"God Stories"


November 2012 - Persona Non Grata

 

     The following God Stories from ACCTS' Eastern Europe Coordinator illustrate how God continues his works serve Him in faithful obedience, despite the wiles of Satan.

 

     1. In 1999, the Director of the Russian Military Christian Fellowship (RMCU) visited the Pentagon, and saw our camouflage bibles. Upon return to Russia, he developed a camouflage Bible that contained not only had the Old and New Testaments, but also the history of Christianity in Russia, questions and answers about Christianity, a glossary of terms, and the path to salvation. Over the next few years, more than 25,000 copies were printed and distributed, with ACCTS playing a significant role in funding their printing. Upon hearing about the popularity of the camouflage bible, the Russian Orthodox Church suddenly expanded its military department staff from three to several hundred, and began closing down the RMCU, culminating in the ACCTS Eastern Europe Coordinator being declared "persona non grata" in Russia. Although the work of the RMCU continues at a significantly reduced level because of this persecution, the ACCTS coordinator continues to encourage them through periodic telephone calls and face-to-face meetings in a third country, and God continues to use ACCTS to achieve his purposes.

 

      2. In 2001, ACCTS Staff members in San Antonio hosted a senior Christian officer from Moldova who was attending a language course. The officer later traveled to Denver, where he was hosted by another ACCTS staff member. After his return to Moldova, this military Christians leader was appointed Minister of Defense (MOD). Although he couldn't remain directly involved with the Moldovan Military Christian Fellowship because of his senior position in a predominantly Orthodox country, he did appoint two Orthodox priests to work with an evangelical military Christian tasked to develop a multi-confessional chaplaincy in 2007. To assist in this initiative, ACCTS invited him to the US and arranged meetings with the Army Chief of Chaplains at the Pentagon and the Army Chaplain School at Ft. Jackson. Back home, he soon put together a viable chaplaincy model that was approved by the MOD for a one-year trial period, and soon may become permanent. In 2010, the accts staff member who had hosted the MOD in Denver met with him in Moldova to encourage and pray with him about the multi-confessional chaplaincy initiative. God's timing is not always our timing, but He builds His Kingdom as we obediently serve Him.

 

    During his visit to the states, the Moldovan working on the chaplaincy issue discovered camouflage bibles, and determined to print camouflage New Testaments in the Romanian language for Moldovan troops. It took three years to obtain permission from the Director of the Moldovan Bible Society, but ACCTS was eventually able to arrange meetings for him with the Director, and organize funding for 10,000 copies, including a red letter edition. These Bibles have since been distributed to uniformed security personnel across Moldova, and they are currently seeking God's direction for a third printing.

 

      3. In 2000 , we met Julian, a Ukrainian Catholic seminarian. He is now an ordained priest at a church in East-Central Ukraine, with additional responsibility for military chaplaincy in the Central Region. Recently, Father Julian visited the US to study multi-confessional military chaplaincy models. ACCTS staff in the national capitol region organized meetings for him with the Senior Chaplain at the Naval Academy and clergy in the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Affairs in Washington, DC.  Once again, God used ACCTS ministries to help prepare Father Julian to present new concepts for multi-confessional chaplaincy to his church leadership.

Prayers for November

                                    www.accts.org 

 

- Lord of All,  thank you for the manifold ways you encourage your servants, and empower them to bring the Gospel message to military forces around the world.

- Heavenly Father, we pray for courageous believers living under the constant threat of persecution by their governments.  Protect and guide them as they live out their faith, and raise up others to support and encourage them

- Blessed Savior, we thank you for allowing us to live in a nation which allows us freedom to worship and serve you.  Embolden and empower us to be a source of encouragement to those less fortunate.

Join Our Mailing List                                                                                 Visit Our Prayer Archive