Tonya In The Snow: “She stood…unwavering…focused…with 18 year old strength and boldness …92 year old wisdom…she sang… peace filled the church like new fallen snow”

Artist: Patricia S. Arnold

In the small village of Kirov, just north of Bryansk, we had gone with a group of young people to investigate the possibility of starting a new church. We  joined  the local body of believers there meeting at a local “house of prayer” to ask  their blessing for our endeavor. In an old cottage type building, with a sign on the wall calling it a “house of prayer” were a dozen grandmothers, “babushka’s,” gathered for Sunday  worship. All had scarves on their heads, a Bible in their hand, and a hymnbook at their side, and they were glad to be gathered together for worship and encouragement just as they had every Sunday for nine decades. The oldest in the room was Tonya, in her nineties and frail physically. One of our group announced the reason that we were here today. The grandma’s response was amazing. One lady stated that for over sixty years they had prayed for a new church and a new movement to begin in their beloved little village. They personally were content to meet as a small group, but felt the great need to reach their city in a new way. We were overwhelmed with their faith and loyalty to the gospel. It was in this worship service, in response to our announcement, that Tonya stood up and sang a song of praise to God. No instruments, no song book, and out of her nine decades of  life’s experience and her personal walk of faith in Christ, she sang; and peace did fill the church.

Throughout Russia scattered in many villages and small towns are “houses of prayer” like this one in Kirov. As Christianity spread outside the Orthodox Church in the 18^th , 19^th, and 20^th centuries, believers began meeting together for worship and prayer. Most did not have any pastor leadership, and all had only the simplest of houses to gather. They may seem insignificant and even irrelevant to many in the modern world until you realize how these “houses of prayer” were a launching of much of the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ during long, dark and isolated days of world history. While the governments were making prohibitive laws, world wars were fought, and national ideologies were competing, these believers were faithful to pray, study God’s Word,  and worship Almighty God.

Art work and story telling by Patricia S. Arnold

Patricia.arnold59@comcast.net