Russian Report #2.

The story about health and welfare in Russia is still bad, very bad. That is what originally got my attention way back in the early nineties. At a conference I heard about the extremely high rates of alcohol and drug abuse among the Russian people due to the despair and brutality of their Communist captors.

Although the needs of the people of the Russian Federation are great helping them spiritually, emotionally and relationally is the key to almost all future progress. People who are falling down drunk cannot care for their children so millions have been abandoned and the orphanages are overflowing with beautiful children.

Christians who suffer from the dysfunctions of past addictions and present struggles cannot lead churches with love, truth and power unless they are healed and restored to sanity and sobriety. The seminaries and Bible schools are filled with former addicts who have come to faith in Christ but who cannot find peace and healing.

People who are high cannot work and produce an economic recovery so there are thousands of abandoned factories and millions of starving families.

Men that fall asleep from dope cannot rear their children so there is an epidemic of divorce, abuse and needy children.

In Moscow, a city of 7 million population and 4 million addicts there are only about 30 regular Alcoholics Anonymous Groups. That is less than one group for over a million addicts. On a normal weekday morning one can see hundreds of men and women walking to work from the subways drinking beer and vodka while drawing deeply on a smoke. As Steve said, "That is the breakfast of champions."

In all of Russia, population 190 million, there are fewer groups than we have in Cincinnati.

The churches in our networks have set up hundreds of Christian 12 step groups, Renewed Thinking, Listening with Apples of Gold and Family Healing Groups that help young people and adults break the cycle of addiction and return to responsible parenting, work and family life. They are earning a living, volunteering at their churches and helping others recover. This is a widening spiral of good works, right thinking and family reconstruction.

A few seminary leaders and denominational leaders are interested in how we can help them train Pastoral Counselors and establish ministries of health and family restoration. PRAY for them to have wisdom as they consider our proposals.


Look at the first photo on the www.liferoute.ru web site to see a photo of a key seminary that is praying about asking us to set up their graduate program in Christian Psychology.