This past Monday, I had the blessed experience to have to tea with one of the most respected women of the evangelical work here in Ukraine. She is a well know speaker and respected leader of Women's ministry throughout the entire former USSR. As a child growing up in the 50's her family and loved ones experienced great persecutions because of their faith. She has countless testimonies of God's faithful and miracles during those difficult days. Here is one story she shared this week,
I remember once, late in the evening, a man knocking on our door, it was already late, and most of the little ones were asleep, (there were seven children in her family). Mama and Papa sat him beside the wood heated stove and served him compote. Our cot lay right across from the door to the kitchen and, my older sister and I fiegned sleep, while we strained to make out their whispered conversation.
"In Kiev, they are arresting anyone holding prayer meetings in their house," he whsipered, " parental rights are immediately taken and the children are put into orphanages. We can't find even find out which orphange the children are taken to.. they give us no information" The man finished his tea and began dressing. "If I'm seen here, you'll be in danger of arrest, " he whispered to my father, who was already in danger of arrest A moment later he quietly slipped out the door into the night. I don't remember ever seeing him again.
To this day, I have a vivied memory of my mother and father on their knees, their foreheads pressed together in prayer. Although I was young, I had already learned, that when my parents prayed this way, with their foreheads pressed together, something was very wrong. I don' t know how long they prayed. My eyes fixed on their praying lips, I finally feel asleep.
The next morning my father made the greatest announcement we had ever heard, "Vera's birthday is next week, we are going to have a birthday party!" What a cry of joy rose up around the table. We were poor and had never celebrated birthdays befpre. God had given my parents an answer that night.
Now there were seven of us, plus Mama and Papa, plus Grandma and Grandpa who lived next door, that meant a birthday almost every month, sometimes twice a month. We celebrated every birthday among our small group of secret believers. It gave us an excuse to meet together as a church. The entire Christian community in our little village could join together for the "birthday". When the authorities would come to investigate why we were holding "assemblies" in our home, Papa would calmly show him our birth certificates. "Surely in our great Soviet Union, it's not against the law to have a birhtday party," my Papa would smilingly defend. Frustrated the police would leave having now real proof to arrest us.
The Lord gave my parents great wisdom that night. He showed them away to continue holding church services. Even during the hardest years of persecution, our family was never seperated.
I remember once, late in the evening, a man knocking on our door, it was already late, and most of the little ones were asleep, (there were seven children in her family). Mama and Papa sat him beside the wood heated stove and served him compote. Our cot lay right across from the door to the kitchen and, my older sister and I fiegned sleep, while we strained to make out their whispered conversation.
"In Kiev, they are arresting anyone holding prayer meetings in their house," he whsipered, " parental rights are immediately taken and the children are put into orphanages. We can't find even find out which orphange the children are taken to.. they give us no information" The man finished his tea and began dressing. "If I'm seen here, you'll be in danger of arrest, " he whispered to my father, who was already in danger of arrest A moment later he quietly slipped out the door into the night. I don't remember ever seeing him again.
To this day, I have a vivied memory of my mother and father on their knees, their foreheads pressed together in prayer. Although I was young, I had already learned, that when my parents prayed this way, with their foreheads pressed together, something was very wrong. I don' t know how long they prayed. My eyes fixed on their praying lips, I finally feel asleep.
The next morning my father made the greatest announcement we had ever heard, "Vera's birthday is next week, we are going to have a birthday party!" What a cry of joy rose up around the table. We were poor and had never celebrated birthdays befpre. God had given my parents an answer that night.
Now there were seven of us, plus Mama and Papa, plus Grandma and Grandpa who lived next door, that meant a birthday almost every month, sometimes twice a month. We celebrated every birthday among our small group of secret believers. It gave us an excuse to meet together as a church. The entire Christian community in our little village could join together for the "birthday". When the authorities would come to investigate why we were holding "assemblies" in our home, Papa would calmly show him our birth certificates. "Surely in our great Soviet Union, it's not against the law to have a birhtday party," my Papa would smilingly defend. Frustrated the police would leave having now real proof to arrest us.
The Lord gave my parents great wisdom that night. He showed them away to continue holding church services. Even during the hardest years of persecution, our family was never seperated.
No comments:
Post a Comment