Last year I received a very unusual request from a unit I was shipping packages to.
I got this email from the RP (Religious Programmer), assistant to the chaplain. The chaplain happened to be home in the states for a few weeks and his assistant was in a quandary.
The RP was serving with a large unit of over 150 Marines and Sailors. One of his Marines, of Russian descent, came to him asking how he might obtain a Russian version of our NIV (New International Version) of Scripture. The RP investigated through military channels and found that in order to get one copy he needed to order in bulk, over 100 copies. Obviously that was not satisfactory! He recalled that his chaplain had been in touch on a regular basis with me because I was supporting their unit with care packages.
I have to say, when that email arrived I was scratching my head and wondering where in the world I would find a Russian bible for this Marine. My first attempt was to locate the local Russian churches in my Maryland/Washington DC area. I spoke to two churches who did not have any information, as they were only familiar with the Russian Orthodox version. I left my contact information with them hoping they might come up with a solution. I then did what we all do, I did a Google search for Russian bibles.
What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. What I found was the Russian Christian Publishing Company, in Kansas, USA!!!! I spent some time perusing their website only to find such a large selection left me completely unsure of how to proceed. I then clicked one of the links on their site and found a page that caught my breath in my chest.......the owners of the company had a son who had served in the US Army and had been killed in action in Iraq. The fact that I had a Marine in combat seeking a Russian bible and a company that supplied Russian bibles and had lost their son in combat was to me, astounding. Once again, it was clear that God was working in this situation. I reached out to the owners of the company, the Waglers, and spoke to them. It was a conversation I will never forget. Mrs Wagler was so moved at what was transpiring and so gracious in wanting to assist, that when I asked if she would make a selection and perhaps donate it to our Marine she said she felt very blessed to be able to do so.
I had one special favor I wanted to ask of her. Would she consider enclosing a personal letter to the Marine, whose first name was Dimitri. I explained how meaningful it would be to him to receive a Russian bible with an enclosed letter explaining her personal connection to our US military. She was hesitant at first but agreed to enclose a letter. A week later I received the bible along with her note and shipped it off to Dimitri in Afghanistan. Dimitri was a newlywed and deeply missed his new wife and as the RP told me, he felt a deeper need to know the Lord while he was there in Afghanistan with the dangers of war. What a blessing to be able to provide for him a bible in his native Russian language to give him the means to spend time with our Lord.
I am constantly in awe of how God is working in my life. From what seem to be the smallest to the most enormous circumstances, His hand is guiding me. His will is done. His proof that He is here is so clear. As time goes by I will be sharing more of these chronicles with you. I hope and pray that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy living them.
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