God's Presence in Pain

“On the one hand, we rejoice over people who decide for Jesus during our evangelistic outreaches. On the other hand, we recently had to bury a 15-year-old boy who died of a drug overdose.” This is how Pastor Alexander, leader of the church in Beryosovka, describes the reality of his ministry.

Unfortunately, such tragic moments are not uncommon. What do you say to parents and relatives in such a situation? How can you mourn and at the same time proclaim the gospel with joy? Our partner lives in this tension. And he endures it. Because he sees that hope can grow out of pain. After another funeral, a woman approached our team. She was deeply moved by the pastor's dignified words and was also moved by the hope that resonated through them.

Another example is a man well known in the city who was once considered “unfit.” But when Christians treated him with love, something happened inside him. Today, he is part of the staff of the young church.