Belarus (MNN/TWR) — Tensions heighten in the Ukraine war as Russian ally Belarus says its warplanes can now carry nukes.
On Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko spoke against a general threat from Western forces:
“Everything was ready (referring to modifications made to Belarusian warplanes to carry nuclear weapons). It’s not a good idea to escalate things with Belarus because that would be an escalation with the Union State (of Russia and Belarus) which has nuclear weapons. If they start to create problems … the response will be immediate.”
To calm fears, believers in Belarus spread peace-filled messaging on radio airwaves.
“There’s always clear Gospel message in their programming so that people can have a chance to meet the Savior. There is always preaching; there is always Bible study material,” Alenka Stephenson of TransWorld Radio Europe says.
TWR’s contacts in Belarus describe significant responses to spiritual truth. The Belarusian team regularly airs seven radio programs.
Listener responses contain pain and joy, tears of repentance, heartfelt confessions, gratitude and of course, many questions. Listeners also requested and received hundreds of copies of the Gospel, and several thousand copies of spiritual literature.
Some listeners announced repenting of their sins and embracing Christ as Lord.
Praise God for this response, and pray for the safety of TWR contacts in Belarus and Russia.
“We have ministry friends in Russia, and contacts in Belarus as well. The circumstances are really challenging; [the] situation is difficult in each country,” Stephenson says.
“Pray also for wisdom for our contacts in Russia. They have to be really careful how they word their messaging so they would not be in trouble,” she continues.
“So far, they’ve been doing really amazing job and they have lots of responses coming their way: encouraging notes and [people] seeing them as a source of truth and light in their circumstances.”
In the header image, children in Belarus gather around a radio to listen to TWR’s children’s programming. (Photo courtesy of TWR ministry contacts)
