Comforting Those Who Mourn
Update from Russia, 5. June 4, 2007
From death, You have delivered my soul (Psalm 56:13)
5/28/07, Monday: After the English lesson, one of the little girls named Madina came by, disappointed she had forgotten about the lesson and had missed it. We talked some, and I questioned her about the thread around her wrist. (Many younger girls here wear red or sometimes black threads around their wrist, to allegedly ward of ‘the evil eye’ and so forth.) I mentioned that God protects, and that thread is nothing. She shared how she used to go to the Baptist fellowship, but stopped after she was baptized (in the Russian Orthodox church). She talked about the icons at her church, and The Lord enabled me to share that God Is More Powerful than saints, and that we can pray straight to Him. Madina told me she had been a hostage during the terrorist attack along with her mom, but they both survived. (Madina’s b-day is in September, and I think she’ll be 9 or 10 this year.) She told me how she had lost her very best friend in the school massacre, Kristina; Kristina was killed there along with her mom and grandma… her little brother survived. …Madina said she wanted me to say here forever! She said she didn’t need any operation after the attack, and I told her that she was a miracle. She told me that on the third day of the hostage crisis when one of the explosions made an opening, she called out to her mom, who was in very bad condition. Thankfully, her mom heard, and they both ran out. Madina said, ‘Had I not called her, she would have died there.’ I hadn’t even known Madina had been a hostage… I just knew her as the nice little girl who always says hi to me, and comes to the English lessons.
5/30/07, Wednesday: AM fellowship; Sergei (Totiev) preached. Saw young Kazik and playing at the playground – Kazik asked me to come to their house around 2 or 3 on Saturday for his birthday. (Kazik is pastor Sergei’s youngest son, and he lost two of his sisters in the school massacre.) Visited with Mairbek (who survived the attack but lost his mom there), then later visited with Zalina and her mom, Rita. (Zalina lost her younger sister, Kristina, in the terrorist attack.) I gave them the FARN (“Peace,” in Ossetian) CD, and The Lord opened up several opportunities to share about: Jesus and The Bible, how I came to believe, the god of the koran not being The God of The Bible (Rita is a muslim in name but her kids are Russian Orthodox), and so forth. All praise to Yah’s Name, it was a really good time of talking. Rita’s son is getting married soon, but she confessed having two different emotions – happiness for him, but still living with the sorrow of Kristina’s death. For Rita, memories of Kristina, her youngest daughter, are everywhere.
5/31/07, Thursday: While at the internet club today, I read that my 13 year old sister, Michelle, has pneumonia ...please keep her in your prayers. Had guitar and English lessons today; some kids dropped by as well. Was a good and full day, and really felt wiped out afterwards.
6/1/07, Friday: Spending time with The Lord in prayer and in His Word, He helped me to see that with His help, I need to reprioritize my life - making time for Him everyday in The Word, prayer, and worship. …I headed out later to teach little George and his cousins around 1:30 or so. While waiting for a minivan/taxi, a car pulled over and it was Zina and Elbrus (their two youngest sons, twins, were both among the hostages - only one of the boys survived). We talked a bit, and then they gave me a ride to my lesson. They told me to drop by and teach Edik (their son who survived) also, and I said I would. …Arriving at George’s, his aunt Marina prepared lunch for us, and we talked while she was getting it ready. (Young George, around 7, was a hostage along with his older/only brother, his mom, his dad, and his grandma; everybody was killed except for George, and he now lives with his aunt and her family.) I also watched a little bit of a dinosaur program with George – he likes dinosaurs, and said he’d like to do excavation work when he’s older. I taught George and his two cousins, Asik and Alina, as well as Marina. George has a really likeable personality, smiling a lot. He’s pretty quiet, and when he does talk, his voice is very soft.
6/2/07, Saturday: Spent several hours at the Totievs, for Kazik’s birthday. Had a good time and The Lord gave me a nice time to talk with Byella. (Byella is Kazik’s mom, and she lost two of her daughters in the school massacre. She and her family are strong believers, and active in the ministry.) I shared how I really liked King David, and she said the same – for he had such a tender love for The Lord. Byella also said how she liked Job. She told that she couldn’t understand The Book of Job that much before the terrorist attack, but afterwards, she really did – and to put it simply, humans just don’t know very much about this life.
Please pray for:
*God’s blessing on the English, guitar, and Bible-reading times;
*The Lord to give Rita and Zalina a passion and desire to truly seek and know Him;
*God to continually show little George, who lost his whole family in the massacre, just how much He loves him;
*Jesus to often comfort and give strength to Byella and her family, and that they might fix their hope on the grace that will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed;
*my sister, Michelle, who is sick with pneumonia;
*the number of younger kids that come to the lessons, and or just drop by the house here – that God will bless them, give them true desire to know and follow Jesus, and that they will clearly see Christ in me.
As always, I greatly appreciate all of you so very much who share in this service. Thank you for your love and sacrifices which make this ministry possible. Again, I really hope you grasp the impact that you’re making here: vicariously, so to speak, you are sitting with mothers who lost their children in such a horrific way – listening to them, sharing with them… you are interacting with children who survived the attack, and you are pouring into their lives… and you are sharing The Good News of Jesus Christ with people who live in sorrow.
All the glory, honor, and praise be to our Great and Wonderful God for all He Is doing! And for the fact that He can take us, messed up wretches deserving of Hell, and forgive and redeem us – and then use us as messengers of His grace and love to a community that has witnessed such unspeakable horror… He Is Amazing, indeed. All the glory be to Jesus Christ, for His endless love & transforming power - for coming to seek and save the lost. By His grace, I now am found.
In Jesus, The Name Above all names,
jason, jalazone7@yahoo.com
From death, You have delivered my soul! (Psalm 56:13)
