The Ice Breaks at the Arctic Circle

A group of devout Koreans ventured beyond the Arctic Circle into Siberia. This is where the Evenks live, an unreached people group. In winter, temperatures here can drop as low as -60°C. The Evenks are highly distrustful of strangers. Nevertheless, a small Christian community has been growing right here for some time. Our church is located in Tura, the administrative center of the Evenks. There is now even a meeting house. Nevertheless, for many people it was difficult for a long time to trust or even to attend church services.

The Korean Christians visited our church and had a creative idea to reach out to the Evenks: they offered free professional massages. This quickly built trust between the locals and the Korean Christians. The demand was huge: More people came to the church hall than the Christians could attend to.

While people waited in the foyer for their massage, conversations about faith arose. Church staff used this time to listen, answer questions, and pray for those waiting. For many, it was their first personal encounter with Christians.

The big surprise came on Sunday: For the first time, the church hall was completely full. At least ten new visitors attended the service. Three of them decided to follow Jesus during the service.

This is a real breakthrough for the small church in Tura. After a long period of mistrust, the ice now seems to have been broken. Please pray for the young believers and that many more people from the Evenki people will hear the Gospel and find hope in Jesus.