, and it also tells us that the Lord never asks us to anything we cannot manage. I firmly believe that.
"We are going to have to spend some time studying the things you have taught us, and I hope Sister Reifman will help us as it is obvious you have taught her much about these things during your stay."
He went on to thank Stan for ministering to them and then the conregation prayed for their safe return to Sweden.
It was 10.50 a.m. and the train was due to leave in forty minutes' time. They had completely forgotten about the satanists and now they were suddenly confronted with some difficult choices. Should they proceed to the railway station or not?
"Have you decided what you are going to do?" asked Elisa concerned, as she held Stan's arm. Individual members of the congregation shook Stan's hand as they left, some smiling, others looking like death warmed up. He knew he had sown two very tough seeds indeed that morning.
"We go to the railway station," insisted Stan. "And we go in the strength of the Lord God of Israel, trusting Him for His protection."
They clambered aboard the two cars. Andrus' and Karl's wives were very quiet, visibly shaken by what they had heard Stan preach. There would doubtless be much fierce debate between husbands and wives, leaving Elisa with a major job on her hands. Andrus would look to her to clear up the débris of confusion caused by Stan's bombshell in the weeks to come.
They arrived at the railway station with twenty minutes to spare.
"I will be in contact with you very soon," Andrus assured Stan as they stood on the platform as the train rolled up. "There is so much to be done. And now, today, you have sown a storm that may be hard to control." His eyes looked pained. "I only pray that what you have done is right. We shall, in any case, need much grace. I just hope the storm does not become a tempest that destroys us."
Stan felt pain in his heart and grimmaced. He loathed preaching what he called his "twin sifting doctrines", plural marriage and the united order, because they always created so much strife. He looked Andrus deep into the eyes:
"This morning was painful for me, brother, because I know what it is you must shoulder," said Stan. "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for the faint-hearted. The Saviour said:
"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law"11.
"It is amazing how quickly modern ministers forget these words. But be assured, my brother, that it is not we who bring this division, but Yahweh Himself. It is by this means that He will separate the sheep from the goats. You will know, in a very short time, my friend, who are to be the future leaders of your Fellowship. The way of finding out will not be pleasant, and it will hurt you to see those who have witnessed so many miracles denying the truth because they will not trust the Lord. You will soon know those who you can count on to be loyal and those who you cannot."
Andrus and Karl hugged Stan but their wives stood a little back, already fighting inside against what they had heard, though they politely shook his and Hanna's hand. And then, just as they were about to part, Andrus came and whispered into Stan's ear, and asked:
"Exactly how many wives do you have?"
Stan smiled and whispered back, "It is better for now that you do not know," and on that note the two men parted.
The Kuusbergs and Eichfelds stood back and talked among themselves to give Stan and Hanna time to be with Elisa and Hanna. The anguish at impending separation was all too clear on the two women's faces.
"I'm going to miss you so much," whispered Elisa as she hugged Stan tightly. "Please don't leave us here for long!" She went and hugged Hanna. "I love you Hanna, and I cannot wait to be your sister-wife," she said reassuringly. Hanna smiled and shed a tear.
Salme embraced Stan: "Take care, take care, my love ... and God bless you and give you a safe journey," she said, struggling to keep the tears back. "We're going to miss you so very much."
"Take care of one another," pleaded Stan to them both, "and promise to write to us every week."
"We promise!" cried Elisa, as the whistle blew and the couple stepped on board the train as it slowly edged its way out of the station, metal grinding against metal as the train wound its way onto the main track to Tallinn.
Elisa drew a white handkerchief to her face as she finally broke down crying whilst the train disappeared over the horizon. Salme comforted her. The Eichmans had left, Karl's wife having already gotten into a quarrel with him over what Stan had preached half an hour before.
"You'll never get me living that principle," she had snapped at him and had stormed off to the car in high dudgeon. Karl cursed under this breath: "Why did Stan have to talk about that??" and skulked reluctantly back to his car, loathing to meet the icy look in her face. "It was all so perfect until this morning," he grumbled to himself, "and now he has ruined it all. What will become of us? He may have ruined our marriage!"
Karl's wife refused to speak to him as they drove off. After a few minutes she snapped at him: "Don't you get any ideas about finding another woman or I'll leave you faster than you can say 'Jack Robin'" and folded her arms indignantly.
Karl groaned. What could he say? "Look," he said, "I have no plans to marry any other women. Stan said that not everyone was called into this principle ..."
She glared at him: "I don't care what Stan said, I don't believe a word of it!"
"But it's in the Bible!" spluttered Karl.
"I don't care if it's in the Bible, I want nothing to do with it! And that's that."
Karl sighed and drove his wife home before leaving for the office very depressed indeed. "Why did that Pole have to come and disturb our tranquility?" he growled to himself. "It's all right for him, he's dropped the hot potato and run off back to Sweden to leave us to clean up the mess."
Andrus Kuusberg had not fared much better ...