The Real Face of Communism

This story below is from one of our missionary partners, Paul Hagelgans, who is evangelizing in the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. His father recently died and he sent us a snippet from his dad's life.

The reminder is this: It is too easy to forget what a travesty Communism was and is. Too many people today, young people who never experienced the Cold War, are casting Communism as “not that bad”, and people like Ronald Reagan who fought it as possibly the actual bad guys. Let this personal testimony serve as a witness that Communism is not a friend to the Gospel nor to civilized humanity.

Here's the e-mail I received:

Dear partner in ministry,

I just want to pass this personal note on to you to let you know our field director of the FSU [Paul Hagelgans] got news while he was traveling with me in the USA that his dad had graduated to heaven. Yesterday I put him on the plane to join his family back in Germany, and I want to ask you to remember him and his family these next few days. I have included a note from him as well, but I wanted to share with you one of the stories he told me about his dad as we traveled these last few days:

Paul's father was 81 years old [when he died]. When he was nine years old, his father and 5 brothers where taken out and shot by the KGB for being believers, missionaries, and pastors. The parting comment of the KGB officer to his mom was "We will make it so that your last son will not even remember who Jesus is." With that his mom, standing tall at 4' 2", addressed the officer with her finger in his face "Who are you? You are not God". Of course, she could have been killed on the spot, but God spared her and she went on to raise her son and died when she was 87. Her 9 year old son, Friedrich, died last Friday at 81 years, 27 days. He will go and see his dad and mom and brothers in Heaven since he did know about Jesus and walked with him as well. He leaves behind a believing wife and 15 children (all but one are believers) Their families-even the family of the unbeliever--all know Jesus, and number just over 120 people. The question that begs to be asked is where is communism and this KGB officer? We know where Friedrich is. Please pray for this family as they celebrate the life of a faithful father.

Mark A. Reimschisel

Executive Director,
Bible Mission International, Inc.

NOTE FROM PAUL:

My dear Friends,

This is to inform you that on November 28, at the age of 81, my father went to be with the Lord Whom he was serving his whole life long.

For me personally and my family, this was not unexpected, we knew it was to happen soon, he had done the ministry the Lord had given to him, and he had kept living faithfully until the last minute of his life. Now he is even more alive than all of us who live here on the earth.On Friday, December 5, as the Word of the Lord tells us, we will give his body to the earth. It will not be a day of sorrow for us, but a day of victory. According to the words of the Apostle Paul in I Thes. 4:13-18, we will not separate from him, but we will be waiting to meet him again.

My father's life has not been easy; he was a faithful servant to God, to his family and to the people. Not all of it can be described in this letter. I will send you more about his life a little later. His example will be kept forever in the hearts not only of his family, but also of hundreds of people who were around him.

We thank the Lord for our father, and for all He did through him. I thank you for your prayers and support.

Yours in Him,
Paul Hagelgans
Field Director