Funeral of Nikolay Shenov, Izhevsk, Russia

Greetings from Izhevsk, a city 700 miles to the East from Moscow. It was a beautiful sunny winter day with -22C (-8F) almost no wind and dry air. In the morning Angelika and I left Daniella at home of my (Ilya's) parents with Daniella's grandma Valentina (my mom) and my dad drove us to Angelika's parents' home.

There Angelika's mom and younger sister with 2 more neighbors and us in 2 different cars drove to a funeral home. At the funeral home there was a group of some 15 men who used to work with Nikolay together. They were sad, as well as everyone else: neighbors, friends, relatives. We awaited outside until previous ceremony finished and entered the funeral home, which was just a single room with a big wooden Cross of the Russian Orthodox Church style and the open casket. Nikolay's body was well dressed in a suit that Dr. Buskey once gave Nikolay as a gift. Nikolay has never put it on, just on his last trip home. A week ago pastor Peter visited Nikolay and prayed with him, and Nikolay did pray out loud and at least with his mouth he did confess Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. We all have hope to meet Nikolay on the Day of Christ. At the funeral hose there was a silence. Men and women were remembering Nikolay. Nadezhda, Angelika, Svetlana have being emotional: who wasn't? Nikolay was a good hearted man. He liked under ice fishing very much. Pastor Peter and him had a common business to talk about.

At the funeral home a Russian Orthodox priest served a liturgy: Svetlana felt to do the Russian Orthodox Church ceremony. All, but Angelika and I, Pastor Alexander Podobedov and Children's pastor Olga Frolova, partook in the ceremony by holding candles in their hands. The priest did the ceremony in the Old Slavic Language; only we, who knew the Scripture could hardly recognize Paul's and John's passages he quoted. The priest used laden that produced a smell unique to the Russian Orthodox Church services. The room was filled with it. Dimmed light, candles and mono singing of the priest were making many (including myself) tired from not understanding of the 'magic' wording and shaking of the laden’s smoke thing in his hand. After the service was over the priest did spoke Russian that everyone understood and gave a good liturgy summary and instructions on what to do next. Theology of praying the dead out of hell is one of the ROC's beliefs, which is hard to align with the Scripture. After the funeral was over the casket was closed and placed in a special bus that took us to the grace sight in some 20...30 minutes.

There in the open field alone other graves we had the last word. A man from the factory spoke about Nikolay and shared with those around what a meek and good friend was he. I spoke from our Evangelical understanding of person's responsibility while living to make decision to follow Christ and tried to remember Nikolay and shared with everyone what is the real life that believers have (Christ Jesus) and how those who believe in His resurrection come from death to life when they die. After my words Svetlana allowed the casket to be placed down, every one took a little of soil and have thrown down to the casket. Workers have finished making a grave, placed a cross on top and a funeral flowers that you can see on the picture here. After the ceremony everyone have been served Russian hot pirogi and hot tea, which was one of the traditions and very well in place coz the weather was COLD (-5F) -22C. The funeral bus took us to a cafeteria where those who wanted to remember Nikolay sat and ate funeral dinner, after which the ceremony of the day was finished.

Nikolay, Angelika's dad, passed away half an hour before we entered home...

Nikolay Shinov has passed away half an hour before we arrived at his home this morning Feb. 5... We've taken a train from Moscow to Izhevsk yesterday - Feb. 4 - arrived this morning and were late... We hope to see him in Heaven, trusting God's mrecy. Nikolay was 61 and his 62nd birthday would be on Feb. 25, just in 20 days. He was the only child. His parents didn't provide much love and care. Nikolay worked at a factory in Izhevsk. He retiered due to a medical condition at 59, he had a cancer surgery 2 years ago exactly in January 2010. The picture on the right is taken in summer 2010. He lost lots of weight in the last 5 months. We were in Izhevsk in August 2011. Lower group picture was in August 2011. Pastor Peter Ovechkin has visited Nikolay about 10 days ago and prayed with him. Nikolay does not have many relatives. Funeral will be Feb. 7. Thank you for your prayers for all of us in Izhevsk...

Nadezhda, Angelika's younger sister, says yesterday she and her mom relocated Nikolay from one place to another - he is very light about 70 lbs. Nadezhda writes he is still in his mind and asked have we arrived or not. We decided to travel Sunday early morning by car, or to take train tonight, so we'll be in Izhevsk tomorrow morning. Please, pray for Nikolay, us and the snowy road. This black and white picture of Nikolay is taken in his late teen years (mid 1960s) He worked as a Sander at one of the military factories in Izhevsk.

This is 2010. Behind Nikolay is his younger daughter and me when we visited them in Izhevsk with Daniella in June 2010.

Dear friends, thank you for your prayers for Nikolay. He is still the same. No change. Yet he lives and untill he has a breath of life there is hope for salvation! Thank you from Angelika! This is Nikolay and Svetlana - Angelika's parents 1971, Izhevsk, USSR.

This was in Izhevsk last 2011 year.

This was in 2010:

Nikolay is very weak. He cann't make it to the restroom. He ate last time on Jan. 18 and took water on Jan. 28. His wife is next to his bed. When pastor Peter came yesterday he talked with Nikolay about God, prayer, eternity. Nikolay listened, in Peter's question asking about prayer, Nikolay indicated he did not pray. Angelika and I hope he may be didn't know before pastor Peter came, but now, after the visit, Nikolay may started to address God? No one knows what kind of reality is shown to a person who loves his last days, hours... Angelika is on the way to recovery, still weak, but went outside today. Daniella has to go through 4 tests and visit her doctor before she is released from school medical leave of absence. Thank you for praying for us. In Him, I&A

Pastor Peter Ovechkin visited my father-in-law at home/

Peter and his wife Ludmila

has visited Nikolay today - Sunday Jan.29. The visit was short. Nikolay didn't want to bee seen, but allwed Peter to come and fellowship. Nikolay does not like (he says so, I don't know what stage emptionally he is in? Nikolay does not share his emotions, just negative emotions he does share and always was) people visiting him. Peter talked with him and then prayed for Nikoaly.

I will learn more tomorrow when I call Peter. Nikolay stopped eating on Jan. 18 and the same day he stopped smoking. He smokes once in several days if he has enaught strngth to walk out to the bolkany. Angelika and I plan on traveling from Moscow to Izhevsk by the end of next week - Thursday - Feb. 2. Angelika has been in bed for the last 2-3 days with cold, that turned to be a flue, which transformed into a bronchitus. The treatment is going on well, just a metter of time. When she will feel like traveling we'll go. Probably by car - train is expensive! I got a flat tire yestarday when showing and shopping with Dr. Toddy Holeman

around Moscow. Daniella got over her "cold", the only health person in our family right now is I ;-) Anyway, we pray for Nikolay to trust his life in Lord's hands. Thank you for praying for him also.

Angelika's father In Izhevsk

Dear Friends: Update on Nikolay - my father-in-law: he sleeps long hours, almost all day, all night, he doesn't eat, drinks little, gets light drug pain medicine that doesn't help. His wife - Svetlana - gives him injections. She says there is no place in him to give an injection -- For the last 2 days, a nurse came twice, ambulance was called upon once. They said, address a hospital. The hospital (cancer hospital) says, no room avalible, and if there would be, they would not hospitalize Nikolay - they can't help. In the West such people are placed in a hospis... Usually, Nikolay would smoke 5-7 times a day going out to a balkony in the condo where he and his wife with their younger daughter live. He stopped smoking. No alkohol, no sigarets... Please, keep him in prayer for a revelation of Christ and may his heart turn to God.

This picture of Nikolay has been taken in Summe 2009. He didn't have surgery at that time yet. The surgery was done in January 2010. It was too late. Nikolay's birthday is Feb. 25. He will be 64. . Angelika got sick before we learned about her dad's last days... We can't travel right now due to Angelika's sickness. Daniella got a cold also, but lighter version, while Angelika has been quite sick for the last 2 days. Pray for them also. Thank you...