Eastern Europe Mission Work

Winter Visit to the Ukraine

IT is intended that Rev. D A Ross and Mr Alastair MacRae will make another visit to the Ukraine this month, God willing. The normal load of humanitarian aid will be taken out, but the greater part of the weight will be made up by literature Bibles, Word of Life Calendars, Scripture booklets, and books such as The Westminster Confession of Faith, Boston's Fourfold State, and concordances. Most of these are in the Russian language but some are in English. We are very much indebted to the Trinitarian Bible Society for a large grant of Scripture calendars (8,500 in Romanian, 7,500 in Hungarian and 10,000 in Russian) as well as a large grant of Bibles.

We ask all our readers again to remember at "the throne of grace" this continuing mission work. We may remind you that there are those in Eastern Europe who do greatly value our visiting them, and who particularly appreciate our continuing to bring in the Scriptures. Others, because of our work there, have come to appreciate the teachings of the Reformed faith. They especially need to be remembered in prayer that they would continue embracing these Bible teachings, be constant in following the Word of God, and go from strength to strength.

The visit made to Romania in July by Messrs. Alastair MacRae and George MacAskill was successful, and the load of aid was delivered to a Baptist pastor in Bacau for distribution. He professes to be reformed in doctrine and is deeply appreciative of the literature we have sent. Both he and others who have received aid and literature from us have expressed much thankfulness, and hope to get further help in their great need.

The second-hand truck purchased at the beginning of the year has so far done well. It needs ongoing maintenance of course, and after it returned from Romania it required a considerable amount of work to be done to it. We are indebted to Mr Calum MacAskill for parking the vehicle at his workshop premises, and to George MacAskill for doing the maintenance work.

We are also indebted to the ladies of the Inverness and other congregations for sorting and packing clothing on a number of occasions and for taking this burden of work off Mrs C. Ross, Laide. We also thank Miss Anne MacIntosh for storing clothing, and Mr A. MacRae for transporting clothing.

We express our gratitude also to all who have contributed to our work were it not for donations received we would not have been in a position to purchase a replacement truck. We are especially grateful for the very substantial donation from a good friend for the printing of the Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms in the Russian and Ukrainian languages. It is marvellous to us that the Lord puts it into the hearts of some to contribute so liberally for this most important work of spreading God's precious Word in those parts of the world which have been deprived for many years of reformed teaching, or have never had it.

The desirable situation for our mission work in Eastern Europe is to have a permanent missionary in the area where we work, but in God's providence this is not yet possible. The Church hopes and prays that the Lord would send out labourers into the worldwide harvest. Is this not a petition that we should have for specific parts of the world, including Eastern Europe? May the Lord hasten it in His time.

"The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest," Luke 10:2. (Rev.) D. A. Ross, Convener of Dominions and Overseas Committee

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