Dear Friends of HopeRussia,
I wanted to write and share with you the bitter-sweet news that I was able with your help to fly to Bejing last week and in 48 hours receive my father's, Ivan's, remains, and bring them back to our home here in St. Petersburg, Russia.
As you may remember, Ivan was 60 year's old, and a life-long pastor, and speaking at a conference in South Korea. He was to return to St. Petersburg July 27th. When we did not hear from him we contacted the Russian Consulate in Bejing where he had a layover.
I was told the sad news that he had passed away in the Bejing International Airport. To get my father's body and return they told me it would cost $14,000, and if he was cremated it would cost us about $7,000 all total.
I let our network of Russian pastors in the HopeRussia movement know about this need and, within a day, Blake had sent out to you all a request to help us with this urgent situation, sharing that the first $5,000 coming in to HopeRussia in response to this request would go to help us.
Then within a day after his email was sent out I was told a donor in Tacoma had given $10,000, and $5000 would be coming to me. This was amazing to me and my mother, and my church and my wife!
Please understand that after American and other sanctions against Russia have taken place, our salaries in Russia have gone from averaging $1000/month to about $250/month, so we had almost no money to spend on this need, and were preparing to sell our car or borrow from a bank in order to afford retrieving my father's remains from China.
Our presbytery of churches in Eurasia gave $500 and other friends gave $2500. With your $5000, we ended up with $8000 total.
Last week God was so good as to allow me to fly to Bejing and return after 48 hours with the urn of my father's ashes and we buried them this past Saturday in St. Petersburg. 150 of his friends and fellow pastors attended the farewell meeting in his home.
The final expenses all total were exactly $8000, exactly what we had to spend.
God is not only good but exact!
I wanted to write and say how thankful I am to you the supporters of HopeRussia. You truly give us hope.
I have said before, and now repeat, that in the HopeRussia Seminary for the first time in my life I have experienced with my fellow pastors and elders the universal body of Christ.
You all through your prayers and giving have played a huge role in making all of this happen for me and my family and my ministry.
Please pray for my mother, Tatyana, as she now a widow, cares for her four adopted children pictured above. Also pray for me as I try to deal with this unexpected loss of my father, and not only pastor my Presbyterian church, but pastor his Lutheran church of 50 congregants as well.
Very Warmly in Christ,
Sergei Suharev
Pastor
Fourth Year Student in HopeRussia's Seminary
|
|
|
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort
(2 Corinthians 1:3)
|
|
|
|
|
