Service in the army

FAR AND AWAY
Now I want to look at the time I spent serving in the army. Today in Latvia we have only the professional army so that those boys who do not want to serve in the army are free not to join it. I think it helps to diminish the bullying there. In my days everyone had to go to army with the least term being two years.

Many of us remember the desperate steps many boys and their parents took to avoid this forced service. My brothers in faith preferred doctors’ help which could be called a deception for the sake of self-protection. At that time hand-written brochures were circulating about Ukrainian guys who were severely humiliated because of their faith and with the support of the chiefs murdered.

Then the time came for me to go to army. Even though because of the sickness I had in my teenage years I had legitimate reason to try to avoid the army we made a decision in the family that I would go where I had to go and we would rely on God’s special help.

So I was called into army. Those who experienced those times remember what it meant to sit in "obezjannik" ("monkey's cage") waiting for the so-called "buyers" to come. I was "bought" by the communications department which was located in Voronezh, REussia.

Thus I started to get acquainted with the army life. It was not so bad really. I liked it. It seemed everything would be fine and I would get along with my companions, but then a certain problem arouse because I was not a member of Komsomol. „Why?" I was asked. "Do you believe in God? How is that possible!? " I remember a cheerful major saying: "My wife is a doctor and she says that there is no God!" I answered that I still believed in God even though his wife had not seen Him.

I was dragged around, questioned, and ridiculed. Of course, it was unpleasant. But every time I confessed may faith in Christ and my determination to keep believing in spite of authority, shoulder-straps, dislike and threats, my heart was filled with unexplainable feelings of joy, boldness, and even pride that I could march the noble and heroic road of witnesses of Christ. To put it in other words: "It was even pleasant to be alone against a huge superiority and physically feel that God was on my side."

Finally the political leader of the department decided that there was no place for an obscurant in his model department so I would be sent somewhere else. One day I was sent together with soldiers of Asian descent to a far away country. Of course, judging by experience I was sure that would be the darkest, gloomiest, and most dangerous place for obscurants and uneducated Soviet citizens who have spent their youth in youth prisons! I did not write anything to my relatives so that I would not scare them. I just prayed.

My final destination was Hungary

My new place of service was located in mountains far away from any inhabited place and my company which consisted of Armenians, Georgians, Kazakhs, and other Asians lived in a tent. We were building a new bracing position for the “great and mighty” USSR army.

It was basically all right till the fall but only during the winter the true reality became clear. Cold, biting winds were “tearing apart” the tent which was simply fastened with edged with turf. The guys were sleeping on wooden plank beds covering themselves with uniform coats. At night rats were creeping around the tent looking for warmth and something sweet that non-smokers had hidden under their pillows. I was lucky because I was sleeping on the upper store but those who slept on the bottom planks often were awakened by rats who had come to warm themselves at their cheeks. Men were hiding their faces in hats while sleeping because they were afraid that the rats would eat their nose. Boots, mattresses, blankets, and clothes were constantly wet – they could not be dried. The tragedy was revealed fully after it had been raining the whole day!

We were washing in cold water from tankers. At nights the person on duty had to heat the stove but it was no rare case that he fell asleep and the stove went out. It was quite a sight to watch the anger of eighty men shivering from cold who were hiding under hats and uniform coats when they started to appear. This was no joking matter.

Not only did I serve in such a way but in my spare time I was also taking care of the sick guys. And they were sick a lot. At times I prayed for my patients and myself, too, when I did not know what was happening and what to do. I vividly recall a case when I got severely ill. I was in severe pain. With difficulty I found a place where I could be alone and I cried for God to heal me. Already next morning I was well! The whole time I was experiencing what strength, peace, and hope the Word of God is bringing. At times risking to be punished I sneaked into the restricted area which was guarded by a guard armed with Kalashnikov because that was the only place where I could be alone to pray and think about God's Word.

Then at the most difficult time in one moment all my problems got solved when the main General, Jesus Christ, transferred me to "civilized" corps where I could spend the remaining part of my service in peace and quietness.

Later I often met my former companions when many of them came to see the doctor tired, haggard, with ulcerous legs that sometimes homeless people have. Once in two weeks they could wash themselves and see a doctor. I felt deeply sorry for them and at the same time I praised God for the grace He had shown me.

My friends from Voronezh were sending me sad letters but I, "the solid obscurant", was peacefully serving in Budapest almost having the reputation of a doctor and enjoying all the privileges that came with it. I was going on tours, enjoying an excellent service in "the dining-room" which was of great value at that time, and buying refined gifts for my relatives for my soldier's money.

This God's given year of peace was truly a time of studying and thinking about the Bible. It was a meaningful time for my relationship with Christ and my girlfriend Liga. Only years later I started to appreciate that I got to know my future wife not just by "hanging around" but by writing and reading countless letters. At that time I was keeping them in a pocket close to my heart and now, 24 years later, they have become very special and precious relics of our family.