Half way through the meetings
Morning is the hardest part of the day for me in St. Petersburg. I wake up early to pray, read and work on my slides. After a few hours of being awake, my mind gets confused because of the darkness outside. Only by 11 am do the first rays of sunshine leak through the frosty sky. By the afternoon the sun rises high becomes especially bright and sharp thanks to the arctic freezing weather. Every day it is the same -20 C(-10 F).
For the first few days upon arriving I tried to be faithful to my morning routine of a daily fast paced walk. I have to acknowledge that those walks were beautiful. The monumental architecture of Saint Petersburg is absolutely breath-taking. However, my body was not ready for this drastic change in climate and I felt that familiar but unpleasant scratchy pain in my throat. Remembering that my voice is the only reason I am in this part of the world, I had to stop the amazing walks and retreat to my hotel, or as I call it, my “cell”. Despite the comfortable and convenient room I am staying in, some days I feel like I’m living in a prison cell after a few hours of my study time go by.
On another note, I am very pleased to see the conference administration’s involvement in the whole process. The president, the secretary and the treasurer are the first ones to arrive to the auditorium. They are meeting and greeting people, helping with the study guides, setting up the equipment, arranging hot teas for the singers and many other tasks. They are also the last to leave the hall after the meetings.
St. Petersburg is certainly different from many of the other cities where I have preached. It is hard to draw the people’s attention with anything at all. They live in a city with the best universities, famous art galleries, an outstanding symphony orchestra and a number of world-famous drama theaters. They have seen and heard rock music superstars, world political leaders and Hollywood actors. They definitely feel self-sufficient and are not much interested in the eternal truths of the Bible.
However, every night I see a large group of devout souls searching for the spiritual treasures of the Bible. A mile long walk from the nearest metro station through freezing weather similar to that of an arctic country is not an issue to them. They come because they are interested in what the Bible has to say about the future of this world. I am impressed and humbled with their sincere attention and warm spirits.
Please, continue your prayers for these meetings.
PK
St. Petersburg
Despite the freezing temperatures, sometimes dipping below -25 C, hundreds trudge through the snow every night to attend the St. Petersburg meetings led by Pastor Peter Kulakov. The warmth from the hearts of these individuals, and their humble eagerness to hear the Lord’s message radiates through the hall every evening. Check back for updates and photos from the meetings!
Interview with John Konrad
Vice President and General Manager of WGTS, one of the largest Christian family radio stations, John Konrad was one of the key persons in the Dnepropetrovsk meetings.
Interview by Barby Kulakov
I’ve been told you were the “power” behind these meetings, what gave you the idea for Dnepropetrovsk?
God is the only power behind the meetings – I have a personal interest in Ukraine, specifically Dnepropetrovsk. I have family who lives there as well as several close friends. I believe God is working in the lives of many in Ukraine (and around the world) and have seen the work of Seventh-day Adventists in Dnepropetrovsk. They have done amazing things with limited resources and funding. I hoped and prayed for a solution to help take the hard work of those in Ukraine and help save souls for Christ.
How were you able to raise the funding for this project, and when did you start raising money?
We just asked key people including the Columbia Union Conference, Light of Hope TV Ministries, WGTS 91.9 FM and Washington Adventist University. The effort started in March of 2011, however we experienced a several month delay due to the tragic death of the Columbia Union Executive Secretary and WGTS 91.9 board President, Neville Harcombe. I personally had my faith slip and was not sure the monies would come through.
What were your impressions of the meetings during your recent visit?
The teams in Dnepropetrovsk had things set up perfectly and ready to go. Hope TV Ukraine provided a wonderful set. The conference, through their communication department and Maksym Balaklytskyi had several opportunities to promote the event, including a news conference, which was picked up all over the region. Then nervous as can be, I went to the first meeting and was blown away by the new way Pastor Kulakov presented the message of hope and salvation. It was so simple to understand and touched on timely topics happening and used examples that Ukrainians and Russians could identify with.
During your trip to Dnepropetrovsk, did you see anything that especially impressed you?
The dedication of the pastoral and conference teams to hard work and caring for their fellow man. Giving housing, feeding people, educating people, the list could go on, but the teams in Dnepropetrovsk should teach us all.
Do you think the meetings will have an impact on the people of Dnepropetrovsk, and beyond?
I do. I know some people will look for instant results in baptisms, and that we will see increased baptisms. (And Praise God for that). However, how the programs are designed to meet the physical, mental and spiritual natures, means we will see results in years to come, and in some ways we may never know the impact until God comes again.
Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
Did you know that a quarter million people living in Ukraine are infected with HIV? Did you know that Ukraine is one of the top countries in the world dealing with female trafficking? And did you know that of the thousands of children living on the streets, many of them turn to prostitution just to survive? There is a clear problem with the hearts and minds of the Ukrainian people. Before we could expect a change in their quality of life, we needed to help them find solid spiritual principles.
From October 7th to the 22nd, in downtown Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, Pastor Peter Kulakov held a series of evangelistic meetings lasting for three weeks. It was imperative that the people of Dnepropetrovsk hear the Lord’s message and have the chance to turn around their lives. Your support gave them hope! Many dear souls were baptized and gave their hearts to Christ. The meetings were a huge success and were streamed via satellite all across Europe and Asia on the Hope Channel.
Revelation of Hope
I invite to you join the Revelation of Hope Bible seminar. There will be 3 sessions starting Friday night, April 8, 2011, at 7 PM at the Lakeview church. The seminar will continue on Saturday morning, April 9, at 11 AM and that same night at 6 PM.
The current events in the political and in the natural world make us all wonder what should we expect in the future. Some go to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, and get confused with the symbolism of John. After the first few chapters they put it aside with even more questions than they had started with. I found for myself that this book is actually about Jesus and the blessed hope of His soon return. He has some conclusive answers to our worries about the future. Please, do not miss the opening night of the seminar. I pray that you find hope for yourself.
The 7th Day
The Light of Hope ministry has completed production of the Russian version of the 7-th Day DVD series.
The story of the change of the Sabbath is enriched by the testimony of fifty historians and theologians from around the world. Together they provide a careful exposé of the epic battle over the biblical Sabbath.
The Seventh Day, which is available in a five-DVD set, illuminates the heroic struggle for religious liberty, fought through long centuries of inquisition and repression. It offers a surprising look at history that raises new questions about the rhythm of life here in the 21st century – and beyond.
