Peace to you, dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
Our modern time is not like the time of the first apostolic community. But our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8), which means that His Word is no less alive and active (Heb. 4:12) now than then. His mercies never come to an end (Lam. 3:22), and He does not stop adding the saved to the Church.
An example of this is the confirmation of two new sisters in the village of Sukhovo (Taseevsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Region).
Distances in Siberia are large, and you have to spend a lot of time “moving in space” to visit parishioners who are living far from a nearest parish. Although, of course, the term “far” is relative in Siberia. Here everything is “far.” Or maybe everything is not far. Just a few hundred miles — and we are already there.
Father Vitali Gavrilov or the parish of the Transfiguration in Tuim regularly visits Maria Innokentievna, the parishioner who many years ago moved to the village of Sukhovo and lives in there [see Newsletter #271]. This is about 750 kilometers (465 miles) away from Tuim, and it takes about 10 hours to get there. Some parts of the road are uncertain.
Every time when Fr. Vitali visits Maria Innokentievna, her neighbors also come to her home to listen to the Gospel. And on January 2, the two sisters Valentina and Nina, who were listening to the Word of God and attending our home Divine services, received the confirmation and became new members of our Church.
Now in the village of Sukhovo there is a tiny home congregation, and there are still more of those who come to listen to the Gospel.
Please pray for new members of our Church and for their neighbors, and for safe travels of the priests in Siberia.
And please come to visit us!
We wish you blessed Christmastide and Happy New Year!
“Faith and hope”
Please see attached photos.
