At the beginning of the twentieth century God laid his hand upon one young man in a forgotten corner of the Russian Empire.

Ganz Raud was brought up in a sincere Christian family in Estonia at the end of the nineteenth century and became a Christian at an early age. In 1900, when he was 18 years old he heard God’s call to serve him in full time ministry, but at that time did not know where God was calling him. For the next three years he accompanied his father on preaching tours and it was during this time that God began to impress on his heart the needs of Europe. He writes: “At that time upon the wall of my room I had a map of the world to guide me in prayer. I prayed for Europe and also read literature about the various fields and countries of the world. As I grew in the Lord the conviction became ever stronger that the Lord was summoning me into His service.”

It was not until the very end of 1903 that this call was fixed on Europe. On the last day of 1903, Ganz was accompanying his father and brother at a preaching meeting. As Ganz beganm the secret police came to arrest the speakers, but God intervened dramatically. The captain in charge of the police was so challenged by Ganz’s sermon that he was converted. The other police left without any arrests being made! There was tremendous blessing that evening as over 40 were converted and the believers present decided to spend the rest of the night in prayer. The meeting continued past midnight and into 1904 as God met with them, and the conviction grew that they should commission Ganz to serve God as a full time missionary to Europe.