Bike trip – July 25 – Zima (Winter) town

Zima (winter) amongst summer. No, nothing extraordinary happened! We just arrived at Zima (Winter) town (which means “pit” in Bashkirian). The town is located on the left bank of the Oka River, in 230 km to the north-west from Irkutsk. The village Zima appeared in the second half of XVIII century - lop-sided houses, dust roads, an idle youth. A drunken lady, attentively looking at our line, crossed herself. Everything is dull and unhopeful. No future. The XVIII century continues.

The Community Centre looked nice - bright hall, beautifully decorated scene. Everything is tidy and clean. We are ready for the evangelization. Only a few people came. Local TV channel informed people several times a day about the event, with exact time, but a wrong date. No one knew who made the mistake. People were invited to attend the meeting on the 27th of July, and we arrived on the 25th. We had a nice meeting. We had a good contact with people. The service contained singing of the music team «Eden’s heavens», a sermon and a prayer. Julia, a young lady, wept during all the service. Tanya, a girl of 16, confessed that she had been drinking beer for several years already, and did not want to leave this harmful habit. It seems to her that the life with God is dull. She gladly took the NT and promised to read it. Artiom, a boy of 14, said he wanted to leave this town – and live in civilization. He drinks and smokes only because others do the same. He has no purpose in life. In answer to our question whom he plans to be he said: «Who knows. Perhaps I will be a lumberman». This is the way people live in remote places. I became assured again that Moscow is not Russia. Real image of Russia is here in «Zima». And Russia still needs aid.

P.S. Another evangelistic event was held in the village of Ts.Khazan from 22.00 to 23.30 p.m. not far from Zima town. At 00.30 a.m. the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Khazan prepared a dinner for us. We went to bed at 01:00 a.m. Despite tiredness we got up at 4.30 a.m. Departure happened at 6.00 a.m. The next stop will be at Cheremkhovo.