Though I have stayed in this hotel
many times with WMPC groups, I didn’t know about some of
its idiosyncrasies. The story below, written by one of my roommates—Lois
Chamblee, took place our first night in Smolensk.
I decided to take a bath about 11:45. (I am afraid that I am
known as the night owl in our group.) As soon as I got “soaped
up” the water was evidently shut off! Nothing—not
a drop would come out of the faucet! I sat there, cold and soapy,
trying to figure out what to do. (I knew if I tip-toed back
into the room to get a bottle of water, that I would probably
trip over something and scare poor Elaine and Ellen half to
death!) So, I just decided to pray! I said “Lord, I don’t
need much; just enough to get the soap off!” I pushed
down on the sprayer just in case anything came out, and waited
for what seemed like a long time. Then, all of a sudden, I heard
the pipes rattle a little, and sure enough, I got just enough
water to rinse the soap off! I had to laugh! Ellen said that
the Lord does have a sense of humor, and I was his subject tonight!
It was not the first time we resorted to prayer on this trip.
Somehow, I knew each time that the Lord’s response was
going to be humorous. He didn’t let us down.
In Smolensk we connected with church members, getting updated
on all of their ministries, visiting orphanages with the ministry
team, worshiping together, and eating together. Fellowship over
the table is a very important part of twinning. There are too
many stories to share here. The team came away richly blessed
by the bonds they made with their partners, the time they spent
with the children and the deep friendships they developed with
one another. Having stood in their midst, the blessings overflowed
into my life as well. I will cherish the memories.
Since our newsletter sharing the tragic news of Beslan, many
of you have written asking for an update. I have hesitated to
do that, because the news is so heavy to bear. The loss in Beslan
has been of horrific proportions, greater than any of us can really
imagine. The two pastors that I wrote of, brothers, had eight
children between them. Only two survived. Their homes have become
strangely silent and this story repeats itself in home after home
in this small community. We cannot fathom the depths of their
pain. Depression is deep. We pray that the region will not lash
out with revenge. Al and I have helped identify ways for our church
to respond. Many of you have made donations to Beslan Relief,
and we are so grateful for those gifts and the love and prayers
that accompanied them. We have been in communication with our
partners in the area, and continue to work with them to identify
specific projects. Some of the funds will be used for psychological
training for workers in the region, training that will help them
respond appropriately to the needs of those who suffer while avoiding
burnout. Please continue to pray for the community of Beslan and
for all those that have gathered to help them face their grief.
Pray especially for peace.
Please know how grateful we are for your emails and your prayers.
They lift us up when we are down and carry us forward. It is good
to be a part of the family of God.
May the peace and blessings of our Lord be with each of you.
With love in Christ,
Ellen & Al Smith
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
182 |
