This is a true story: More than 100 years ago a family lived in the poor village of Sosnovka. Famine struck and the Tichomirow family, along with others, decided to migrate to Siberia, hoping for a better situation. Enroute, the parents succumbed to cholera, leaving 10 year old Shura, and her 8 year old brother, Pasha, as comfortless orphans.

The children are picked up by uniformed men, who cruelly separate them. In the boys' barracks, Pasha is surrounded by adults indifferent to the needs of the children, the taunting of older, hardened boys, continuous squabbling and fighting, and the daily obnoxious dried fish soup. After one week, his only thought is: "How do I escape?" One night he climbs the fence escaping into the black forest. The second morning of his pilgrimage he is awakened with a slap from one of three armed men surrounding him. "Hey, there! Get up, little fellow."

Assuring himself that these men are not from the hated orphanage, Pasha mournfully relates his experience. The men invite him to come along with them. It is not long before Pasha realizes he has landed in a robber's den. By and by, the boy becomes acquainted with this new life, even finding a liking to it. A carefree liberty, good food, an animated mood-all this helped him forget his lost home-land and the tragic ending of his parents.

One night Pasha and his men overtook two travelers on horseback, robbing and then killing them. One of the looted bags held a book, a New Testament. Pasha decides to keep this to roll cigarettes. To pass away the time one evening, while lying in his bunk, Pasha begins to read the pages facing him at a chance opening of the Testament.

"There is none that seeketh after God…Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips? Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:11, 13-18)

He found this inscription on the flyleaf: "May 15, 1898 the day of conversion to the Lord, my repentance and new birth. On this day He forgave my sins and washed me with His holy blood."

Pasha did not understand these words. He shut the book and lay it under his pillow. Rolling in his covers, he tried to sleep, but sleep left him. His heart was disturbed. He awoke with renewed unrest in his soul. His comrades noticed the strange expression on his face. Pasha explained about the book, and the robbers demanded it be surrendered and burned. But some wanted to look at it.

Finally it is decided that the book be read to the whole gang. The men listened in silence. Thus a whole month passed in the reading of the book. Finally one of the young men decided that he can no longer continue in his murderous trade. Pasha and five other men follow him in his decision to acknowledge their whole guilt before the proper representatives of the law.

With decidedly firm steps, the repentant criminals walked into the nearest city, fully armed. To the startled inhabitants came the question: Where is the district court? They are led by a policeman, and there they confess their dastardly deeds to the district attorney. The man becomes confused and could not immediately control himself. It was the first time in his life that he had witnessed the confession of a whole group of men who yielded themselves voluntarily into the hands of the representatives of the law. The repentant murderers are led off to their cells, but the district attorney is incredulous. Later that evening he recounts this amazing experience to his wife. Her surprise is great, and after some consideration she says, "One of the robbers that was crucified with Christ turned also, but he could not run away. These men could have carried on their business. It is surprising-an unknown case in the history of justice!"

"What do you think, wife. Should we not read the New Testament also? Perhaps we could find what could have worked so upon these men. We hardly know the book." Disdainfully, the attorney's wife replied, "I have read it already. I cannot understand what could be in it to have worked so upon those miserable robbers."

And so it goes. We have read it already. Or we know so-and-so, who reads it. Or we think we remember what we learned in church school. "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." This is a true story, one of millions. May ours number with them.