Testimony of Amazing Miracles
We just came from ministry in UFA, RUSSIA. It was such a privilege to work with 27 leaders and church planters in that city of over 1 million. When the Soviet Union fell, there were hardly any believers there. Now there are several good churches, but the need for trained pastors and leadership is critical.
1. MIRACLE #1. We got there. At the last minute we found out that the rules for getting visas had been changed, and we needed original papers from Russia. We were finally able to get those by DHL courier at great cost, and then we were able to get the visas again at much greater cost than had we had the usual 5 days to wait for them. BUT GOD…!
2. MIRACLE #2. Divine protection from an attack. Everett was trying to unlock the door to the apartment building where we stayed in Ufa. As he was fumbling for the key, he heard a loud explosion right in front of where he was standing, and then the noise of glass and metal falling. He immediately jumped out of the way and looked around. There was NO ONE in sight. And then he noticed that he was under an overhang on the building, so that nothing could have fallen or been thrown from above in the 13-storey building. Then he saw burn marks and pieces of a lighter on the cement between him and the door. He realized he could have been badly burned. How did this happen??? We have no idea, but we do know that God protected him from some kind of attack, whether human or demonic.
3. MIRACLE #3. Divine healing. Before leaving Singapore to go to Russia, Everett wrenched his knee and had trouble walking. Finally he went to the doctor, who gave him medication and suggested X-ray, but Everett felt there wasn’t time for the X-ray. Even after finishing the medication in Russia, he still had much pain and his leg was swollen from above to below the knee. We had decided that he must have X-rays when back in Singapore before we left again for India. We were praying for many things in our apartment two mornings before we left Russia, and suddenly Everett said, “I can bend my leg without pain. The swelling is down.” An on-the-spot, visible healing. And he is walking strong! No need for X-rays or medication! It’s interesting that 14 years ago, when we were heading for Russia the first time, Everett had the same kind of problem in the other knee!
4. MIRACLE #4. Divine preservation of missions resources. We arrived at the airport in Moscow to leave Russia too early to check in, so had to find a place to wait. We always handle our own luggage by stacking it and rolling it along. Somehow, we realized that Evelyn’s purse was missing. We began to cry out to God to see that some honest person would find it and return it. We were in real trauma because our tickets; passports with Russian visas necessary to get out of the country and India visas, which would be difficult and expensive to replace; our phones with all Russia contacts; Evelyn’s credit cards; and $500 of missions money were in the purse. We went to the Singapore Airlines counter. They called their agent to come, and also informed the airport police/security. They were advising us to cancel the credit cards immediately. While trying to find the numbers in our computer, the agent received a call that our passports had been found. When she took us to the office to claim them, there was Evelyn’s pur e with EVERYTHING there. The credit cards had been moved to another compartment, and some things were jumbled, but nothing was missing. We were told that a policeman had turned it in. We were robbed in St Petersburg, Russia, some years ago, and discovered that the police were in on it. Many of our Russian friends have told us that it’s hard to find an honest policeman. The airline people were absolutely astonished—“this just doesn’t happen, that you would get cash, credit cards, or passports back.” (Passports can be sold for hundreds of dollars.) We know this was a miracle. God was looking out for us and His resources. We don’t know if He found one honest policeman, or if He sent a ministering angel, but we know it was a miracle!
Everett and Evelyn McKinney