Report of SMS Missionary Victor Zaletilo
Vitebsk, Belarus — March 2010
Grace to you and peace from God our Father! I write praying for you that God will bless you in your desire to assist in the evangelization of Belarus!
FUNERAL
I was asked to speak at the funeral of one of our older sisters. It was quite difficult because the people to whom I preached do not come to church to hear the Word of God. The body of our sister was carried and placed at the entrance of the apartment building for relatives and neighbors to pay their last respects. At this time, I spoke to those who had gathered. People listened, and even a man passing by stopped to hear. It was not the most conducive for preaching, but thank God, those people heard the Good News!
LITTLE HELP
2 February, we visited a children's clinic and unexpectedly met a girl 14 years old who was there with her mother. The girl attended our Sunday School 2 years ago. My wife had previously been in their home and met with the parents. The mother was very upset and angry at her daughter because she was pregnant. Joanna wanted to keep the child, but the mother and the father insisted on an abortion. All in the young man’s family also insisted on an abortion, including the doctors. The girl's mother was justifying her actions, saying that they could not support them. I explained that abortion is a sin. And we started talking about saving lives. I convinced the mother that she should not do this. We promised to give them a baby carriage. In late February, I met this mother, and she gladly told me that they decided to have the baby! I am glad that God used my wife and me to influence them not to go ahead with the abortion!
ELECTRICAL WORK
One day I was summoned to repair the lights in an apartment building. A man, about 50 years of age, was the owner of the apartment. I commented that the work previously done must have been done by drunken electricians. We struck up a conversation, and he asked me why I do not drink. I replied that for the Russian a little wine before dinner means that you can have a lot more after dinner. He works as a grinder and said: "Yes, we at work wonder why we allow the deviation in the amount we are permitted to consume which is only on 4 oz, and then take 6 oz. I replied, if you tell them 6 oz, then we say, why not 8 oz. He agreed and said,” You are right. " I suggested that it would be good to read the Bible. He said, “ I can not believe in the Bible without more instruction." I replied, that we will be conducting a small group Bible Study in my home, and when we start, I will invite him. He seemed interested.
CHURCH WEBSITE
The church needs a website. I challenged our men with the project, and at first there was no response. Then, one brother, who is well versed in computers, called me and said he would like to do it. Praise God! We can invite people to learn about the church, sitting at home. This brother has already done 80% of the technical work. A lot of work is needed in preparing articles for the site. That burden falls on me and my helpers. We expect this to be a blessed ministry once the site is opened. Many young people already want their unbelieving friends to give their e-mail addresses!
SMALL GROUPS
I started the process of organizing small groups in the church. I discussed this with the leaders and brought the matter before the church. Most people are happy to participate in this ministry. We are planning to organize five groups. Our older members are moving on to heaven, and the church, in the near future, will consist mainly of young people who came to Christ during the period of my ministry. Young men need to be leading these groups, which will help them to grow spiritually. Moreover, almost every young person already has 1-2 non-Christian friends, who they want to invite.
ELECTION
At the membership meeting of the church, I was given a vote of confidence and trust to carry on my ministry as pastor.
PRAYERS
* For the 100th anniversary celebration of the church.
• Creation of a web site.
• Repair and decoration of the church building.
* The success of the organization of small groups, and evangelism through them.
* Pray for a vehicle. In July customs duties where increased (40% of funds I already have — $2000).
God bless you and be gracious to you, and reward you both here on earth in your endeavors and also one day in heaven!
With Christian love,
Victor
Report of SMS Missionary Victor Zoletilo
Vitebsk, Belarus - February, 2010
Greetings, friends and participants in the work of God! Thank you for your continued support! January brought a lot of problems in my life and the life of the church. Some of the problems are wonderful blessings.
CHURCH PROBLEMS
The most difficult is, of course, the problems associated with the spiritual condition of believers. One zealous sister, seventy years old in poor health and weakened in the faith informed me that she had renounced God. However she wants to love Him and loves the Bible and recognizes Christ as Savior. Of course, I understand that this is the devil giving her thoughts, and therefore I shared the Word of God with her to encourage her. But the next day she again began to think the old way. We pray for her.
When the temperature fell to -5 degrees, the furnace stopped working, and the pipes were on the verge of freezing. After a couple of days, there was more trouble – water from the expansion tank flowed into the basement. The frost also broke locks on the doors of the church. Ice formed on the roof, which threatened the collapse of the roof.
Natalia, a faithful sister, has an 18 years old daughter who is seriously ill. She has an infection on the front of her jaw, which may cause the loss of her front teeth, and also part of the jaw. It is a life-threatening situation.
PERSONAL PROBLEMS
My whole family was sick with influenza. I, too, was ill, but was able to stay on my feet and carry on my responsibilities.
During the extreme cold the sewage lines froze ... and are still not working. The frost damaged quite a lot of our supply of potatoes.
Due to a lot of walking that I do, two pairs of winter boots have holes in them.
In late January, while crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing, I came close to being run down by a car that came straight at me. There were just two meters between me and death. Thank God for His mercy!
I supplement income by working as an electrician. My partner indicated that the current at the unit was turned off. It was not, and, as a result, I was struck by a current through my arms. But the God was merciful.
My wife’s sister passed away. She was 36 years old. She was a Christian, and graduated from Christian College.
BLESSINGS
Second Christmas. We celebrated the Christmas holiday twice, December 25 and on January 7. Christmas is celebrated in the new style and old style. We use the time to glorify the Lord!
At the sister-in laws funeral in the village, God gave me the words to say. One woman, an unbeliever, who did not want to hear about God was there. She told relatives: "I have finally started to understand what they say about faith!"
REPENTANCE
One of the most striking events of January was the repentance of the husband of sister Natalie. His name is Victor. Victor for several years traveled with us in the youth camps and helped us with the boats. Of course, he listened to the Word, but his heart was not changed. This year, he began to read the newspaper "Intelligent Design" and acknowledged that there is a Creator. Suddenly this month, when his daughter got sick with life threatening illness, he went to his wife and said that he was guilty and that he wants to repent before God. At eight o'clock in the morning, he turned to the Lord! He is an interesting man who services computers. When he testified before the church of his repentance, he passed out the printed form, which he had prepared at home!
LETTER & A PRESENT
I received a letter of thanks from a young sister. She stated that she noticed all the work that I do. “Thank you for your work.” Also another young sister gave our family a small box of chocolates. I was very touched by the letter and gift. For me it was a strong reinforcement in the work we are doing for Christ.
FUNERAL OF AN OLDER BROTHER
I thank God that He blessed the funeral of our older brother. His wife is very grateful for the good atmosphere and the help of the church. His unbelieving children listened to testimonies which followed after the sermon.
It was good to meet with the middle-aged members at our home.
Church decided to hold a Sunday prayer hour before the general meeting which we have initiated.
PRAYER
For the Centennial Celebration of the evangelical movement in our city. For a new website. For a new CD. For church renovation. For an evangelistic outreach. For a car to help in carrying out my work.
With joy I thank you. Many of you do not know me, and have not seen our city, but do so much to help us! God bless you!
With Christian love,
Victor
Report of SMS Missionary Victor Zaletilo
Vitebsk, Belarus — November, 2008
Greetings, Dear Friends. Thank you for your participation in bringing people to repentance and faith in Christ. Thank you for your support and prayers.
CONFERENCE FOR EVANGELISTS IN BELARUS I was glad I was able to attend, though I had all kinds of car problems, which required towing and doing repairs myself. I was greatly blessed during these sessions. When I returned homes, my preaching resulted in the repentance of a girl named Sasha, of whom I wrote before. With great enthusiasm, I witnessed to people
WITNESSING OCCASIONS
ALEXANDER — an educated electrician is an alcoholic. I spoke to him many times about the Lord. I gave him a lift and I asked him, “Why do you think I talk to you about God?” He remained silent. When I repeated the question, he answered, “You probably want me to be saved, and that you love sinners.” Afterward, he promised to come to church, but alcohol prevented him.
OLEG — came from the TB sanatorium to visit our church twice. He listened attentively to the sermon, and I talked with him afterward. He stated that he believes in God and the Bible, but that something is missing. I underscored the need for repentance. To which he replied that he feared he might just say the words instead of speaking from his heart. Three weeks later, he announced that he is ready to repent. He openly prayed at the close of the service, expressing that he wants to choose the right church.
WAITING IN LINE — At a government office, someone in line brought up the subject of euthanasia. I thought, “This is an opportunity for me to witness.” For about half an hour, we spoke about God and Jesus Christ. Two more persons joined the conversation. Then my wife came and took my place, because I had an appointment. The people asked Valentina, “What does your husband do? Is he a priest?” She answered, “Yes.” “And where is his church?” a woman asked. Valentina gave the address and the woman said, “I want to come.” I was glad I was able to witness to seven people.
IN A HOME — An 80 year old believer invited her unbelieving brother and wife to live with her. The brother’s conduct became impossible, and his wife also. Sister Nina invited me to come to talk to her family. I pointed out the cause of problems is our sinful nature, and that we need to acknowledge our sin and to repent. Her brother denied that he is a sinner, and I spoke directly to the man and defended Nina. Two days later, Nina came to thank me, also on behalf of her sister-in-law, for the visit, and that the man settled down and changed his attitude.
SASHA — A young woman who repented in early November. She was persecuted by her parents, and they did not allow her to attend church. We still have an open window, however, --the internet. We have begun corresponding that way.
COMPACT DISCS -- Because of misinformation about evangelicals in the schools and in the newsapapers, I have felt it would be helpful to prepare a free DVD to inform people about who we are and what we believe. I overheard an elderly woman saying, “Terrorists and Baptists are everywhere.” Another commented, “Yes, I know. They also sacrifice their children and confiscate property.” The DVD is a new idea of mine that I hope will have a positive influence.
PROJECTOR
The church raised money to purchase a video projector and a screen, which we have needed for some time. Everyone was pleased, and it will be used in a variety of ways.
CHRISTMAS PLANS
Programs will be presented for children and adults. Over 300 gifts will be given to children. The young people will present a special program for their friends who are not believers.
MY FAMILY — All is well. We await the arrival of our third child. Our son will soon complete music school, and has enrolled in art school. Our daughter continues to improve on the violin. My Mother is very close to God. I have a problem meeting expenses for dental work. My car needs repair. We are not discouraged! We are trusting the Lord.
PRAYER REQUESTS — For personal evangelism — For Sasha who wants to attend church — For Oleg — For the Christmas programs — For the DVD project — For my family.
We wish you a great measure of God’s grace during this Christmas Season!
Victor Zaletilo
Report of SMS Missionary Victor Zaletilo
Vitebsk, Belarus - January, 2009
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your blessings with which you are serving us.
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES – We presented a Christmas program seven different times on the two Christmas celebrations – December 25th and January 7th which is Christmas according to the Orthodox calendar. Our program was well prepared with the participation of children and excellent preaching. Extra chairs needed to be brought into the church to accommodate the many visitors. In the evening 10 hearing impaired children attended. It was obvious they enjoyed the program, as their faces were aglow. Parents showed their appreciation. In the morning, there were problems with the video projector and the microphone. Also as I was driving to the church on icy streets, my car slid into something and broke a light. In spite of it all, it was a very good service. One visitor was so impressed, she offered to help us in the future. Two new girls indicated they want to attend Sunday school.
WITNESSING – I met Svetlana at the railroad station. She was walking with her 18 year old daughter. We talked for 20 minutes about her problems. She has an alcoholic husband. I suggested to her that she might have a more serious problem – her husband recognizes that he is an alcoholic, but she is reluctant to acknowledge that she is a sinner and needs a Savior.
When I was getting my tires replaced on my car, waiting in line, I spoke to a young policeman about faith in God. He was amazed at the moral principles by which Christians live.
I saw a 60 year old woman carrying a very large bag, and I offered to help her. She had come from the village to sell her goods at the open air bazaar. On the way, I talked with her about faith in God. She was amazingly attentive. I suggested that the pastor in her area could come to visit her. She was happy to hear that. I have called that pastor, and he is more than happy to visit her as there are no believers in her village. Perhaps she will be the first.
On a three hour trip returning home by train, I had the opportunity to talk to two people. The first was a 50 year old woman from St. Petersburg. She is the assistant to the director of a funeral home. When I talked to her about the freedom that Christ gives, her face lit up. She had talked much about superstitions, but I kept talking about the living God. I gave her a disk when she left the train. The second traveler was a young educated man who lives in Vitebsk and works as an agent for a company that sells paint. He was drinking beer, and was argumentative at first. During that latter part of the trip, he started to listen and asked questions. I learned he lives in my own neighborhood, and when we got off the train, I planned to walk home. However, my travel companion insisted we take the bus and he would pay the fare. He suggested that he might come to our church, or that we might meet for fellowship. He said he is lonely.
Earlier I wrote to you about Oleg, an alcoholic, who was converted in our church. He no longer drinks. He became ill and was sent to another city for treatment. He writes letters and I rejoice to hear that he longs to be back at the church and that he wants to take Bible correspondence courses. May God continue to help him grow spiritually..
PRAYER REQUESTS - Pray for those to whom I have witnessed. Pray for a new class for hearing impaired.
Pray for the distribution of the disks we have prepared. Pray for individuals and families that attended Christmas programs that they would come and attend church services. Pray for our Easter evangelistic outreach.
Pray for repairs needed on my car.
With Christian love,
Victor Zaletilo