I greet you with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to tell you a little about my missionary service for Udegey ethnic group. It had been almost three years since I am involved in the project entitled “Far East 3×3.” This project had been arranged for translation of Bible stories in Udegey language by working together with the mission of “Wycliffe.” Approximately sometime in between March and April 2016 we have completed the translation of 25 Bible stories. Praise to God that the project came into a play! Our team consists of 5 persons, all of us are brothers. There are only 3 000 of Udegey as a nation remaining. We found a place where they all live compactly. This is in Khabarovsk region, the countryside called Gvasyugi. There are residing about 200 people. Right here, in this village, the Lord gave us 2 interpreters who know their native language pretty good. Also in the Primorye in Pozharsky district, at the village of Krasny Yar. There are living 600 Udegey people, and about 100 people live in Terneisky region of Primorsky area. We have been working in all of these three areas within this time.
I am very grateful to God for the mighty effectiveness of the Word of God in these remote places. It is very hard to get to all those three areas. This time we went there by 2 vehicles. We chose these months to stay because the insects are still in a dormant state, especially ticks. That’s why we decided to go while it’s cold season. We’ve rented a private house in the village Gvasyugi with some amenities outside but without bathing room. By the grace of God, our translators Valentina Tunsyanovna and Onesia Alexandrovna agreed to work together that made it easier for us to continue our work as well. Because earlier, in the last year, when we were engaged in the translation of the Old Testament stories, there was some sort of competition between them.
In Gvasyugi people are not so spoiled for civilization. There is an Internet only in one place – alongside the school. We had the chance of sending these stories for a revision in St. Petersburg early in the morning from 7.00 am to 8.00 am or after 8.00 p.m in the evening, two hours only. In addition, we had to alter the errors in some stories from the past year. It’s amazing how God works in people’s hearts. Brothers suggested to post a notice near the store, to invite people as much as possible to come to us to share the Gospel with them. I told brothers that at the beginning we need to pray about this. God is not slow to act immediately. From that day on, some people are started coming to see us. Some of them just to sit around and drink tea, but most of them were inebriated. During the time while we were there, we had about 20 adults and every day around 5-7 children coming to visit us. Brother Rodion Svetlichniy fromTolyatti (Russia), played with them mutual games. He is very sociable with children since his ministry in the church at Tolyatti – a Sunday school teacher. I was really surprised at the fact that in the evening he devoted all his time to these children. Gradually their games grew into something that he started giving them assignments from the New Testament. They were reading them and every day coming to tell us about what they’ve learned.
Once, three men came to us with a deep hangover and asked us for an alcohol. I said that they should not come to our house just to fix their hangover. But, if they want to talk to us and drink tea together, we are open for them. We have received an assignment from “Wycliffe” mission to make marks on how the translation of the history effects on the local population. When Onishia Alexandrovna has been translating the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15 and listening to that story the tears all of a sudden appeared on her eyes.
When she was translating the story of the suffering of Jesus Christ on the Cross and about His prayer for enemies, she actually became very confused, she started crying and said that she needed some time to cool off and pull herself together concerning her emotions. It was a sheer evidence for me of how the simple biblical story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ affects on the heart of people who are deeply immersed in the darkness of paganism. These translators said at the end of our stay there, that they would be happy to attend worship services, if any of us would have come to Gvasyugi and settled down there. At the end of all translations, we invited our translators and their relatives to mark this important event of the translation closing. We bought candies, sweets, and made tea. It was a feast both for them and for us. During our time together both of our translators asked me, and I decided to pen that down literally, “please tell us any sermon that you preach in the church.” I have done that gladly. I presented to them a short 10-minute sermon on “Who the Christ is for you?” There were five brothers and three listeners. They were thankful. The most vivid evidence for me was the words spoken by Onishia Alexandrovna, when we were leaving. She said: “From now on I will not turn anymore to the spirits of the river and hills. Now I know who the real God is! In Udegey language the word God – is Enduro-Boas, she added that since this time I’m going to pray to Him. The meaning of this word – the Most high God over all other gods. Jesus Christ is the way to this God.” When she said that, even I was cut to the heart, and tears welled up on my eyes.
Some Christians say that we all need some special techniques of how to get into foreign culture, so that people would listen to you at least. They say that it is necessary to be used a lot of new ways of reaching people by the Gospel. But as I can see in real practice, of how just the simple reading and hearing of the Word of God changes people. The only important thing is, to love them, give them attention, and just to be among them. It does work. By the example of Radion I have seen as the children left unattended by their parents, children that grow on their own, spending the whole day on the street, begin to listen to the Word of God and they get interested in it. These kids live in sheer pagan surroundings. Their parents and ancestors were engaged in shamanism and idolatry all of their life, they worshipped to various spirits of nature.
In September – October 2016 we will have a final trip to St. Petersburg, and we will take with us in audio format version the translated Bible stories for Udegey ethnic group. We plan to distribute these biblical stories in the three areas where we were before. We also found out that there is Arsenevo village in the Khabarovsk region on the Anuy river. We are planning to get there for the spreading of Bible stories. Likewise, we have agreed with the director of public club in the village Gvasyugi to conduct Bible festival in late September. I pray that the Lord would give us the opportunity to hold this holiday with the participation of some musical band. I spoke with the brothers from our church which can play the guitar and sing Christian hymns. But two of them won’t be able to do that because one is getting drafted into the army, and the other is working at that time. Please pray that God will give us the opportunity during the summer time to find people who are able to sing Christian songs.
God has shown me one more of His wonderful works that He continues to work in the hearts of believers. There is one of the brothers from our team Sergey Piskalov, who is willing to move to the village of Gvasyuki, to spread the Gospel. I offered him to pray about it first. I’m being actually held back by the fact that he is not married yet, and I already had the experience of sending unmarried men, who eventually ran away. All of them have mentioned the reason – loneliness. I pray that God would grant to Sergey a wife soon who will not be afraid of tough conditions in Taiga as well as quite ordinary rural life style.
Our prayer requests:
• To prepare in audio format version of biblical stories for distribution to audio players, and audio CDs.
• That the Lord has given us all a good health as well as the means to travel in September –October to Udegey’s settlements.
• There is a need for music ministers to participate in the celebration of the Bible in the village Gvasyugi, please pray with us for that too.
• Please pray for an opportunity to spread Bible stories in the village Arsenevo Khabarovsk territory.
Except of this letter I’m sending you some photos taken during our last trip.
May God bless you!
Respectfully,
Yuri Morokhovets
