For the first ISP Convocations in May 1991, thousands of pieces of literature were shipped to Russia.

But we had a major problem.

“We didn’t have our materials for the first Convocation,” recalls Vernie Schorr Love, the elementary workshop leader. “We were told that the truck had been detained at the border.” The curriculum, the copies of The JESUS film, and thousands of other materials were not released in time.

Nothing except for the Bibles.

What was the team supposed to do?

One team member suggested that they use the Bibles.

“Great idea, but how will they respond? How are we going to explain this to the teachers?” asked Vernie.

“I think we should tell the truth; explain to the teachers why we don’t have the materials,” responded her team.

So at the beginning of the workshop, Vernie got up to speak with the teachers. “We have promised you this new curriculum,” she began. “We are strangers, and you have no reason to trust us. We do have curriculum, and you will receive it, but right now it is sitting on a truck at the border. Since we don’t have the curriculum, we thought that today we would show you the source, the Bible. We don’t want to force you to believe [in God] but this is where we found the content of the curriculum.”

The more Vernie spoke, the quieter the room became.

Finally a tall man stood up and picked up a Bible. He started pounding on it and speaking in Russian.

“My translator was listening to the man but not interpreting,” recalls Vernie. What was he saying? she wondered. She soon found out.

“We believe you,” the man said. “We believe that you have the curriculum and that it is at our border and we are very grateful. We will be very happy to take this Bible and use it as our curriculum, and we look forward to receiving the full curriculum later.”

This man was a key educational official in Russia with incredible influence!

When it came time to distribute the Bibles, the teachers jumped out of their seats, rushed to the tables, pushed and shoved to get to the front because they were afraid the ISP team would run out.