 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.
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