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We are a team of people trying to reach people in Ufa and Bashkortostan in Russia. It is no small task and we want your support!
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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Moments of Realization


Being an American in Ufa, you finally realize you will (almost) always be a “foreigner.”  The two amazing things I realized as a foreigner in Ufa were first how different everything is and second how much it is the same. For one, the difference in cultures makes you to see what is actually from the LORD and what we simply made up. I realized that my idea of what is salvation was rather culturally conditioned. For example, telling a family member back home how one young lady became a believer, I was asked, “so who did she pray with?” 

“She didn’t” was my answer, without much hesitation. But it made me think. Why is praying with someone part of the plan of salvation? To be sure, repenting of sin is necessary, but… many believers come to repentance in their heart without the flagship sinner’s prayer, said kneeling with someone who explained the gospel. Salvation comes by believing, and manifests itself in one’s confession and one’s good works. That can look a lot different than we think. Being in an Orthodox Christian country accentuates this. One very fervent believer in a local church was raised orthodox (like most Russians), started coming to the protestant church two years ago, and has been growing closer to GOD and getting involved with ministries for these two years. When did she believe? Who knows. Does it matter? She believes now.  By the way, the Orthodox church places more emphasis on the process of salvation and the protestant church more on the moment of salvation. But both are clearly Biblical.

My whole time in Russia was filled with moments of realization like this. Once while attending a house church that meets in the evening on Sundays, I paused in worship at the realization that I was the only one there raised in the (protestant) church. Everyone else was a convert, including the leader. By the way, if I recall, fewer than 1% of the population are protestant believers.

We believers in Ufa repeat to each other that the culture here makes sharing the gospel difficult, and that if you preach to strangers, almost no one will listen. Surprisingly after my stay, I feel that’s even more true than I did before. Things simply don’t work like that here. This is not a hard fast rule, but generally people are hostile to things unfamiliar--so it takes them a long time to trust the messenger and then they might listen to the message.

But the beauty of beauties comes not in seeing the differences between the cultures, but in seeing what is the same. In the midst of everything, the Christians in Ufa are passionate about people believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Praying together with Russian believers, one can sense the unity in focus that the HOLY SPIRIT, common to all believers, is bringing. Many of the songs that the Russian believers sing are simply translations of songs I have long known, and even the others carry the same heart of worship in their words. There is fervor among the believers for the gospel to spread wildly in the city.  Perhaps the most precious thing I come from Ufa with is the experience of such unity for the gospel, sometimes with someone whom I just met but who shares the same HOLY SPIRIT with me. As someone said, there is “one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

To GOD be the glory.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Lessons Learned and Hope For The Future


I want to begin by expressing how thankful I am to Chris, his wife and family, the members of his team in Ufa, and all of the people I met along the way for making this trip so incredible and teaching me such invaluable lessons during my time there.  God has taught me so much in such a very short time, and I am so grateful for all the opportunities to teach and to learn that I was given while in Ufa.
Perhaps one of the biggest (and hardest) lessons I learned in Ufa was that my story is meant to be shared.  While at the House of Prayer Baptist Church, I felt an overwhelming need to share my two-year struggle with cutting as part of my testimony presentation.  I have only shared this with very few people in the past, let alone an entire congregation.  As soon as Chris let us know that we would be sharing our testimony, I instantly understood that this part of my story was intended for someone in that audience.  Afterward, I got to talk to a girl who was very touched by my story and said it was really encouraging for her as she was going through some similar things.  I knew that I had told that story for her.  That experience has encouraged me to share my story more, because there are girls who desperately need to know that it only gets better.  I hope to begin a project at OBU to provide help and support for girls who have struggled and are struggling with depression and self-injury. 


I also learned a lot about friendship in Ufa.  Chris was explaining to a group of college students one day that his friendships in America are many but shallow, and his friendships in Ufa are few, but very deep.  My friends in Ufa taught me some very valuable lessons and really got me thinking about what friendships can and should be like.  I felt an almost instant connection with many of the people I met there, and I knew that even though we weren’t saving souls left and right, we were preparing them through our influence.  Many of the students were obviously very curious and open to new possibilities, and I hope that our conversations with them sparked even more interest within them.
Again, I am so grateful for my time in Ufa and all of the wonderful people I was able to meet while I was there.  I am so excited about the possibility of returning to Ufa and cannot wait to hear more about how God continues to work through the people there.

Thanks again,
Rachel Raney
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A Seventh Time to Serve in Ufa


June 7, 2011

It was an incredible privilege to return to Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia for the seventh time and to serve with Chris Carr, his team, and our Russian brothers and sisters in Christ. I have served on short-term trips in the former Soviet Union since 1995. I am grateful to say that because of God’s grace and mercy this most recent trip was as meaningful as my first trip and equally successful.

Thanks to the ongoing work God is doing through Chris and his team, I found that we were able to engage in meaningful ministry the entire time were in Ufa. Through a partnership with our dear friend, Pastor Zhenya, the Pastor of Grace Church, and Pastor Leonid, Pastor of House of Prayer Church, we were privileged to share God’s word with their congregations. These dear pastors and their people always graciously receive us and listen intently as a translator relays the message in their heart language.


We also enjoyed wonderful opportunities to minister to believers and pre-Christians alike during a picnic. The picturesque location and the perfect weather conditions provided an ideal environment for fun and fellowship.

Even though we played a simple game of baseball with a whiffle ball and bat, God used the time to reveal Himself and speak to many people. I spoke with two older men who were watching nearby. Soon one of our Russian friends joined in and engaged them in a long conversation about Christ.

When I had explained the basic rules of the game with those from Grace Church and their friends, I shared the difference a personal relationship with Christ continues to make in my life. Both church members and friends listened intently.

After a game that included close plays, lots of laughs, and good-natured kidding between teams we stopped to relax and eat. As everyone finished their lunch someone called my name. I turned to see that my friend, David Scurry, a retired school principal who attends our church in America, had brought a group of Russian young men over to meet me. I was delighted yet surprised. You see, David knows not a word of Russian, yet through his friendly, outgoing nature God used him.

These young men gathered around and God took over. As though it was scripted, I could sense the Spirit guiding me as I shared with them. After introducing myself, I asked each one who they were, where they were from and what they were doing or planned to do when they finished school. All were college students who were planning further education, work and one was entering the army in a few days.

After they all shared their plans to work, to marry, to own a home, to have children, to retire I asked, “then what?” To which they responded with puzzled looks, “We die.” At that point, I asked again, “Then what?”

This opened the door for a personal sharing of the Gospel with them. I was able to introduce them to Zhenya, Chris, and other friends. The young man going into the army asked me to pray for him. Each one personally thanked me for talking with them and I realized that God had truly touched their hearts.

That evening when I spoke at The House of Prayer I was overjoyed to see a couple of these young men attended. Later, I was delighted to see that another had sent a “friend request” to me via Facebook. His message reads in part:

Mark, thank you very much, you are so open and kind person, I can see God in your eyes. Frankly speaking, 2 months ago I didn't believe God. A lot of people in Russia don't believe, as an engineer, I also didn't believed, but now I'm sure about God, I know he exist and cares about us, I can feel that.
Thank you for your encouragement. I feel that God really want me to believe, because I meet more and more good people, his followers, by looking at them, I understand how our Father loves them and I also want this love. I want to be happy and do the right things in my life and I know that without God it is impossible.
Also He did several miracles for me, I would like to ask you: please Mark, pray for my health and for my future family and wife. I always ask God about that. If you want, I would like to pray for you also. Thank you Mark, hope to meet you again in the future.

The incredible joy of sharing with sincere seekers and growing believers is one of the reasons I am grateful to serve in Russia. By His grace, I hope to be able to continue to have this privilege for many years to come.


By His Grace,

Mark Bordeaux, Lead Pastor
Life Worth Living Ministries – Westside Baptist Church
Sumter, SC USA