Of Difficulties, Russian “Peacekeepers,” and Orphans

Last night’s appointment was with a couple (perhaps in their 60’s) who have been Christians only a short time, though they had previous affiliation with a denominational group. We briefly discussed spiritual matters, but the discussion quickly turned to other things. They live in a flat that has a bathroom and one other room. A kitchen down the hall is shared by 6 such flats. She has her own health problems, but his are more urgent. Due to gangrene he lost his left leg from the knee down. Gangrene is in his right foot also now, and it appears he will lose that foot as well. Their pension is $70 per month. It should be more, but the state personnel who assigned them their status for help gave them class 2 instead of their deserved class 1, so that they would bribe him to put them in class 1. Such is the world where communism has had (and still has) its influence. Serghei has been given funds for such purposes, and supplements their income.

This morning it was off to the Transnistria region. The Dnister River flows parallel to the eastern border, leaving a narrow strip just several miles wide between it and the border (see Moldova map link below and right). The people there are oriented heavily toward Russia, and a brief civil war was fought in the 90’s for their independence (whereas the rest of Moldova leans away from Russia). Although Transnistria is not a distinct country, it is governed independently, and a border crossing must be passed to enter the region, complete with passport checking and Russian soldiers brought in “to keep the peace:” Peacekeepers. Serghei calls them “Transnistria keepers.”

Our purpose in going had to do with 2 churches in Transnistrian cities, Benderi and Tiraspol, churches founded by institutional brethren. An institutionally oriented preacher, American, owns their meeting place, and a new one is being built. He brings in large of sums of money from the US for helping the brethren there. Banquets are funded by American churches for these brethren, who live in a region that looks like the old Soviet Union. The new building is reportedly quite an extravagant structure. It’s heady stuff for them. Several of them have problems with the preacher supported by institutional brethren, but in a sense they are bought and paid for by all the money from America. We went today, with news that both the local preacher and the American preacher would be at the study that Serghei usually conducts with several of the Christian from those two churches. They were there, and we were able to compel the local institutional preacher to renounce some things that he has reportedly taught, things that appear to have been used (if used at all) to keep the brethren submissively under his control. Whether he actually taught these views we are uncertain (it may have been a misunderstanding), but if he did teach them, at least it will be very difficult for him to now re-introduce those ideas once he has now clearly renounced them.

Leaving the area, Brace wanted a picture of a certain castle, which, unfortunately for photographic purposes, is now part of a military base there. Pictures are “frowned upon.” Seghei said that if caught, arrests were not unlikely, and beatings would follow. ….so we had to take them discreetly. J Of course it was not until after we passed it, taking pictures from the car with cameras just above window level, that Serghei mentioned beatings. I had taken four as we passed, hoping one would be good. So with the news of beatings, Brace and I started erasing all but the best one, which could be quickly deleted if anyone started asking questions! Of course, we crossed the border without difficulty.

Coming back into town we stopped at an orphanage that Serghei and others have visited in times past. Brace in particular has visited there, and later sent them funds collected from individual Christians in America. As a result, their already scheduled “Teachers’ Day” activities were delayed until our arrival, so that they could include us. The kids performed for the teachers and us: readings, music, a skit, etc. I’ll write more about this later, but have no more time right now. I also wanted to write about the concentration camp survivor we met, but that will have to wait as well.

This evening we are invited to Serghei and Anna’s flat for a social gathering of the Christians here, and it’s time to go.