Our Sister Church in the Ukraine
About 15 years or so ago the door to some former Soviet republics opened to more open worship of God, and a church in Bespechna, Ukraine, began to build itself up and subsequently became the "Sister Church" of Elk River Baptist Church.
They began the slow task of building a church, and in 1997 two men from ERBC went over there to conduct an "Adventure Camp" for children of the community and to give encouragement and moral support to the pastor and his small flock.
At that time the foundation and some of the walls of the church were about all that had been started.
In the spring of 1998 the pastor and a deacon went to Bespechna to make preparations for the two-week visit of the five-member team that was to go over there in August to conduct an Adventure Camp for the children and, again, to give support and encouragement.
They learned that work on the church was about 75 per cent complete, but completion of the building was virtually at a standstill and could not be completed because of lack of money.
Before the team left at the end of July the congregation voted to help them financially to complete the church and the team took that news, and the money, with them.
Team members put on an Adventure Camp for about 136 children. Bespechna has a population of about 1000, most of whom work on collective farms. About 33 persons worshiped in homes until the building could be occupied.
Of course the underlying purpose of this project, which began five years before with the Minnesota Baptist Conference, is to share Jesus Christ as Savior, and improve international relations. Another team of five women left August 2, 2000 for two weeks in Bespechna to conduct another day camp.
A team of two women and one man went to Bespechna in July-August 2001 and conducted day camps for 288 children. Other teams did much the same in 2002 and 2003, and another team returned from a two-week mission August 4, 2004. One woman and one man from ERBC went to Bespechna in July 2005 for about two weeks to continue the camp program, which was very successful. A similar Adventure Camp for Elk River area children was held at ERBC in June 2006. One woman and two men from ERBC and one woman from Monticello went to Bespechne July 19, 2006. They returned August 2. A team of two went to Ukraine on July 18, 2007 for another two weeks. They returned July 31 and reported to the congregation on August 12, when we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our association with our Sister Church.
One of our Ukraine team members met his future wife there in 2003, and on September 1, 2007, they were married in Elk River Baptist Church, followed by a reception dinner at the Holiday Inn. The bride's parents were also able to come from Ukraine for the wedding, and returned the next day.
