Nina and Valentina, Is it Okay to Kill Dima?

Midway through our week long missions trip to Vladimir, we had the privilege of being assigned to different homes in which to visit poor people. Our team (Sarah, Faith, Megan, and Dima) went to the home of an elderly lady named Nina. She happened to have a friend visiting that day, a lady named Valentina. (I told her what a pretty name and that I have a son born on Valentine's Day, so I won't forget her name.)

Nina's apartment was a bit larger than most, and boasted two large wall tapestries. These are like huge rugs on the walls. She had made these herself and I was ga-ga. Valentina also knew this art form (very popular in Russia). By way of getting acquainted--and because I genuinely admire skilled needlework--I asked if she was currently working on one she could show me. She was delighted to do it, and showed us all just how much dexterity it takes and how calloused one's fingers become in the process. It reminded me of latch hook but much classier. (Video at bottom of this post shows us at Nina's apartment as she demonstrates.)

Nina was in obvious discomfort. She was quite obese, and her countenance was anything but joyful. She was fanning herself with a sheet of paper, and nearly knocked over her mug of coffee that--no kidding--held about the capacity of beach ball. She was full of health complaints and finally asked her if we could pray for her. Yes, she said, a little taken aback. I asked permission for us to lay hands on her and she heartily granted it.

After praying for Nina, Valentina boldly asked for prayer for herself. It was kind of cute, actually. She had quite the joyful personality, a hearty laugh, and more reserved about her complaints. Her requests were more spiritual than physical, and she, too, wanted us to lay hands on her. So we did.

"I brought a gift for each of you," I then said, as prayer stopped. "Gospel aprons. Would you like one?" Da! Da! Spaceeba! Sitting next to Valentina, I explained that this was no ordinary apron. The colors represented some very good news. If they forgot , each pocket contained an index card with the explanation for that color. In Russian! They beamed.

I spread the apron across my lap in a chair beside Valentina. Dima was sitting catty corner to us on the floor, interpreting.

"The first color is black, " I said, "which represents the darkness of sin. We have all sinned before a holy God" They nodded.


I continued with each of the following explanations:

red--blood . Jesus' s blood was sinless, the only blood worthy to be shed in payment for our guilt. That was God's design, His plan, not man's.

white-- clean , pure, holy. We can be forgiven and washed clean by God Himself if we believe that Jesus was crucified ,bled, and died for our sin, that it was a once-for-all-and we can't add our good works to it, and that he was raised again in three days from the grave. Well, the good works really jumped at them. They said they were good people and kept the Ten Commandments and on and on. They didn't believe at first when I told them that (the Bible says) if you are guilty of one sin, you're guilty of all. "But I haven't done anything really really bad," one said.

So I used an analogy of good vs. bad deeds that I've often heard our pastor use.

"Okay, let me put it this way. Suppose one day I get so angry at this gorgeous, handsome, young interpreter here that I pull out a gun and kill him. Then I go down the street and see an orphanage on fire, and immediately run in and rescue 100 children from the flames. When I go to court for the murder of Dima, I say to the judge, "But look at the good I've done. Why, that very day I saved 100 orphans from death. Doesn't that count in my favor , I mean after all, I only caused one death."

They understood and were solemn.

blue--Holy Spirit (to remember blue's association. think the SKY through which Jesus ascended after 40 days following his bodily resurrection, and then sent his promised Holy Spirit). Of all the concepts, Valentina had the hardest time understanding the Holy Spirit. She understood God the Father, God the Son, but God the Holy Spirit? Is that the mother? And I said sort of, in the role He plays, very much so. I pointed to four of us gals in the room who were teachers or studying to be teachers. I said, "The Holy Spirit teaches us things we need to understand. Look at Megan, Sarah, Faith, me. Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher. The Holy Spririt is also our comforter. When we're sick, scared, confused, grieving, He comforts much like a mother. He also convicts us of sin." She understood much better.

green- growth. As the Spirit teaches, comforts, and convicts you, you will grow. As you obey Him, you grow. As you fellowship with other believers, you grow.

yellow - gold streets of Heaven. This is our promise from Jesus that He has gone to prepare a place for us to live forever with him when we die. This earth is not our final home.

I'm telling you, as I was sharing this, I wanted so badly for it to make sense. To be real and alive and clear. So I paused and let Dima explain all along the way in Russian. I loved watching the ladies' eyes light up when they understood, or furrow when they were confused so that I could go over it again. Going over it again using different wording is such a good exercise. Oh, if there were a way to express my passion better! Like Eric Liddell the great "Chariots of Fire" runner/missionary said, "When I run, I feel the pleasure of God," I was thinking, "When I share the gospel, I feel the pleasure of God." A few times I got choked up with gratitude for the gift of salvation and the sense that maybe I would witness a new birth before my eyes. (The second part didn't happen.) A holy hush and a holy rush at the same time filled the room!!!

Valentina was most stumped by the fact that I said you can pray anywhere anytime for salvation. In your kitchen, on the bus, in the market, in your bathroom. They chuckled about the last one but I said it's true. "You mean I don't have to be in church to pray this?""No. you don't."

'I don't have to go to church to believe in God?"

"No," I said, "But after you accept Jesus, you will WANT to be around other believers. You will want to be baptized. You will want to read your Bible."

A Bible? Nina hadn't read one for years. Didn't know if she could even find her copy. So we presented her with a new one and she was so thrilled that was in LARGE PRINT. (So was I! What a letdown that would've been if she couldn't read the print even if she could read the language! It made me note to myself: always give large print Bibles to people over 40.) I was bummed that we didn't have a copy to give Valentina, but this visit had been a last-minute plan when our original plans to go to a boarding school had been nixed by the school that morning.
I trust Valentina will share Nina's Bible and that both of them will come to know Christ. They are very steeped in the tradition of Russian Orthodoxy, so please pray that God will free them from long-held false doctrine and will teach them truth the power of His Holy Spirit.

(Afterwards, Megan said, "So, Dima, when Zo called you gorgeous and handsome, did you interpret that word for word? He nodded, "I just go with it, I just translate.") :)