Authorpreneur Dashboard – Evelyn Puerto
Beyond the Rapids
Christian Books & Bibles
Imagine that you are a believer living in a communist country. You live with the knowledge that at any time you could be imprisoned, tortured, or killed simply because you are a Christian. Beyond the Rapids is the true story of Ukrainian pastor Alexei Brynza and his wife, Valentina, who endured persecution in a culture that was hostile to their faith as they struggled to raise their four children as believers. Spanning the years from the Great Terror of the 1930s to the time when believing in Christ is no longer a crime, this close-knit Ukrainian family quietly persisted through the years, trusting God for everything. The Brynzas’ children, forced to choose between God and the communist system, wrestled with temptations of ambition, popularity, love, and wealth. This inspiring testimony to God’s faithfulness will be sure to strengthen your faith and encourage you to stand firm in all circumstances.
Book Bubbles from Beyond the Rapids
Miraculous Provision Just in Time
This story of how God miraculously provided blue jeans is one of the first I heard as I got to know the Brynza family. For me, it is a great reminder that no matter how impossible our circumstances appear to be, God can always make a way out, at the time when we need it most.
Igor Meets a Witchdoctor
This is one of the first stories Igor told me, shortly after I met him in Zaporozhe, Ukraine in 1995. A gifted storyteller, Igor recounted this dramatic incident with humor, poking fun at his own folly, while keeping his listeners on edge, waiting breathlessly to hear the outcome. In the end, this story is a testimony to the power of the name of Jesus. Hearing stories like this one, told with a spirit of humility, that demonstrate the joy of trusting God served as my inspiration to write Beyond the Rapids.
You Can't Swim through Life like a Fish
Like Lena, I was a painfully shy child. I’m not sure if I would have made it to first grade had my mother not walked me into the classroom. Once I met my teacher, who was kind and supportive, I was comfortable going one my own. That wasn’t the situation for Lena and her brothers, attending school in the Soviet Union. As the children of a prominent Baptist pastor, they became targets for some of their teachers. Lena suffered years of taunting from one teacher. This excerpt begins the chapter in which Lena tells of some of the teasing and humiliation she endured. After one particularly difficult day, Lena’s mother sympathizes, but Lena refuses to be consoled. Finally her mother asks her a question that I often remind myself of when I find myself stuck in a bad situation, or just complaining about my life. "Do you think you can just swim through life like a fish, diving down deep to escape the storms on the surface?" So many times this question has helped me cope with my own trials. I have been encouraged by this and other incidents in the Brynzas’ story, and hope my readers will be as well.
A Story that Had to be Told
The old man hesitated, barely answering his granddaughter's questions. Looking down, he mumbled his replies. Halfway into his story, the dam broke and he couldn't speak fast enough. He looked into the eyes of his listeners, striving to make them understand, beseeching them to feel the pain of his trial and imprisonment. As I watched the video of Gavril Brynza giving an account of what he suffered for his faith, I was overwhelmed with the sense that his story-and that of his family-is a story that has to be told. Not just to remember what they endured, but to give testimony to the love and grace God has for those who are faithful. From that, Beyond the Rapids was born.
