CEE Story From The Mission Field
Day of prayer opens door for prayer among the Udmurt people of Russia
May 29, 2007
Mark Gilbert and Zach Gallimore, missionaries to Russia, traveled to Udmurtia over the weekend to meet and worship with Udmurt believers. This past Sunday held special significance as it was the Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization among Southern Baptists, with the Udmurt people as the focus.
Mark and Zach worshipped in Udmurtia’s largest Baptist church, found in Izhevsk. There they prayed in concert with Americans in the other hemisphere for open hearts and open doors among the Udmurt people.
“There was a feeling of camaraderie in the church,” Mark said. “They are grateful and glad that the American churches are praying and are hopeful in the days ahead that they will see fruit.”
After church, Mark and Zach visited in the home of a local pig farmer and shared the Gospel with him. This pig farmer represents thousands of men and women in Udmurtia who do not know Jesus and live in a world of poverty and hopelessness without Christ. They are bound to their traditional gods and pay homage to deities of the earth and sky. The stronghold Satan has on them is powerful; they continue to need intercession by believers worldwide.
The day of prayer and fasting was not the end of God’s movement among the Udmurt, but the beginning. Now Southern Baptists know about this people group and can continue lifting it to the Father until God pours out His Spirit on these people.
A primary way to join believers in prayer for the Udmurt is to host a Final Hope Event, a special gathering of people who want to increase the effectiveness of their prayers while experiencing a bit of the Udmurt world. Sitting at small wooden tables covered in woven, colored cloths and eating Udmurt foods from wooden bowls, participants may get a feel for the simplicity of the Udmurt lifestyle. On each table symbolic items representing Udmurt gods can help participants direct their prayers toward specific false hopes that keep these people from knowing Christ. Special guided prayer and a time of commitment can encourage a continued involvement with reaching the Udmurt with the Gospel.
To find out more about hosting a Final Hope Event, go to hope4udmurt.org. Here you can find a complete step-by-step guide that includes authentic Russian recipes and commitment sheets.
One can also download the Seven Days of Prayer for the People of the Woods guide and the Udmurt monthly prayer guide. These resources enable churches, groups and individuals to effectively intercede for the Udmurt people in weeks and months to come.
While in Udmurtia, Mark and Zach also participated in a pastors’ conference where they gathered with pastors who had held nightly prayer vigils the preceding week. At the conference the pastors voiced specific prayer items and prayed in unison for the salvation of their people.
“Ministry efforts are taking place,” Mark said. ‘The local believers are active and trying to reach people.”
Please join these believers in their prayers and prayerfully seek involvement in reaching the Udmurt for Christ.