VOLUME 7 - 1999

Thy Word is a Lamp

... unto my feet

promised in the Psalm truly “His word has been a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths.” Six years ago, I made a trip into Turkey carrying three Russian bibles with me. The event that took me there would also have many Russians in attendance. I eventually gave them to a group from Siberia and what pathways they lit from there only the Lord knows.

However, this past September as I was making my 8th trip to Israel on my birthday I thought again of the path those Russian bibles may have taken. Eight is the Hebraic number for “new beginnings”. What better time to finally be baptized in the Jordan River. After all I had a Russian mission trip following, then off to Romania.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven Matthew 6:19-21

I was preparing my heart at the baptismal site when a large group arrived. In the distance as I carefully listened to their singing I heard a familiar word lifted up in their melody “Yesus” (Jesus in Russian). I ran over to the group and tried to find someone who understood English. I explained “I’m a missionary about to leave for Russia”, but somehow that part got lost in the translation.

The woman inquired “do you believe in Jesus?” Over and over I tried to tell her through my tears that I was on my way to Russia to minister to the orphans there, but her English was limited. She asked the pastor who was already in the river if he would baptize me and he answered enthusiastically “Da, da” he would be happy to. His only English “do you believe in Jesus?” “Yes, yes” I replied and down I went.

As I emerged from the waters, one of my first thoughts was perhaps this Russian Jew, a believer in Yeshua had somehow gotten the word and his faithful pathway had led him to immigrate to the homeland – and just maybe he was from Siberia!