Russia (MNN) — Christians in
Tyumen, Russia have found a creative way to reach out to students in the English program at
a nearby university. They are setting up
an English library full of Christian books and materials.
"As the unsaved students come in
to engage people who are native English speakers, get books so that
they can work on their English language, and take out CDs and DVDs so they can
hear the language spoke– every time they come in, they're going to be
building relationships with somebody that has far more interest in spiritual
things than in language," explained John Lowrey of Christian
Resources International.
Lowrey and a team from CRI are
bringing a much-needed supply of literature to supplement the library's limited
resources. They will finish setting up
the library, attend church services, and engage Russian students in
conversations about spiritual things.
"We'll be doing a lot of the
discussion groups with students who are reading these Christian books," Lowrey
said. "They come back with questions,
and we'll be able to address them in English and then talk to them from
our hearts about what they're learning."
Missionaries have observed that
the young generation of Russian Christians is fired up to share the Gospel
boldly. Lowrey said he believes the Lord
used godly Russian grandmothers to pass on their faith.
"As I travel the country and talk
to folks that may not have been Christians as children, many of them will have some kind of story or testimony
about a faithful Grandma who may have had her Bible taken away from her
physically, but she still had it in her heart and still taught that to her
grandchildren," said Lowrey. "So even in the
worst of times in Russia, the Gospel was still there, and God was still at work
preparing a generation for when this door would open."
No one knows what the future will
hold, but the door for the evangelism may not remain open. Lowrey is
confident, however, that God will continue to work. Perhaps it will be through "an energized younger
generation with a real heart for the Gospel and a desire to share it. It may
not be too long before they're going to have to, because all the foreign
mission organizations will be gone, and they'll be left to stand for the Lord
on their own. And maybe that will be the
very best thing."
Lowrey asks for prayer for the
team as it must go through customs more than once. The Russian authorities may not look
favorably on such a large influx of Christian literature.
Christians can also pray for the university
students in Tyumen. "Be praying that they would have the desire to read those books, and that the right
questions would come to their minds, and they would…be willing to listen and
really hear the biblical answers to the questions of life."
