Back to main magazine page now!!

by Bob Van Sant
My wife, Judy, and I have been missionaries
with BIMI since 1994. For over 18 years we
were missionaries in Crimea, Ukraine. That
changed in February 2014 when Crimea was
seized by Russia. Our mission field changed
without our address changing. Immediately
it became a struggle to stay in Crimea. Direct
oppositions, constant struggles of the Russian
occupation, and new laws made life very
difficult for American missionaries. New laws
prohibited witnessing and preaching. We spent
thousands of dollars trying different types of
visas and flying in and out of the country. In
March 2018, with tears and heavy hearts, we
said good-bye to our beloved churches.

It did not take long for God to reveal our next
assignment. One week after returning to the
States, Berean Baptist Church in Newville,
Pennsylvania, called us to candidate. It was a
small church (10 members), striving to survive.

They had been without a pastor for over nine
months and were meeting once a week in a
rented storefront property. The warm welcome
and eagerness of the people were what we
needed. We so desperately wanted to be used
by God in a place that needed us. The following
Sunday, they voted 100 percent for me to be
their pastor. A weight was removed from our
shoulders. We found immediate peace and joy
from God that this is where He wanted us and
where we could continue to serve Him.

We contacted BIMI. After meeting with the
directors, we were able to move our status
from foreign missionaries to BIMI’s Reseeding
America program. We cannot begin to write in
this article how God lovingly directed our move
to Pennsylvania. BIMI has been helpful and
encouraging all along the way. BIMI Reseeding
America Director Bob Larson and his wife,
34 BIMI WORLD
Number 2, 2019
Jennifer, came to our church in October and
helped mail 4,000 flyers to the Newville area.

We had visitors and gained one family. We are
still getting feedback from that effort.

What is the difference between starting a
church overseas and restarting a church in the
States? There are actually quite a few. Most of
the people who attended the seven churches
in Ukraine (and Russia) were saved in our
ministries. They only knew what we taught
them from Scripture. Throughout our time
there, we passed out Bibles and Gospel tracts
by the thousands. People stood in lines just
to get a copy of God’s Word. We saw people
cry and kiss their Bibles while hugging them
to their hearts. There was a real hunger for
God and His Word. Hundreds were saved
as a result. Then the ability to buy on credit
came to the country. Stores were loaded with
products people desired but could not afford.

As communism slipped away and capitalism
abounded, the people had little time for
Christianity. The desire for the things of God
was replaced with a desire for the things of
this world. Evangelism became a one-on-one
experience. Whether we are starting a church on a foreign
field or planting a church here in the States
or restarting a church, our desire and our
number one goal have always remained the
same—reach the lost and dying world (Mark
16:15). However, when restarting a church, the
challenges are different. Berean was extremely
close to closing its doors permanently. The
previous pastor abandoned them by taking
a church in another state and not even
informing them. There were trust issues to
deal with. Some members had given up and
quit altogether.