It took three flights and a lot of hours for us to arrive in the dingy brown Moscow airport. After
we got through customs we went to the hotel. The joke was it was run by the mob and not
to say too much because all the rooms were bugged. (I decided not to test this one.) We
had a lot of goals on our trip: to not get lost on the subway, to do some sight-seeing, and
to spread the truth to those we encountered. It was a strange feeling to begin Vacation
Bible School by answering the question, “What is the Bible?” I had never encountered
anyone who honestly did not know what the Bible was.
So, we started at the beginning, a very good place to start. We told them what the Bible was and
who God was and all sorts of things they had never heard before.
And they were eager to learn. They soaked it all in.
All week we told them about God and Jesus: through stories, crafts, games, music, speaking,
food, fun, and love.
When we arrived one of our guides, Uncle Leo, told us that Russians are a very analytical
people. Something has to make sense in their heads before they could accept it. They do
not follow their emotions, as many Americans do. He told us that fewer than 1% of the
Russian population were believers, and we would be lucky if we saw one person come to
Christ through our efforts.
Well, luck doesn’t begin to describe it: there were 30 students who came and made decisions for
Christ at the end of the week. He made sense to them and they accepted Him. But the trip
would have been successful had no one accepted Christ because seeds were planted.
And that’s exactly what happens when we seek to spread the truth to those around us.
I left Russia with some of the best memories of my life. I grew closer to my friends and to God
through serving.
Which is exactly what we are called to do.
This last term I have been taking a class about Russia, about its history and its people. And many of
those memories have come back. And I think about those students who did not know
what the Bible is, and when they found out, they embraced it.
How often that we know what the Bible is, and maybe even read it everyday, yet fail to embrace
it?
We fail to tell others about God and Jesus: through stories, crafts, games, music, speaking, food,
fun, and love. We fail to serve. We fail to plant seeds.
The good thing?
One does not need to go to Russia to tell, serve, and plant.
You can do it exactly where you are: in your home, at your school, at your church.
You have the power to tell those around you about something that will change their lives.
So, go:
tell,
serve,
plant.
Go
Tell
Plant
Serve
by E.A. Cox
E.A. Cox is a a graduate of Furman University and is currently working on her Master’s at Converse College after which she is planning to teach high school social studies. She currently serving her third summer on Seesalt program staff and is serving as our S.A.M. Missions Project Coordinator. E.A. enjoys spending time with her husband Chris, doing puzzles on the internet, and taking pictures.
