A Cold Land and a Warm Home

I’ve just about recovered from our journey to Moldova that spanned 10 extremely cold Eastern European days. This was my first time to run a church planting campaign in Europe. Its funny – most people talk to me about how hard it must be to work on establishing churches in predominately Muslim areas, but after this journey I think that the spiritual numbness and apathy of secularism poses greater barriers than does any major world religion. The bottom line however, is that God is working all over the world to redeem the lost to Himself, be it in the midst of fundamentalist Muslims, former Soviet secularists, and even Western democratic capitalists! There is no culture that is impenetrable when the Holy Spirit works through obedient disciples of Jesus Christ. So with these thoughts in mind I wanted to share just a few stories from a field where the weather seemed to be an acting metaphor for the people’s spiritual vicissitude.

I knew that I had messed up the moment I got off of the plane in the former Soviet city of Chisinau. It was well below freezing with blustery winds and I had failed to pack my winter coat. I did bring a few sweaters that helped a bit, but my simple raincoat did little to break the cutting chill of the wind. So I knew that my goal was to find warm places of refuge in an otherwise hostile climate. I began praying that the LORD would open homes of people who would share the warmth of hospitality so that I could share with them the warmth of His eternal gospel.

On one occasion in the village of Malcochi I had just encountered the poster child for the former Soviet Empire. This man was solemn and proud and had no need of a personal God. He described himself as a hard worker and regardless of what Scripture I quoted or what I said to him, he simply had no interest in the gospel. Needless to say I was a bit discouraged following that conversation but then my ministry partner prayed and asked God to “put someone in our path”. Less than minute later we saw little Ana coming our way. When we started to talk with her about why we were in her village, she quickly said “It’s too cold out here for such a deep conversation. Please come into my warm home.” As we went inside we knew that God was at work in Ana’s life. As we shared the simple gospel she humbled herself and repented, placing her faith in Christ alone. It seems like I’ve heard it so many times since I started in missions over 10 years ago – “I’ve been waiting for someone to come and tell me how I could know God.” Ana confessed that during Soviet times she struggled with the atheist ideology, but on the heels thereof, she really hadn’t a clue what kind of God, God is . . . or even if He could be known. It’s amazing how the physical chill subsided in the warmth of Ana’s home. But even more amazing was to watch the spell of a spiritual chill defrosting before our eyes. Ana came in “out of the cold” and experienced the warmth of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

On a different day I went with brother Stas, who is a Russian-speaking pastor, to visit the home of one of his church members. I was particularly interested in this visit because Stas told me how he had become a pastor following a Global Missions Fellowship (now e3 Partners) short-term campaign six years ago. Vera, whose home we were going to visit, had been one of the first people to receive Christ on that earlier campaign. When we arrived at Vera’s simple one room home, she began to share with me her story. Six years ago two North American’s named Ben and Carmen had knocked on her door and because she was extremely depressed and lonely, Vera had invited them in. Vera went on to explain to us that she had been addicted to drugs back then and really had no hope for a better life. When that couple started to share God’s love with Vera, her heart melted and she put her faith in Christ. What is even more amazing is that over the next two years that fledgling church plant followed up with Vera and helped her to get off of drugs and onto a new path that has brought life and peace to her even through difficult times. You see, in Vera’s one room home also lives her mother who had a stroke and is now incapacitated and fairly incoherent. Vera’s 20 or so year old son also lives there. As we sat on one sofa I looked around the approximately 10x10 room that is there home and wondered what life must be like for this family. One might think that Vera would be sad about her poverty, but the opposite is true. She told of countless times when she had no money to buy groceries and on faith went to the market only to find a small amount of money laying on the ground on the way – enough to buy a few meals. And as I prayed with them they shared how God had provided Vera’s son with a new job that meant a steady income for them. I saw in pastor Stas that day something beautiful. He has invested in this family – and dozens more like them – planting several more churches over the last six years.

I needed to see that . . . fruit that remains and has multiplied over a period of time. So often I wonder what becomes of the people whose homes I have visited throughout my ministry. I hope that most of them have experienced such a life transformation as Vera and her family. I hope that Ana out in Malcochi will testify years down the road of how Christ has changed her life. All I can say is that no matter how cold it gets in the world around us, the answer stays the same. Jesus Christ penetrates cold hearts and warms homes with His hope and peace. He did it for Vera. He is doing it for Ana. And He did it for me.