Survival in the Forest
On a quiet early morning, Peter awoke in the forest. All around was very beautiful; tall trees and green firs surrounded him on all sides. He was still very tired from that terrible persecution and felt weak and hungry. Rising from the ground, he began to gather wild berries, of which there were so many around. He picked ripe blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries and eagerly popped them into his mouth. Having eaten his fill and feeling satisfied, he found a secluded spot again, lay down on the grass, and fell asleep.
Peter hid in the forest for four weeks before he had the courage to leave the forest and go look for some village. He was afraid of the Communists, knowing they were looking for him everywhere. Without a doubt, if they caught him again, they would kill him immediately. This filled his heart with fear. He kept telling himself that he could not be captured. If the Communists killed him, who then would spread God's Word in this land? Possessing a deep and inquisitive soul, he dreamed of a real embodiment of evangelical truth among the Russian people. In his heart, he clearly felt the great need of people for the good news of the Gospel.
Understanding that Communists were everywhere, Peter went ever further into the southwest part of the Siberian taiga to avoid capture and death. For several days he walked north, then moved to the northwest, then west, and finally to the southeast. Over four weeks he remained hidden in the taiga, moving in a circle through the uninhabited part of southwest Siberia. Now he was heading toward places where there were small settlements.
As he approached the village, he was still afraid that there might be Communists there. He understood that he was wanted, and could be arrested at any moment. The secret police were furious that he had managed to escape and hide from them. However, the Holy Spirit was stronger than his fear of the Communists, and God had his own plans for his life.
After his difficult survival in the forest, he decided to enter a small remote village located close to the forest. Looking around, he understood that there were only ten houses here, and none of them had a red flag visible. He was almost certain that the Communists would not come to such a desolate place, and that he would not find any of them there.
Near a small house on the edge of the village, he saw an old man who was working in a garden next to the house. Approaching him, he said that he was a minister preaching God's Word. Hearing this phrase, "I preach God's Word," the old man stopped working and invited him into his house. He offered him food. Peter prayed with him before the meal and thanked him for feeding him. He thought about how bread, cheese, and hot tea had become a delicacy for him after hiding and surviving on berries for twenty-five days in the forest. After their conversation and growing acquaintance, he asked the old man if he knew of any village nearby where there were many believers. "Yes, there is one," said the grandfather, "a day's journey away. Go along this road here, and you will arrive there by evening. Be very careful; the Communists were here two weeks ago and were looking for some minister."
Heartily thanking this man for his hospitality, Peter set off down the road to that village. As he walked, he thought about how he had miraculously escaped from two armed guards. However, he was very sad that the Communists had killed Kazakov. Now he alone had to bear the burden of the cross; and he would continue to do God's work. Although he was alone, God's Spirit would always be with him and would guide him wherever he went, as it is written: "The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 26:1).
As the sun set and darkness began to slowly gather over the forest, he looked around and realized he needed to hurry if he wanted to reach the village before nightfall. Soon the road turned, and he saw lights. As he approached the village, he heard singing coming from one house. It was the very same singing he had heard when he escaped from the monastery.
Instantly he remembered how he and his brother had made that escape. Pictures of those events rushed through his memory, and how terrifying it all was, and how he was afraid that someone might catch them and return them to the monastery, and how he quickly disappeared into the darkness after people started coming out of the house.
Now he did not need to hide; he wanted to go in, meet the people, listen to the beautiful music, share the Gospel with them, and tell them about salvation.
Suddenly fear gripped his heart again: he remembered the fate of Mr. Kazakov. He had to be careful. He had no way of knowing whether Communists were in this church or this village. He decided to tell no one anything. The Communists had just killed Kazakov, so it would be dangerous for him to say anything about himself. If they were there, they would recognize him and might arrest him right there in church. He knew they were looking for him everywhere.
Peter quietly entered, sat down on a free bench, and began to listen. After the service, one of the church members approached him and asked who he was and where he was going. He answered that he was passing by, had heard the singing, and wanted to come in and listen to the beautiful music.
Suddenly a feeling of peace began to fill him; he realized that he was not at all afraid of these people. It was not like some of the villages he had visited before, where he had to stop. There was a feeling that he was among friends. He thanked the believers for allowing him to attend the service and listen to the beautiful music. With these words, the preacher turned and left the house.
One of the church members caught up with him and asked: "Brother, do you have a place to spend the night?" Peter answered: "No." "We would like you to spend the night at our house, and tomorrow morning you can continue your journey." Peter was very happy with this offer and immediately agreed: "Yes, I would very much like to have a place to sleep tonight."
Since he was still very cautious, he was afraid to discuss with them what had happened to him about four weeks ago. He did not know whom he could trust, so he decided to say very little about himself. He simply thanked the people for the food and for taking him into their home and providing him with lodging.
Peter slept peacefully all night. In the morning he got up before the sun rose to set off to the next village. Having thanked the married couple for taking him in for the night and feeding him, he prayed with them and began to prepare for the journey.
This good man advised Peter to go east. He explained to him that, going along this road, he would come to a fork. There would be a wide road where he would see many people walking on foot, as well as riding on horses, and people riding in carts. This road leads directly south to the large city of Omsk. He told him not to go there because it was a place completely controlled by the Communists. He would have to take a narrow path leading east from this fork. There he would meet many small villages that would welcome him with open arms and be very glad to hear God's Word.
Soon he began to notice that the villages he passed were becoming larger and more people were visible on the streets. He thought that this might not be so bad for him. Noticing a small marketplace in one of the villages, he went there and mingled with the crowd of people going back and forth. Peter walked between the rows of sellers, examining all the fruits and vegetables they had for sale. He not only looked at their wares, but also tried to overhear what people were saying. He noticed that some mentioned a church service that had taken place the previous night.
Continuing to listen unnoticed, he learned that an evangelical group was gathering there. This excited him, and he struck up a conversation with one of these people and asked about the time and place of the meeting. He also asked whether outsiders could attend. The man said: "Yes, of course! It is an open meeting; we invite everyone." He added: "Jesus invited not just Jews; He came to serve all people."
Peter was very glad that he had spoken with such a friendly person. He told himself that he would definitely go and listen to the sermon. "I wonder," he thought, "will they have beautiful singing at the service?"
Peter stayed in this village for about a week. He became close friends with many Christians in this church. Finally, he dared to tell them that he was a minister and that he loved to preach about Jesus Christ.
An elderly couple approached him after the service and offered to let him stay with them while he was in this village, and to discuss God's Word together. They wanted to know more about the Bible.
Peter felt very good and at ease with the people in this village. All of them wanted very much to listen about the Lord. During his stay in this place, he visited many homes, prayed with people, and together they discussed God's Word extensively.
...The following Sunday after the morning service, two deacons of the church approached my father and began to ask about his faith. Apparently satisfied with his answers, they offered him to preach at the evening service.
After the service, one of the deacons said to him: "There are not many young people like you who have dedicated themselves to preaching the Gospel. You need to study and know more about the Bible to become a strong witness of our Lord. You could be one of the vessels chosen by God to spread His Word among our people! Next month we invite you to attend the first evangelical congress in Siberia. There will be ministers there whom you will meet, and they will teach you how to become a herald of Christ. They will help you in studying the Bible and also teach you how to reach people's hearts for Christ."
This offer greatly interested the young man. He excitedly said: "Yes, I want to go there! I very much want to study the Bible!" The deacon continued: "There will be people for whom the study of the Bible was the work of their entire lives, and those who preached their whole lives. There will also be those who were imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Those who have lost their loved ones in prisons for preaching the Gospel have also been invited. All these people will gather there because they are united by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, love Him, and want to serve Him! We will bear all the costs associated with the journey."
My father was very pleased with this offer, and at the same time thought bitterly: "If Mr. Kazakov had not perished at the hands of the Communists, we would have been together, and would have gone to this congress together..."
The continuation of this story is in George Amegin's book "Fulfilling God's Will," translated into English: Fulfilling God's Will. The book can be purchased through the website amazon.com