Dont Fail to Pray - 2 pages

Dont Fail to Pray

FROM: Charles W. (Chuck) Areson TO: Beloved brethren Monday, July 2, 2000 RE: My "trip" to St. Petersburg, Russia. To relate this in an understandable manner I need to start from the beginning. It was at the Pentecostal Church Christmas dinner in Visaginas in 1996 that I first met this family. It was Mama and two daughters, Valia and Natasha. According to Mama, Valia, 12, was her "good" little daughter who was just like Mama, and Natasha, 11, was her "problem" daughter, who was, she said, just like her papa. To me both children seemed to be very nice and normal children. Both came occasionally to my youth Bible studies and I got to know and love both of them very much. Both had their good points and their not-so-good points as well. Mama, however, was having many problems, and like many single mothers in Visaginas, was looking for a new husband via the Internet in the West. Mama already found one man in Norway and last year went to Norway with the two girls to start a family there. Problems arose, however, which were attributed to the presence of the girls, and the relationship did not work out and they all came back to Visaginas. Mama determined, then and there it seemed, that if she were to have a "chance" at a new life she would have to do it without the daughters. She is now corresponding with a man from the U.S. who says he will come some time soon (this summer) to meet Mama or if possible, Mama will go to the U.S. to meet him. They are already talking of marriage but without talking about the girls. Mama decided to send Natasha to her father for the summer, and if possible, permanently. Now Papa lives in Russia somewhere east of St. Petersburg. It was on Saturday, June 10, that I found out about the plans. Mama had come to ask about sending an e-mail letter to her friend in America but my computer was already disconnected and being moved to my new office. Mama had asked me to pray for her about the upcoming trip, and I did. Sunday morning I felt a burden to go see Natasha personally before they left, and so Sunday afternoon I went to try and find her. I never could. So I just stopped for a moment and said a short prayer asking God's protection over Natasha, the 14-year-old girl who desperately wants somebody to love her and care for her, but it seems that nobody wants. Now Papa in Russia has a new young wife only in her 20's and they are expecting a new baby any time. They are living in the wife's apartment and Papa's apartment is empty. He really doesn't want Natasha either. It is feared that Papa may just send Natasha to live by herself there in the empty apartment if there are any conflicts in the family. Natasha is only 14 but looks more like 18 or 19. She is fully developed and has already run away from home for several weeks and was living with a 24 year old man until Mama "accidentally" found out where she was and threatened to turn the man in to the police. It seems as if Natasha had lied to him about her age, or so he said. It is with this background that Mama left early Monday morning, June 12, to go with Natasha on the first leg of their trip to Papa, stopping in St. Petersburg at a friend's house overnight, a trip that Natasha did not want to make. The following was related by Natashas mama to Irina, my former landlady and Russian translator in Visaginas upon her return to Visaginas. Irina related it to me. It was Monday evening, June 12, and Mama and Natasha were in the

Dont Fail to Pray - 2 pages

apartment of friends in St. Petersburg. They were sitting around talking and drinking beer. Natasha decided to take her beer and go outside on the street "to smoke a cigarette". Mama let her go. (Now exactly why she went outside in a city the size of St. Petersburg late in the evening we may never know - they have "white nights" there and it never gets dark this time of year, but it still is not a safe thing to do... Also remember Natasha does not want to make the trip to Papa and she knows Mama wants to get rid of her.) It was about five minutes later that Natasha rushed quickly back into the apartment, her eyes as big as saucers. "You'll never guess who I just saw and talked to!" Natasha exclaimed. "You'll never believe it! It was Chuck in his little red Volkswagen! He stopped and talked to me!" Mama asked, "What did he say?" Natasha answered, "He stopped and said, 'Hi, how are you doing?' I told him 'Okay.' Then he asked, 'Where is Mama?' and I said, 'Inside.' Then he said, 'I must hurry and go. I love you. I'll see you later'. Then he drove off." Mama was very surprised because I had not mentioned to her that I was going to be traveling to St. Petersburg, and even if I did, how I would come across Natasha in such a big city. When she returned to Visaginas and related the events to Irina, my former landlady / translator, there was great wonder for several reasons: First, my car was broken down there in Visaginas and was not running well enough to drive out of town. Second, To get a visa for Russia for an American citizen is time-consuming and expensive, and Irina didn't know how I could have gotten one without her knowing. Third, Irina knew I had left that Monday morning by microbus (van) to go to Daugavpils, Latvia, to catch a train for Riga, Latvia, where I had a meeting with the leadership of the Catholic charismatic group EFFATA that Monday evening. A meeting which in reality, I did attend. How, then, did "I" get to St. Petersburg to stop and talk with Natasha. What might have happened if "I" had not been there to give those few words of encouragement to her? Only God knows. Because, you see, it was not "I" who was there in person, but my angel sent by God with a copy of my car, a car that is easily identified by several "imperfections" that it has. I had prayed both Saturday and Sunday and asked God to take care of her. God answered in a way I could have never dreamed. At this writing Natasha still does not know that who she encountered was not "Chuck" but an angel sent by God to re-assure her that she is loved. When God prompts you to pray for somebody, do not fail to pray. Only God knows what the needs are, will be, and what is needed to answer them. He may send an angel to someone because of your prayers, too.

Don't fail to pray, don't give up, and just don't quit...
In the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, Chuck Areson HisHeartCry@gmail.com