Trip: Zharma village, Marat, 18-Dec-2008

From: Iman Zholy Church (Marat)

Trip Purpose:
Encourage and train believers

How does this trip fit our vision and purpose:
Build relationships with believers in remote areas and encourage spiritual growth.

Situation:
Our brother Erlan lives in the village Zharma. He has a wife and two little daughters. His wife so far disbelieves in Jesus, but is very open to discussion. Erlan pastures horses.
The nearest church is 90 km from his village, in Georgievka, and Erlan desparately needs fellowship with other believers. When we arrived, we stopped at his home and had a wonderful time. We shared the word of God, and encouraged him. And honestly we got the greater encouragement from him.
In spite of the fact that in this village Erlan is the only one who confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior, he has given away spiritual literature to all habitants of his village. Now the children are beginning to come to him. They ask all kinds of different questions and request books.

Personal testimony or story:
One night Erlan dreamed a strange dream. Motor cycle horse thieves arrived and began to threaten him with a knife, saying that they will put him to death. In the dream he gave them a length of fabric and they left him.
He woke from fear. It was three o'clock in the morning, and a frightful snow-storm raged. In the morning ten horses were not in their stall, and in the snow were motorcycle tracks. With help from the Lord Erlan found the horses between two mountains, where they were hidden by the thieves. All the horses were accounted for and unharmed.
This story affirmed the faith of Erlan and also encouraged our team.

Prayer requests:
o Gratitude to Lord who does not abandon us and in all situations is with us
o Please pray for his family. Erlan does not want to pasture horses and even thinks to move closer to the district center, to the church.
o For that his wife, Tolkyn, will also find faith.