A shipment of Bibles destined for Crimea had to be circuitously re-routed around Ukraine, but arrived safely on May 19, according to CMF missionary David Dryden, whose family had to leave the country this year due to the political unrest there.

“We were originally going to bring them into Ukraine from Belarus, where they were printed, and down to Crimea,” said David. “We were nervous about the customs process and costs. Once Crimea was annexed by Russia, we decided to use our contacts in Russia to go around Ukraine and avoid customs problems there. So the Bibles were driven from Belarus, through Russia, around Ukraine, and into the back door of Crimea through Kerch!”

The saga began nearly a year and a half ago, when David realized they had run out of the Bible translation found to be most effective in evangelism among the Tatar.

“I called the publisher, and then started the process of raising funds to print 11,000 Bibles,” he said. “More than $15,000 was given by New Life Church of Christ of Bellville, Ohio. Another $15,000 was donated by IDES, and the rest was donated by individuals and other churches. In the end, we raised enough money to print and deliver 7,500 Bibles, and the other 3,500 were purchased by other missionaries in Crimea.”

The Bibles are in storage at a church in Belogorsk, Crimea, where they will be available free of charge to Eastern evangelists who are doing work in Muslim villages. Churches who want some Bibles will pay at cost, and the funds will be used to pay for shipping if a Crimean Tatar contacts the group for Bibles.

“The original goal was to provide Bibles to active evangelists focusing on the Crimean Tatar for the next five years,” explained David. “We don’t want them to be given out as tracts, but to be used in situations where there is a relationship and follow-up for discipleship.”

The group is thankful that there were no snags in the delivery and all went well. A local minister in Belogorsk, Igor Stepanovich, will coordinate the distribution during a May 31 meeting of about 40 evangelists who work with the Tatar.

“I spoke with Igor recently,” said David, “and he said that having access to the Bibles is a huge blessing and that, in spite of the unrest, not a single person with whom we have been working over the years has left the group.

“We will stay in contact with our friends there in Crimea and assist them in decision making,” he added. “One man told us, ‘I think we have enough Bibles to last us until Jesus returns!’ Pray that these Bibles will be well-received and well-used. Pray that this time of unrest will open new conversations, start new relationships, move old relationships deeper, and move people toward Jesus.”