Where acknowledgement of God has been difficult during the past century, seven people have been baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the city of Actau, Kazakstan, according to Valery Ivanov, communication director for the Adventist Church in Russia.

Actau, former Shevchenko, had no Adventist presence until October of this year. Ivanov acknowledges the work of Vladimir and Svetlana Pilipuk, who moved to Actau in December of 1999 as official missionary volunteers, and began active missionary work. “We are very happy for the work that the Pilipuk’s are doing to bring God into the lives of the residents of this city,” says Ivanov.