Inside Story: Russia ~ Tire Trouble
Tire Trouble
By Andrew Mcchesney, Adventist Mission
Ilya Koltuk, a pastor and men’s dean at Zaoksky Adventist University in Russia, climbed into the car with his wife to go on a Black Sea vacation.
Image © Pacific Press
After about ten hours, the car started having tire trouble.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Ilya wasn’t sure what was wrong.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
He stopped the car and got out. Standing over the tires, he couldn’t see any problem. He prayed with his wife.
“Dear God, we are having trouble with the tires,” he prayed. “Please help us.”
Ilya slid behind the steering wheel and drove on.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The noise grew louder and louder. Ilya and his wife had traveled 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). They couldn’t easily turn around and go home. They still had 250 miles (400 kilometers) to go until they reached their destination.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Ilya prayed silently. Suddenly he sensed a male voice say, “Stop at that car-repair shop, and go to the mechanics inside.”
Startled, he looked out the window and saw a car-repair shop. He stopped he found two men sitting and talking as if they didn’t have any work to do.
“Can you help me?” Ilya said. “My car is making noises.”
The mechanics checked the car. They rotated the tires. They did other things.
“Get in,” a mechanic said finally. “You can go.”
“Thank you,” Ilya said. “How much do I owe you?”
“Two hundred rubles,” he said, or about U.S.$3.
Ilya found 200 rubles and a pocket-sized Gospel of John. He tucked the money in the book and handed it to the surprised mechanics.
“What is this?” a mechanic asked.
“The gospel,” Ilya said.
The mechanics grew more surprised. “Are you a pastor?” one asked.
Ilya nodded.
The mechanics’ faces lit up with joy. They took the 200 rubles out of the book and returned it to Ilya. One of them held up the book.
“God sent this book to us,” he said. “We were just talking about God when you arrived.”
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org
We think it’s trouble but for God it’s an opportunity to save souls.
Not all storms comes to disrupt your path. Some comes to clear your path.
God uses miraculous means in soviet regions to reach souls, I live in these communities and some of them their testimonies are amazing. Perhaps it’s because public evangelism is prohibited.
What a mighty God we serve. He still works miracles. He still speaks to humans but we have to be listening to hear his voice. If the car was not giving problems then he wouldn’t need a mechanic. He works in mysterious ways.
Haleluuuuaaa.its important also to be able to descern the voice of God when talking to us.Ilya heard the voice of God and did likewise.
Dear God, I know You mean every single thing that You say, every guideline, every promise..I know that since You are all-knowing, I can allow You to be my Guide today. So I come. giving myself over to Your care and keeping. Help me to reach someone for You today. Allow me to hear Your voice just like Ilya Koltuk did, and win a soul for You. Thank You, Father..Amen