"For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14)

We believe that God is guiding us towards a great ministry to the drug-addicts.

At present time the drugs addiction which is closely connected with Mafia, prostitution and AIDS appears to be one of the most dangerous threat for the future of Russia. According to the unofficial statistics in Russia there are about 3 millions drug-addicts and up to 500 000 AIDS-infected people. The worst thing is that these numbers grow exponentially.

According to the Interfax news agency, during the last 10 years the number of drug-addicts in Russia grew in 12 times.  Drug addiction is becoming younger. Tatyana Dmitrieva, a member of Russian Academy of Medical Science, said that during last 10 years the number of adults addicts grew in 8 times while the number of addicted kids and young adults grew in 18 times. Drug-addiction among children grew in 24,3 times. Official number of drug-addicts in Russia – less then 300 000, but Dmitrieva reported that the real number is at least 10 times more.

 Alcoholism is another terrible evil. Nationwide about 50 000 people per year die because of alcohol abuse. According to CNN, 30% of male adults and 15% of females are alcoholics…

Statistics on prostitution (which is closely connected to drugs)  is also terrible. For example, in our city the prostitutes outnumber Eveangelical Christians at 3 to 1 ratio…

This looks like a nation-wide disaster, yet God has all the power over the enemy.

We were very blessed when in our area was started Christian rehabilitation center and many drug-addicts in our area have been already delivered. Since the year 2000 about 160 young people got saved and delivered. All this work is done almost without any sponsors- mostly on the church offerings.

I want to share here a powerful testimony of Michael Izotov. When he was about 17, Michael became a member of a Mafia gang. He got comparatively wealthy, bought a new car and thought that «all world is at his disposalї. Then he started to mess about easy drugs which finally led him to injections. Several years went by and Michael lost all his money, all friends, sold his car... One day he took a TV set from his parent's home and sold it for drugs. His father abandoned him and finally young men came to a decision that the only way out is to kill himself.
Twice he made an intentional overdoses. After the second one he spend 3 days at the intensive care department of the hospital and his life was saved, however he was even more committed to a suicide. One day he made his farewells, went to the bathroom and cut his veins. His parents felt that something was very wrong and broke into the bathroom just before man lost consciousness. God spared his life once again. At last Michael decided to through himself from the 22-nd floor so that no one would stop him from leaving drugs and this world. At this time he was invited to our Rehab center. His mother was always against any evangelicals because she believed the Orthodox church propaganda about dangerous cults, but this time she even encouraged her son to go because she knew- this was his last chance, last straw...

God is good! The very first day Michael visited church he was dramatically saved and delivered from drug addiction. Now he has finished his rehabilitation program and is preaching the Gospel to those who like himself several month ago, live in darkness and move quickly to the death line. The Lord has found him on the very edge... We have many more testimonies like this!

On the picture you can see the old house where up to 25 former drug-users stay. On the left is brother Sasha who is in charge of rehabilitation ministry.

Because of such testimonies, I consider the ministry to the drug-addicts as strategic one and believe that we will see great Glory through it. Our dream is to establish large and powerful rehabilitation center in our city Khimky.

May the Lord bless this ministry!

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