“God wants me to give you a word—just one word,” a woman told recent Charis graduate Denise Mize. “Maybe you know what it means,” she continued. “The word is Russia.”
“Throughout my first year at Charis Bible College, I had a strong desire to go to Russia on my second-year missions trip,” Denise said. “So, when the time came to submit our choices, I wrote Russia right at the top. [While] waiting to hear, I never really doubted that it would be Russia, and it was! Knowing God gave me a word through a woman I had never met gave me peace and joy. I knew He had a purpose for me in Russia.”
Like a blanket of snow that freezes all living things in its tracks, religion has been covering Russia, crippling God’s children who so desperately desire the love of their Father. This is where Charis sent a team of second-year students, who took with them the light and warmth of their heavenly Father.
After the students arrived, they were divided into teams and sent out for two days to minister to one family, being reminded that deep relationships take time. When Denise and her teammate Shalom entered the home of Masha, a dear Christian woman who lived in a small village outside Izhevsk, Denise instantly felt a special connection to her. “I just couldn’t love on this woman enough,” she recalled. “I soon felt that two days just wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to leave. My love for Masha was greater than any inconvenience.
“When we first arrived and realized the bathroom was a crude, wooden outhouse in the frozen backyard, I quoted Philippians 4:13 and promised the Lord and myself [that] I would not complain. Now I think, Outhouse? No big deal! If given the opportunity to go be with Masha again, I would jump at the chance—and I would bring some of those disposable toilet seat covers!”
Not only did Masha receive the healing she needed, but Denise noticed that Masha was also receiving the Father’s love through them. Denise insisted that their translator, Sergey, read Proverbs 31 to her.
“As he read the verses describing the skills [the virtuous woman had] of preparing food and sewing for her household, he pointed to the food on the table and lifted up her crocheted rugs [that] we had been admiring,” Denise said. “After he finished the reading, he translated my words: ‘Masha, you are a Proverbs 31 woman. You show the love of God to others in so many ways.’ I will never forget her smile. Masha and I both cried when we said goodbye. I think about Masha and pray for her every day.”
As a supporter of Andrew Wommack Ministries and Charis Bible College, you are a part of bringing life and healing not only to the nations, but also to the students who visit them. Recent Charis graduate William Bellamy, injured in a snowboarding accident just before his trip to Russia, asked for prayer for his shoulders while he was there—and something quite unexpected came his way.
“As the people began to pray for me, I received total healing in both shoulders instantly,” recalled William. “While they were praying, one woman put her hand on my lower back directly where I had major pain from an injury I received during the Iraq War. The area began to get warm, and instantly the pain was gone.”
We may never know the full effects of what happened in the frozen tundra of Russia this side of eternity. However, we do know that this is just the beginning, as more and more students are realizing who they are—and Whose they are—and are going out to proclaim it to the world.
Click here to find out how you can help support missions trips like this through AWMA!
