It’s not about the program, but about the one true God who changes the hearts and ways of sinners, and those caught up in the bondage of addiction. “Only God in His power and grace saved me.” These words were lovingly spoken by a pastor who is a former drug addict. His life totally changed when God intervened and delivered him from his drug addiction. 

The world has many different “remedies” to solve our “illnesses.” But without a heart that is totally committed to Christ and His saving grace, we will always be searching for something to fill the void that can’t be filled here on Earth. Our hearts are our well-being, and God holds each of our hearts. He is the only one Who gives us freedom. We can’t fix ourselves no matter what program we go through, yet with God’s help we can be victorious. Not in our strength, but in His.

In the story below, Pastor Vyacheslav shares his testimony with Natalia, a friend who is an unbeliever and greatly burdened by her daughter Milana’s addiction. ”It is difficult for her with no regenerated heart and mind to understand how the Lord can change a person in such a way.” However, through his own personal testimony and suggestion to Natalya, Milana connected with an SGA-supported Rehabilitation Center. There is now great hope that Natalia’s heart will be turned to Christ, just as her daughter’s has through the ministry of faithful believers and dedicated prayer. 

Please pray for this mother and daughter and that they will both grow in the love and knowledge of Christ.  “Pray also for Pastor Vyacheslav and his wise ministry to these two souls who are precious in God’s eyes.”

Natalia and I have known each other almost since our childhood. She knew some of the moments of my life, including my change and renunciation of previous sins. We met about three months ago. Natalia had a huge maternal grief—her daughter was a drug addict, and she shared it with me as a church minister, but also as a person she knew. In response, I tried to tell her the Gospel, about salvation through Christ and His sacrifice. Then I talked about helping addicts, about the rehabilitation centers that our association has. I tried to focus her attention on the fact that it’s not the program that helps, but Christ and the Gospel. I told Natalia my personal testimony of how Jesus helped me and delivered me from my addiction. I wanted to get everything out of life, but all I got was addiction. Only God in His power and grace saved me. Natalia’s response was very human: “I remember what you were like and how you changed.” She thought it was my willpower that did it, she saw everything only horizontally. I answered her, “The Lord did it,” and I had to make an effort to turn her focus to God. It is difficult for her with no regenerated heart and mind to understand how the Lord can change a person in such a way. Of course, it brought tears to her eyes and a very emotional reaction. She took it through the prism of her daughter’s situation because she badly needed her daughter to be helped. She doesn’t seem to care much about her own fate today. That’s typical of mothers.

Natalia’s daughter went through a 12-step program for addicts and was in different clinics for treatments. It all took large sums of Natalia’s money to pay for it, but all to no avail. Her daughter was sinking deeper into her addiction. I called Natalia’s daughter Milana. By the age of 21, she had been married and given birth to a child. Now she is divorced with a 2-year-old child on her arms. I told Milana about Christ, shared the Gospel, and at the end of the conversation I told her how Christ saved me. Then I suggested Milana to go to a rehab center. She’d had many obstacles before the trip, but a month and a bit later she was able to go to the rehabilitation center, which is located in Volkhov and accepts moms with children.  

Milana was shocked by the treatment she received at this place; she had never met such people. Love, community life, Bible reading and simple communication with God—all these struck her very strongly. For those coming from an Orthodox background, a prayer means reading memorized words. Milana was struck by the possibility of speaking to God in her own words and realized that she too could do it on her own. She was happy to begin talking to God. I am in constant contact with the minister of the rehabilitation center, and he said that a week ago, Milana repented of her sins and gave her life to Christ. I pray for her to be strengthened in Jesus, because without that it will be difficult for her to overcome her addiction completely. I am planning a trip to this center to talk to Milana personally. I want to encourage her to stay there to break her ties to the place where she lived in her addiction. Milana is already serving in the kitchen—cooking for all the women living in the center. She also teaches other women how to cook and serves them with her gift. She is now constantly reading the Bible and God is revealing His truths to her. Milana wants a change in her life and wants to live her life with God. This is hard for addicts and Milana needs prayers.

Natalia knows about the changes in her daughter’s life and wants it to continue like this. But everyone realizes that true changes take time. And of course, Natalia needs to come to Christ herself. I plan to keep in touch with her and pray for her. Natalia, unfortunately, does not read the Bible and does not see the value and need for it. At the same time, she is grateful for my concern for her daughter, but I keep turning her eyes toward God and the Bible.  Please pray for the ministry to these two women.