Article Printed by permission of Far East Broadcasting Co.
Article
URL: http://febc.org.ru/news/article_01.shtml
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.