Rev. D. A. Ross
AS was planned, Mr MacRae and myself left for Eastern Europe on 19th March, departing from Inverness at 8.25 that Tuesday evening after attending Church Committee meetings. We travelled all night to arrive at Ramsgate at 10.30 the following morning, which gave us ample time to prepare for departure at 11.30 am on the cross-channel ferry. Thereafter we made good progress through Germany and Austria even although we were hindered by tyre problems. However, due to another problem, we were delayed in Hungary for almost four days. On Friday morning, when we were about 40 miles from Miskolc, the windscreen of the truck suddenly cracked into a myriad of cracks all over its surface. It remained intact until we reached the suburb of Miskolc; then it shattered into pieces. We had to wait in Miskolc from midday on Friday until Tuesday morning, when a new windscreen arrived and was fitted. During our stay we were shown much kindness by several friends who have been very helpful to us for a long time. We had the opportunity also to meet new friends who showed interest in our work and were anxious that we would help them, if possible, by providing Christian literature. We also met teachers from Scotland and Ireland who appreciate reformed doctrine and were very grateful to receive our reformed literature, which they were in a position to use among the students whom they teach.
We eventually arrived in Kishinev, the capital of Moldova, three days late, having had to drive long hours into the night to make up some lost time. Here we disposed of about one third of our load to the orphanage which has formerly benefited from our visits. Although our truck was securely parked during the night and was under guard, it was cleverly broken into and tools and other items were stolen. However, we were very thankful later that this did not hinder us during the remainder of our journey.
We left Kishinev at 7 am on Thursday and arrived in Kiev at 7.45 that evening. We were welcomed by Mrs Belozyorov and her son Igor into their hospitable home where we spent the remainder of our time, and where, as on former occasions, we were shown much kindness. Due to lack of time we had to work very hard on Friday to have our load cleared by the Customs authorities. This work went remarkably well, being done in one day as opposed to the three or more days of past occasions. We got full clearance apart from the temporary impounding of some of our medicines. The clearance of these was left to Pastor Grishchenko and Igor Belozyorov to arrange. I have received news since our return to Scotland that the medicines were released by Customs and distributed according to our instructions. A considerable amount went to the Cancer Hospital in Kiev.
It was a pleasure yet again to meet old friends, who have shown much kindness to us over the years, and to distribute Bibles and reformed literature to them. We were glad also to be led to use some new outlets for literature distribution. The highlight for us is the opportunity to preach the Word of God. This opportunity was afforded us in Borispol at the invitation of a family there. Sixteen people attended, most of whom were friends of the family. I preached from the words, “For I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,” 1 Corinthians 2:2. The people listened most attentively and asked questions which were very appropriate to what had been preached. We look to the Lord alone to open the hard heart to receive His Word, confess sin and cry to Him in the name of Christ for mercy.
Having prepared on Saturday for early travel on Monday we set off from Kiev at 1 am. We were not far from Kiev when we encountered heavy snow which looked more daunting than usual because of the enormous size of the flakes. Our brakes began to bind because of the snow and we had to repeatedly free them by rapid pumping of the handbrake. On more than one occasion we had to snowball high standing road signs which were plastered by snow, in an attempt to knock off the snow and read the sign. It snowed for most of the night and well into the day, but thankfully we did not become snowbound like some other vehicles. Because of the delays caused by the snow we had to omit our intended visit to the city of Liviv, and bypassed it. This meant greater benefits for our last recipient, Rev Horkai Laslo, to whom we gave the remainder of our load. As ever, he was most appreciative of our help, and especially for the Bibles and Shorter Catechisms.
We finally reached home on Thursday, 4th April, at 1.30 am, with profound thankfulness to the Lord for “journeying mercies” given to us over thousands of miles, and especially for the opportunity, in His gracious providence, to spread His precious Word, which is the appointed means for bringing sinners from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. With what zeal the Church of God should engage in this work because it is to the Church, and to the Church alone, that the Head of the Church says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19, 20.