A pastor’s desire to help Adventists in Sayanogorsk, a city in the central Asian republic of Tuva, ended tragically with the mid-winter deaths of the pastor, a member of his congregation and her daughter. The bodies of the victims, buried in a ravine under heavy winter snows, were only located at the end of May.

Dead are Pastor Alexey Sasov, age 29, who had recently transferred from Kyzyl to Sayanogorsk, about 250 miles (350 km) north, as well as Natalia Soldatova, 40, and her daughter, Tania, 14. The Soldatovas were being transported by Sasov to and from a medical appointment in Kyzyl.

Returning from Kyzyl after heavy snowfalls, Sasov apparently steered the wrong way and his car fell into a ravine. The actual details of the accident appear to be lost, but it is believed that Sasov, a very careful driver, may have been forced off the road.

A funeral service for the victims was held June 1 at the Sayanogorsk cemetery.

Although two families are devastated by the tragedy—Sasov and his wife, Vica, had three small children; Soldatova and her husband had three others in addition to Tania—Church officials in the region report that some lives were touched during the recent months. The two families remained faithful in their commitment to Christ, and Sasov’s father accepted Jesus as his savior during the period.