In the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey, people’s attitudes toward the Gospel have changed over the past decades. This became particularly noticeable after the civil wars in Syria and Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes, becoming refugees in other countries, without shelter or means of existence. In the civil war, many people saw the true face of radical Islam. Tired of war, terror, and death, people began to show interest in learning about Jesus Christ.
The Lord is opening doors for evangelism in these regions where the preaching of the Gospel has been closed for many centuries. In 2023, we organized children’s camps in Lebanon. Parents brought their children to daily activities and worship services. The camps were held across the country, starting from Tyre in the south and ending in Tripoli in the north. Over a thousand children heard the message of salvation. In Istanbul, on March 17, 2024, a Slavic church opened in the historic city.
Therefore, we plan to hold evangelistic services in Istanbul on May 12, 2024. We ask the “Lord of the harvest” to send laborers to the ripe fields. Tickets, accommodation, and meals will cost us $4000. We will be grateful for any assistance! Thank you!
In early May 2023, we started conducting children’s camps in the city of Tyre. Youth from the USA and Germany came to help. Brothers worked with the boys, and sisters worked with the girls. Every morning, they welcomed the arriving children who eagerly participated in all the activities. The daily service began with collective worship, followed by biblical lessons. The sessions ended with entertaining children’s programs.
The children embraced their caretakers with joy as a sign of gratitude. Many of them told us that they had never felt such warmth and love from their close ones and family members. Our goal was to show Christ’s love, sow the Word of God in the hearts of children and youth, and point the way to Christ. The camps were held with children in the south of Lebanon in the city of Tyre, in the central part of the Bekaa Valley, and in the north of Lebanon near the city of Tripoli. Vyacheslav Kirnev was responsible for administration and organizational matters, and with God’s help, he successfully fulfilled his responsibilities. The children received meals on time, and to the best of our ability, we created all the necessary conditions for these ministries. We sincerely believe that the sown Word of God in the hearts of these souls will bear good fruit in due time.
Dear brothers and sisters, thank you very much for your participation in this ministry. Thanks to your prayers, the Lord arranged, blessed, and protected us from any adversaries and enemies of the Gospel, and your donations made it possible to conduct these blessed services.
For over 10 years, we have been serving in the Middle East in Lebanon in the city of Tyre. At the moment, our eldest son Vyacheslav, his wife, and their three children have moved for long-term service in Tyre. The main goal of this ministry is the evangelization of the population with the subsequent opening of churches. In 2013, while serving with the local pastor Mohammed, we jointly decided to start a ministry among children and youth. To do this, children’s camps were organized in the city during summer. We gathered refugee children from Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon.
During this time, a young church was formed in the city. Many children who attended the camps came closer to God, and some were baptized. Last year, from May 8-13, we held evangelistic services with Pastor Mohammed among the local population. It was our last joint service here on earth – a week later, he was found dead in his car. At the moment, based at the church in Tyre, we continue to work among the children and youth of Lebanon. We sow the word of the Lord in the hearts of the younger generation, wishing to lead them to God. We teach biblical truths and also identify born-again souls to prepare them for ministry among their people.
Dear friends, I appeal to you with a request to become a part of and participate in this ministry. We need your prayers and help. We ask you to direct those who are willing to work in children’s camps in the city of Tyre. The opening and start of the season will be from May 15 to September 30, 2023. Thank you for your prayers and participation!
What can we do? There is a riot in Lebanon, and all services
are already planned. Local people are used to the unrest in the streets and are
calm about it. But we were worried, afraid to put our lives in danger, but it
was unacceptable for us to refuse to serve; the Lebanese would not understand
us. For them, the most important thing is to trust in God. Those who have
accepted the Lord understand that every believer is worthy of Christ if he is
ready to give his life for Him.
Relying on God and His mercy, we decided to go to Lebanon. At the airport, no one met us, and only by morning, it became clear that the greeters were blocked by the protesters. On the way to the place of worship, we had to bypass some streets because of the protesters. The services were held among Syrian and Iraqi refugees. More than 500,000 children live in Lebanon who are deprived of adequate nutrition and do not have access to education. Once, having gathered for prayer, I noticed that all the brothers had recently come to the Lord and that each was from a Middle Eastern country – Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan. And they all were united in their understanding of the Gospel, confessing Jesus despite the persecution and oppression from their fellow tribesmen.
After completing one of the services, Syrian women came up to us saying: “We are very glad that you have come to us.” The Lord has his own plans for these nations. We appeal to brothers and sisters with a request to pray for the awakening of the peoples of the East and also ask you to support our evangelistic projects and pray for our music group so that the Lord will continue to give boldness to carry out the ministry of preaching the Gospel.
The refugees from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon were looking forward to meeting with us. Hearing the melodious sounds of violins in an oriental flavor was a cherished dream of many kids, young people, and adults. Meetings were held in various audiences. Including schools, concert halls, garages equipped for prayer houses.
In the services, we felt and experienced the presence of the Spirit of God and saw the Lord doing his saving work in the hearts of wounded people. For the first time in many years of ministry, we saw the results of many sacrifices, labors, and prayers for Lebanon. After the call, many came out to pray. People cried and repented! Others asked for the Lord to give them the will to repent. In Tyre, we held a service in a general education institution. Teenagers and youth enthusiastically listened to our songs and testimonies. The administration invited us to visit them again, promising to gather a large audience of people.
Despite our exhaustion and physical limits, we held up to 6 services a day. The weather was cool and the overnight rooms were poorly heated. Part of our team, the violinists, became sick. Julia, due to her high fever, could not participate in some events.
During the services, people were open to accepting the word of God, asking for prayers about their needs and worries. Most of those present, at the services, are refugees from Syria and Iraq. Tired from the uncertainty of the war, people are drawn to God, opening their hearts to His love.
Speaking with a student at Beirut University, we heard a testimony of God’s mercy and love for these people: “I was a firm Islamist. I knew the Quran well. But through the supernatural intervention of God in my life, I became a Christian and accepted Jesus as my Lord. God changed my life.”
Dear brothers and sisters, continue to pray for the awakening and repentance of the peoples of the Middle East. For many centuries the light of the Gospel did not penetrate into these regions. And today we are witnesses of the grace and mercy of God to these nations. God opened the door to the Gospel for these people, and we must make every effort to use it for the glory of Christ and the salvation of these people.
Jesus said: “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, how they turned white and ripe for the harvest.” John 4:35. People are waiting for good news. Who will go? Who will preach? Who will the Lord send? How can they believe if no one tells them about Christ?
We believe that the Lord entrusted us with this ministry, and we ask us to pray for us. We will have to travel to Iraq, Turkey, and Syria – Damascus. We ask God for the courage to proclaim the Word without fear. Thank you for participating in our needs, for the funds that went towards the tickets. May the Lord richly reward you, because we are accomplishing this ministry together with you! God bless you.
