Sticking it out

Colin Cleaver

Valentina had been living in the small, remote, Siberian town of Cheremnoye for the past 60 years. The state of her life reflected the state of her little wooden house, slowly sinking into the marshland on which it was built and gradually falling apart. As an alcoholic, she was rarely coherent, looked and dressed like a tramp and was steadily fading away - no different to millions of other similar Siberians in such places - without hope and without a future.

As an alcoholic, she was rarely coherent, looked and dressed like a tramp and was steadily fading away.

But then one day, she met Pasha and Natasha. Pasha had trained at OM Russia’s Discipleship Centre and upon graduation was sent with his new wife, Natasha, to Cheremnoye to start up a new fellowship. Before they arrived, there was no Biblical witness in the town of 17'000. 

Life was far from easy for the young Christian couple. Both were used to life in a large city, and had to adjust to the remote setting: an outside toilet, no bath or shower but instead a banya (outhouse for washing), no washing machine, no running hot water. Even more challenging in winter, when the temperature can drop to -40 C. They also had to live by faith, as the church which sent them couldn’t afford to support them properly, and Pasha and Natascha were often down to their last rouble. Their first child was born two months premature and suffered from many complications that required costly medicine. Their baby’s constant crying kept them awake most nights - they were ready to give up.

Their baby’s constant crying kept them awake most nights - they were ready to give up.

But they stuck it out. 

On Saturday, 21st August, two members of OM Russia went to witness the first baptism of the new fellowship.  When they arrived, they found a sober, clean and lucid Valentina rocking Pasha and Natasha’s baby to sleep on the porch. The next day, witnessed by 30 visitors and interested locals, Valentina stepped into the water of a nearby pond to be baptised, symbolising the fact that she had passed from death into life.

Please pray for Pasha and Natasha. Life is still not easy, but since Valentina's baptism, it has become clear to them, and to us, that their sacrifice and work is not in vain.

Credit: Colin Cleaver
© 2010 Colin Cleaver