By Benjamin Bach
A loser as a role model
Three years ago, the church was given the opportunity to organize summer camps (partly due to support from DE), where Misha became responsible for the sports activities. However, it turned out that Misha had gifts and abilities that made him a youth leader. The young people flock to him 24 hours a day, where he helps with everything from pastoral care to conflict resolution. His cell phone is always open. The youth know from experience that here is an adult who is real; his words and teaching match his way of living and the way he treats them. They can see that he is not doing it for his own benefit, but for them, each and every one!
Street boys gain self-esteem
In three years, the youth work under Misha's leadership has grown from nothing to around 25-30 young people who meet several times a week for Bible and English lessons and activities such as sports and drama. Drama is a great success. When a tough street kid learns that he can actually play the lead role in a dramatization of Moses' life, the boy grows two inches in both self-esteem and self-respect. In May alone, four boys from a street gang came to faith in Misha's youth group.
Successful engineer evangelizes among the marginalized
Vadim (name anonymized) is also in his 30s, he is a successful engineer and newly married with a baby and modern apartment. Alongside his career job, he both preaches and teaches in his church. In a country where the 37-hour work week doesn't exist, for many years he has visited small churches in the countryside almost every weekend to teach and encourage. But for the past season, he has devoted his Saturdays to a ministry in a psychiatric hospital. There are around 900 inmates, including young people, women and men. They are not always there because of psychiatric disorders, they may just as well have been admitted because their family or others have made sure they are hidden away. This may be because it gives the family a larger inheritance, prevents a family member from marrying someone who could violate the family's honor or similar. The psychiatric hospital consists mainly of leaky, dilapidated buildings and the food means that deaths due to malnutrition are not an unknown phenomenon.
Fearlessness is blessed
Vadim goes to the psychiatric hospital every Saturday with a team of helpers and food in the form of healthy bread, fruit and maybe some sweets (Danish European Mission pays for 2 real meals for Easter and Christmas). While the food is being distributed, Vadim tells them the gospel, quickly and simply. There is only a short amount of time available when you have to reach 900 in dining rooms with about 40 in each in about 6 hours. It is not uncommon for 5-10 people to receive Jesus as Savior on a Saturday. The fact that Vadim and his team have access to the hospital is a miracle in itself, because most often the management will not allow patients to have this kind of contact with the outside world. Even more unusual is the fact that Vadim's preaching of Christ during the visits has not yet had any serious consequences for him personally. He could have lost his job, housing or something similar.
The release - a testimony for all
In spring 2007, Baptist pastor Zaur Balayev from Aliabad in the Zaqatala region was imprisoned on false charges of beating some policemen. On these fabricated charges he was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Due to great efforts internally in Azerbaijan by lawyers and others, and not least appeal and prayer campaigns abroad (in Denmark e.g. by DE and Open Doors), he was released already in March 2008. This was a great testimony to the neighbors in Aliabad, for they knew that Zaur had not been released because he had paid bribes or pleaded guilty to the false charges, but because he has a great God. Many in the region perceive the authorities as the "mafia"; those who oppress anyone who does not have the same opinion as the authorities, or who will not pay bribes for everyday things like registering birth certificates or a business without paying protection money, etc.
Church resources are under pressure
In June this year, Pastor Zaur's neighboring pastor, Hamid Shabanov, was imprisoned - see article on page 10. This means that the leader of the Baptists in Azerbaijan, Ilya Zenchenko, who for the past year has made an inhuman effort for Pastor Zaur's release, is now responsible for another imprisoned pastor. This once again means huge expenses for lawyers, etc. while neither he nor the imprisoned priest have the opportunity to earn a living for their families. This is an insurmountable task for already very poor congregations.
Being light on the front line of a spiritual battle
The Church has come to the forefront of the spiritual battle in Azerbaijan. They are fighting with an open mind and Christ first. When I visited Pastor Zaur in prison in the spring of 2008, I struggled to find the right Bible words to bring him encouragement. But before I could say anything, he said: "We must be light!" This was said by an imprisoned, sick and physically exhausted Zaur - but his eyes shone as a testimony that yes, we are to be light and we can always rejoice in Christ. The same goes for Ilya Zenchenko. He has been preserved as a wise and righteous leader. His wishes for us in Denmark are not money, although it is very clear that he lacks money, but a wish that we will pray!
