Together with Scripture distribution, Bible Society has been interested in the impact of the Bible on separate people. With that purpose, in early May a special contest, 'What has the Bible done to my life?', was organized among adult; the similar contest, 'How has the Children's Bible changed me?', was launched among children. Contest conditions, as well as a list of prizes, had been publishes in different denominations Christian editions, such as "Крыніца жыцця" ('Source of Life') magazine, "Царква" ('Church') and "Христианская семья" ('Christian Family') newspapers.

Quite a number of people throughout Belarus who love the Bible showed interest in the contest. Adjudicators headed by J. Potupchik, BS Director, have re-read letters, being surprised at the tranforming work of the Holy Word in the people's hearts. It was not easy to define a winner, as almost every testimony had been bright and worthy of reward. The jury decided to institute one main prize, two second prizes, three third ones, and five incentive gifts.

Main prize winner's testimony

I was born and grew up in Minsk and led a regular modest life. It was my granny named Sofya Andreyevna and two her daughters, Irina and Galina, who often told me about God and invited me to come to church repeatedly. I attended the "Golgotha" church several times, but then I decided to myself to stop dealing with spiritual issues, and resume it when I am old, because I thought there had been so much in my life to accomplish.
    At the age of 23 I married a young man from Bobruisk town and moved there for permanent residence. We lived together with my wife's parents. Things developed and our family life was happy judging by this world's standards. When I was 25, I conceived, our joy at the coming birth tremendous. But as time moved on, our joy started fading away as I grew feeling bad. I was frequently taken to the hospital, suffering from bleeding and having being examined repeatedly. It did not affect the child in my womb nevertheless. At last the case was diagnosed. Sigmoid colon cancer. That seemed to be the end of my entire life. The doctors were unambiguous in their insistence on having an abortion as soon as possible as the only way to survive. The point is that pregnancy is a stimulating factor for cancer cells- they grow fast in this case. It inevitably leads to tumor metastases take place, which makes time very precious. Neither my child nor I will have any opportunity to survive then. By that time I had been three months gone, our shock almost unbearable. My husband and I wept together, making nobody aware about what had happened for a week. We faced the stern necessity of making a quick decision. From the very beginning I have rejected the idea of abortion, being aware that killing a living little creature would be a terrible sin. How can one possibly keep leading a quiet life after doing such a horrible thing! That was beyond my imagination. We went to the doctors again, pleading with them to examine me once more, as I had some lingering hope that the result of the first test had been wrong. They were unwilling to listen to me, once again ordering me to have an abortion.
     One more week passed. I applied to the Lord for help in a way I could. Who else was able to help me? In the depth of my subconsciousness I felt some confidence that everything would go well, peace and tranquility within me. When I was four months gone, it came to me that I must visit an oncologist again, for the last time. My husband and I asked the doctor to help us, asking him for the test to be run one more time. The doctor took a pity on me and agreed to try to convince a person responsible for this procedure. We were ear-witnesses of their conversation, hearing that man declining blankly, our last hope fading away. But suddenly a man came out of the physician-in-chief's room. He gave me a sharp look and asked why I was crying. When I started explaining haltingly, he invited me to come into his room. He turned out to be a physician-in-chief named Alexander I. Gavrilchik. He heard me out and said after thinking a little: "I feel sympathy towards you and I want to help you". Praise God I regained my hope! He commanded the biopsy to be done one more time and suggested my coming again 10 days later.
    When I came, he gathered a council of physicians and told me it had really been a cancer tumor that I had, it kept growing (7x8 cm by size), endangering my life greatly, because it caused intestine occlusion. He appealed to the doctors for help but they said all efforts certainly would have been in vain.
    The doctors went, and I was left with the physician. After looking at me for a long time he said: "I can help you notwithstanding. A female professor named Yekaterina S. Vishnevskaya is a good acquaintance of mine. She works at a hospital in Baravlyany. I will go to her, tell her the whole story and arrange for an appointment for you. I think she will help you".
    So my husband and I arrived at Baravlyany, Minsk suburb. Yekaterina Semionavna did agree to help us, primarily getting us informed about negative consequences, lethal outcome including, which could be possibly entailed by the surgery. Then I gave her a note of hand and was told to come again in a month. Their intention was to subject myself to a Caesarian operation first, and then the tumor was to be removed. By the time the operation had been appointed I would have been 7 months gone. So I stayed in Minsk, at my mother's house, while my husband returned home.
    A month before the operation I felt security, strange as it may appear. My aunt Ira kept praying for me and telling my story to the believers. It so happened that one believing sister named Vera Stankevich from the Church of Annunciation wanted to see me (she told me later that God prompted her to do so). Aunt Ira called me and told me about Vera and asked me whether I was agree to meet with her. "Let her come", was my answer.
    Vera favorably impressed me at the very first sight, cheerful and friendly sister full of vigor. She took the Bible and started sharing the Gospel with me. She told me about Christ, about what He has done for us, and then asked, "Do you want to receive Jesus in your heart?" I said, "Yes!" We prayed together, my sins confessed, and I asked the Lord for help in my sorrow. And He really helped me! I understood that He has always been with me. I felt great security, being in the full conviction that neither my child nor me would ever be left without His care, and even death is unable to do us part- my dwelling place will be in heaven in His presence. I was immensely thankful to the Lord that he has sent aunts Ira and Tanya, Vera and Yura Stankevichs, Igor and Inna Prosovs, and many other brothers and sisters into my life. Ardent prayers were lifted up to the Lord by the faithful believers of nearly all the Baptist churches of Minsk. I felt deeply about how my husband would take the news of my conversion. He heard me out silently and later visited the Church of Annunciation just for the sake of interest. The attitude of brothers and sisters towards him shook him. The believers greeted him, giving him the word of consolation and encouragement, their concern sincere. The Lord miraculously moved his heart and he let Jesus come into his heart.
    Since I had made up my mind to give birth to my child under any circumstances, the doctors arrived at the decision that I will be operating on when I will have been seven months gone, so that the baby in my womb would be already formed. At last the day of the operation arrived. December 24, 1998. I fervently prayed at this day, so did my friends- the brothers and sisters, and the awareness of their prayers and fasting brought forth great encouragement to me, giving me the full conviction that everything will go well.
    … When I regained consciousness, my first question was what had been the result of the act of delivery. It had been a real miracle to know that I gave birth to a boy of 2,509 gr. weight, 43 cm height! Everything had passed smoothly, contrary to the doctors' worst expectations. They were extremely amazed with the outcome. The son was immediately taken to the premature babies department, and I was brought to the reanimation department and subject to a chemotherapy course. Three months later I went through one more course of chemotherapy. The Lord was with me all the time, giving me tremendous support through my husband, my relatives, believing friends and doctors. The first operation was led by Vladimir I. Novochrost the professor, a man of unusual kindness and a wide heart. Second time it was Galina K. Gorgonskaya who had operated me, and the Lord abundantly blessed her hands as well. Through this disease the Lord has acted mightily in the hearts of mine and my husband, turning us to His light glory be to Him!
    My son is now three years and eight months, a healthy boy full of vigor. We currently live in Bobruisk and are members of the "Nativity" church. Our community was formed a year ago, but there are twenty of us already nevertheless. We gather at pastor Pavel Gormash's home, and to get a house of prayer is our fervent prayer request. May His holy name be honored as His love and care are unmeasured, the happiness at His salvation inextinguishable.

Svetlana V. Severina
Bobruisk
Boulevard Molodezshny, 3/2 - 815

Yakov Potupchik, BS Executive Director, is presenting the main prize to Svetlana Severina