Photo via renner.org

Rick Renner's mother visited churches in Moscow and Kiev

From December 26 to January 12, Rick Renner's mother, Erlita Renner, took her first trip in several years to Moscow, accompanied by her oldest daughter, Ronda. The purpose of their trip was to visit family and to experience all that the Lord has done in the ministry since the last time Erlita visited, reports Rick Renner Ministries.

Over the years, Rick has frequently and lovingly referred to his mother as one of his greatest spiritual influences in life. Erlita has been a vital part of the ministry since its early years and was the one who founded the RRM Partner Care team that has ministered so effectively to so many partners over the years. Although officially retired, Erlita continues to work as a Partner Care team member. Her warm, caring voice and faith-filled prayers continue to minister to RRM partners when they call in to request prayer for special needs.

As Erlita recalled her visit, she considered the time spent with all the various members of the Renner family as precious; however, one of the main highlights of the trip was the rare opportunity to spend quality time with her great-grandchildren -- Paul and Polina Renner's children, four-year-old William and two-year-old Anya. In particular, Erlita cherishes the memory of one conversation she had with William (who speaks Russian much better than English).

As Erlita and Ronda and William were decorating the family Christmas tree, Erlita showed her great-grandson a Christmas ornament shaped like a cross. William pointed at the cross and said in deliberate English, "This is God." When Erlita asked William what the cross meant to him, William answered his great-grandma at length in animated Russian. Erlita couldn't understand the little boy, but she knew in her heart was he was saying. Later Polina asked William to repeat what he had told his great-grandmother and aunt. As she related to Erlita and Ronda what William had said, Erlita's heart was deeply moved as she realized that the torch of truth was indeed being passed to the next generation in the Renner family. William had done very well in explaining with childlike simplicity who Jesus is and why He died on the Cross.

During her trip, Erlita ministered the Word a total of four times at the Good News Churches in Moscow and Kiev. Each time she stood in the pulpit looking out at the people in the congregation, the huge impact of this ministry in the former Soviet Union struck her heart. She realized that, of the many faces looking up at her, most of those precious people had been lost and headed for an eternity in hell only a few years earlier.

One of the highlights of the trip for Erlita was the opportunity to minister the Word at the Golden Age services for the elderly in both Moscow and Kiev. After Pastor Rick introduced his mom to the senior citizens, they welcomed her with enthusiastic clapping and a sincere display of love and esteem. Then Erlita shared a simple Gospel message with the help of an interpreter, using the cross ornament and her earlier conversation with William to emphasize the eternal truth that God desires to communicate with us and has provided a way through Jesus.

After the Golden Age service in Kiev, a woman came over to speak to Erlita, pushing a wheelchair-bound elderly woman -- her mother -- in front of her. The younger woman then shared with Erlita (through an interpreter) that her mother had been hurt by many in her life and, as a result, had been bound with bitterness for decades. The daughter had been trying to get her mother to come to church for many months with no success. Every Sunday she would ask, and every Sunday her mother would refuse.

Then the woman said to Erlita, "But when my mother heard about Rick Renner's mother coming to speak to the Golden Age group, she decided she wanted to go. And now that she has heard you, her heart has been touched by your message. She would like to repent and come to Jesus."

Erlita bent down to speak to the elderly woman sitting in the wheelchair and, with simple grace, led the woman in the sinner's prayer. Before the prayer, Erlita stated, "When you ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins, that also includes forgiving those who have hurt you." After the prayer, the woman looked up into Erlita's eyes with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks and said, "I have forgiven, and I am free!" Remembering that moment, Erlita stated, "I would have to say that that moment was the highlight of the trip for me. That precious woman entered into eternal life as we prayed, and I was honored to have a part in it."

That has been Erlita Renner's heart since she was a young girl: to share with others the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in as many ways as she can every day of her life. It's the legacy of love and truth Erlita has been diligent to pass on to her children and grandchildren. And, to her joy, she was able to see firsthand on her trip that this same eternal legacy is being faithfully passed on to the next Renner generation as well, as each family member grows and matures to find his or her unique place in the plan of God for this hour.

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TAGS: Russia Ukraine Rick Renner Ministries Erlita Renner Good News Church

[01/27/2009]

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