The experience of God’s saving act in Paul Basil’s life...

I was born in Moscow during the soviet union erra. I was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church in my early childhood. In fact, I had not known the salvation of God in Christ Jesus as well as many of my countrymen at that unfavorable time. I received a common diploma from high school and later the diploma of a pilot engineer.

In short, I was engaged with the Russian Air Force for almost 18 years. Serving as a jet pilot I had amazing fun and immensely stressful situations at the same time. While piloting a jet outside of a large Mongolian town, I experienced what would prove to be a turning point for the rest of my life. Due to a misunderstanding, my “Sy” was clipped by the jet of my wingman at around 1200 feet above the ground. Such a collision would usually cause the destruction of one or both planes and the pilots, but that is not what happened. My airplane spiraled downward and exploded on impact nine seconds after the collision. This delay afforded me the necessary five seconds to eject and be saved. Such an escape should not have been humanly possible because considering the brief reaction time, the stress and overwhelming 9 G –force. It would take more than superhuman strength to maintain control. Furthermore, when I ejected the main parachute malfunctioned but the reserve chute deployed. As if this were not miraculous enough, I escaped the huge fire ball on the ground because of a strong wind from North that drew my parachute away from the inferno. To this day I cannot imagine how I managed to escape without injury while the laces of my boots were torn and the solid, non-removable tube of my oxygen mask was cut off. My stress and anticipation of dying was replaced by the great joy of being alive. I was saved! In conclusion, the investigation panel reported (through the investigations of previous accidents) that practically and theoretically I should have died. Surely it was miracle.

As I considered my amazing survival, I vividly recognized the intervention of God in saving my life. Looking back, now I can say confidently that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has chosen me to be his witness and servant. Being the servant of the Lord has shown to me his love and protection, yet He also made me the participant in his sufferings. God has strengthened me in giving a reliable and thoughtful helper, my wife Stacey; she is my Sister in Christ; both of us are the coworkers in a missionary field. While I served as a missioner and a pastor in Russia, my family was threatened with death many times, but with God’s mighty protection we are alive. We both came to faith through miraculous acts God performed in our lives and through his Word. Now we continue to serve the Lord Jesus and his people here in the United States. Here I graduated from Concordia Seminary and was proved as a professional worker of the LCMS.

In 2008 I received a call from St. Luke’s Evangelical Church in Elizabeth and now I am again in the public service as it was in Russia. At this moment I have a married daughter, Alisha, my son-in-law Josh, and a grandson. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus for all has he done and continues to do through me, his servant Paul Basil.