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University of the Nations

"PREACHERS" who respond to their own message of salvation are an unlikely common feature of short-term evangelism programs across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. 

        For missionary teams who use local non-Christian linguists to 
translate for them report that many pray to receive Christ after 
thinking about the messages they have relayed, and viewing the 
visitors' lives up close. 

        Fifteen translators have become Christians in Kiev alone during the past four years in which Youth With A Mission workers have hosted outreaches by around 80 overseas teams - and the link is so popular that 18 language students applied for just five places with this year's summer program. 

        "It's a built-in evangelism strategy that was born out of a 
simple necessity," said Vicki Hoodikoff, who directs the YWAM 
ministry in Kiev with her husband, Kelly. With none of the 
international staff fluent enough in Ukrainian to translate in 1993, she got the idea of approaching the city's language institute for help. 

        "I told them who we were and what we believed, and encouraged them to ask any questions they may have," said Hoodikoff. As a result, five of the six student language teachers who offered to help became Christians during their time with the visiting 
teams, as they translated at open air evangelistic meetings, church services, seminars, and in one-on-one conversations. 

        Hoodikoff met with the new Christians for follow-up during the next school year, and the students encouraged six friends from 
the institute to help out the following summer. Five of them became Christians, too. 

        "Now I don't need to worry about finding translators any more - just the need for enough teams for them to work with," said 
Hoodikoff. "Every May I get calls from students wanting an 
opportunity to translate". 

        The nominal fee paid to the translators is considerably less 
than that offered in the commercial world, so "there must be 
something about working with us that they like", she said. While 
working with non-Christian translators requires a bit more preparation by visiting speakers - "so they avoid 'Christianese', or are able to explain the concept in a way that is understandable" - the unanticipated dividend makes it worthwhile, she added. 

        Nor is the Kiev experience unusual, according to Al Akimoff, 
director of YWAM's Slavic Ministries, who has been involved in 
evangelism and discipleship in the former USSR for more than 20 
years. 

        His workers often use non-Christian translators from teacher 
training colleges or language schools for some of the 120-plus 
languages spoken in the region. "For translating visiting teams 
in doing evangelistic work we actually prefer the non-Christians 
because it provides for a double evangelistic effort, and the 
results are so great," he said. 

        "For teaching in courses, seminars, and speaking in churches, 
we prefer Christians, because the understanding of certain 
spiritual things is so important." 
 

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