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A letter from Alan and Ellen Smith
in Russia |
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March 30, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
We greet you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Our winter has been very long and tenacious, but we begin to
see signs of spring. The temperatures have been above freezing
the last few days, the dvorniki (courtyard sweepers)
are knocking down the snowdrifts so they will melt faster, and
everything is thoroughly grimy. We await the return of color to
Russia.
Things are getting busy again. Two colleagues arrived at the
beginning of last week—Gary Payton, regional liaison for
Russia, and Burkhard Paetzold, regional liaison for Central Europe
and Roma ministries consultant. This was one of Gary’s bi-annual
visits to Russia. Burkhard came at our invitation to help evaluate
a ministry to the Roma that we encountered in Kostroma last July.
There were plenty of meetings to attend, but the three of us also
took two trips out of Moscow to visit partner churches. One of
those trips was to Kostroma. The other was to Klin, 80 kilometers
northwest of Moscow.
Our partner church in Klin is Russian Orthodox. Father Boris
cares for this parish, but also has responsibility for the region.
What is accomplished through this parish is amazing. They are
training priests, publishing a wide variety of Christian books
for both clergy and laity, implementing an extensive Bible study
program for adults and a Sunday school program for children, ministering
in hospitals, orphanages, and pensioners homes, putting on a summer
camp, and supporting an Orthodox grade school established in the
last five years. |
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Ellen Smith (third from right) with (from left to right) Gary Payton,
Father Boris, Burkhard Paetzold, translator Vika Lvovskaya, and
others in the school chapel in Klin. |
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This church is partnered with Gary’s home
congregation, First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint, Idaho, so
he traveled to Klin as a partner rather than as liaison. Gary had
asked to include time at the grade school in this visit, so we spent
much of the day there. |
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There had been a recent tragedy in
the church and school family: The mother of a fourth-grade student
had been murdered 10 days before. In talking about this tragedy
and its affect on the school community, we moved into a new depth
of relationship. The director said that the school tries to provide
the children with an atmosphere that builds a strong spiritual foundation
for life. When the child’s mother died, they did not know
how the school community would react. They saw all of their efforts
come together, though, as the child’s classmates surrounded
her with love and care. They were present at the funeral, supporting
her and grieving with her. Father Boris and the school director
both noted that non-believers attending the funeral drew back to
the edges of the worship, afraid of death and not knowing how to
react. Our conversation moved on to other subjects: schools in the
United States and the difference between public, private, and church
schools; ways for the grade school and FPC’s Sunday school
to connect. |
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Burkhard traveled with us to Klin
to see how church twinning works. He traveled with us to Kostroma
as an expert on Roma ministry. When Al and I visited Kostroma last
July, we knew only vaguely about the Roma ministry there. Our purpose
in going was to talk about twinning. The senior pastor was out of
town, but it was the only free time we had all summer. As it was
not our first contact, and as the senior pastor was glad for us
to come ahead, we went and connected with Piotr Anatolevich, one
of the other pastors. Piotr and his wife, Olga, are also missionaries
to the Roma. |
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"Baba" Lyuba, a Roma grandmother. |
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We found time to talk about twinning
with the Kostroma church, but we also talked deeply about their
Roma ministry and visited several Roma families. Our instincts told
us this was a very good model, but we needed Burkhard to come evaluate
it. Burkhard was also impressed, as was Gary. |
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Piotr and Olga with Rustam (a young Christian Roma) with a flag
for Russian Christian Roma. The word at the bottom, radost,
means joy. |
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Al and I work with churches engaged in challenging
ministries, but ministry to the Roma is the most difficult we have
seen. They are a completely alienated people with a terribly low
self-image. They participate in their own alienation in the ways
that they support themselves, but they have also been pushed aside
and abused by dominant cultures throughout their history. |
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During Soviet times, Stalin forced
the Roma to settle and take on steady jobs. Their culture was
all but lost during these years. The majority of Roma in Russia
are illiterate. Of course, there are Roma engaged in honest work,
but many are fortune-tellers, pickpockets, beggars, and drug dealers.
Many struggle with drug addiction and alcoholism as well. Many
have no documents, adding to the challenges that they already
face.
Piotr and Olga know something about alienation, being Baptist
and of German and Finnish ancestry. Their families have been in
Russia for hundreds of years, but they have never been assimilated.
Their families were deported to Central Asia and Siberia during
World War II. Piotr grew up being called a fascist in school and
was repeatedly told that Baptists were the most dangerous people.
They both have a profound sense of call to the Roma. It is demanding
and exhausting ministry, but they are faithful. Piotr and Olga
visit Roma families three or four times a week, leading worship
and Bible lessons in homes and seeking ways to help them find
their place in the community. They also serve as a resource for
others engaged in Roma ministry. There was a network of Roma missionaries
and churches, but the network lost its coordinator a couple of
years ago. They now look to Piotr. He stays in touch with everyone,
encouraging them and sharing strategies and ideas with them, but
they have not been able to gather in two years.
Burkhard, Gary, Al and I have much to discuss in the days and
weeks ahead, but we already agree that this is a place where we
need to engage. We are very grateful to Burkhard for making this
trip.
Please pray for the Orthodox grade school in Klin, as they seek
to give children a strong Christian foundation. Please pray for
Piotr and Olga as they continue to serve in this challenging ministry.
Please pray for the Roma in Russia and across Europe. Please pray
for us as we seek ways to engage in this ministry.
With love in Christ,
Ellen and Al
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 188
Should you feel called to contribute to PC(USA) ministries with
the Roma, click on the "give" button below for online
giving to the Extra Commitment Opportunity "Roma Outreach
and Minorities Program," E040061.
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