On the 1st of May, God opened a door for Jesus Embassy to be a part of a Russian youth conference in the city of Smolensk. It was indeed a new and unforgettable experience as we were invited not only to participate but also to minister as well, in leading worship and sharing the word. It is simply amazing how, a trip to a city which before this was completely unknown can bring a change to the lives our members. The God we serve is indeed an awesome God.
A little history: Smolensk is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River. It is one of the oldest standing cities in Russia. To say the least, the 20 hour journey in a van was anything but comfortable. However the fun and laughter we had, quickly made us forget about how cramped the van actually was.
The conference themed “hearts ablaze “kicked of with our host, Pastor Andrea welcoming the guest and a short time of getting to know one another. What followed for the next 2 days were amazing sessions of praise and worship led by youths from different cities throughout Russia, off which Jesus embassy had the honor of leading two of the sessions. Now this was the first time that we led praise and worship in Russian. We were also taught In God’s word through the messages that were preached and the workshops.
A quick summary about the messages during the conference:
1)Do not have a stereotype mentality. God does not always work in the way we would expect, for example He chose David who was the lease of his brothers to be king. Therefore we must be ready to allow God to do unbelievable things in our lives.
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2) As Christians, our life resembles a cup ,we can only pour out whatever we have within us, so we must fill our lives with God’s word
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3) The power of the cross to forgive sins and to bring about a change in our lives. A change that would make other people want to know Jesus
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4) To follow after the footsteps of king Josiah, who at a very young age decided to follow God and tear down the idols of his time.
There were also talks on Relationship and workshops on the area of “worship, evangelism, Godly dreams, and believing God in the modern world”. The leaders from Jesus embassy were also given the pulpit to share the message that God has placed in their hearts to the youths.
It would have been a waste to travel so far and not see the city. Fortunately for us, God blessed us with Michael and Julia. This lovely couple whom the students befriended during the conference was kind enough to take the team on a tour into the city and also to get a taste of the local food. Smolensk is indeed a beautiful city. Many ancient buildings and lovely parks were spotted.
Throughout the camp we spend a great amount of time mingling with the youth and listening to them share about what God has been doing in their lives and also their dreams and desires. It’s a glimpse of what the apostle Paul would have felt among the gentiles. It was also a good experience for the Jesus Embassy team as they act in drama, sing, and even preach on stage. This conference was really a one of a kind sort of experience.
As the hour too leave came about, we found that regardless of nationality , culture or even language differences, the love of Christ binds us as a family
A shout out to the team: The greatest act one can do is to worship God and love Him. It is an honor serving alongside.
Special thanks to Ps Andrea and Ps Ricardo for your hospitality, last but not least Michael and Julia for being such a blessing to us.
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