Have you ever wondered what kind of difference you are making in this
world? What real change are we making in this ungodly society? The world certainly seems to be changing but
not necessarily for good. Purity and
godliness are being replaced by hatred and humanism. God’s name is used mainly as the butt of
jokes or curses.
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| Three Orphan boys in a local village |
We have lived in community in Russia for 15 years where it
is the lowest in human development but highest in suicide and alcohol and drug
abuse. Many times we have looked out our apartment
window and witnessed the abuse of children by and drunken father and women being beaten a partner. We have stepped out
our door to bums rejected by society who lie bloody in our stairwell looking
for a warm place to spend the night.
Orphans knock regularly on our door asking for food. Men and women seek help for their relative
who is addicted to drugs. Seeing the
needs of such a desperate society the question always comes to our minds, “What
real change am I making in this world?”
Through all the needs and desperation we believe daily every loaf of bread we give the hungry,
every kopek (Russian dime) we give to the homeless, every person we show love,
if done in the name of the Lord changes the world.
I saw a man in the hidden in the corner of a “Pradukti” (convenient
store) counting the coins he collected throughout the day on the dirty
floor. He stayed hidden from the clerks otherwise
they would have surely thrown the man to the cold street claiming it was bad
for business. After I bought a few small
items I turned to walk out of the store then I spotted him counting his coins. Begging on the street hadn’t made more him
then a few dollars that day. It was
barely enough to buy a loaf of bread. I
couldn’t help but give him my few “rubles” (dollars) I had in change. I handed him the money and said, “God bless
you.” He sat shocked barely able to say
thank you as he looked at the bills. He couldn’t
believe the gesture seeing that the bills he now held were far greater value
then the coins he had collected all that day.
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| Homeless man passed out in front of a dumpster |
A woman named Chu-du-ra rang my “domaphone” (doorbell) to
our apartment. She was asking for me but
I didn’t remember her. I went outside to
meet her. Something said to me, “Bring
some money.” She had been drinking and
hadn’t eaten for a week. She remembered
me from church and said she came to me because I would always help any one who
asked. She was asking for money to
travel to a near by village. I didn’t
know what she would do with the money but she promised it wouldn’t be spent on
alcohol. I gave her the money she needed
regardless how she would eventually spend it.
I asked if she had food for the trip. She didn’t, so we went to the grocery
store. Looking as she did she wasn’t
allowed to go inside but I went and bought her all sorts of prepared food, milk
and bread. Before we parted ways I
reminded her of God’s saving power from addiction. She was doubtful she could change but with
tears in her eyes she listened to the words God gave me.
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| Homeless women given a loaf of bread |
Three Tuvan girls came to our youth ministry directly from
the Children’s Tuberculosis hospital a few blocks from the church. They had never been inside a church before
and never heard of the love of God. They
sat and listened to the message simple and clear, God can change their
lives. During corporate prayer they had
the opportunity to give their hearts to the Lord.
They for the first time felt God’s power in their lives and
were Spiritually fed. We gathered around
and laying hands on them prayed for their healing. The Christian students in the group had much
faith to their prayer because they hand already seen many healings take place
in the past in the Tuberculosis hospital.
I can’t say that I am a world changer but I can say that
daily in some way, big or small, I give bread to the hurting and help those who
are lost find Spiritual peace. 
