Russia (MNN) — More than 300 people died, but thousands across Russia were affected by the Beslan terrorist attack. Beslan is a city of mourning again as they remember the loss of life. As a reminder of the tragedy, the opening of school was postponed yesterday amid fear of more terrorism and to honor their dead.
However, that didn’t stop believers from remembering what God has done through the tragedy. While many died, half of them children, at least one life was reborn. Her name is Alevtina Kusova, a mother of 14-year-old Angela. “We had moved to Moscow, but were visiting Beslan. Angela wanted to go to the Beslan school to see her friends, September 1st,” Kusova says. “I was in Moscow working, when I was told about the hostage crisis. I traveled to Beslan the next day.”
She remembers when the shooting and the bombing started, while her and others waited outside. “We didn’t know what to do, but just run. We started running away from (the) school. I couldn’t run. My legs were numb.”
She found her beautiful daughter dead in the morgue. While Kusova believed in God, she didn’t have a relationship with Him, and this was the start of her journey to Christ. “I had God like everybody else, probably. God is somewhere far away. And, then when it happened, I was not looking for God yet, but then when God started talking to me, I turned to him.” And, she did it as she sat next to her daughter’s casket.
Mission Network News asked you to pray that through this situation people would come to Christ. Kusova believes your prayers were answered through her life.
Kusova has since been baptized and has a unique ministry to those suffer incredible loss. She says while she misses her daughter, she knows that she’s with Christ. As people see her grief going away, it’s very visible. “There’s an opportunity to talk to others because those who lost their loved ones, they can not comprehend why I’m happy. And, I tell them why. People listen to what I say because they’re in the same situation. So, I have an opportunity to witness.”
Russian Ministries moved in to assist the victims with professionally trained counselors answering telephones and doing follow-up home visits. Speaking through an interpreter, Marina Khubulova, says it’s working. “The people are very open to the Gospel. I know exactly one family that came to Christ. And, the rest of the people, maybe they’re not Christians yet, but they’re very attentive to what we are saying.”
Many men in the community are suffering from depression because they weren’t able to save their family members. Divorce in these homes is rampant. Pray that God will move in the hearts of these men. Pray also that Christ will reveal Himself to many of these women who are leading families on their own.
