Anastasiya Bann is a Student Movement Leader for IFES in Belarus.
When did you trust Christ?
I am very grateful to my Lord that I was born into a Christian family. I knew a lot about Him, but not Him personally. In the summer of 2014, I went to the Christian camp. There, they told us the Gospel (which I already knew). They showed a video, and I believe that it was at that moment that God touched my heart. I realised in a new way that God loves me so much that He gave His only Son for my sins, resurrected Him, and now gives me eternal life! At night, lying in bed, I cried, asked God to forgive me, said that I believe in Jesus as my personal Saviour, and promised to live the way He wants! From that moment on, my life slowly began to change! Then, I went to a sanatorium and was able to resist sin in practice. At that moment, Jesus was already the Lord of my life for me. I wanted to live a life of obedience to Him. In 2017, I could not wait any longer and wanted to make my covenant with the Lord through water baptism!
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
When I became a student, I began to meet people from other denominations. I saw that there were some differences. I began to study more deeply what the Bible says about different issues that I had a poor understanding of. I had a great thirst to know God better. I began to communicate more with a wise woman who helped me grow spiritually.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
My organisation director said the European Leadership Forum would be very useful for me, both spiritually and practically. I would be able to know God better, be inspired, serve with more enthusiasm, and share what I learned with people from my country. I would also learn practical methods of service, meet different people, learn from their experiences, and learn something new in the field of working with young people.
What is your ministry?
I am a student minister, responsible for organising the summer evangelistic camp that will be held next year. I am also a Bible study leader, plan evangelistic events, help Christian students carry out ministry, and do discipleship. I am also a Sunday school teacher at the local church, and I help organise summer camps.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
In the past, I have served as a Sunday school teacher for six years, a teen ministry leader for three years, and a camp counsellor seven or eight times. I have also helped to organise camps and trips, led a cooking club, and been involved in various evangelistic events and ministries. I have been in ministry with IFES for four years now.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Student life is a time when people discover new things. This applies both to Christian students (ready for the new ministry at their universities) and non-Christian students (ready to go to different events and Bible studies through which they become believers). More people will believe in Christ if the Gospel is effectively spread in different universities. Then, these students will occupy different positions in the country and influence other people. Therefore, I would like to undergo training that would enable me to be more effective in serving students.
