What Do We Teach In Russia?

The week we were in Russia was the bloodiest they have experienced in a long time. Terrorists attacked airplanes, metro stations and a school and the casualties were very high. The shock and trauma of the Russian people and its political leaders is hard to describe. Everybody needs personal counseling but that is impossible. That is why we train lay and pastoral counselors to "Equip the saints to do pastoral care and counseling." Only a strategy that radically multiplies ministers and ministries will be able to touch the deep and widespread needs of the Russian people.

During my stay in Moscow I read the following news report.

24 August, 2004 By Simon Ostrovsky Staff Writer

The country's workforce is shrinking at twice the rate of the general population due to a decrepit healthcare system and dangerous working conditions that have remained unchanged for the past century, an internal government report warns.

The workforce in Russia is sick, very sick, and their health is further endangered by alcohol, drugs, smoking, poor eating habits, dangerous driving and mental illness. Why are the Russian people in such a crisis? They have suffered from decades and generations of systematic trauma and abuse.

The USSR/Russia lost 185,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and left with their tail between their legs. Hundreds of thousands were wounded and left with little if any medical treatment or spiritual / psychological support. (This is why the Russians, French and Germans are so scared of the US who whipped the afghans in a few weeks and Iraq in a month.)

For 70 years the Soviet Socialists systematically abused the entire population turning brother agains brother and father against child and wife against husband.

Priests, pastors and lay workers were targeted by the KGB and they were imprisoned, killed or their families taken away from them. Nina's parents were jailed for being Evangelical Christians and all the children removed to an orphanage "For their own good and protection".

Over 90,000 Orthodox priests were killed and 12,000 churches destroyed.

If there were 100,000 trained therapists in Russia it would be far too few to provide the counseling necessary to bring about healing. The only hope is systematic equipping of the saints and healing of church leaders.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Galina asked me last year to train her and her group how to minister more effectively to those suffering from PTSD. (This is ever single person in Russia!) So, this trip Rich Halter and I accompanied 15 of the Lifeways Russia Leadership Team to a Roman Catholic retreat center outside Moscow for a four-day healing retreat where I emphasized Breaking Free From The Past, Forgiveness, Renewed Thinking and Hearing God.

The timing was right on for it was the same week that the terrorist trauma began. We cannot lead other farther than we have gone ourselves so we focused on healing the wounds of our team as the first priority. Because such an approach is scary we had to help them get through the STORMING STAGE of group development before they could get to PERFORMING and ministry to each other. (This is normal.)

Several of our leaders were suspicious of healing so we went slowly and always asked permission before we prayed for anyone.

Despite their unfamiliarity with Inner Healing and some fears God was gentle and many personally experienced deep release of God's love and grace. One woman who had experienced long term abuse from a step father was able to release him from her bitter judgments and move on in peace. A man heard God call him to be bold in ministry after suffering a life time of FEAR and timidity.

A National and International Ministry

Lifeways Russia (Notice the s on the Russian name) multiplying her ministry by reproducing groups all over the former USSR. The Baptist Bishop of the Ural Mountains started with one Recovery Group but has 22 now around a region bigger than Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. In a few years he will have 50 then a 100 and more! Slava Boga (Praise the Lord) that the healing grace of God is spreading like the balm of Gilead to set the captives free.