FEBC RM - Far East Broadcasting Company

Today, there are more than 20 million Muslims living in Russia, while additional 30 million live in the former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan and other “Stans” (which means place of living).

FEBC Russian Ministries’ focus is reaching people living in Russia, and they come in many different stripes when it comes to religion. Since freedom came to Russia, many minority nations began discovering and reviving their religious beliefs. And because Muslims received a great deal of support from abroad, Muslim resurgence is the strongest. For example, Tatarstan, an autonomous Russian republic 300 miles east of Moscow, boasted 90 mosques in 1980. Today it has more than 1,000. In Crimea, Muslims are virtually occupying the peninsula, building mosques wherever possible and changing the demographics. In Chechnya, radical Muslims have been fighting Russian military forces for the last fifteen years.

Muslims have lived in Russia for centuries. At times they have been the dominating presence, but during the last several centuries ethnic Russians have been in control. The famous St. Basil's Cathedral was built on the Red Square to celebrate Ivan the Terrible's victory over the Khan of Kazan and his Tatars in 1552. Today, the unending military conflict in Chechnya signifies unresolved hostilities.

The breakup of the Soviet Union gave birth to several new countries where the predominant religion is Islam. Some of those countries, like Kazakhstan, have secular, modern governments, while others are influenced by their Muslim neighbors and are thus more radical.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

FEBC Russian Ministries broadcasts several programs that reach Muslims in the former Soviet republics. Programs in Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek languages are broadcast weekly from Saipan Island. Vera, a listener from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, writes: “To me, it is a miracle that living in the capital of Uzbekistan I was able to listen to the Good News in both Uzbek and Russian language. I became a Christian through your programs. Thank you for being there for me.”

While we will continue our shortwave broadcasts, we also want to develop an AM station in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital. We are asking the Lord to open doors in Kazakhstan, which has two official languages, Kazakh and Russian. We are investigating opportunities to broadcast in both. Please, join us in praying for this project. Only with strong prayer support will we be able to build a radio ministry in Kazakhstan.

REAL DEATH, REAL LIFE
By Victor Akhterov

We should go see that musical,” my friend said, pointing to a colorful poster in Moscow’s subway car as we headed home after a full day at the studio. “It’s the first real musical in Russia.” But we both knew that tomorrow would bring more meetings, “live” radio programs, and training sessions; seeing a musical was not on the agenda. But all we talked about for the next several days was the theater where the play was performed, for it was there that Chechen separatists took hundreds hostage. Throughout that tense period we prayed on the air for hostages, hostage-takers, and the government. When it was over, more than one hundred hostages lost their lives.

Terrorism is a daily reality for our broadcasters. One of our programmers narrowly escaped death in an underground crossing in Moscow; another survived a subway train explosion. Authorities confiscated a large amount of explosives hidden in a building next to the FEBC office in Moscow. A series of explosions throughout Moscow killed dozens. Two Muslim women blew up two Russian planes, and the recent senseless killing of children in Beslan was a tragic reminder of the frightening presence of Islamic-driven terrorism in Russia.

While serving in the Soviet army, I made many friends who are either practicing or cultural Muslims. I served with soldiers from Azerbajan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Chechnya, and Tatarstan. My close friend Omar was a Tatar Muslim. On many occasions I shared my faith with Omar, and he shared his with me. Just before joining the army, he decided to be circumcised. “I wanted to belong to something bigger than me,” he explained. He was not a true believer and knew very little about Islam. By the end of the eighteen months we served together, he knew more about Christianity than Islam, for we often listened to FEBC together on his shortwave radio; Q&A sessions always followed.

Having friends like Omar helped me understand the mindset of Muslims who lived under the Soviet regime. They wanted to be independent from Moscow and “Christian” Russia. They hated subjugation and many were seeking a deeper meaning for their lives, rejecting the Soviet atheistic propaganda. It was surprising to me, but many of my friends were very receptive towards the gospel of Jesus.

Today, many Muslim extremists are driven by hate. In Chechnya, young people often become terrorist fighters because they are desperate. There is no work for them, no future in Chechnya, and they are hated throughout Russia. Women become suicide bombers after they’ve lost their husbands and children to this senseless war. How can we reach these people with the message of Jesus’ love?

Just like my friend Omar, many of them are not particularly religious—they are, actually, cultural Muslims. And when they find out that Jesus loves them personally, they respond.

Shamil from Tatarstan wrote to me: “The resurgence of Islam is understandable. The Muslim faith is uniting the Tatar people. However, as I experimented with Islam, I did not find any love, any acceptance by God, or understanding of my problems. I found all of that in Jesus.”

Friends, it took Shamil four years of listening to FEBC programs to come to know the Lord. Christian churches in Tatarstan and other Muslim areas are weak; that’s why we need to keep pressing on to reach thousands for Christ. He passionately loves Muslims living in the former Soviet Union.

Do you have the same passion for the lost?

BESLAN: A LONG ROAD TO HEALING
By Dr. Evgeny Sarapulov

Beslan, Southern Russia. September 2004. What started as a typical first day of school for hundreds of Russian children became a three-day standoff between local authorities and Islamic terrorists who held as many as 1,000 students and adults hostage. By the time the hostages were freed, more than 600 had been killed. The cruelty of terrorists shocked the world.

Many FEBC supporters expressed their desire to help the victims, and in March FEBC’s Oleg Cherny, FEBC-Russia’s chief engineer and I went to Beslan to deliver not only financial assistance, but also spiritual help to the survivors. Here are some of their stories.

The Satsev family consists of two parents and three children. Natalia, the mother, was one of the hostages. When the shooting began, she covered her three children with her body. They survived, but she received multiple injuries and now suffers daily. We were the first visitors who offered them help. I was able to share Christ with her and recommended she listen to Christian radio programs. We talked at length, and by the end of our visit I saw new hope in their eyes. Shaking my hand, Natasha’s husband said, “We had no idea how to rebuild our lives. We didn’t know what to do, what the next step in our lives should be. We have some answers now, and we have new hope.”

As Oleg and I were walking through the cemetery where victims of the terrorist act were buried, I looked at the pictures of the deceased, most of them children. To me, a father of four, these pictures were almost impossible to look at. I fought an urge to compare my own kids to those who were looking at me from the pictures. It was a surreal experience.

Another survivor, Nadya, 16, told me how one of the terrorists saved her life: when shooting began, he told her not to stand up, but to crawl through the pile of dead bodies, children and adults. Nadya also showed us where one of the terrorists, a woman, blew herself up, not willing to be a part of this massacre. “Some of the terrorists still had some humanity left in them, and that gives me hope,” said Nadya.

Most of the people we visited were non-religious or cultural Muslims, but Soslan’s family are practicing Muslims. Soslan lost his wife and two daughters. “I am now wondering if Allah is the right God to serve,” said Soslan. “I listen to you talk about Jesus and I feel like we should serve Him. I am at a crossroads; please pray for me.” Soslan and his son listened carefully when we spoke about Christ and they expressed a desire to continue meeting with Christians.

Not everyone was so open. Marina was a teacher in the embattled school; she almost lost her leg. When we talked with her, she would not open up. Like many who survived the tragedy, she finds it difficult to talk about it. When she discovered that I also teach, she shared her dream to return to teaching in the fall. “All I have left is my first-graders. What else have I to live for?” I praised her desire to share her life with others and told her that giving is the essence of Christianity; in fact, it is the essence of God. Marina opened up. She told me that she sees the wounded and dead children in her imagination—everywhere around her, and how difficult it is to grapple with these haunting thoughts. I shared some psychological insights with her and she was grateful. I also told her that ultimate victory over the tragedy is in God and Him alone. Towards the end, it felt like she was truly accepting the Good New. Friends, please pray for Marina. She has experienced both evil and horror that cannot be articulated with words. May God’s love pour over her and dissolve her despair.

Later we walked through the school where the tragedy occured. There are still signs of the struggle and the horrible acts of the terrorists, but the overwhelming show of love alters the landscape—flowers are everywhere. And next to the flowers are bottles of water—a symbolic gift for those who died thirsty. As I stood there I prayed for the millions of Russians who are spiritually entomed: dying thirsty for God’s truth. Most of them do not even realize the nature of their thirst, but it is tourmanting their lives. I once again was reminded of the life-changing God’s living water.

During our time in Beslan, I hosted a radio program at a local station. Natasha, a local theater actress called to thank us for helping the people of Beslan cope. She had never heard a Christian psychologist address their problems, she explained, and she appreciated practical help we offered. She also added, “To me it is a tragedy; I can’t play in theatre anymore. Something broke inside of me and I became overwhelmed by evil. I don’t know how we can live now, how we can recover. I think only God can heal us.” Without fully realizing the meaning of her words, Natasha expressed what was in my heart. Only God can help these traumatized people. And the way He wants to do this is through you and me. Please pray for those who survived—they survived for a reason.

Projects That Need Your Support

Programs in Kazakh language
Annual budget for airtime is $7,800.
Kazakhstan is the largest former Soviet republic after Russia. Located south of Russia, it is still closely associated with it. Russian is the second official language in the country. More than a third of Kazakhstan citizens are ethnic Russians. Kazakhs are nominally Muslim, but more are becoming practicing Muslims as Saudi Arabian, Turkish and Iranian Muslim missionaries pour in financial aid for mosques, Korans, and theological education. FEBC is working to establish a radio station in Almaty, the largest Kazakh city.

Programs in Kyrgyz language
Annual budget for airtime is $3,900.
The Kyrgyz are very nationalistic. Most of them are followers of a Sunni version of Islam. The majority of Kyrgyz people live in small villages, and FEBC’s short-wave broadcasts are an effective way of reaching them.

Programs in Uzbek language
Annual budget for airtime is $3,900.
There are more than 25 million people living in Uzbekistan. Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is also the Islamic capital of Central Asia; the other five Muslim-majority republics look to the Muslim leadership based there. Yet, for most, especially youth, Islam has more a cultural than a religious significance. The situation is changing, however. Saudi and Iranian Muslim missionaries assiduously work to rebuild mosques, distribute Korans, and increase their commitment to Islam. FEBC’s Christian broadcasts are essential, so that people in Uzbekistan can have an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Programs in Tatar language
Annual budget for production and airtime is $8,600.
Tatarstan is part of Russia; it is an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation. There are more than a million people living in Tatarstan. Everyone in Tatarstan speaks Russian, but it is important that Tatars hear the Good News in their heart language, which is why FEBC produces and broadcasts Christian programs in the Tatar language. Pray for revival in Tatarstan.

Ongoing Projects:

Russian broadcasts: You can sponsor a 15-minute program aired on one of the Russian stations for just $15.

Russian Staff: You can sponsor a Russian staff member for $250 a month. You will be able to receive information about the staff member upon request.

Ethnic programming: The Russian Federation includes 32 ethnic republics and districts. FEBC RM develops programs for several of these groups in their own languages. FEBC RM also broadcasts the gospel to other C.I.S. countries, such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

Please make checks payable to: FEBC Russian Ministries #680. Thanks!

GIVE ONLINE TODAY: https://ssl.charityweb.net/febc/russia/

FEBC Russian Ministries Update is a quarterly
newsletter published by FEBC Russian Ministries,
Box 1, La Mirada, CA 90637
Tel. (562) 947-4651, Fax. (562) 943-0160
E-mail: russia@febc.org
Web: www.febc.org/russia

In Canada: FEBCanada, 6859 Antrim Ave., Burnaby, B.C. V5J 4M4

In Australia: FEBC, P. O. Box 183, Caringbah NSW 1495

In New Zealand: Voice of Friendship, P. O. Box 620, Masterton, NZ 5915

Far East Broadcasting Co. is a non-profit ministry and a member of Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability