Bike expedition - July 09-10 - Omsk

We are in Omsk. Covering 340 km during two days we arrived at the town, which struck us by its beauty and clean streets. The church amazed us by its love and hospitality. But despite the fact that Omsk is a rather beautiful town, sinners, who need God and His redemption, live there as in all other locations of the world. Young people walked along the embankment of the Irtish River, most of them drunk, and completely indifferent to issues of faith and future eternity. Asking a dating couple, who smoked and had a two-liter bottle of beer in their hands, and walked long the embankment the question about the life after death, we received the following answer: «we are not at all concerned about your eternal life». Kissing his girl-friend defiantly, and inhaling tobacco smoke, a young man made a face. We felt somehow uneasy. Later I realized that it was the evil one who «cackling», who found shelter in the heart, conscience and soul of a young man.

The Union of churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Omsk region celebrated the 110 Jubilee of the foundation of the first ECB church in Omsk region. During its long history Omsk church went through many of what the first apostolic church went through and experienced. In late 20-ties and next 30-ties practically all ministers of Omsk church were repressed. Some believers were shot, some tortured in the Communist camps of death. In 1935 Omsk believers found themselves without the church building. The Soviet regime took away the house built on the funds and by the hands of believers, and organized a district militia office there. Only recently the rooms where now the Pastor’s room is, and Sunday school classes are, criminals were kept, as well as detained Christians. Thanks to «Perestroika» in early 1989 the district militia office was replaced to another building and believers in Christ began to come together again in their original building. Presently the Central ECB church in Omsk has one thousand and five hundred members. God, Who granted freedom, abundantly blesses the ministry of our brothers and sisters. They have a well-organized Sunday school, summer camps for kids, and the magazine "Word of Faith" is published. Omsk church has members of various nationalities – Russians, Byelorussians, Jews, Germans, Latvians, Estonians, Polish people, Ukrainians, who despite various nationalities unanimously praise God!

Yuri K. Sipko, President of the Russian Union of ECB was present at the worship service organized specially for the meeting with the Expedition, which arrived at Omsk town. He came from Moscow to the Jubilee of the church and remained to meet the bike team. Yuri Sipko is a blessed brother in the Lord, a devoted minister, an attentive and thoughtful person. It is easy to communicate with him and he is open to everyone. We saw tears in his yes during the service. Testimonies of members of the Expedition about blessings during the trip became the encouragement for all people who attended the service. The church blessed all members of the Expedition to continue to spread the Gospel.

Tomorrow, on the 11th of July, at 07:00 a.m. (04:00 Moscow time) we are leaving to Tatarsk town, in 150 km from Omsk. We plan to cover the distance in 5 hours. And again we will fellowship with the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, with those who are cleansed and chosen for the ministry to the Lord. Evangelical believers plan to have an evangelistic meeting at the gymnasium together with us.

P.S. Active reclamation of the lands in Siberia began in the 16th century. After the march of Yermak in Western Siberia new towns began to appear in Siberia - Tiumen (1586), Tobolsk (1587), Tara (1594), Obdorsk (now Salekhard -1595), Tomsk (1604). Tobolsk became the centre of the area. Caring for security of southern borders of Siberia military leaders from Tara town Yuri Shekhovsky and Michael Kaisarov sent a petition to the tsar in 1628 with the request to allow them to build a new fort at the junction of the Irtish and Om’ Rivers. The founders of Omsk fortress became an expeditionary team under the leadership of lieutenant colonel Ivan D, Bukholts in 1716. The team was sent by Peter the Great to Siberia to build new fortresses and establish trade routes to China and India.