“I can’t come this week. My father-in-law committed suicide.” This was the message we received in February from our friend Nino*, who has been struggling with some family problems for a number of weeks.
Nino is a Georgian lady in her early 20s who comes to our house at 8am every Monday to help our boys with their language. I remember the first time we opened the door to her in November 2023, and she stepped through, well-dressed, confident and full of energy.
Our children warmed to her immediately and over the course of a few months, she began to open up to us about her family life. She was living with her husband and his family, but it was difficult.
“When my son comes home with mud on his shoes, you clean them,” her mother-in-law reminds her regularly, “My son needs to sit and rest.”
Nino’s mother-in-law also has strong opinions about parenting. “Treat your child like an enemy. That is the best way to raise them.” Sadly, in Georgia, many families struggle with these issues, but we have the joy of bearing a gospel with power to change lives and families.
We have had the privilege of being able to invite Nino into our family life.
We have had the privilege of being able to invite Nino into our family life. She was amazed when she saw Luke with soap suds on his hands standing at the sink, and she is still surprised that he knows how to make coffee. Every time we discipline our children gently, albeit imperfectly, leaves her smiling.
Through these little interactions, Claudette has been able to open the Bible with Nino and share snippets of the gospel. Nino is Orthodox by tradition, as are most Georgians, but the verses and stories we share from the Bible each week are new to her.
Some people groups are unreached and are not allowed to read the Bible because they belong to another religion. Many Orthodox Christians in Georgia have never opened the pages of a Bible because they’re Orthodox Christians. Within Orthodoxy, Bibles are for priests.
Fast forward to February 2024, and Nino’s father-in-law commits suicide. We see her the following week. “I feel peace when I’m with you,” she says. “I know God is with you.”
Currently, Nino is living with her parents. She has had weeks of uncertainty about whether she will separate from her husband or not. The future looks difficult but we know that the gospel offers peace with the God who has the words of eternal life, who is a refuge we can flee to, and who abounds in love and faithfulness.
We moved to Tbilisi from London six months ago, with our boys, Kaiden and Xander, aged two and five, to work with the Georgian Baptist church. Our focus is language-learning to serve in theological education and strengthen the local church.
*Names have been changed
Luke and Claudette are learning language in Georgia to serve in theological eduation and church ministry.