Vanya: A True Story

This is a great example of God's faithfulness to those who put their trust in Him.

Vanya was a young man drafted into the Soviet Army in 1970. He had been a believer for only two years, but during that time he had internalized the Scriptures, even though he didn't even own a Bible. His first priority upon arriving in the Ukraine for Basic Training was to find a private place to pray each morning. Thus before he had been in the Army for a week he was already in trouble for his religion. This book chronicles, using the God's-eye view approach to telling the story, the relentless persecution that followed, culminating in his heroic death by torture for refusing to recant. Fearless before the might of the Evil Empire, Vanya was the stone upon which many stumbled and were broken, but only became more hardened to all efforts to conform him to the Soviet Ideal. Though plagued by doubts, Vanya found his faith miraculously strengthed in his darkest hours, and left behind a trail of new believers and demoralized interrogators wherever he was taken. His death accomplished what his life couldn't: the Soviet Army admitted defeat and never again applied its utmost force to a believer in hopes of turning him from the faith.

This is a book about God's faithfulness to His own in spite of suffering, persecution and death. It is about one man's relationship with the Living God, to whom he had abandonded himself totally. It's a book about what is truly important and worth clinging to when there is absolutely no other hope. I read the story of Ivan Moisyev years ago with tears, awe and humility and the memory of Ivan's story of faith, suffering and, ultimately, martyrdom for the cause of Christ still haunts me. It left behind on my soul the burning questions, "If I were faced with such terrible persecution how would I respond? Would I remain faithful to Christ to the point of death? Could I really love and forgive those who might so terribly persecute me?". All these years later I'm left with the challenge to be willing to surrender everything, including my life to God in Christ.[...]

This is absolutely the best book of being a witness for Christ I have ever heard before. I recommend every Christian alive read this powerful testimony. It will be a guaranteed encouragement for you.

Vanya's life is a plain, though powerful, example of the soul who seeks Jesus' will and no more on this earth. And is a great demonstration of what Jesus can do with the believer who loves Him more than himself or any thing in this world.

Many times we read the Bible and think the days of miracles are over, but as this book witnesses it may be our lack of faith is all that is wrong. Vanya was a Soviet soldier during the cold war. The incredible hand of God was on him through years of torture at the hands of the communists. While the account is written in story form, the miracles and history of this book are substantiated with documents and letters to his family. This book is in the class of "The God Smuggler" and "The Hiding Place". I highly recomend it and am sad to see it is out of print.