16.02.2003                                                                  

Dear Friend,

Warm greetings from Moscow!

Several years ago we received a clear message from the Lord that we have to reach our people through ministering to their practical needs. We have been ministering to the drug-addicts, people in the local hospital, unborn babies and their mothers. Recently we started to participate in the feeding of the homeless.

After the fall of the communism in Russia the army of the homeless increased tremendously, mostly because the government ceased to deal with those people, plus the economy  collapsed in many regions of Russia.

When we started to invite the homeless to the spot where we decided to feed them once a week, the first question was: “Are you going to beat us up?” Afterwards we realized why they asked. Those people do not have any civil rights. There are young Russian fascists who chase them in order to insult, beat up and even kill them. They are freely practicing their cruelty knowing that nobody will repay them. The police that is officially called to protect everybody is so corrupted that it beats the homeless, takes away their documents (if they still have them) and does nothing to protect them. Many of the homeless sleep in the entrances of the high-rise apartment buildings. Some of the people who live there call for police or set dogs on them…

Well, some people say, those homeless people should blame themselves for staying on the street. But how does God, who created every human being in His image, see that?   In the Old Testament, the most condemned sins of God’s people could be divided into four categories: 1. False religion where worship of the Lord was mixed with the idolatry. 2. Mistreating the poor.  3. Sexual sins. 4. Greed and covetousness.

The Lord has not changed. He punished His people for those sins in the days of old. Now when I see how people are dealing with the poorest and deprived, I can sense how God’s righteous judgment is burning. Someone said that if God won’t punish our sinners today He will have to apologize before Sodom and Gomorrah…

God, have mercy... We ask the Lord for the spirit of repentance to come to our land. May the revival come and pass ahead of God’s judgment. May the mercy glories against judgment once again...

Recently we celebrated the third anniversary of the Rehab Center. It was great to praise God together with many former drug-addicts and alcoholics who are now set on fire by the love to Jesus! Our Lord is truly Risen and Alive today. He has all the power for those who put their trust on Him.

Brother Igor continues his difficult ministry in the Muslim nation of Uzbekistan. Among other things Igor is ministering to disabled people. One of them is sister Olga Bader who has cerebral palsy. Life of those people in the poverty-stricken Uzbekistan is tough. Praise God for Igor's love and dedication!

If you feel that God encourages you, you can make offerings through

Evangel Worship Center

357 Broad Street, Menasha WI 54952

All contributions of course are fully tax-deductible. Checks should be made with a note: for the Russian church ministry (or for Igor's ministry in Uzbekistan).

Thank you for joining us in prayers.

In His love,

Andrei Blinkov