Mission Bridge Russia
Did you ever go someplace with a job to do, an agenda - only to find out you were sent there by God for a greater purpose than you ever imagined? That’s what happened in 2002 when Cindy Mandrell was asked to teach in the St. Petersburg, Russia YWAM Discipleship Training School. There, Cindy met three dedicated Christian workers, Sergei and Lena Kanivetskei and Galina Demenkova. They shared their hearts over Galina’s homemade borscht and blini. Cindy shared with them her passion to see others be raised up to go into all the world and share the gospel effectively. They shared their passion to see their countrymen become discipled so they could… go into all the world and share the gospel effectively. The result of that conversation…
Mission Bridge Russia was born.
A Mission Bridge Team traveled to the Kola Region in Murmansk, Russia and Cindy taught a Mission Bridge School in a little church named The Happy Church in Tuloma, Russia while rest of the team lovingly served the people of the church.
Out of that school, several Russian students sensed a call to go to India and share the Gospel with Sergei, Lena and Galina as their leaders. Pastor Rostislav, one of the members of the team, founded a drug and alcohol and drug rehabilitation center, Step-By-Step, as well as a church in Oleneborsk. As a result of his presence on the team, Cindy was invited to teach in the church he pastors as well as speak at Step-By-Step. God seems to be raising up those ex-alcoholics and drug addicts to become youth leaders and Christian influences in their villages!
We were then asked to teach in the President of Northern Russia’s ministerial association, Pastor Pioeter's church in Munchegorsk. Night after night youth, adults and babushkas (older women) walked to church in minus 37 degrees of bitterly cold, white, crunchy snow- climbed six flights of stairs to learn about the nature and character of God and how pride manifests in their lives. So, just like the ex-addicts, they could become more like Jesus in order that they too could go and tell others--effectively.
Director of Mission Bridge Russia Sergei Kanivetskei has been invited to teach the Mission Bridge principles in churches all over Northern Russia. In fact, the Russian leaders are recognizing that a Mission Bridge School - for many - is a more practical way to prepare people for effective ministry. It does not require a person to relocate to a YWAM Base for six months and a workshop can easily be completed in a weekend.
