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| Anthony Herrera, at left, and Makar Donskoy in the middle. |
The group needed translators obviously, so everyone paired up with someone who could help with the language. Anthony joined a young Russian man named Makar Donskoy. They served orphans, the homeless, and veterans. They had fun, and they built a strong friendship over the three weeks. A few months later, Makar was baptized. We published that story a few months ago, about how the HOPE Youth Corps program played a big role in Makar’s transformation.
In that article, Anthony wrote about how he and Makar went and shared their faith together. HOPE Youth Corps is a spiritual program. We serve, we pray, we have daily devotionals, discipleship groups, and yes, we share our faith! We try and follow the “whole gospel."
While out evangelizing for a Bible Talk in Lenin Square, Anthony and Makar reached out to a group of teen skaters who were smoking and drinking. They were not spiritual, but Anthony was very bold, and explained to them about Jesus (with Makar translating all this), and how he had himself turned away from his sinful life.
Out of that whole group, two young men came to church, but they were not very interested. One of them, however, told his brother about the Novosibirsk church, and his brother started going to church. He studied the Bible, and a week ago, Dima (pictured at right) was baptized. Now his mother is studying the Bible!
In Anthony’s own words, “President Roosevelt said, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' If fear had conquered my mind, I wouldn’t have been able to advance God’s kingdom. Fear put Makar and me in a situation where we had to trust God. HOPE Youth Corps sometimes puts us in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations, but the fear that we endure brings hope. I walked away from the Novosibirsk HYC knowing that this experience was so much more valuable than the money I had spent ! HOPE Youth Corps is an investment in other people’s lives, giving students a chance to see that their money is being spent in the most impacting way! I know God is at times hard to see, but on HOPE Youth Corps, you see God, and you witness the way God intended the world to live. We now have a new brother in Christ. Please pray for his mother studying the Bible."
Next month, Anthony is going to Croatia on the Zagreb HYC!
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