Finding the person of peace among the Shor

The road into the Shor village of Chulesh

We drove on down the road a ways, stopping to take some photos of the impressive scenery on the way. I decided to modify the experiment the second time around, whenwe reached the village of Chulesh. Following "Jesus and the genius model" I decided that it would be a good idea to be in need. We would ask the next people we met if they knew anywhere we could get something to eat.

The first people we met were an old couple. They were both drunk and so asked us if we had any cigrarettes, beer or 20 rubles.  It was easier to give them 20 rubles, so they would let us go. But they did tell us how to find the shop. 

When we arrived at the shop I walked in and spoke with the shopkeeper. I again said to her what a beautiful day our God had created. There was a young woman buying a birthday present. I asked her whose birthday it was. It was her sister's. I passed on my congratulations, to which the shopkeeper suggested the young woman invite Nathan and me.

Nathan had said that he wanted to receive an invitation. A person of peace would certainly give an invitation. I had been speaking about the things of God, so there was an awareness of spirituality.

We spent five hours at the home of Zhenya and Olya. There were some funny moments- they wanted to light a fire to cook shashlik, and we're having no success until Nathan and I took over. Zhenya putted along and the meat appeared on the table four hours later. While it tasted good, it was very tough. She apologised for the "женский шашлик" or women's barbecue, which I thought was very humorous.

Zhenya and Olya were naturally very curious about where we came from, and Nathan had a number of questions to ask about the Shor. But we were also able to talk about spiritual things. Zhenya and Olya both have a husband and a young son each. In fact they married a set of twins. Their husbands were away working in the gold mine for a week. Zhenya told me that she had doubts about God, due to all she had been taught in school, but that every night she prayed for husband as she feared for his safety in his job. I was able to share a word from God for her, that he not only listens to her prayers but is answering them, and that he desires to relate to her more closely. Zhenya received this very openly, and as I prayed for her she had tears in her eyes. Yes, Jesus had visited this person of peace.

Melody asked me how the experiment would have gone if the husbands were around and we had needed a place to sleep for the night. Would we have been taken in? I honestly believe we would have. What would have happened if we stayed a few days and offered to pray for the sick in the village? Well, this is the next part of the experiment that we will have to be brave enough to try.

Jesus' model for ministry undoubtedly works. But it is so different from the methods we know that we are often not brave enough to step out in faith and actually try it.

Zhenya with Nathan.

Zhenya, myself and Olya.