Mid-Winter Baptism in Ukraine

Mid-Winter Baptism in Ukraine
The winter of 2012 has been exceptionally frigid in Ukraine and in other parts of Eastern Europe. In Nikiolaev, the banana belt of Ukraine, temperatures have plunged to eleven degrees below zero. Snow has piled up in places, and rivers have frozen solid. Hundreds of people in Ukraine have died of hypothermia. Yet, Natasha Budynka, a WEI student, braved the elements on February 13 to be immersed in a bathtub in David and Galina Binkley’s apartment.

Here is the story.

In 2009, David and Galina were visiting in Odessa, a city just west of Nikolaev. They saw a McDonald’s Restaurant near the train station, so they stepped inside to get a bite to eat. The room was crowded, and they sat down next to a professional looking young woman. When she overheard them speaking in English, she smiled. They introduced themselves and learned her name was Natasha Budynka and that she worked in Odessa as an accountant. However, she spent her vacations in Nikolaev with her parents.

Ever since that providential meeting in Odessa, Natasha has been worshiping with the Church of Christ in Nikolaev whenever she has been in town. She has also been studying the Bible with David and Galina privately. During her winter vacation this year, she has studied the WEI Bible and English courses and is currently studying The New Birth in the WEI Advanced Bible Course.

 

Last Wednesday, February 8, Natasha braved the frigid weather and came to the church office to study with David and Galina. David says, “Before we even opened up to check her work in The New Birth book, she began our conversation by asking when she could be baptized. . . . So, I told her, ‘Today.’ But she wants us to do this on Monday. Today or tomorrow, we hope to find a place where we can baptize our friends. We always have our bathtub in case we don’t find a sauna available or a swimming pool. Now our prayer is that Satan will not hinder her.”

On Valentine’s Day, David wrote, “Fresh snowfall greeted us yesterday morning as we began to make preparations for our day with Natasha Budynka. In the morning, we met with her for a long period of Bible study and almost completed the study of the Advanced Bible Course, The New Birth. We have been amazed at how much she has grown spiritually since we first met her in 2009 when she was mostly interested in being our friend and improving her English.

“After the study, we left the office and went to our apartment. We had been waiting for a call from our neighbor letting us know when the water was turned back on in our building. As soon as she called, we headed home quickly. The fresh snowfall was a reminder of how the saving power of Jesus’ blood makes us white as snow.

“We didn’t have much water pressure, so we had another good Bible study while we waited for our tub to fill up. Galina was boiling water in our hot water pot and on the stove. This was the 5^th baptism here in our bathtub. Many of you have been praying for Natasha who has attended worship with us off and on almost since the church first started meeting in our present location. Rejoice with us over this new birth, and please keep our new sister in your prayers.”

Jack frost nipped at Natasha’s toes, but the love of God warmed her heart and led her to victory in Jesus. We rejoice with her and the Binkleys and with the angels in heaven.

WEI provides teaching materials for the Binkleys and other missionaries and national preachers—free of charge. We are experiencing a serious financial shortfall, and we are seeking more churches and individuals who will have fellowship with us in sharing the good news about Christ in every nation.

For more information, please contact me by e-mail at weiady@aol.com. To make a contribution to WEI, log on to our web site at www.weiady.org and give through PayPal.