Boris Ruskamalov, a Khanti evangelist attended a Finno-Ugric conference in Stockholm in the middle of November, 2011. He says: "When I first saw the Gospel of Mark in the Khanti language, I experienced great joy in my heart. I finally understood that God speaks Khanti, and that I may converse with Him in my own mother tongue." Many Khantis believe that Jesus is a Russian God who must be worshipped and prayed to strictly in the Russian language.

Like so many other Khantis, Boris' father died as a result of alcoholism. This is a scourge that plagues large numbers of people in Russia, resulting in a barely 40-year life expectancy for Khanti men. Boris grew up in an orphanage. Following his military service he became a fisherman -- just like his parents before him. But, he experienced life as meaningless, and began drinking. Soon he too was destined for an early death.

Khantis are shamanists. They keep idols in their homes, and perform daily sacrifices to them. This was Boris' heritage. When his grandfather died, everyone assumed he would continue this religious family tradition.

In the 1990s, missionaries arrived in his village. This greatly infuriated Boris. When they knocked on his door, he immediately drove them off. At times, he even grabbed his hunting gun to reinforce his demand: "We don't need any Russian gods here!" But, when an evangelistic meeting was arranged in his village, Boris was curious and decided to attend. "I was extremely drunk, but the power of God touched me and I sensed peace entering my heart," he says. After that experience, he gathered up his shamanistic paraphernalia and burned it all. This scared the villagers who thought they would all be cursed. But, when little by little they noticed that nothing happened, they eventually calmed down. "I tried to tell them about Jesus," says Boris, "but it was not an easy task. I wasn't able to talk with them about spiritual matters in the Khanti language because we don't have our own Bible. So, when I received the Gospel of Mark shortly after the turn of the century, I rejoiced with gratefulness. I began noticing that other Khantis showed more interest now that I could tell them about God in our own language."

Today, Boris serves as an evangelist, and is also a member of the Bible translation team. "When anyone asks me about my greatest desire for our people," he says, "I respond without hesitation: I wish that we will receive more of the Word of God. That's what we need, more than anything else!"

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