta’s older granddaughter (Zarina – who survived the attack) doesn’t do much except sit at home now. ...Went and visited with Khetag (a teenage boy who escaped when the hostage crisis began, but lost his only brother/sibling there). Helped him some with his English pronunciation – gave them my English/guitar lessons schedule.
5/24/07, Thursday: Visited Lena, a mother who lost her only child/daughter in the school massacre. Lena has cancer, and needs surgery. God willing, I hope to help find a sponsor for her and her operation.
5/25/07, Friday: Allergies still bad; washed clothes; prepared English lessons. …Man, did The Lord hear my prayers concerning giving an opportunity to share Jesus tonight! I dropped by the Alikova’s to visit and bring some gifts, and Yah gave a really great time! (The three young Alikova girls survived the attack along with their grandma, but the mother was killed.) Little Madina was so happy to see me… she said, ‘Jason!,’ and ran over and hugged me! Had tea with her, her younger sister Liza, and their friends. Gave the Alikova girls both of my CDs, and some small gifts. We had candy and tea, and they wanted to listen to my CDs… praise and glory to Yah, they really liked them! Madina said something about reading the words, so she could then sing along. At one point, she and her two friends were trying to follow the singing on the FARN (in the Ossetian language) CD! All glory to Yah, it was obvious how much favor He’s given me with them. YHWH, use all this for Your glory and good purposes! We then went across the street to their friend’s house, and I talked a tad with her mom – the kids and I were heading outside to play, and their mom in the meantime listened to the FARN CD. When we went back to their friend’s house, her mom said she really liked the CD, and the message. She started telling me how much it meant to her that someone from across the ocean, from America, would come there… her eyes welled up, and they were full of tears. She mentioned about how much it meant to know that you were needed by someone, and that a foreigner would come to such a small place, and speak her own language with her… it was one of the rare times I’ve ever seen someone so openly thankful and moved by my being there. I spoke about how Jesus has changed me, and the glory is to Him. The Lord opened up a great time of sharing and witnessing to her. She also believes in Jesus, but mentioned something about all having the same God, since there’s only One God. I shared that I agreed that there Is Only One God, but that doesn’t mean others’ “god” and mine are the same. Shared the contrast concerning Jesus in Islam and Christianity, and that they’re either both wrong, or one is right and the other one incorrect. But since they contradict one another regarding God having a Son or not, they cannot both be correct. She talked about Igor, the Krishna guy that comes around, and she mentioned how we can take different paths up the mountain, but they all lead to the top… and that God could have taken on different forms in revealing Himself – as Jesus, as Allah, etc. I said that could perhaps be possible if ‘God’ among those religions was the same, that his character did not change. But even just comparing The Koran and The Bible, the god of the muslims is not The God of The Bible. She really seemed to be getting everything, but she was hung up on the ‘people of other religions also lead good and moral lives’ point. The Lord blessed me to share that from man’s perspective, that is true… but only God’s perspective truly matters, and He says everybody has sinned and is guilty. And if I were to have stolen something and then found myself in court, when the judge asked me why I stole, I couldn’t say, ‘Well, I’m not a killer!’ That doesn’t matter to him – I have to answer for what I did do. The other religions try to ‘outwork’ their bad deeds, but only The Bible shows how we can have our sins forgiven. Many other things were shared, and I mentioned a few times about how Jesus said no one could come to The Father except through Him. Glory to YHWH, it was amazing time of witnessing, and she seems so open, and seemed to understand and agree with what God helped me to say. Glory, thanks, and praise be to You, YHWH, my God!
5/26/07, Saturday: Vitalik, a young believer here, asked if it would be okay for him to visit me so we could read The Bible together… he wants to grow in his faith, and he has to leave for Moscow on June 25th. Yes, I think that would be okay for us to get together and read God’s Word together!
Please pray for:
*God’s blessing on the English, guitar, and Bible-reading times;
*Health for Alan and Zalina, Madina’s parents;
*Larissa to understand The Lord, His ways, and His salvation, and for her to follow Him accordingly;
*God to convict Lena of her need for Jesus, and also that He’d heal her of her cancer;
*The mom I spoke with on Friday, for her also to know The Real God and walk obediently with Him;
*The Lord to heal my allergies;
*Vitalik to grow in his faith, & for us to committedly read His Word together before he leaves for Moscow.
Rejoice as you see your share in this ministry!
In Yeshua, our Redeemer and Joy,
jason, jalazone7@yahoo.com
Let us have simple and pure devotion to Christ!
(2 Corinthians 11:3)
