Terry Law

Come Before Winter

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the King James

Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 0-9631359-1-0

Copyright ©1998 by Terry Law

Printed in the United States of America.

All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover

may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express

written consent of the Publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1 The Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2 Sitting in the Belly of a Whale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

3 Tried By Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4 Forgotten Vows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

5 The Stirring of the Waters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

6 The Hunted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

7 Little Red. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Epilogue (World Compassion). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Introduction

Preface

It was the worst day of my life. I walked into the dimly

lit room between rows of neatly placed chairs. I never

dreamed this could happen to me; at least not at this time

in my life. Maybe I could have done something different.

Maybe I could have prevented this tragedy. Was it my

fault? Worse yet, I found myself blaming God. He had

done this to me. . Why?

I was in England when I received the phone call. It

was late at night and I was exhausted from the trip.

Within a few hours I was on a plane back to the United

States. Back to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I hadn't slept in three

days. I told myself it was all a bad dream. I would wake

up soon and it would all be over.

Unfortunately, I never woke up.

I found myself standing over the body of my best

friend. My companion. The mother of three beautiful

children. My wife had been driving down 101st Street in

Tulsa when she lost control of her car. The exact cause of

the accident remains a mystery, but her fate was

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Come Before Winter

determined instantly. For reasons beyond my

understanding she went home to be with the Lord that

28th day of September 1982.

Although I knew Jan was with Jesus, the very Hope of

our existence, I felt betrayed. For 13 years we had

ministered together. Before she accepted my marriage

proposal, I had told Jan that she needed to understand the

call God had placed on my life. A call that would consume

our lives, even placing us in potentially dangerous

situations. If she agreed to marry me, her life would not be

a normal one.

Now all of that was a memory. How could I possibly

continue?

I came to the conclusion that the call God had given

me in my youth had now passed. The work was over. Jan

was gone, and although I was surrounded with loving

friends and our three children, I was alone. I was

convinced my life, and ministry, had come to an abrupt

end.

* * * * *

I share this tragic time in my life to help you better

understand the significance of God's call not only on my

life, but on yours as well. As followers of Christ, we are

called to serve in the building up of His kingdom. We are

called to be a witness . . an example . . to take every

opportunity God gives us to stand against the kingdom of

Satan and to see his Kingdom come in every nation. We

are soldiers enlisted in God's army, we are called to serve.

The reality of this commission became very evident to

6

Introduction

me when God called me into His kingdom. I still hear the

words as clearly as the first time the Holy Spirit uttered

them into my heart, "COME, COME BEFORE WINTER!"

These words originated from the Apostle Paul in a

prison cell in Rome as he neared the end of his life. He

beseeched his beloved companion Timothy to come to him

before the harsh winter set in. Beyond their practical

application, these words have a spiritual significance to all

who call themselves Christians. We have no guarantee of

tomorrow. We never know when our winter will come—

when we will no longer have the opportunities that now

exist.

For my beautiful wife Jan, that day came unexpectedly

in the prime of her life. She had faithfully served her

Master, taking every opportunity to proclaim His love and

to share the saving knowledge of her beloved Savior.

When she died, I believed my winter had also come. But

God had a different plan. One that would challenge the

wisdom of an earthly man, and reveal the awesome power

of our heavenly Father. The call continued. . "Come, Come

Before Winter!"

While part of my life may have departed with Jan in

September of 1982, my work in the kingdom did not.

Thousands of people die everyday without ever knowing

about the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. While the

fires of hell quietly beckon their eternal souls, we have the

message of hope—the keys to life everlasting.

It is not a question of "How" or "When" we can reach

those who are perishing, it is a question of "Will". Will we

answer the call? "COME. . COME BEFORE WINTER."

7

Chapter

1

The Letter

1

My dear Timothy

It's been such a long time since we were together. I've

been sitting here thinking of the many things we have

shared over the years and wishing you were here now.

Every time you come to mind, my heart grows heavy and

a tear comes to my eye. They are tears of sadness that you

are so far away. They are also tears of overwhelming joy.

The Lord has done more in my life than anything I could

ever have imagined. Yet what would I have done without

you?

Your companionship is something I have praised God

for since we first met. I feel like your father. I remember

when I was in Lystra and was near death, your care and

concern renewed my strength. Your loving and gentle

spirit has never changed. As I recovered, you sat so

intently at my bedside, listening to all that I could share

9

Come Before Winter

with you about Christ. My wounds were proof of the cost

involved in serving Him, yet I could see that flame

growing within you. What a joy it has been to me to

nurture you in the ways of God! Your faith encourages

me!

No matter in what direction the Holy Spirit was

leading, I knew I could always count on you. When the

call of ministry took us in different directions, the loss of

your companionship was always felt. During those times,

I took comfort in knowing that you were more than able to

carry out God's purposes. Your life was developing a

ministry of its own. I have watched you mature from a

shy, young boy into a mighty man of God. Even now, my

heart is overwhelmed with the pride of a father. The Lord

has given you many gifts, Timothy. You have a heart full

of compassion for your fellow man. These days, that is a

rare gift indeed. The hardship you and I have suffered

together has made you strong. Your commitment to Christ

has been proven by the way you have lived your life.

Don't ever lose heart, persevere for the sake of Christ.

As I'm writing this, I feel as though you are right here.

Timothy my son, I ask only one thing more of you. My

days here are drawing to a close. I have fought a good

fight, I have kept the faith. I have lived for Christ, working

in His service. No matter what obstacles I encountered,

my faith remained strong. For me, the race is over. Now

the voice of God is calling me home. He is waiting for me

at the gates of heaven, ready to receive me into His

Kingdom as He will all of His saints.

How I hope to see you one last time! It is the final

10

The Letter

prayer of my heart, that we might rejoice together in all

that God has done. But you must come quickly, Come

Before Winter. Remember how harsh the winter weather

can be? The sea is without mercy. You know that winter

storms can be deadly. When you come, please bring my

coat. I left it behind during my last visit. Most importantly,

will you bring all of my writings, especially the

parchments? I will be waiting anxiously for you and

praying for a safe journey. Be careful in your travels, son,

but please, COME BEFORE WINTER.

Your loving father in Christ,

Paul

11

Chapter

2

Sitting in the Belly of a Whale

2

To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the

earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought

my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.—Jonah 2:6

I grew up in a Christian home. My father was an

Assemblies of God minister in Saskatchewan, Canada. I

was the preacher's kid, and like any good preacher's kid, I

was expected to follow in the footsteps of my father. Even

if I didn't dedicate myself to the pastorate, expectations

were high. The pastor's son is often deemed the "role

model", the "likely candidate" to accomplish great things

for the Kingdom.

I sympathize with other children whose parents are in

the ministry. The social pressure can be overbearing.

Although I loved my parents, I had no intention of

following in their path. I was very independent and often

dreamed of a "fractious existence"—a life free from rules,

13

Come Before Winter

expectations, and dependence on the financial support of

others.

Despite my rebellious attitude, God touched my life at

a campmeeting one night on Vancouver Island. I was only

14 at the time. A word of the Lord came forth that God

was calling me to preach the Gospel, and that I would

travel around the world with His message. I didn't

understand the significance of that evening, but I knew I

was called. My spirit bore witness to its authenticity and

despite my resistance, it would not go away.

Having no desire for the ministry, I later enrolled at

The University of Saskatchewan in Regina. From there I

would go on to study Law and eventually make my way

into politics. Two forces were at work within me. I

regarded one as leading to a life of financial hardship and

sacrifice, while the other would grant me the power and

money I desired. Despite my efforts to thwart the leading

of the Holy Spirit, I could not escape His conviction. Like

Jonah, I was running from God's call and I thought I could

hide from His presence. I was gravely mistaken.

One Sunday evening My friends and I had had a little

too much to drink, and we decided to visit the service at

my father's church. We were unruly and brash. My

rebellion against God was at its peak and I believe I was

pushing the limits. The ushers and guest speaker that

evening seemed to totally disregard our vain attempts at

disrupting the service. No one would have blamed them

for throwing us out. Our behavior was inexcusable.

I thank God that I didn't succeed in my rebellion.

During the service a conviction came over me. While I

14

Sitting in the Belly of a Whale

longed to escape, I found myself in the arms of a loving

Savior, His spirit of love and forgiveness overwhelmed

me. My whole being was focused on Jesus Christ as I

tearfully rejoiced in His deep call within me. The seas

were calm.

I knew this was the night. I could not resist any longer.

I wept at the altar of my father's church that Sunday

evening as the calling became clear; "Come Before

Winter!" Three days later I was attending Bible college.

* * * * *

When God called His servant Jonah to go to Nineveh

and cry against the great city, Jonah fled to Tarshish

seeking to escape God's instruction. Jonah recognized the

voice of God, a voice he had surely heard in times past.

Whether for fear of his own safety or disregard for the

people of Nineveh, Jonah quickly made a plan of escape; a

voyage by sea that would lead him away from the task

God had laid before him.

Perhaps like Moses, Jonah also felt inadequate to serve

his God in such an awesome calling. How could he speak

to an entire nation of people foreign to his own. Despite

Jonah's apprehension, Nineveh was in trouble. Their

wicked ways had come before the throne of God and His

judgment would pass upon the people of Nineveh in a

mere forty days.

A spiritual winter was quickly descending upon

Nineveh. Their days were drawing to a close. Hundreds of

thousands of people were about to experience the hand of

God in judgment. But Jonah had the message that could

15

Come Before Winter

lead to their salvation. He was needed as an instrument of

God's mercy to come to the people of Nineveh; to cry

against them; to call them to repentance and testify to the

grace of an almighty God. Jonah, however, focused on his

own distresses and ran from God's call.

I believe there are many Jonahs in church today. They

confess obedience to Jesus and His words. They may even

hear His voice. But when the call comes, they run. They

may not depart to another country, like Jonah, but they

run spiritually. They focus on other activities, they justify

the work they are already involved in and attempt to

ignore the leading of God's Holy Spirit. They may be

afraid, experience a feeling of inadequacy, or simply not

care.

When we hear God's call and choose to run rather than

obey, we can expect troubled times ahead. We cannot be

indifferent to God's call. We must either respond or run.

There is no middle ground.

While Jonah believed he could actually escape from

God's call, he simply made matters worse. Imagine the

fear he experienced while sitting in the belly of a whale,

crying out in repentance. It's amazing how fast we will

choose to obey God after our winter has come. Then we

are in need of deliverance.

Through more than 30 years of ministry, God has led

me to many nations—nations whose winter was upon

them; children in and around Chernobyl who were dying

of cancer from the high levels of radiation; Communist

soldiers, who, believing they were ushering in an earthy

"paradise", were actually serving as enemies of the cross;

16

Sitting in the Belly of a Whale

families in China who were literally dying of starvation

because of ravaging floods; and many others.

Ninevehs are all around us. Your Nineveh may be

opposite your house, across town or even on the other

side of the globe. The fields are ripe for harvest but winter

will soon set in. We must act now. Are we willing to

repent and pray the words of Jonah, "I will pay that that I

have vowed."?

If Satan can't get us to run from our calling, he will use

more subtle means. He will fill us with fear; fear of failure

and of what others will think of us; fear of rejection or

even persecution. Satan will also tell us that we are not

worthy. Satan knows the power of following God's call to

come before winter and he will do everything in his

power to stop us. Satan does not want us to reach

Nineveh. But God's grace is sufficient. He has chosen the

weak to confound the wise. His power is perfected in our

own inabilities. He needs only a willing heart. A heart that

will cry, "Here am I Lord, send me."

17

Chapter

3

Tried By Fire

3

That the trial of your faith, being much more

precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried

with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and

glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:—I Peter 1:7

In 1968, I began my studies at Oral Roberts University.

I was reluctant to return to school. I had been ministering

in music and the preaching of God's word throughout

Canada and the northern part of the United States. I had

even spent a year in Africa and witnessed the outpouring

of the Holy Spirit as thousands of souls were saved.

Without a mailing list or monthly support, I simply

trusted God to provide for my needs and followed His

leading.

My travels ended temporarily in 1966, and I took the

pastorate of a small congregation in Southern

Saskatchewan. It was during this period that I heard Oral

19

Come Before Winter

Roberts preach for the first time and learned of the

university. I knew God was directing me to attend ORU

and further my studies, but I was unsettled and anxious to

get on with my ministry to the nations. I wrestled with the

decision for three months before finally yielding to God's

plan.

As we pursue the Lord's call on our lives, it is

important to seek his timing. If He knows we are willing

to respond to His command, regardless of the direction it

will send us, God will lay out the path we must follow in

preparation. It was during this time at ORU that I would

meet the man who would affect my life more than anyone

could have imagined.

* * * * *

The fire in his eyes was consuming. It told the story of

a man who had survived the fiercest of trials and came

forth as gold. Jaanus Karner was a leader of the

underground church. Although in his early twenties, his

story could have been included in the Book of Acts.

I had been touring with The Collegians, a music group

from ORU, when our itinerary had been modified during

the last few days of a European tour. After a church in

Scandinavia canceled our appearance, the leaders of the

group saw it as a good opportunity to travel into the

USSR. We were in Finland at the time and it was only a

short distance across the Baltic sea into the Soviet Republic

of Estonia. I had never been in a Communist country and

really did not know what to expect.

We arrived on a Sunday morning and were taken to a

20

Tried By Fire

Methodist church in the heart of Tallinn, the capital city of

Estonia. They must have heard that we were coming

because hundreds of people had gathered around the

outside of the church unable to fit inside. There were also

soldiers with guard dogs and machine guns around the

church. I thought it strange that armed guards felt it

necessary to position themselves outside a simple church.

What did they fear? How dangerous did they view

followers of Jesus Christ?

We were ushered around to the back of the building

and let in a side entrance which led to the platform where

the Pastor would deliver his sermon. A gasp went through

the crowd as they saw us. Forty young men and women

from North America had come to visit their church. I am

sure this was the first time in over fifty years such an

event had occurred. The Communists had forbidden us to

speak with anyone in the church. We were simply on

display. Or had the Communists allowed them to be on

display for us to see the "freedom" of worship they

apparently enjoyed?

Although we couldn't understand a word that was

being spoken, there was a spiritual connection with these

fellow Believers. Their faces told a thousand stories of life

under Communism—a so-called Utopian system. Their

countenances told a different story … one of danger,

sacrifice and the determination to follow Christ at any

cost.

The invisible wall of silence began to crumble when an

elderly Russian woman stood up and began to sing. The

words may have been foreign but the message was loud

21

Come Before Winter

and clear. In a high, quavering voice she began singing

"On a hill far away . . stood an old rugged cross. ." I'll

never forget the emotion I felt at that moment. All of us

just looked at each other with a sense of awe. We all began

to sing the words to this classic hymn out loud. I was

caught in the spirit of that moment. The Communists had

succeeded in dividing the nations, but we were joined

together in the spirit of love and unity. Tears began to roll

down my cheeks as I quietly prayed, asking God if there

was any way I could ever minister to these people. I said,

"I'm here Lord. Send me."

It was the next day at our hotel that I met Jaanus. He

had apparently been present the previous day when we

visited the Methodist church and wanted to invite a few of

us to accompany him to an underground church meeting.

He explained the restrictions and dangers of openly

preaching the Gospel. The Believers had to meet secretly

in their homes or deep in the woods. To this the term

"underground" church had been applied.

I quickly volunteered with three other members of our

group to go with Jaanus. This young believer had been

arrested, interrogated and beaten by the KGB on

numerous occasions. He was fully aware of the dangers he

was placing himself in by escorting us to the secret

meeting. I admired my Estonian brother for his courage.

After we checked our passports with the hotel desk we

proceeded to follow Jaanus out of the lobby. He had

instructed us to do exactly as he said and not to move

until he did. A suspicious looking man dressed in a

London Fog trench coat, with his hat pulled close down

22

Tried By Fire

above his eyes and dark sun glasses began to follow us. A

cigarette was hanging from the corner of his mouth—his

appearance was obvious. On one hand it was comical,

with this agent straight out of a James Bond movie

following us; but on the other hand this was real, and the

consequences for being caught were left unspoken. I

quietly prayed in my spirit as we followed Jaanus out of

the hotel.

We crossed the street to a bus stop where a bus had

pulled up allowing the passengers to board. Jaanus had us

wait until the last minute to enter the bus, literally

jumping on board before the agent had an opportunity to

follow us. As the dilapidated Russian bus careened down

the street, we could see the man who was following us

running down the street as the blue smoke from the diesel

engine blurred his image. I couldn't help but wonder if he

actually believed he might catch us.

Jaanus took us through an obstacle course of buses,

taxis and dark alleys before we finally arrived at the

designated meeting place. It had taken longer to arrive at

the apartment than many services in the United States last.

We were anxious for what was in store.

The room was pitch black when we entered. I knew

the room was full of people from the stale air caused by

the lack of circulation and I found myself tripping over

many legs. They sat us in one of the corners of the room

and began whispering many questions in our direction.

"What is God doing in America?" "How is the revival

going?" "Tell us about your freedom of religion!"

I had no idea how to answer their probing questions.

23

Come Before Winter

Should I tell them that we have a church on every corner?

That the average Christian in America probably has five

or six Bibles not to mention all of the study materials

available to him. Should I tell them that many Christians

seldom take time to witness to others, and that I had

seldom heard a prayer in church directed at the suffering

of these courageous members of Christ's Body?

I found myself thankful for the darkness not wanting

them to see the shame on my face. I had grown up with a

silver spoon in my mouth. My faith had never been

challenged to the extent that they endure in a single day.

Many of those present had friends or family members

confined to horrific prison cells in Communist "re-

education" camps. Their crime. .serving the same One I

called Lord,. .daring to share their faith with another or

owning their own Bible. All of the freedoms I had taken

for granted, freedoms I often didn't have time to exercise,

were the same activities these Believers were literally

dying for. They were dying to this life that they may live a

far better one.

If this was real Christianity, what in the world was I

doing?

The call to Come Before Winter had suddenly taken on

a new meaning. In one sense, these people lived in winter.

The persecutions they endured were harsher than I had

ever imagined, and the fire in Jaanus' eyes was burning its

way deep into my heart. I wanted that fire. I wanted to

know that I was willing to stand for my faith as they did. I

vowed that night that if I ever had the opportunity to

serve behind the Iron Curtain, I would take advantage of

24

Tried By Fire

it no matter what it would cost.

25

Chapter

4

Forgotten Vows

4

For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast

given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.—

Psalms 61:5

I continued traveling and sharing the Gospel through

music and the preaching of the Word. Only now I was

leading a group called Living Sound that I had co-founded

with Larry Dalton at ORU. The ministry was very active

and we were traveling extensively being very well

received in many countries. The problem was that I had

forgotten the vow I made that night in Estonia. We were

so busy with all the requests we were receiving that I

forgot my desire to reach those in restricted nations.

Although we may forget our vows, God does not. He

takes them very seriously. And one night while we

ministered in Southern Africa, God reminded me of mine.

I was praying during the service when I felt the

27

Come Before Winter

presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the room with me. I

did not look up, but I knew He was there in His Glory. His

presence was overwhelming. I heard Him say, "I am going

to send you to minister among the closed countries. You

will do things that most men will believe impossible. If

you trust me and are obedient, I will protect you."

The reality of my prayer suddenly frightened me. I

wasn't ready to accept the risks I had witnessed others

take. Living Sound was less than a year old. How could I

tell them what Jesus was revealing to me. I again felt like

Jonah. I wanted to run, to escape this assignment. I

beseeched the Lord to send someone else. I had been to

the Soviet Union. I had witnessed life under Communism.

I was afraid and didn't want to go back.

I approached the platform that night intending on

delivering the message I had previously prepared. Despite

my efforts to read the Scripture I couldn't say a word. I

stood awkwardly before hundreds of people. I was in

rebellion and God wasn't going to allow me to continue

until I acknowledged His Word. For years I had confessed

the call on my life—the call to Come Before Winter. I had

vowed to take every opportunity God would give me. I

had repeatedly prayed, "Send me, Lord!" Now that Jesus

had revealed His plan before me, I was afraid to obey.

While my team members where confused and

embarrassed by my inability to begin the message, I

finally surrendered myself to the will of my Master. I

closed my Bible and began to tell those present what God

had spoken to me moments before in the back room. I told

them God was going to take us behind the Iron Curtain.

28

Forgotten Vows

Naturally they were shocked. I'll never forget the look on

the faces of our team when I told them what God had

planned for us.

In 1970 the world was holding its collective breath at

the height of the Cold War, and I wanted to be careful

how we proceeded. We agreed to wait until God opened

the door for us to go into Eastern Europe. We would not

initiate the encounter.

Nearly two years passed before the door opened for us

to travel to Poland. A group of university students had

heard about our singing group Living Sound and

requested our presence at their campus in Krakow the

following October. This was the invitation we had been

waiting for. We knew God had opened the door, and we

began making preparations to travel into Poland. We had

no idea what we were getting into.

* * * * *

Crossing the border into Poland brought back

memories of my previous visit to Estonia. The Russian

soldiers, machine guns, guard dogs. I had witnessed it all

before but you never quite get used to it: The intimidation

they pose, the fear they try to create, the way you are

made to feel like a criminal even though you haven't done

anything wrong. Without the peace and blessing of God, I

would have turned around immediately. I had no desire

to be in Communist Poland.

We were scheduled to sing the next day at the

Jagellonian University. It was a prestigious university well

known throughout Eastern Europe, and we felt it a

29

Come Before Winter

privilege to conduct our first concert there. However,

when we stepped off the bus in Krakow, I was informed

that we were to perform, not at the university, but at the

Communist Youth Club headquarters!

* * * * *

There were beer bottles everywhere and the room was

filled with smoke. It hovered just under the ceiling

blurring the lights, and it stung our eyes. These were not

university students. They were leaders and active

members of Poland's Communist Youth Club, and they

had invited us to share our "American rock-n-roll". They

had no idea we were a Christian group with an

evangelical message.

Had providence brought us together or had our

zealousness to minister in a Communist country clouded

our vision? If we sang the Christians songs we had

prepared, we faced a possible riot. Worse yet, we could all

go to prison. As I closed my eyes and prayed, the words

appeared before me like they were written on the wall

right beside me. Jesus had spoken them to me two years

prior. "I am going to send you to minister among the

closed countries. You will do things that most men believe

impossible. If you trust me and are obedient, I will protect

you." I knew what I had to do. Nineveh was before me. I

had to give them the message.

After singing several of the songs we had prepared, I

stepped up to the microphone. I could hear grumbling

throughout the room. Many of these young people had

studied English as a second language and they were not

30

Forgotten Vows

impressed. We were not singing American rock-n-roll.

I began to preach. I told them that Karl Marx did not

have the answer. Neither did Vladimir Lenin. I shared my

testimony and that of other members of our group. We

were all sinners and the cross of Jesus Christ was the only

way unto salvation. I challenged them to turn away from

their sin and consider the cross.

When I finished, I believe even the smoke stood still. I

could not tell who was more taken back, the Communist

youth in front of me, or the members of Living Sound

behind me. One of them later told me that she was

fervently praying that God would shut me up before we

all found ourselves in prison.

When I turned to walk away from the microphone,

two men were waiting behind the curtain. They grabbed

me under my arms and led me down a hallway to a

narrow staircase leading into the basement. My associate,

Joel Vesanen followed us down. The basement was

divided into small rooms, one of which I was escorted

into. There was a table in the middle of the room and four

young men appeared to be expecting me. Their anger was

obvious.

In broken English they began to express their anger.

They demanded to know who had sent us. We were

accused of collaborating with the Central Intelligence

Agency. They continued speaking to me, switching from

English to Polish and back to English again. They had

advertised a rock concert to be performed by an American

group and sold hundreds of tickets for two concerts that

evening. They didn't want us to continue, and certainly

31

Come Before Winter

did not want to refund the money they had collected.

Now it appeared that the Communist Youth Club was

covertly pushing a religious program. God could not have

done it better.

I explained to them that we were not members of the

CIA and had no political agenda. I simply wanted to share

our faith in Jesus Christ. They reluctantly instructed us to

remain for the second concert, only I was not to preach. I

thanked them for allowing us to stay. I was certainly not

in a position to argue.

By the time we returned upstairs, it was time for

Living Sound to begin its' second concert. They were

relieved to see Joel and me but remained very uneasy.

Actually I believe they were terrified.

During the second concert something clicked. The

group was no longer inhibited by their surroundings.

They sang and worshiped like never before. The singers

raised their hands, and tears ran down their cheeks. I

could feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit descend upon

them. The Communist youth would never forget this

evening. Neither would we.

When we concluded there was a cold silence in the

room. Everyone appeared to be frozen in time. Who

would have believed what had just happened. By official

invitation we had just ministered the Gospel in word and

music to Communist leaders, within their private club. I

savored the moment. I thanked God He had allowed me

to obey, to Come Before Winter.

We remained in the club until 3:30 a.m. the next

morning. The Communist youth had given us a standing

32

Forgotten Vows

ovation and begun chanting for an encore. We sang three

more songs before finally disbanding and mingling

among the people. Each member of Living Sound made

their way through the smoked-filled room greeting the

youth and sharing their testimonies. I saw members of our

band praying with Communist youth, leading them into

salvation. Nineveh had heard and repented. I left Poland

overwhelmed at what God had done through a small

group of naive Christians. I didn't believe it could get any

better than this. I was wrong.

33

Chapter

5

The Stirring of the Waters

5

For an angel went down at a certain season into the

pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first

after the troubling of the water stepped in was made

whole of whatsoever disease he had.—John 5:4

One of the most unusual miracles found in the Bible,

recorded only in the Gospel of John, is the story of the

angel of the Lord who would come down to stir the water

in the pool of Bethesda. Whoever would enter the water

first would be healed. Imagine the multitudes of people

who must have gathered in Jerusalem to witness the

bizarre event—a mysterious pond that could make the

most deformed man whole, the blind to see, or the

paralyzed to walk. Only the water had to be stirred.

Without the angel's touch, this pond was no different than

any other body of water. The miracle only took place

during the season when the water was stirred. And only

the first one to enter the water would be healed.

35

Come Before Winter

The needs of those who had traveled to Jerusalem

were great. There were no doctors who could heal them.

They were probably considered outcasts, and others must

have wondered what grave sin their family had

committed that such a judgment had come upon them.

Those who had come to the pool of Bethesda—Hebrew for

the "house of mercy"—had lost all hope. Only the water

could deliver them now. But they had to be the first to

enter.

Only one would be healed, after which the

opportunity was lost—lost until the season returned when

the angel appeared again to stir the water.

We are surrounded today with hopelessness. There is

no cure for sin outside of Jesus Christ. He is our pool of

Bethesda—the only One who can deliver us from the

disease inflicted upon these earthly bodies. Having been

immersed in the pool of Living Water, we now carry its

power. Every person who has committed his or her life to

Jesus Christ carries the waters of Bethesda. These are

living waters by which others may come to drink and to

receive life everlasting.

However, this water must be stirred by the Spirit of

the Lord. Without anointing, the waters are stagnant. It is

only when they are stirred up, that the Lord can use us as

instruments of deliverance to set the captives free.

Containing the water is not enough. We must commit

ourselves to the Master's plan. We are simply vessels to be

broken, to spill over and allow the Living Water to touch

the lives of others who seek its truth.

The Holy Spirit knows when the season is ripe. He

36

The Stirring of the Waters

knows when winter is coming. When the water is ready to

be stirred we must hear His call and make ourselves

available. Otherwise the opportunity will be lost.

What would have happened to Nineveh if Jonah

hadn't finally conceded to God's call? Would the

opportunity for repentance have been lost? Would

thousands have perished?

I have heard the grief of many who have confessed

lost opportunities. God was leading them, stirring the

waters to go and minister the Word to a friend or relative

in need. They thought there was plenty of time. They had

other things that had to be accomplished so they would go

tomorrow or the day after. They continued procrastinating

until it was too late—until winter had come. The

opportunity was lost. That is a terrible moment.

We do not know the magnitude of lost opportunity.

We need to pray daily that we will be sensitive to God's

leading and be prepared to obey. He will lead us where

others dare not tread. He will accomplish things, through

us, that are seemingly impossible. If you trust Him and

obey his command, He will protect you. Even in the worst

of trials He will be with you—His love never fails.

I have never experienced this stirring in greater

measure than when the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to

minister in a Catholic church. I was not Catholic. I was

Protestant; I believed God was Protestant, and I knew He

would never allow me to minister in a Catholic church. I

am now ashamed of my attitude at the time, but that was

the way I was raised to believe. I resisted God as He

quietly stirred the waters.

37

Come Before Winter

* * * * *

A Priest in Tampa, Florida wanted us to minister in his

church. He had been present when Living Sound

performed in a Jesuit high school and was evidently

moved by our presentation. I had no intention of

accepting his offer. But God wouldn't let me refuse. I was

restless all of that evening and couldn't get a moment's

sleep. The waters were moving. I again had to make a

choice either to run or obey. When we submit ourselves to

God's service you can expect He will employ us.

The next morning I called the Priest and told him we

would be happy to minister at St. Paul's Catholic Church,

his local parish.

The service was tremendous. Living Sound ministered

in praise and worship while I concluded with a simple

Gospel message. Many came forward that evening to

commit their lives to Christ. I will never forget the

willingness in their hearts to be used of God. I forgot I was

in a Catholic church. I forgot I wasn't Catholic. We were

blessed to be vessels, used by God for His purpose. I

thanked God that he had allowed us to take this unique

opportunity. Although I was about to learn that God

didn't see it as "unique".

It was at the altar that the words came to me. It was

difficult to believe what I was hearing. God spoke to me

very clearly and told me, "I'm going to send you to

minister in the Roman Catholic Church."

I had already concluded the service and assumed that

was the end. God wanted us to minister at St. Paul's

38

The Stirring of the Waters

Catholic Church and we had obeyed. I wasn't looking for

a ministry among Catholics. Why was God calling me to

do this? I found myself questioning God again. I still felt a

religious prejudice and didn't really want to minister to

Catholics. What would my Protestant friends think? What

would my co-workers say? Would they really believe I

had heard God this time? What strange Come Before

Winter was this?

It seemed like we were being sidetracked. We had

committed ourselves to minister in the closed countries.

Why would the Lord send us in a new direction?

In my own mind none of this made sense. I went home

that night and again couldn't sleep. I was wrestling with

what God had told me. I believed I had my calling figured

out and I was second guessing the Master. It is so natural

for us to apply human wisdom even in our ministry. But it

has no place with God. It has no place in those who claim

to live by faith.

I almost missed this opportunity. I came extremely

close to refusing to obey—to allowing the waters to grow

stagnant. But I had learned to trust God in His leading

regardless of what others thought. Regardless even of my

own doubts.

The following evening I was ministering in a

Methodist church and decided to announce my newly

discovered call to the congregation and the other members

of our team. I told them that God was calling us to

minister in the Catholic Church. You can imagine the

reaction. I think they were more stunned then those who

were present when I first announced my intentions to

39

Come Before Winter

travel to Communist countries!

Several Christians came to me that night warning me

not to associate my ministry with the Catholic church.

They drilled me with their "convictions" and of falling

prey to "false doctrines". My friends' advice was well

intended, but they didn't understand. God had said He

would do it. I was simply called to obey. Winter was

coming and God wanted to stir the waters. Who was I to

question.

When God calls us to serve, we will often be tested by

the "concern" of others. We have to be on guard. If we

really believe God is leading us, if we know we have

heard His voice, we have to be prepared to face

opposition. Satan will use even our friends to cause us to

doubt God's leading.

* * * * *

It was three months later when God opened the door

for us to minister in our second Catholic church. We had

just finished ministering in several churches throughout

Western Europe including Sweden and decided to take

the ferry into Poland. We didn't have any bookings there,

but during our prayer time we felt that the Holy Spirit

was leading us to do it.

Crossing the Baltic Sea, we landed along the northern

shores of Poland. The border crossing wasn't much

different then I remembered during our last trip into

Krakow—the machine guns, the guard dogs and the tank

emplacements. It was quite overwhelming for those in our

group who hadn't traveled in a Communist country

40

The Stirring of the Waters

before.

Once we finished with the border officials, we headed

southeast to the capital, Warsaw. As we drove throughout

the countryside, once again we saw the evidence of a

country ravaged by countless invasions and wars. Years of

Communist control had placed Poland in a time warp. The

progress of the modern world had passed this nation by.

Farmers still tilled the land with horses. Milk was

delivered by wagon. Dirty storefront windows displayed

empty shelves with employees sitting idly inside. Gasoline

was rationed, for the few who were fortunate enough to

have cars.

I couldn't help but notice the statues of the Virgin

Mary proudly displayed in the fields along the roads.

Poland is predominately Roman Catholic and each village

had at least one Catholic church. Their faith was

something the people desperately held onto during the

war. It was rooted deep within their culture and

traditions.

I began to feel inadequate. Who was I to bring my

ministry into this country. What did I understand about

their faith, their values or the incredible struggles they

had been through. Poland had been invaded so many

times, it must have been difficult to hold onto any sense of

security. And for many, the Catholic church was all they

had.

Warsaw was full of activity. Old buses and trains,

covered with a layer of dirt, grime and occasional graffiti,

moved droves of people. They seemed oblivious to the

gray landscape surrounding them. I will always

41

Come Before Winter

remember the eyes. They were without hope.

We drove by a beautiful building, St. Ann's Cathedral.

It is one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in Poland

and well known throughout the country. The building

was a 14th century cathedral with gold statuary. Even

though it displayed years of neglect, it was one of the most

beautiful churches I had ever seen. However, there was

more than just the architecture that caught my eye about

St. Ann's. As we drove by, I had a strong feeling that St.

Ann's had something to do with why we were in Poland. I

could feel the stirring in my spirit.

I couldn't get our call to the Catholic Church out of my

mind. We settled into our hotel rooms and had a time of

prayer to seek the Lord as to what we should do next. We

met a young Christian in Warsaw called Richard. He was

a member of a Protestant Church. When I told him about

our call and asked him to phone St. Ann's Cathedral, he

did so with great reluctance.

We phoned Father George, the head priest at St. Ann's,

from the hotel. One of the members from Living Sound

asked me, "How can you call Father George?" "We don't

know him." "What will you say? We can't just invite

ourselves to sing in his church, can we?" Having

ministered in the Communist Youth Club, boldness didn't

seem to be a problem.

Father George was very pleasant on the phone. We

didn't have a strategic plan or eloquent words, we simply

told him, "You don't know us but we're a group of

Christian musicians from America. We would like an

opportunity to come and sing in your church."

42

The Stirring of the Waters

I suddenly realized what I had just said. I didn't know

anything more about this church than any tourist or

history buff would. I was a total stranger. Expecting a

polite refusal, I was caught off guard when Father George

replied, "That would be nice. We celebrate mass on

Thursday evening. You are welcome to come and sing

after that." He seemed very trusting. After confirming the

details, I rejoined the group to give them the news. Now

what?

Thursday night, we went into the church through the

back door. We wanted to have a few last minutes of

prayer. I couldn't believe my eyes when we walked into

the sanctuary. There was a crowd from wall to wall. No

one was sitting, everyone stood. That was the only way

they could pack them in. Thousands more stretched out

across the building and into the street. I gasped and said,

"Lord, what are we doing here?" I never expected this!

As we started to sing, my heart filled with an

incredible joy. All of my questions fell away as the Lord's

presence filled the entire church. These people came with

thirsty hearts! They were looking for the pool of Bethesda!

We sang songs in English that clearly the Lord was

translating into the hearts of people. Everyone was

singing, including Father George!

I preached a simple Gospel message and gave an altar

call. Hundreds began to work their way toward the

sacristy to accept Christ. I didn't think they understood

what I meant so I again explained the salvation message

and told them if they weren't serious they should leave.

Everyone remained. As each person surrendered to Jesus,

43

Come Before Winter

a miracle took place within their hearts.

My eyes scanned the people, and I saw a priest

standing six feet from me at the altar, tears were in his

eyes as he prayed the sinners prayer with us. I had a lump

in my throat so big that I could hardly speak.

Three days later I received a call at our hotel. It was

from the office of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, the head of

the entire Catholic church in Poland! My first thought

was, "How would I explain why an American music

group felt the need to minister in a Catholic church in the

capitol of Poland. Had I created a problem for Father

George?”

When we were introduced to him, he told us that he

had heard about our group singing at St. Ann's and was

polite and to the point. He said, "Young man, I have been

contacted by a great many people who were at your

meeting last night. Poland is a country where the

Communists continually proclaim that God is dead. Even

in school the children are indoctrinated in Communist

ideology and discouraged from believing in 'religious

superstitions'. But you have a message that our people are

thirsty for—a message that our young people will

understand."

I couldn't believe my ears. Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski

had agreed to commend our work at St. Ann's Cathedral.

My spirit was leaping with joy. I couldn't wait to tell the

other members of the team. I thanked the Cardinal for his

encouragement. It had meant a lot to the ministry. "But

you don't understand," the Cardinal continued, "I will

open every basilica, every cathedral, every church in this

44

The Stirring of the Waters

country to you if you will come back and bring the Gospel

to our people."

Stunned, I could barely comprehend what the

Cardinal was saying. By responding to the call of God, He

had opened a door I never dreamed possible! I was sure I

had heard wrong. "Yes sir, we would love to come back,"

was all I could say. My heart was beating wildly with

excitement.

For a moment I remembered when God had first told

me he was going to have us minister in the Roman

Catholic church. We had no idea why. Reluctantly we had

simply obeyed. Now I was beginning to understand.

There was no other way we could ever effectively minister

throughout Poland. The Communist Youth Organization

surely wasn't going to ask us to return. There were no

missionary visas for Poland. If we spoke publicly we

would probably be arrested. But God wanted to bless the

Catholic church. He knew it was the only way, the only

structure left after the Communists had invaded Poland.

How close had I come to missing God's call! The waters

were stirring; the call was evident. In a mixed feeling of

joy and wonder I began to praise the Lord. Who could

know the mind of God? What blessing comes when we

Come Before Winter.

Through the 70's we continued traveling into Poland.

We ministered in church after church after church. All

Catholic. All by invitation. Thousands of people came to

each presentation and hung on every word we sang, every

word I preached. The altars were always full.

During one of the services ambulances were waiting

45

Come Before Winter

outside. The heat was unbearable and some of those who

had come to hear our message had passed out from heat

exhaustion. They wouldn't go home. The pool was being

stirred, and they were waiting to enter, to be delivered

from the sin and hopelessness that consumed them. In one

six-week period we saw more than 13,000 people come to

the altar and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Revival

had broken out in Poland!

* * * * *

After one of our meetings in the city of Krakow, we

were contacted by a man who had heard a lot about our

concerts. His name was Karol Cardinal Wojtyla and he

was the leader of the church in the southern region of

Poland. He invited us to his home and extended the

hospitality of his table. We taught him some lively

choruses and gave him copies of our "Living Sound"

albums. He loved to play the guitar. A real bond of love

formed that evening as our team shared some of the

experiences we had witnessed during our travels. His love

for Poland was obvious and he was so thankful that God

was using us to reach many people, especially the youth,

throughout the country.

You can imagine our surprise when we learned that

this same man was nominated in 1978 to become Pope

John Paul II. In 1980, the Pope invited us to his new home,

in Rome. He invited us to sing at another meeting. There

we were in St. Peter's Basilica, standing before nearly

60,000 people singing There is Power in the Blood. The

crowd was exuberant.

46

The Stirring of the Waters

The Pope sat there tapping his toe to the music. When

we finished, he came down and wrapped his arms around

my neck and hugged me. It was at that moment that I

realized the awesomeness of what had transpired since

our group had felt the first nudge to go to Poland. The call

… that little voice saying, "Go and trust in Me." And now

here we were, reaching out to thousands with the Gospel

message, to souls hungry for Jesus, singing and rejoicing

before the Lord.

* * * * *

We did nothing special to facilitate this great move of

the Holy Spirit throughout Poland. It was God's timing,

His anointing, and we simply had to hear His call and

obey. Jesus said in John 14:12 that we would do greater

works than He did. I believe many Christians in the

church today could be experiencing great things for the

Kingdom if they would really seek God's face, if they were

willing to obey his plan and hear the call.. "Come Before

Winter."

To date, we have witnessed the conversion of more

than 200,000 souls throughout Poland. Each and every one

came through the Catholic church, the church which I had

no desire to serve in and had stated a religious prejudice

against. How small we must appear in God's majestic

plan. A huge chasm divides our reasoning from God's

reality.

47

Chapter

6

The Hunted

6

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast

young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither

thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt

stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee,

and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.—John 21:18

The Apostle Peter's life was one of contrasts. He made

a bold profession of Christ when, not fearing for his own

safety, he drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the

servants of the high priest who had come to arrest Jesus.

However, he adamantly denied Him later that same day.

Peter had also received much instruction from his Master.

His confession of faith was considered the "rock" upon

which Jesus would build the Church, yet he had to be

rebuked by the Apostle Paul for placing Gentile believers

back under the law.

Peter's life demonstrates the weakness and frailty of

man. But he was called, and despite his shortcomings,

49

Come Before Winter

God had a plan for his life. As long as Peter submitted

himself to that plan, he was a worthy vessel fit for service.

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He spoke

prophetically of what Peter would suffer—that he would

be bound by chains and led to a place where he did not

want to go. We know that place to be prison, and

eventually, death by crucifixion. Tradition also states that

Peter's wife was crucified with him and that Peter,

considered himself unworthy to die as Jesus had. He

requested to be crucified upside down.

When we hear the call to Come Before Winter, we do

not know where it will lead us. For many in the Church,

especially during the last century, it has led to martyrdom.

An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Christians are martyred

every year for their faith and testimony of Jesus Christ.

Today, in Communist, Muslim and other restricted

nations, Christians suffer inhuman tortures and

imprisonment for their faith. In many instances they could

escape such sufferings by denying Christ or by simply

agreeing not to evangelize.

Peter faced similar situations. He probably could have

eluded the persecution before him, had he not publicly

continued his ministry. Peter had the same choice many

believers now face—to run or respond—to save his life or

lose it for the sake of Christ.

Fortunately, most of us have never had to face such

trials. No Christian should wish such trials upon

themselves. We must, however, be prepared. Jesus said

that if they hate the Master they will hate the servant also.

We have no guarantee of safe passage through this life.

50

The Hunted

When we commit ourselves to the cross and a life of

service, we must be willing to face whatever may unfold

before us. We may become the hunted.

* * * * *

I first met Victor in 1979, during a trip to the Soviet

Republic of Georgia. He was a young man in his early

twenties, and had a haunted look about him. His behavior

was that of someone whose life was being orchestrated by

Another, and he was simply following orders.

Victor had come to the hotel to escort us to the

worship service where we were scheduled to minister. I

knew Victor's life was in danger, but I had no way of

informing him. I had had a run-in with the KGB, the

Russian secret police, earlier that morning; and they were

on every corner watching us. Four police cars had pulled

in behind our bus. The last thing I wanted to do was get

this young man in trouble. I had heard of the brutality

committed against Christians arrested for their faith, and I

felt a sense of responsibility for his safety. Unfortunately,

my efforts would prove futile.

We had been traveling throughout the Soviet Union

for nearly five weeks driving south from Moscow to

Armenia on the Turkish border, making our way into

Georgia. We were staying in the capital, Tbilisi.

En route to Tbilisi we passed through the village of

Gori, where the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, was born. I

had studied some of Stalin's history when we first began

traveling behind the Iron Curtain and was trying to

imagine what Stalin's boyhood had been like growing up

51

Come Before Winter

in this quaint village.

Stalin's father was abusive and reportedly subjected

his young son to severe beatings on a daily basis. He was

only 11 when his father passed away. The years of abuse

came to an end, but not without leaving their mark.

Stalin's mother was a devout Christian and

encouraged him to attend theological seminary, hoping it

would bring stability to her son's fractured life. Although

her intentions may have been well-meant, his time in

seminary proved to be disastrous.

It was not long before Stalin's abhorrence of religion

began to surface, and he was asked to leave the seminary.

His hatred against Christianity grew, and it was during

this time that he embraced the teachings of Karl Marx. As

he moved deeper into Marxist philosophy, Stalin's

character was being molded into that of one of the most

vicious and brutal dictators in history.

Joseph's Stalin's reign of terror and his anti-Christ

propaganda was evident as we drove through the

countryside. It reminded me of an old film documentary

from my childhood school days. The landscape was like a

drawing in black and white. Shades of gray distinguished

one building from another. They looked like they had

been painted with a bucket of fog. The air was thick with

the smell of coal burning. The snow was covered with

black soot from the antiquated oil refineries where many

of the villagers labored. Even the children's faces where

permanently stained from the pollution. Life as God

intended seemed to be stripped away under Communist

rule, robbed of all color and it seemed only death ruled in

52

The Hunted

the hearts of the people.

When we arrived at the hotel in Tbilisi, the clerk

requested our passports, stating that he would need to

keep them at the hotel desk. This was a common practice

throughout the Communist bloc but one I had never

gotten used to. Somehow, it made you feel like a captive.

As we turned over the passports, I held out my hand,

requesting our room keys. Ignoring my gesture, the clerk

pointed to the staircase, instructing us to proceed to the

third floor where a woman would unlock the doors for us.

We wouldn't even be entrusted with our own room

keys. .another loss of freedom, another intimidation tactic,

another way of reminding us who was in control.

Two elderly women were sitting at a small wooden

desk in the hallway. Their faces were empty. It seemed

they had forgotten how to smile. They seemed

uninterested in us and yet a bit nervous at the sight of

foreigners. Before I could even mention the room number,

one of them stood up and moved towards a door

unlocking our little space of privacy. I wondered how she

knew we were coming. They didn't have any telephones

in the hall and there were other people coming and going.

I had an uneasy feeling, like somebody knew we were

there. But we hadn't told anyone. Ministering in the USSR

during the Cold War was very dangerous and you had to

take every precaution.

As we headed down to breakfast the next morning, I

was summoned by the desk clerk. Without saying a word,

he handed me a piece of paper. It was a note from the

head of the KGB in Tbilisi requesting my presence in his

53

Come Before Winter

office first thing that morning! Immediately my mind

raced with questions. Surely there was an explanation.

What was going on? How did the KGB know who I was?

How did they know where to find the group? Had they

been following us? For how long?

As I joined the others, in "Living Sound", I tried to

remain calm and not let my thoughts get ahead of me.

After all, what could the KGB want with me? This was

crazy! I assured them that it was some kind of

misunderstanding and that I would straighten it out and

then meet them back at the hotel.

The desk clerk called a driver who put me in a special

car. I knew it was KGB by the license plate number.

Immediately the driver lit up a cigarette and the car

bumped along the street. I was oblivious to everything as

we drove through the city, praying for the Lord's wisdom.

There must be some mistake. I couldn't imagine what the

KGB would want with me. We had been in the city less

than 24 hours.

Although I could feel my nerves tensing throughout

my body, I was not afraid. The words of the Lord came

back to me, "I am going to send you to minister among the

closed countries. You will do things that most men believe

impossible. If you trust me and be obedient, I will protect

you."

The taxi pulled up alongside the curb at the KGB

headquarters. The driver came around and opened the

door and pointed toward a nondescript building. I can't

describe the feeling I had as I stood alone, outside of KGB

headquarters, staring at the building. What deeds of

54

The Hunted

darkness had originated in this place? What tortures were

devised to "encourage" the "guests" to speak? How many

of my brothers and sisters in the faith had been

summoned here?

One thing I knew, however—I was not alone. My

dilemma was no different than what many others lived

with on a daily basis. They knew the fear and intimidation

brought on by decades of Communist oppression. I

decided in my heart that there was nothing to fear. I was

an ambassador of Jesus Christ and He had ordered my

steps. He would instruct me on how to answer any

questions the KGB may pose.

There was nothing to indicate that I was entering KGB

headquarters. Had I not been given the street address, I

would never had known how to identify the building.

Even those who entered and exited the building where

dressed in everyday attire.

The Secret Police, later called the KGB, was formed in

1917, when Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Soviet

revolution. The purpose of this organization was to

remove the "enemies of the government" and to instill

total fear in the people. Anyone could be arrested, for any

reason, at any time and then be imprisoned or executed

without explanation. It was a simple strategy and the

secret police were efficient and ruthless at carrying it out.

Countless thousands, even hundreds of thousands,

had died or simply disappeared. By the time Joseph Stalin

came to power, use of this terrorist group had been

perfected. His hatred of Christianity had increased over

the years, and he turned against the church with a

55

Come Before Winter

vengeance.

Thus began one of the most gruesome eras in history

regarding the persecution of Christians. With the goal of

eliminating religion, the Communist regime confiscated

church property, harassed believers and taught atheism in

the schools. Christian schools and seminaries were closed.

Bibles, hymnals and religious books were burned. Many

in the Christian community simply vanished without a

trace. Minor children were even removed from Christian

homes and placed in Communist boarding schools. There

they would be taught to fight for the "Motherland".

Anyone not conforming to the Communist philosophy fell

under the jurisdiction of the KGB.

One thing could be said of the Soviet secret police.

They took great pride in their work. They wanted to be

sure that they had the attention of the masses. They

implemented some of the most brutal methods of terror

known to man, ranging from psychological torture to

physical destruction. Ministers as well as believers from

their congregations were arrested. Within the walls of the

KGB headquarters they were systematically tortured. Men

were beaten beyond recognition for refusing to "confess".

Others were forced to amuse the police by standing for

hours on one leg; then after giving in to exhaustion, they

were beaten. Hours of intense interrogation were used to

brainwash prisoners, leaving them completely terrorized

and paranoid.

The KGB played the parts of both judge and jury,

condemning God's children to prisons or labor camps.

Many were told that if they believed in God, they must be

56

The Hunted

insane, so they were sent to psychiatric hospitals, where

they underwent "medical tests" that left them in a zombie-

like state or worse. The message of the KGB was clear, and

"dying to self" took on a whole new meaning for believers.

As I walked into KGB headquarters in Tbilisi, the chief

inspector was waiting for me. He rose from his desk,

smiled and greeted me by name. He was very polite and

spoke English surprisingly well. Had I not known who I

was dealing with, I might have actually believed he could

be my friend. He was a professional and had obviously

had good training. For a moment I felt intimidated.

He asked me to sit down and showed me a letter he

had received from the pastor whose church we were

scheduled to sing at that evening. His smile faded and he

got straight to the point. "I understand you came to Tbilisi

expecting to sing at a church. I have here a letter from the

pastor of that church. He has changed his mind. Your

group is no longer welcome."

I tried to appear calm, but inside I was stunned. Our

visit was supposed to be a complete secret. How was it

possible that he not only knew we were in Tbilisi, but was

fully aware of what we would be doing? I could feel my

heart racing as I tried to retrace the events leading up to

our arrival, searching my mind for some kind of

explanation. The commander became annoyed at my lack

of attention. He held up the letter and said, "The pastor is

requesting that you not come to his church."

I thought that seemed like an unusual request for a

pastor to send to the KGB, so I asked to see the letter. My

sudden boldness surprised the officer. He readily handed

57

Come Before Winter

it to me, knowing it was written in the Georgian alphabet

and that I wouldn't be able to read any of it. I said, "How

do I know that's what it says?"

"Believe me, that's what it says," he replied. I could

sense the irritation growing in his voice.

As this man stood over me, basking in the atmosphere

of intimidation he had created, I felt a strong presence of

the Lord. Scriptures went through my mind, reminding

me of the mighty God I serve. How many times in the

New Testament had the followers of Christ been

instructed not to preach? How far would my faith in Jesus

Christ carry me?

I knew that there was a freedom of religion clause in

the new Soviet constitution, so I said, "Sir, we are here to

exercise our freedom of religion as granted under your

constitution. We are going to that church tonight. If they

don't want us to participate, that's fine. We'll just sit there

and observe them. But we are going to go and be a part of

the meeting tonight." Then I asked to be excused from his

office.

He stood up with an expression of total disbelief. His

face flushed red with anger. With all the authority he

could muster he pointed his finger at me and said, "Mr.

Law, if you go to that service tonight and let those young

people who have traveled here with you sing, you are

going to prison." I said, "Goodbye sir," and walked out of

the room.

Back at the hotel, I called everyone together. I knew it

was one thing to put my own life in danger, but it's

another thing when fourteen young people are depending

58

The Hunted

on your decisions. I went over my recent experience,

trying not to sway their decision. We took a vote on

whether or not to attend the service. I warned them, "The

police are going to hound us tonight. I don't know how

many will be there or what they will do." We prayed,

committing the situation completely to the Lord. The vote

was unanimous, "Let's go."

At six o'clock p.m., we walked out of the hotel and

headed for our bus. It was a difficult situation. Victor was

about to join us and he knew nothing of what had

transpired at KGB headquarters. I had no way of letting

him know that the police were going to follow us. Victor

arrived and gave a nod and then got into his taxi. We

followed him, while the four unmarked KGB cars

followed us.

We traveled across the city and out into a suburb,

driving up and down one street after another, trying to

find the address. About a half a block from the church,

Victor's taxi pulled over. He got out of the cab and jumped

onto our bus. He still hadn't seen the police cars behind

us. I quickly said to Victor, "Get out of here, the police are

behind us!" I pushed him off the bus and he walked

hurriedly to the sidewalk.

One of the police cars had already pulled ahead of us,

and an officer headed down the sidewalk to apprehend

Victor. I shouted to the guys in our group, "Get out and

stop that man." Six of the young men in our group jumped

off the bus and gathered together, blocking the sidewalk.

As the agent was running toward them, one of our guys

shouted the question, "Do you know what time it is?" The

59

Come Before Winter

KGB agent was distracted just long enough for Victor to

disappear around a corner into the church courtyard. We

all breathed a sigh of relief. Victor was safe, at least for the

time being.

I rejoined Victor in the church courtyard and he led

me in to speak with the pastor. I explained to Victor and

the pastor that the KGB had contacted me and informed

me of the letter that the Pastor had written. "What are you

talking about?" The pastor replied, "I didn't write any

letter like that. It is a tactic of the KGB. Now you know

what we must deal with every day. For those of us living

under Communist control, this is part of the Christian

walk."

I still didn't fully understand the situation or what the

pastor was saying. I said, "Sir, there are four carloads of

police out there watching us. They have said they will

disrupt the service. The commander told me this morning

that I, along with my group, would be arrested. I don't

know exactly what they will do. We aren't here to cause

trouble for you. We will be happy just to sit at the back of

the church and watch."

The minister obviously didn't share my fears. His

response was one that I will never forget. "We have never

seen young people from America," he began, "and we

have never heard you play your instruments. We have

never heard your testimonies. If you have come to sing

and share with us, knowing now what you will face, then

we want to listen. I don't care what they will do to me if

you don't care what they will do to you."

With a clear sense of the Lord's purpose, I turned to

60

The Hunted

the group and said, "Bring in the equipment." An

incredible joy filled the church. There was a special

anointing as we sang and I preached from God's Word.

Victor, the man who had risked his life to get us to the

church, was my interpreter.

From the podium I could see the police sitting in the

back. In the middle of my message, they got up and

headed for the pulpit. Looking out at all of those hungry

souls wanting to know more about Jesus, I continued

preaching. What could man do to me when the presence

of Jesus Christ was filling every heart in this church? With

a slow yet determined walk, the officers came towards the

pulpit. It seemed to me as if my time had come.

Then, for reasons I still don't understand, they turned

down a side aisle and left the church. We had defied their

orders. We had openly shared the Gospel in their

presence. We had no desire to get ourselves or anyone else

in trouble, but we had answered the call. We were walking

in the instructions of our Master and were prepared for

whatever these people wanted to do to us. We can't

always assume legal protection in exercising our faith. For

many in the Church, the very law that was written to

protect them, will be their enemy. We live by a higher law

than what man would place upon us to restrict the

preaching of the Gospel.

After the meeting, I took Victor aside and said, "Look,

you're only one step ahead of the police. Why don't you go

home. I can find another interpreter. I don't want to

endanger your life." Then he said something I have never

forgotten. He answered, "Terry, eight years ago my best

61

Come Before Winter

friend became a Christian. He told me all about Jesus and

what He had done in his life. I realized that if I ever

accepted Jesus as my Savior, I would have to be willing to

die for what I believed. I am not worried about what the

police can do to me. I died eight years ago when I

accepted Christ. My life is now His." I have never

forgotten Victor's words. This man was on fire for the

Lord. He was prepared to pay any price to serve Him!

As our bus left the city of Leningrad a week later, the

police moved in behind us. They grabbed Victor and

threw him up against the building. They searched him

and he was pushed into one of the police vehicles and

taken to KGB headquarters. Three weeks later, we

realized he had disappeared. It took us three months to

locate him. He was in a Soviet prison. The sentence was

for one year. There he was beaten repeatedly. He spent

over two months in solitary confinement.

Later, when I heard he had been released, I sent a

message to him telling him not to worry, that we would

get him to the West. "No" he replied, "I am the one who

can bring the Gospel to my people." Victor had heard the

voice of God. He saw the opportunity, and he was

determined to establish his footsteps as the Lord would

lead. Prison hadn't broken him. He was responding to the

call God had placed upon his life. He wanted to Come

Before Winter.

Victor had been out of prison for only five months

when his picture appeared as a "wanted" notice on the

front page of the Russian Communist newspaper. The

caption read, "If you know where this man is, contact the

62

The Hunted

police." He was on the run for almost two weeks before

the police found him. Once again, he was sentenced to

prison. Back to the repeated beatings and isolation.

After twelve months of struggling to stay alive, Victor

was released for the second time. His appearance was

horrifying. This young man had endured months on the

edge of death. He was like a skeleton. His skin had a

deathly pallor. Months of starvation had left him so weak

that he could barely walk. But in his eyes the fire

remained, fueled by the voice of God and the vision that

wasn't yet complete. While Victor's body struggled, his

spirit was strong and determined. Victor wanted to bring

the Gospel to his people. He knew the time was ripe, the

angel was stirring the water and he had heard the call..

"Come Before Winter."

63

Chapter

7

Little Red

7

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the

poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and

have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.—I

Corinthians 13:3

God has allowed me to participate in many unique

experiences. From the first time I submitted my life to

God's call that evening in my father's church, to ministry

throughout the former Soviet bloc countries, the call to

come before winter has been constantly with me. It is

now, after 30 years of ministry, that I am increasingly

aware of why God has chosen such experiences for me.

As Christians, we are stewards of all that God entrusts

to us. For many leaders in the Church today, this principle

of stewardship has focused primarily on finances. How

unfortunate! For we have been bought with a price. If we

confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we are no longer our

65

Come Before Winter

own. Not only our treasure, but our time and talents

belong to God. And we have the awesome responsibility,

and joy, of seeking His good pleasure for our lives.

Through the years I have learned many aspects of

God's call. I have learned to trust in the Master and to

seize the day, grasping opportunities before me. I have

learned to count the costs and risks that may arise in

following God's call. But the greatest aspect of obeying the

call to Come Before Winter was illustrated by a young

believer in China. She taught me a greater lesson than all

others combined. She taught me the reality of God's love.

* * * * *

Little Red had only been a Christian for one week

when she was arrested by the CPSB—the Chinese Public

Security Bureau.

A Chinese brother who represented our ministry had

come to a small village in China seeking rest from his

difficult travels throughout the country. The evangelist

knew of a family in the area where he could remain for

awhile. There were very few Christians in this village. It

was virtually unreached by the Gospel. The villagers lived

an unpretentious life. They grew their own food along the

mountainside, raised their own farm animals. Families

remained together, pooling their resources in order that

everyone's needs might be met.

There were no televisions or radios. Electricity was

only available a few hours each day, and even then was

unreliable. Most of the families cooked outdoors, beside

their huts, over open fires fueled with coal. They were a

66

Little Red

simple people, conservative in nature, and they opened

their village and hearts to the traveling evangelist.

The evangelist had no intention of preaching in this

village. It was simply a stopover, a sabbatical of sorts to

help him regain his strength. He anticipated at least 30

days of rest before he would continue on in his ministry.

But his pool was being stirred.

One afternoon a group of teenagers struck up a

conversation with the evangelist. Without any means of

modern communication, the youth knew little of what was

happening outside their village, let alone outside China.

They were very inquisitive. They asked many questions

about life in the free world. What was the West like? Was

America as lawless and wicked as they had been told?

As the evangelist answered their questions, more

youth began to gather. How could any servant of God

continue to converse with such a captive audience without

sharing the Gospel? The evangelist knew the opportunity

was right. He was sensitive to God's leading and began to

tell the curious villagers about God and the sacrifice of His

son upon a cross.

The youth had never heard anyone speak like this

before. They knew little of their Creator. The questions

came at the evangelist faster than he could compose his

answers. "Where does God come from?" "Where does He

live?" "How come the Chinese Communists don't believe

in Him?" "What is heaven like?" "Is there a hell?" "What is

a Christian?" "How do we become Christians?"

Within a few hours a church had been born. In this

simple country village, a revival was taking place. They

67

Come Before Winter

were hungry. They were ripe for harvest. With little effort,

the evangelist led three young Chinese people in prayer to

an unknown God.

The youth didn't want to waste another moment. They

began to share with their friends. More youth came. They

began prayer meetings. The message was clear; salvation

was a free gift to anyone who would repent of their sins

and accept Jesus Christ into their hearts.

No one had ever given a gift to these people. They

worked hard for every meal. There was no free ride.

Intrigued by the evangelist, more villagers came to the

meetings. Word quickly spread and before long others

were traveling many miles through the countryside to

attend the meetings. Young and old alike witnessed the

revival. Many who came to the meetings committed their

lives to Jesus. The crowds grew to 2,000 people and 350

new converts were baptized in the river.

The meetings had been going for less than three weeks

when Little Red showed up. She came from a very

conservative family and rarely left her village. At nineteen

years old she had developed into a beautiful young

woman. She was taller than most Chinese women, and her

appearance caused a murmur among the crowd. In the

western world, she could have passed for a movie star or

model. Her enchanting personality only complimented

her beauty.

Little Red was not your typical young woman.

Although she had only attended school through the

elementary grades, she had received a lot of private

instruction. She was an only child, and her parents took

68

Little Red

much pride in raising her. Everyone liked Little Red. She

had a way of lighting up the room.

The evangelist, viewing the vast number of attendees

at his services, realized the danger he was placing the

village in. Caught up in the excitement of the moment, he

had nearly forgotten that he was in Communist China and

these meetings were completely illegal. If the police

caught wind of what was going on, they would surely be

arrested.

Within the week, that which he feared most came

upon him.

On Sunday morning, April 23rd, more than twenty

police officers armed with rifles and clubs stormed the

meeting. They could have come peacefully, inquiring as to

the nature of the services, but their agenda was clear.

Regardless of guilt or innocence, they immediately

rushed in on those in attendance. Rifle butts smashed into

faces and heads. The believers were kicked, spit upon and

dragged from the meeting place. There was blood

everywhere. What had begun merely four weeks ago as a

small gathering of curious youth had erupted into a real

riot.

Sixty-four newly converted Chinese Christians and

our ministry representative, were arrested that morning.

They were all herded into police vans, hauled away and

confined to three small isolation cells measuring barely 12

feet square. This was not an American prison. There was

little ventilation and the prisoners could barely breathe in

the stagnant air. Toilet facilities existed outside the cells,

but no one was allowed to leave. The corner of the room

69

Come Before Winter

became their toilet.

When the iron door was shut, virtually no light

entered the room. The believers were surrounded in

darkness, forced to stand for lack of space. Only a few

could lay down at a time. A faucet decorated the corner of

each room, but they weren't working. The prisoners

couldn't wash, and within a few days the smell was

unbearable.

Despite the situation, the believers remained faithful.

The evangelist continued to preach. They prayed and sang

to their newfound Savior. Some of those incarcerated had

only become followers of Christ a few days or even hours

before the arrest. And now they were criminals. Being

treated worse than animals, they were quickly being tried

by fire.

The guards frequently came to the cells and selected

prisoners to be interrogated and beaten. For some reason,

one girl in particular endured the most. Why they selected

her no one knew. Perhaps it was because of her beauty.

Little Red was pulled from her cell almost every

evening. She was stripped of all clothing and made to

kneel on small pellets which drove their way into her

hands and knees. Blood dripped from the small holes left

by the pellets. The guards laughed at her and taunted her,

ridiculing her for praying to her God.

Everyone thought Little Red would break under the

torture, but she remained firm in her convictions. The

others would attempt to comfort her during the day and

allow her to rest, but the assistance seemed futile,

compared to the constant persecution at the hands of the

70

Little Red

brutal officers.

One officer in particular, who was referred to as

"Devil," was especially cruel. Little Red was sexually

abused on several occasions. She was hung upside down

and shocked with a cattle prod on her private parts. No

one would have blamed her for breaking. At nineteen

years of age and a Christian for only one week, she had

endured unimaginable torment, inflicted by a man

seemingly possessed by Satan himself.

After 30 days in this Communist hell, the believers

were to be released. By this time Little Red no longer

spoke. When not subjected to the beatings, she would sit

in a corner and stare into the darkness. The other believers

prayed fervently for her, wondering if any hope remained

in her.

The officers had gone too far. How could anyone do

this to such a beautiful young woman? In four weeks she

had aged a lifetime. Her face no longer resembled that of a

movie star. Her eyes were sunken like deep pools within

her face. Bloodstained bruises covered most of her visible

flesh.

By a miracle of circumstances that I cannot describe in

this book, we were able to raise money for the release of

the prisoners. On the day of their release, the prisoners

were lined up in the courtyard. The daylight stung their

eyes as they squinted, attempting to focus on their

surroundings. Little Red could barely stand and had to be

supported by our friend.

The officers stood in front of the believers. Ironically,

the one referred to as "Devil" stood directly in front of

71

Come Before Winter

Little Red. All of the believers knew what he had

subjected the young woman to. They had heard the

screams and felt her anguish. Even some of his fellow

officers thought he had gone too far. A shared hatred for

this man emanated from those gathered.

What no one knew was that Little Red had spoken

with her tormentor. She had told him that Jesus loved

him. Those three simple words infuriated him and caused

him to lash out even harder. Those three words ate their

way into his soul and denied him rest night upon end.

As he stood before the girl he had so savagely abused,

he broke. His knees buckled and he fell under the weight

of his own heart. It was like a ton of bricks bearing down

on his soul. He tried to compose himself, but the effort

was useless. The man who seemingly held Little Red's

very life within his grasp was crumbling before her. Tears

of repentance and sorrow sprang from his eyes. He

begged her forgiveness.

But how could she? How could Little Red forgive such

a man? He deserved the flames of hell and the torment he

had inflicted on others. He was the criminal. The

evangelist longed to kick the officer. The echoes of Little

Red's screams continued to ring within him. Maybe the

others would turn a blind eye if he assaulted the "Devil"

who had subjected his young convert to such horrors.

As the evangelist turned Little Red's head from the

sight of this monster, she slipped from his arms and knelt

down beside her persecutor. The officers looked on in

disbelief. A stillness fell over the courtyard. No one

moved or made the slightest noise as Little Red reached

72

Little Red

out her hand and wiped a tear from his face.

Her response sounded across the courtyard as she

spoke words of love and forgiveness to the broken officer.

The words resembled those of Jesus, hanging on a cross,

pleading for forgiveness for the souls of those who

crucified him. Unbeknownst to her, Little Red was

experiencing the highest call. The ability to love. To love

even the worst of mankind.

The other believers broke out in praise to God. Other

officers knelt down and prayed for forgiveness, inviting

Jesus into their hearts. The gates of hell were shattered

before a young Chinese Christian who, beaten nearly to

death, demonstrated the love of Christ. No higher calling

exists.

* * * * *

Wherever God's call would lead us, no matter how we

serve Him, our motivation must be love. It was love for

every soul who ever lived, is alive, or will live, that put

our Lord on the cross. It is love that calls each of us to

labor in His kingdom. It is with love that I challenge you

to hear the call.. "Come, Come Before Winter."

73

Epilogue (World Compassion)

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given

thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the

disciples to them that were set down ...—John 6:11

In a Russian village called Maloyaroslavets, 120 miles

south of Moscow, God planted the seed for a ministry

called World Compassion in the heart of Terry Law. Terry

had taken a small film crew to the village to record the

reality of the grinding poverty that the people were

facing. In the fall of 1992, a little more than a year after

Boris Yeltsin came to power in Moscow, Russia was

struggling to distribute enough food to keep its people

alive. To the shock of the rest of the world, the former

superpower had expended so much economic energy

building weapons that food was in dangerously short

supply.

In the early morning hours of that cold November

morning, a long line began to form at the bread store.

Some had waited hours in below freezing temperatures to

get a good place in line. By the time the bread truck came

down the street, nearly 120 people were waiting in front

of the store. The truck unloaded its entire cargo, 25 loaves

75

Come Before Winter

of bread. Terry and the crew watched in disbelief as 95

people left to go home empty-handed and hungry. There

would be no more bread until the next truck arrived

perhaps tomorrow.

During this pathetic scene, the crew had been rolling

the tape, recording the desperate situation. One older

woman, a grandmother with her babushka, or scarf, tied

over her head, had been watching the crew closely.

Obviously angry, she approached the Russian interpreter

with some pointed questions. "Who are these people?

What are they doing here?"

The interpreter was a devoted Christian who had

spent 18 years in Communist prisons for his activities as a

leader in the underground church. His heart went out to

the woman, and he answered, "These are people from

America. They are bringing us Bibles and telling us about

God." This answer seemed to irritate the woman further,

and she snapped an answer back in Russian that clearly

shook the interpreter. Terry was anxious to know what

she had said. The interpreter responded, "She said, Tell

them we can't eat Bibles!"

The message was clear; these people needed physical

help before the love of Christ would mean anything. Yet

this was a new area for Terry, and he struggled with the

thought. Would food distribution pull precious energy

away from preaching the Gospel? Would meeting the

physical needs sidetrack evangelization? Three days later,

Terry would have his answer.

When the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded in

April of 1986, a cloud of radioactive debris was spewed

76

Epilogue (World Compassion)

into the sky. The winds on that day were blowing from

the south, and the cloud moved north, over the Ukrainian

border with Belarus, depositing deadly radioactive

material over huge areas of what was then the White

Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. Hundreds of thousands

of people were poisoned with radioactive debris, and an

estimated 600,000 children are now in various stages of

cancer and pre-cancer. The greatest challenge came when

Terry held one of those dying children in his arms.

While in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, Terry and his

group were invited to visit one of the cancer hospitals for

children. In one of the wards, he was able to stop and hold

a five-year-old boy named Pavel. Pavel was dying of

cancer, and his mother stood nearby, despair etched into

her face. The economic disaster created by the Soviet

Union meant that families in Belarus could not afford the

most basic necessities of life, including food, if it was even

available. This meant a choice between growing food in

the radioactively contaminated soil or having no food at

all: starvation. Radioactive food leads to cancer, yet

starvation was knocking on the door. This is the situation

that faced Pavel's family, and explained the deep lines of

hopelessness on his mother's face.

Speaking with the head doctor of the hospital, Terry

discovered that many of the children were suffering from

leukemia. With blood transfusion equipment, the doctor

said, he could give transfusions to the children from a

parent with the matching blood type, and that half of

those who were dying could be saved. A voice was

whispering, "Come Before Winter."

77

Come Before Winter

The Spirit of God was speaking to Terry, and he

returned home filled with a new resolve. Terry says,

"When we finally acknowledge God's call, there is

anticipation and enthusiasm to see how He will bring

things together." There was a new dimension awaiting

those who shared Terry's burden for Russia, and he was

anxious to share it with them. It would be impossible to

minister the whole Gospel without caring about the

physical needs of the people. A Christian cannot say, "Be

warmed and be filled," without providing warmth and

food. The call came through the lips of a Russian

grandmother and the eyes of a cancer stricken child, "Meet

our desperate need. Come Before Winter."

One of the most famous miracles of Jesus' ministry is

the feeding of the 5,000 hungry people who came to hear

His words of life. If Christ saw food distribution as a

necessary part of his ministry, is there any reason not to

follow in His footsteps? It was not yet obvious how

important this new aspect of ministry would be in

preaching the Gospel to thousands, but World

Compassion had been born. World Compassion is a

ministry that can be "given away." Many people have the

desire to travel overseas to minister life to those in need,

yet they are unable to do so. For those unable to meet the

needs of the people face to face. World Compassion is a

ministry that belongs not to Terry Law, but to the people

who desire to feed hungry families and hold dying

children, sharing the love of Jesus with them.

* * * * *

78

Epilogue (World Compassion)

Through World Compassion and the people who

shared Terry's burden, more than 60 tons of food were

soon purchased to help feed the children affected by the

Chernobyl accident. When the food was ready to be

loaded on a ship in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Terry was there

to oversee the loading of the food. The Ambassador to the

UN from Belarus had come to meet Terry and to thank

him for the aid to the children. As the food was being

loaded on the ship, the ambassador was clearly moved.

He asked, "Why would you people here in America care

about Russian children?"

Terry answered, "Sir, in the Bible, in Matthew 25, Jesus

said, 'I was hungry and you fed me. Inasmuch as you

have done it unto one of the least of these, you have

done it unto me.' "

The ambassador asked, "Is that in the Christian Bible?"

When Terry told him that it was indeed in the Christian

Bible, the man nodded his head, as a small tear formed in

the corner of his eye. He realized the motivation of the

people who were sending this food. They were doing it

because Jesus had told them to do it. Yet this powerful

witness of the love of Christ was only the beginning.

After the food arrived in Belarus, Terry went to Minsk

to be sure that the food had actually been delivered to the

hospitals. At the cancer hospital for children, the head

doctor was overjoyed to see Terry, and greeted him

warmly with a bear hug, before giving him a tour of the

hospital. The children were no longer hungry or eating

contaminated food, but were enjoying the clean food that

had been sent. We also delivered several IV pumps. This

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Come Before Winter

practical help opened the door to the most important part

of the visit.

In coming to the hospital, Terry and his team had

brought copies of the book called The Story of Jesus, an

illustrated storybook written in Russian that clearly tells

about Christ and the gift of eternal life. As the storybooks

were handed to the children, their parents began to read

to them. Children in various stages of cancer, some on the

very brink of death, were seeing pictures of Christ, as He

healed people, fed the multitudes, and most of all, as He

held the little children in His loving embrace. Children

who were slipping away from this life were hearing of the

One who was inviting them to eternal life. The food and

medical supplies had opened a door for sharing the love

of Christ with precious, dying children.

Yet that was not the last of the fruit to be harvested in

that season. A few weeks later Terry received an

invitation to meet with Boris Yeltsin in Moscow. After

traveling all night, Terry and his companions traveled

from their hotel to the Russian White House to meet with

the President. They were disappointed to find out that

Yeltsin was unable to meet with them due to a last-minute

schedule change. The President's press secretary was there

to meet them instead. After the introductions, he asked

them a familiar question, "Why would people from

America care enough about Russian children to send food

and medical supplies to them?"

It was obvious to the man that many people in

America cared about these children—that it was more

than the effort of just one person. To answer, Terry read

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Epilogue (World Compassion)

from Matthew 25, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto

one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it

unto me.'" The man's next question also had a familiar

ring, "Is that in the Christian Bible?" It was the next

question however that caught him off guard. "Would you

be willing to tell that to the Russian people, on national

television?," he asked.

That evening the lobby of the hotel where we were

staying was transformed into a television studio for the

program "Good Evening Moscow." The host of the

program treated Terry's Bible like it was a rare jewel,

holding it carefully and asking many questions about

what it said. At one point Terry took the opportunity to

lead the discussion deeper. He said, "The Bible says you

must be born again."

The interviewer responded, "What does that mean, to

be born again?" Immediately, the door for sharing the plan

of salvation was open again, and Terry was able to look

directly into the cameras, and directly into the homes of

millions of Russian families, and encourage them to

believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Because Terry had listened to the call to "Come Before

Winter," and because people responded with food and

medical equipment for the children of Belarus, God had

accomplished what seemed impossible. He had delivered

the story of Jesus' life to dying children, and He used an

official Russian television program to broadcast the plan

of salvation to a land emerging from 70 years of atheistic

darkness.

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Come Before Winter

* * * * *

World Compassion continues to open doors for the

Gospel around the world, ministering to the physical and

spiritual needs of hurting and hungry people. Through the

involvement of people who have a heart to reach into

other lands with the love of Christ, thousands have been

touched.

In a refugee camp in Armenia, starving families have

been given not only physical food, but more importantly,

the Bread of Life. In China and North Korea, humanitarian

aid delivered to those in need is opening doors for the

Gospel which once seemed impenetrable.

Working together with other ministries, World

Compassion has distributed more than 16 million copies

of the illustrated storybook of the life of Christ, The Story

of Jesus. Translated into 20 languages, the book gives a

presentation of the Gospel, which can be understood by

persons with even limited literacy. Children and adults

have received this message of the love of Christ in dozens

of countries including the former Soviet Union, China,

Cuba, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Tibet, Nepal,

Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Armenia. A

newly completed translation in Arabic will allow

distribution throughout the Middle East.

The incredible growth rate of the church in China has

left millions of new believers with an acute need for

accurate Bible teaching. Bibles are scarce even among

leaders, leaving believers open to false teachings and

heresies. To meet this critical need, World Compassion has

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Epilogue (World Compassion)

developed an Audio Bible Curriculum, containing 300

hours of important teaching on the issues of discipleship,

basic doctrine, the Bible, and Christian leadership.

Through duplication inside China, World Compassion

hopes that 25,000 copies of this incredible resource will be

distributed. Translations will allow the curriculum to be

distributed in other restricted countries such as Cuba,

Vietnam and North Korea.

In Kaliningrad, Russia, food, clothing and the love of

Christ is provided to abandoned children who live in the

sewers of the city. The World Compassion office in St.

Petersburg, Russia has distributed a topical Bible study on

videotape to hundreds of pastors, while the requests

continue to pour in. Since 1990, five million New

Testaments have been given to hungry souls in the former

Soviet Union.

Believers who want to touch the world with the reality

of Christ can continue changing lives through World

Compassion. For further information you are invited to

call World Compassion at 918-492-2858 or write to the

address below:

World Compassion, P.O. Box 92, Tulsa, OK 74101

Will you Come Before Winter?

83

Document Outline

- Come Before Winter

- Table of Contents

- Introduction

- Preface

- 1 The Letter

- 2 Sitting in the Belly of a Whale

- 3 Tried By Fire

- 4 Forgotten Vows

- 5 The Stirring of the Waters

- 6 The Hunted

- 7 Little Red

- Epilogue (World Compassion)

Table of Contents

Introduction.

1 The Letter.

2 Sitting in the Belly of a Whale.

3 Tried By Fire.

4 Forgotten Vows.

5 The Stirring of the Waters.

6 The Hunted.

7 Little Red.

Epilogue (World Compassion).

Come Before Winter

Table of Contents