Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

r the revival fires to break out but it remained abovd all a grass-roots phenomenon) In many areas evangelists or other ministers never appeared until years later, One story from the village of Waldheim in Western Siberia is typical: A young man had spent the winter working in Vorkuta on the Arctic Circle in order to collect the extra salary paid for working under severe cli- matic conditions. In Vorkuta he encountered believers who had just experienced a dramatic awakening. The young man heard the preaching and was converted. Before returning to his home in the spring, he managed to obtain a Bible. Although no announcement was made on the day he returned to the village of Waldheim, that evening curious neighbors gathered in his home until all three rooms were packed to overflowing. Young Jacob rose to his feet, opened his Bible, and laboriously read a few verses. Closing the book, he managed another two or three halting sentences that scarcely hinted at a sermon. Then, his thoughts exhausted, he suddenly fell to his knees and uttered a simple but staggering prayer: “Lord, I pray to you that each person gathered here will be converted tonight. Amen.” , In the silence that followed, a woman from the adjoining room pushed her way through to young Jacob and asked him tearfully, “Help me to . pray.” Without further ado, he dropped onto his knees again and she began calling out to God to be merciful to her, a terrible sinner. Within a few seconds all in the house were on their knees and screaming to God for mercy. Jacob found himself calming the people and telling them that God could hear them without their screams, Jacob’s prayer was answered literally. In fact, herdsmen in the pasture heard the shouting, came to see, and stayed to experience their personal conversion. Others ran home to awaken relatives with the words, “Come quickly, the entire village is getting converted tonight.” Elsewhere, the awakening followed the journey of some courageous 58 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II evangelist. Few of these heroic people are known by name. To guard against betrayal to the authorities, the visitor simply introduced himself as Brother Alexei, preached his sermon, baptized the COOvErts, and was al- ready underway to an unknown destination before the authorities had suffi- cient information to get on his trail. Some of these traveling evangelists were persons who had been converted only a few weeks or months earlier. Filled with the joy of their new experience, they used their weekends and other free time to preach in nearby villages. In many areas the newly converted met regularly for services but had to wait years till a visiting or- dained minister could conduct baptism and communion, Communion and baptism were seen as important, but a primary concern was to tell people that there is a gracious God, Someone who forgives their sins, Someone wh