How it all started
It is not the easiest of tasks to summarize what we as a ministry have done in the course of plus 40 years of ministry. Despite the challenge, we would like to highlight a few of the areas that we think stands out, as we look back at the early years of work being carried out.
The very first project
We had assumed responsibility from ECL (the previous organization Ulla & Oliver worked for, prior to founding this organization) to provide insulin and gluten-free flour to children in Poland. In a more practical context, this meant 2,000 bottles of insulin and between 2.5–3 tons of gluten-free flour per year.
What initiated the work with gluten-free flour and insulin was an emergency call we received from Poland. It came from Michael’s mother Danuta. Michael was, at this time two years old and was gluten intolerant. His illness was so severe that he risked dying. The salvation for him was that we came with gluten-free flour. A few years later we received a thank you from Michael:
“Dear Oliver. I don’t know if you remember me. I was two years old when you first came to us. I was very ill then. You brought us gluten-free flour to use for bread and cooking. For four years I have cared for and kept on a diet. Thanks to you and your friends, I have had bread to eat during this time. Today I am eight years old and healthy. Now I am like all other people. I will never forget my gratitude to you Oliver and your friends.”
In the continued text you can read about what became important parts of the ministry’s work during the early years and that we continued doing for many years. Some of these branches are still active today.
Offset Printing Presses
One of the main branches during the early years, was to send whole offset printing shops to the Easter Europe. The equipment was used by churches and evangelical organizations to print and distribute Christian books and literature. Also, Sunday school material and other educational booklets. Over the years, we have all together sent about 10 printing shops to different countries. One went as far as to India, helping a Bible School in Bangalore to produce their own teaching material.
The printing shops also became bread providers for the people that worked there. For many years these enterprises could support many families with a steady income. One of these printing shops still exist in Oradea Romania.
Picture: A printing shop in Perm in former Soviet Union. (top) A picture from the printing shop in Oradea, Romania
The Letter Ministry
This is how the Gospel was spread during the time of Communism. For many years, especially in the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s. When the countries behind the Iron Curtain were still “closed” and the evangelical church was subject to persecution, the Gospel could still be spread through what was called the Letter Ministry.
From Scandinavia, small portions of the Gospels were sent to people in Eastern Europe. A list of names, derived from phone directories that had been smuggled out of the countries. A list of names was given to those who made up the “army” of letter missionaries here in Scandinavia. The letters were then, according to the list of names, sent out all over Eastern Europe by these letter missionaries.
Much thanks to this method, many for us unknown people could be reached with Gospel. The envelopes these people received were all different in style, with a unique handwriting and therefore difficult for the authorities to track or even suspect. God’s word will always find its way to the hearts of the people!
Smuggling of Bibles and Litterature
During the time of Communism, we had an extensive operation smuggling Bibles and literature of spiritual nature into the countries behind the Iron Curtain. We used elaborate methods making sure that the Gospel reached the persecuted Church behind the Iron Curtain. During the late 70′, and the whole period, up till the fall Iron Curtain, we “distributed” Bibles in large quantities.
During the late 1980 we had a project aimed for Russia that was called “Sign your own Bible for Russia”. Through this project we distributed, with the help of our partners, many hundreds of thousands of Bibles. The goal was set to reach one million Bibles to Russia.
Picture: A Bible distribution point some where behind the Iron Curtain.
Pastors’ Conferences
Since the very start we have arranged conferences for pastors and their wives. During the period the countries were “closed” these conferences were kept “underground” – done in secret.
We are grateful to God for His protection and the guidance of the Holy Spirit during these years. Although the countries were officially closed for the Gospel, it has not prevented us from spreading the Word of God to our faithful friends in the East.
It is true that the Gospel does not carry shackles, but lives in the heart of men. Therefore, no borders set by man, can be a hindrance for the Gospel to be spread. This is true and valid also today.
The picture: From a Pastors Conference helad a few years ago.
Church Construction
One of the main focuses during the early years was to help the persecuted Church to build their own House of Worship. Since the start 1984, we have, by the grace of God, been able to help many Churches to build their church Building. All together, we have been involved in several project in the western part of Romania, but also in places like Blaj and Petru Groza, now called Stej.
Pictures: At an outdoor service held during the winter, because the congregation had had their Church building destroyed by the authorities.
A project worth mentioning is the Church in Blaj. On the picture to the right. Oliver Lindberg, founder of PTPI, is preaching in front of a stack of bricks. This is in the middle of the winter and it is freezing cold. The service lasted for three hours. The Church had, for the second time, their Church bulldozed by the authorities. We helped them to rebuild the Church. The Church still stands today and is a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
Aid & Relief Work
With the help of the pastors serving the local churches in Poland and Romania, who knew the need among the people better, we able to bring aid to the suffering population.
Items such as clothes, medicine, medical equipment, hospital beds and many other sought after products, that was impossible to find, due to government restrictions where brought to Poland. During the 80s and 90s we sent all together about 350-400 of these 16-wheelers with aid to both Poland and Romania.
A lot of material was imported to Sweden, but there leaving empty. We were therefor able to use for the transports free of charge.
Support to National Pastors
One of the branches of our work has been to support national Pastors and other spiritual leaders in the countries we have worked. Many of them could not be supported by the members of the church, due to low salaries and low pensions. In order for them to have an income, many pastors took secular jobs.
By supporting a pastor with whole of part of his monthly need, they were able to intensify the pastoral work, not having to look for work outside of the church.
Picture: A group of polish pastors we have supported durng the years. The majority of them are now retired.
