CEE Story From The Mission Field
International World Changers in Ufa, Russia
January 16, 2006
World Changers change Russia in numerous meetings spanning several weeks, Ufa city administrators sat across their mahogany desks from the bespeckled IMB strategy coordinator, Chris Carr, and wondered if they had heard correctly. It wasn’t as if something was lost in translation; most of them knew English fairly well. But still, they could not quite believe what they were hearing. Was the curly headed Baptist suggesting that a group of Americans fly to the other side of the earth, on their own dime, and work on a physically demanding city project “besplatno (for free)?” “We are Christians,” Chris said, “and we believe that we should not only speak about our faith, but show our faith through action.” In time, the shock of the American’s proposal wore off and the administrators began to look for ways to make it happen.
The leaders settled upon a youth ecological project called “Beloved City.” The committee identified three overgrown areas where trash needed to be picked up and brush needed to be removed. The Americans would work beside teams of Russian youths. The details of the plan were simple enough, almost mundane. But as the time drew near, nothing, it seemed, could contain the curiosity, the excitement, indeed, the buzz over 21 Americans (11 of which were teenagers) coming to Ufa to do for free what Russians must be paid to do – pick up garbage. Almost predictably, on their very first day of work, the “Yanks” were met at their work sites by television cameras and newspaper journalists.
A very favorable article appeared in Bashkortostan’s Molodezhnaya Gazeta (Youth Newspaper) just three days later with the title “Brothers of Labor: Americans Help Improve the Capitol.” The article was filled with Russians quoted praising Americans and Americans quoted praising Ufa and Russian culture. “Good on the [part of the] Americans for coming,” a young Ufimets (citizen of Ufa) named Artur said. “They are good people.” We could not hope for a better write up. Still the press was conspicuous for what it did not say. Nowhere was there any mention that every one of the American visitors were Baptist followers of Jesus. Nowhere were they identified as Christians. Nowhere did it say why they were doing what they were doing. Bashkortostan is, after all, a Muslim Republic. And yet, despite these omissions, the historicity of the moment was not lost on us. A big picture accompanied the article depicting Greg Cope, an Associate Pastor in the States, shaking the hand of a Russian crew manager. The caption read “Historic handshake.” But what was more historic to us than a mere handshake was that foreigners in general and Americans in particular, had been portrayed in the Russian press in a positive light. No, they didn’t identify our guests as believers, but rest assured that our visitors’ teenage Russian crew mates asked the Americans several times why they were in Ufa – a question that the foreign Baptists were more than happy to answer!
For five days straight the Americans and Russians worked side by side from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., all the while sharing about their culture and lives. The World Changers were warned against overtly proselytizing. But, now and then, opportunities presented themselves and the World Changers (WC) group did not run away from them. The Holy Spirit always finds a way. A few of the American brigades even presented their crew managers and Russian co-workers with Bibles that were graciously received. Everyone on the WC team came away with a new appreciation for servant evangelism. And Ufa was forever changed.
If you or someone you know would like to know more about getting involved in Ufa, Russia, please write to hope4cee@pobox.com.