She just sat there and cried. I didn’t have the courage to interpret her. The reason for her uncontrollable feeling was the Christmas gift – a Children’s Picture Bible in her own language. According to my understanding a Children’s Bible should draw different emotions and not tears. I thought I would hear words of gratitude from Bella Totrebkova Kargeeva, who is a retired school teacher, and she would read the Picture Bible to her grandchildren. However, a very different picture unfolded in front of my eyes. She was crying softly, yet audible, and I was silent. A little later she confided in me as to her deep emotions.

“I am 74 years old and I am ready to die. Ten minutes ago I thought that I lived my life to its fullest and I felt good about myself. I was a member of the communist party, I lived the ideals of Lenin. All my life I taught at school. I raised three children and now raising my grandchild. Several minutes ago you changed my perspective on life. Your gift of a Children’s Bible brought back incredible memories. I saw my mother holding in her hands a handwritten school pad with Bible stories. Every evening my mother told me stories of heroes from the Scriptures. My mother was a sincere believer and a true Christian who tried to bring me to faith in God and to love Him.”

“I believed in God as a child, and was childish in my ways. Then came godless people who broke into our family and into my life. These vicious people tore out of my heart every seed of faith. It was the summer of 1937 when my father was arrested and then 6 months later the secret police came after my mother, and that was the last time I saw my parents. The Soviet authorities placed me in a children’s home and taught me atheism, and I believed them and dedicated my whole life to the empty ideals of communism. I forgot my parents, forgot their faith in God, and forgot their prayers for me. Thanks to your gift I suddenly remembered my father, my mother, and saw them standing on their knees before a great God. I plead with you, please, teach me to pray!”

On Christmas Day Bella Totrebkova Kargeeva kneeled before a mighty God and she cried and cried, then she quietly asked God to forgive her many sins. I stood quietly beside her and supported her prayer to God. I was sincerely happy for this crying grandmother who found forgiveness and returned to the God of her parents through a pictorial Children’s Bible.

With permission from the Bible League of Canada www.bibleleague.ca 1-800-363-9673  ministry@bibleleague.ca