Report of SMS Missionary Evgenia Chegir
Minsk, Belarus – April, 2009
Peace be unto you brothers and sisters!
Praise the Lord for all His mercies, which He manifests daily. Praise Him for the opportunities to witness to people about Christ in Hospital #5. Praise Him for the difficulties and trials, which He permits in our lives. We thank the Lord for all those who take part in this ministry, who support our ministry with their prayers and gifts. May the Lord generously reward all of you. May the Lord bless the people of America and Belarus. May He bless all the workers in His vineyard.
The recent holidays were especially favorable for witnessing about our risen Christ. Easter for some is no more than “Easter pastry and colored eggs.” For those of us who read the Word of God, Easter is our real joy and life with the Risen Christ. In the surgical ward one of the male patients told me: “I don’t think that God is a human being who watches us from on high. It’s some kind of a mind. I am afraid of God. I have many sins. I am afraid to draw near to Him. I talked with him and told him that through Jesus Christ we can come to God, sincerely ask His forgiveness and submit our life to Him. I gave him a New Testament and “Our Daily Bread” booklet. May God open the eyes of his heart so that he would understand the truth! Another patient told me: “I believe in God, but I do not read the Bible.” In the women’s ward Mary told me that she is tortured by sin. She did not want to bear a child but her husband demanded it. And now her daughter, whom she did not want to bear, is married but cannot have children. Mary feels guilty in this matter. She went to a priest to confess her sins, she asked for forgiveness from the Mother of God but is not certain that God forgave her. Mary does not read the Bible. I offered her a New Testament and suggested that she get a Bible and read it prayerfully. Mary has a problem standing during the entire worship service in an Orthodox church but so far she still holds on to Orthodoxy.
A second woman, Vanda—she is a Roman Catholic—told me that she believes in God although she prays prayers that she has memorized and does not know whether God forgave her, or not. But she teaches her grandchildren to believe in God and teaches them to pray in their own words. She gladly accepted a New Testament.
In the neurosurgical ward I met Natasha, a young women from Gomel. She cannot move her hands and legs. She gave birth to a son. Natasha does not have a husband. She lives with her mother. She said that at home she prayed that God would forgive her for all her sins. “I felt better afterward but now I have grown weaker and don’t have enough strength to hold a New Testament in my hands.” Natasha is depressed. Pray for her.
I talked with Yadviga who works in the dining hall of one of the hospital wards. She considers herself to be a Roman Catholic and visits a Catholic church regularly. I asked her whether God forgave her sins. “And who can know this?” was her reply. “I don’t read the Bible, I don’t even have one.” When I offered her a Bible she leafed through it and said: “There are no prayers in it, no, I don’t want to take it. I’m not such a great sinner, there are people worse than I.” And such a person also calls herself a believer!
In another hospital ward Lyudmila opened her heart to me – about her life, her sufferings, which she endured from her husband, about her children’s problems. Her husband drank heavily and beat her. She became desperate and asked God that He would take her husband. After some time he died (a brain vessel burst). Her conscience began to bother her because she felt responsible for her husband’s death. This happened 16 years ago but it still troubles her. Luydmila wanted to share her pain with someone, to confess her sins to someone. During our conversation told me all this. Afterward she said: “Thank you for hearing me out, I feel better now.” Lyudmila does not read the Bible. She claims to be Orthodox. She baptized her children and was herself baptized in an Orthodox church. We talked about a personal relationship with God, about faith in Christ. I tried to convince her to read the Bible and pray. Lyudmila prays her own prayers, she asks God to help her daughter and son. She asked me which church I attend and its location. She told me that she needed spiritual help. I gave her a New Testament and “Our Daily Bread” devotional booklet. Pray for these people.
Eduard, a young man in the pulmonary ward—he is 34 years of age and has a very large body. When I entered his room he asked me for spiritual help. A year ago Eduard had surgery (head) and now he has a problem with his leg. Eduard complains that at work he is surrounded by people who are extremely perverted, angry, bad (he works as a security guard). But he also saw how the lives of some of these people suddenly changed for the better when they turned to God. Eduard wanted to know ho this could be. He said: “A want to know God.” He told me that when he was a student in college t he once asked God to send him a young lady who could be his wife. He said that God answered him very quickly. He was married and, as Eduard said, “there are no problems in this regard.” But since his health has quickly deteriorated he has been thinking very seriously about his relationship with God. He is troubled by the question as to what will become of his family since he is the only breadwinner. When I offered to pray he immediately began to pray asking that God would forgive him for all his sins and said that he wanted to submit his life fully to God. He accepted a New Testament and our church card and said: “When I get better I will come with my wife and son who is 3 years old.” Pray for this family.
In the cardiology ward I met one other patient, Igor. He spent 8 years in prison. Igor said that when he was in prison he took some correspondence Bible courses but still does not believe in God. I barely entered his room when he immediately told me: “I don’t believe in God and I don’t want to talk on this subject.” But, in spite of his protest and unwillingness to talk, “word by word,” we had a good conversation. Igor has a problem finding work. With such a “reputation” nobody wants to hire him. Igor is angry and disappointed. But he gladly took Christian literature, the Christian newspaper “Our Days,” a New Testament and “Our Daily Bread.” May he experience the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord and may he begin to serve Him.
Pray that the Word, which was sown will bring fruit of salvation to those who heard it, that the Holy Spirit would continue His work in their hearts. That God would prepare the hearts of new people. Please continue to pray for the doctors and the entire hospital staff. Pray for repentance. Pray for those in charge. Pray for me and my children. About our health – spiritual and physical. About the coming surgery of my daughter. About its successful outcome.
I thank my Lord for all the trials and difficulties, for all the joys and for His mercy. I thank the Lord for all of you who pray and sacrifice for our ministry. Together we work for the Lord, for the salvation of sinners and the extension of the kingdom of God.
Special thanks to the Komashchuk family, - for their prayers and financial support. May the Lord fulfill all our needs with His generous hand.
