Dear Friends! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

I greet you with the words of our Coming Lord: «Peace be unto you!» On behalf of Russian Evangelistic Ministries and the missionary families whom you support, thank you for your important part in this great work!

As we reflect on the past year, the year that has brought this world so much anxiety and trouble, we, as Christians, can firmly say: «Praise the Lord!» Not because we were not affected by grief, illness, or other challenges that befell the people around us. Indeed, some of us have suffered the loss of loved ones or friends; some of us have experienced the illness firsthand, experienced the loss of jobs, or experienced deteriorating health.

However, despite all this, we can say from the heart, «Praise the Lord!» because we are absolutely confident – beyond doubt – that if the Lord allows anything, if anything happens in our lives, it is intended for good, for the good of our souls, and for the salvation of the people around us.

This good is not always readily apparent to us, especially when we are grieving. We can only grasp by faith that in the end, we will see this greater good.

The year 2020 has ended, and we can rejoice at some of the positive results of that difficult year. Surprisingly, 2020 was more blessed than the previous year in terms of the number of people being saved and the number of people joining the church through believer’s baptism. In 2020, the Persecuted church in the former Soviet Union baptized almost 1,000 more believers than in previous years, and we again proclaim: «Praise the Lord!»

Time proved that the missionaries who strengthened their outreach were right. These are the missionaries who did not agree with the popular sentiment, “Now is not the best time to conduct evangelism.” And the Lord rewarded their labor of faith.

Dear friends, may the Lord turn your support of this great work into a growing stream for eternity! May the peace of God and the heavenly conviction that God does all things well reign in your heart.

The annual Missions Conference recently took place in Moscow, Russia. Through the ministry’s Newsletter we will share with you about God’s work on the mission field in the former Soviet Union. May the Lord bless you and your family abundantly in this new year!

In Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President