To Russia, with God's Love

In 1991, the Iron Curtain was coming down. The Soviet Union was in collapse and Eastern Europe was entering an era of sweeping change. Six Florida teens and their 28-year-old leader joined a student exchange trip to Siberia, entirely unprepared for the impact that their young lives--and more importantly their faith in Jesus Christ--would have on a country emerging from 70 years of enforced atheism. The unassuming students found themselves welcomed as celebrities to a city that had once anchored the USSR's atomic weapons industry. The Cold War would not end, as many feared, in a nuclear holocaust. Instead, Russia was about to experience a fresh encounter with the Prince of Peace. "As a Jesus-centered man of faith, Mark Shaner's approach to life is "Why not?" Today hundreds of Russians are following Jesus because he challenged six high school students to seek the heart of God, obey the leading of the Holy Spirit and travel with him to the Soviet Union. These pages will challenge you to be a risk-taker for God. You, too, may find yourself asking the question, "Why not?" - Andy Stephenson, International Student Minister.