I lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the nineties, a time of turmoil in that great land. I was there as a missionary, working on contract as a project coordinator with the International Red Cross. My job had me working in men's and boy’s prisons, with boys from ages 14-18 who were sentenced from two to four years in prison.
My apartment was large by Russian standards, as it was of pre-revolution vintage, and also served as a way station for other missionaries who were coming from or going to the West. As such, I would often find myself down at one of the city’s five train stations either meeting or sending off someone. As delays were frequent I would most often spend the time passing out Gospel tracts to the throngs of people gathered there. I would often wonder where many of the people came from as they spoke so many languages other than Russian. This was common, as under the former Soviet Union, nations from the boarders of China, India, Europe and the Pacific Rim were all united politically and linguistically as the Russian language was the common tongue.
In the course of one hour it was easy to pass out 400-500 such tracts, which is usually what I would bring on a trip to the station.
I would always conclude my time by praying for the ones who had received the literature, given with a smile and "God bless you" in Russian, and trust that the seed sown would bring forth fruit in God’s good time according to His promise.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isa. 55:10,11, NKJV).
On the back of all the literature I passed out was an address where people could write in for more. One day I received a letter with the following:
One day a few weeks ago I was in the train station in St. Petersburg. While waiting for my train I was given a piece of paper from a stranger and wishing to be polite I took it. I was returning to my country in Tajikistan, to the village where I live in the countryside. My journey was eight days long. Several days into my journey I took out and read the piece of paper the stranger gave me, it was titled "Somebody Loves You." It spoke of God and of His great love for us in sending us Jesus. At the end of the message was a prayer and I said this prayer. Something happened to me and I met the wonderful Jesus. My whole life was filled with joy and I felt so pure and happy. When I came to my village I told everyone how I had met the wonderful Jesus. My friends and my family saw the change in me and many of them prayed too. Soon half of my village had met the wonderful Jesus. None of us had ever heard of Jesus before, but we have read in this paper about the Bible. Please can you send us a Bible and someone who can teach it to us so we can learn more about the wonderful Jesus?
I wept for joy when I read this letter seeing how far the message had gone and how such a simple tract could have such far reaching effect.
I wasn’t surprised, though. Many years ago there was another man, disillusioned and discouraged, who because of wrong choices and disappointment, had like the prodigal son in the Bible, spent his life in riotous living and selfishness until he too found himself in great need, despairing even of life. Then one day someone sent him a simple Gospel tract in the mail, someone whom he had never met, but who had heard of his distress and in response had written a letter of encouragement and enclosed a tract.
This young man read the tract and he too prayed the simple prayer inviting Jesus to come into his heart and give him a new life—and something very wonderful and transforming happened. Love, joy and a sense of purpose filled this man and a whole new life opened up before him. Like the story in the Bible, he too found the Father’s love and forgiveness and was received with open arms. I know, for I am that man.
Since then I have never doubted the power of the simple tract, given with a smile and a prayer, to effect great change.
