Pastor Sergei in Belarus

. . . the kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4)

Olga and her children in church

Over the last three months, my wife Nadezhda and I got to know three more needy families in our region, and we began to provide them with food aid. This has led to friendly relationships, and now we meet regularly and have the opportunity to share about the Lord.

If you remember Olga from one of our previous reports, she and her children have begun to attend church regularly. Now I am happy to share a joyful piece of news. Olga got saved and reconciled with the Lord in Sunday worship on April 8! Our hearts rejoice when new believers are born into Christ’s Kingdom! In tears, Olga asked the Lord to forgive all her sins. She asked for God’s mercy for her and her home. I knelt down with her and thanked the Lord for granting His mercy to Olga and her family!

I’d like to tell you the unusual story of how we got to know Valentina and her family. One day she came to our worship service. The congregation is small so we immediately spot new people. She stayed for the entire worship service and listened closely to the messages preached. It was obvious that she was burdened with something. Afterward, Valentina approached me with tears in her eyes. I asked her if something had happened, and she responded that she needed my help. She wept even harder and said, “My daughter is dying. She is only three weeks old. She is in ICU and the doctors report that she is getting worse. She has blood contamination and pneumonia along with heart problems. I asked her again how I could help, and she asked if I would go to the hospital and pray for her baby named Dominika. I asked Valentina if she believed God was able to heal her baby, and she responded firmly, “Yes, I do!” I called our church members who had not left yet and we had prayer for Dominika’s good health. We also made plans to visit the ICU and pray for Dominika there.

At the appointed time, I came to the hospital to pray for the newborn girl. Valentina and her husband arrived and went inside to talk to the doctors so that they would let us in for prayer. But when she came out, she looked really surprised and happy. She announced that Dominika had gotten better and was transferred to a regular unit! I lifted up my eyes and thanked the Lord for His grace to Dominika and for hearing our prayer.

We went over to the children’s unit and they allowed me to come into a special meeting room in order to pray over Dominika. The baby was weak and had a feeding tube. I opened my Bible and we read several passages of the Bible. Then I laid hands on Dominika and prayed over her asking for her healing. Then I left them with their baby. After a week Valentina called me. She was happy to report that Dominica’s lungs were clear, her heart was okay and her blood tests were good! This is the way we got to know Valentina and her family, consisting of her husband and three other children. A week later, Valentina called me to say that they are out of the hospital. My wife and I have visited them since that time. We help them with food and continue to share Christ in friendly conversations. Please pray for their salvation in God’s timing.

These are the kinds of things we are able to do in our region due to your prayers and faithful support. Thank you very much for not leaving us and helping us to minister in our country. May the Lord bless you spiritually and financially and meet all your needs.