As always, December is a very busy time of the year, especially from the 25th through January 7th.

The two weeks are filled with a variety of evangelistic activities. Our Sunday school director and his wife worked on preparing a special Christmas program. Two rehearsals a week were required. This was extremely difficult for the university students who have exams during this period as well.. The first program was on December 24th at a youth service. Young people came from Polotsk and other churches in the region. A well prepared program was presented with a closing Christmas message given by a university student to his peers. It was noteworthy that the program was conducted with the use of the Belorussian language. This aroused the attention of all who were present.

On December 25th the same program was presented during the morning service. Church members invited relatives and friends and the church was filled with people. This in itself brought us great joy. It was great to be able to share with the people of our city the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. Many celebrate the holiday in their sins and do not understand…

The New Year was celebrated by many in the house of prayer! We gathered from 10:00 p.m. in the evening until morning. At midnight the new year was welcome with a time of preaching and prayer. Our daughter’s friend brought her parents who attended for the first time and were able to see first hand what evangelical believers are like.

January 4th — we invited members of the Invalids Organization to our church. There were more than 70 persons who attended. We were already acquainted with many of them. The Christmas program was presented once again telling the story of Christ’s birth and its message for today.

January 5th — a puppet show was presented to the orphans in the Children’s Home in Novopolotsk by a group from the Evangelical Baptist Church of Polotsk. A hundred children are cared for in this institution. These children heard the story of the birth of Christ and His purpose in coming to earth.

January 7th — Orthodox Christmas Day — we invited families to attend who were part of the city organization in which families with a large number of children are members. Around 170 attended the presentation of the Christmas program. It was another opportunity to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ and to bring them the message of salvation.

Victor Bogdanov