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Russia

A NATION IN NEED OF JESUS

Mission Eurasia works in Russia and the other countries of Eurasia to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry.

Russia is the world’s largest country in terms of landmass, encompassing 11 time zones and home to more than 180 people groups—most of whom are unreached. It is also the heartland of the former Soviet Union and the original location of Mission Eurasia’s ministry, which began in 1991.

Though the Soviet Union collapsed decades ago, the scourge of control and corruption remains in nearly every aspect of life. The Russian Orthodox Church—representing roughly 55 percent of the population—has come to function more as a cultural-political arm of the government rather than a spiritual institution. Thirty percent of population are non-religious, more faithfully representing the national spirit – plagued by excess and hopelessness – than any religion. Muslims represent ten percent, corresponding with the spread of Islam in Europe. Less than two percent are evangelical Christian.

Despite freedom of religion protections guaranteed in the Russian constitution, broad legal definitions of “extremist activity” allow for invasive and oppressive measures to be taken against religious communities through prohibitive registration requirements, requiring foreign-trained clergy and religious educators to undergo a centralized recertification process, and commonly carrying out raids, arrests, and prosecutions against religious. Since the start of the current war, many citizens expressing views against the war—as well as those avoiding conscription and mobilization into Ukraine—have been arrested and jailed.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has displaced more than 20 million Ukrainians internally and abroad. Russia has also systematically targeted Ukraine’s houses of worship in missile attacks. Despite this challenging landscape, Mission Eurasia and our School Without Walls (SWW) program remain committed to sharing the gospel and training the Next Generation of ministry leaders. In 2023, you supported our SWW ministry training for 70 enrolled leaders, all 70 of whom graduated from the full two-year program!

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Matthew 5:11

Prayer Requests

  • Please pray that Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine will stop and the war that began in February 2022 will come to an end.
  • Please pray for our SWW students and leaders, who are committed to sharing the gospel, despite persecution. Pray that they will be able to reach Russian people for Christ in places where Westerners cannot access.
  • Please pray for a revival among the Russian people. Please pray that materialism and secularism will give way to a hunger and thirst for the Lord.
  • Please pray for the church in Russia, that it will stand strong in the face of persecution and oppression.

LILIA’S STORY

“My name is Lilia, and I am 18 years old. About a year ago, I came across School Without Walls (SWW). These are youth meetings that take place once a month, and they have helped me gain knowledge about the gospel, how to share it on the streets, with friends, at school, and at work. SWW cultivates young leaders, evangelists, and missionaries. 

“During my year at SWW, I became closer to Jesus and my relationship with Him was strengthened. I was baptized this past fall. I've learned to forgive. I notice more of God's many great blessings, and I've improved my relationships with my parents. Of course, it's all because of the Lord, but studying at SWW has inspired me. 

“My team and I went out to the street to share the gospel many times, including the special times at Easter and Christmas. The first week of summer activity was spent in the village of Kurdzhinovo (Karachay-Cherkessia Republic, North Caucasus). We spent eight days there studying, sharing the gospel with the local people, working, praying for each other, and praising our Lord. Each of us kept a prayer diary in which we recorded our experiences for each day. I noticed that EVERY day God changed us in some way and taught us something new. 

“I am glad that School Without Walls continues its work this year and I hope that young people will want to serve Christ more through the motivation and encouragement that we receive in the process of studying.”

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