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Philip's Story:

"My life is a testimony to the reality that God can use former drug adddicts to serve Him," declares Philip, a School Without Walls students from Ternopol, Ukraine.

Throughout elementary chool, Philip was a good child, even though his parents were alcoholics. Eventually, the instability at home, drove Philip to the streets in search of love and stability. "I would do anything to avoid being at home, and became independent as a teenager."

Philip found a good job, friends and respect, but three years later he lost everything because of his drug habit. "Everyone gave up on me, and there was nothing I could do to change."

But Philip hadn't counted on God's mercy and promise of new life in Him. "I finally turned to God for help to escape the swamp I was mired in," recalls Philip. And God answered his prayers.

Philip checked into a rehab center in Ternopol, and encountered not only a team of School Without Walls students who volunteered at the rehab center, but also encountered Jesus.

"I decided to enroll in School Without Walls, so I could serve others as these young Christians once served me," relates Philip.

Svetlana’s story:

In Ukraine, the “School Without Walls” is developing faster than in any other country where the program exists. Why? Because “School Without Walls” meets the real needs of the developing Ukrainian Christian society, as it takes big steps from its communist past into a democratic future.

Svetlana participated in “School Without Walls” in the fall of 2007. According to Svetlana, “Since the first session, ‘School Without Walls’ caught my attention, and I can’t wait until every other Saturday--it is the day when ‘School Without Walls’ seminars are held! I especially liked the session on evangelism and discipleship. There, I realized that if I want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, I need to tell others about His salvation and His love.” After one “School Without Walls” seminar, Svetlana joined a church-plant in a nearby village so she could start telling other people about Jesus Christ.

She signed up for a volunteer group that would go around the village and invite people to the new church. Svetlana had always been afraid to share her faith, “but that day I felt confident! I knew what I was going to say," she happily explains. Then she had her first opportunity to talk with someone. "I told [him] about Jesus Christ, about the new church and about God’s love for him. It was my first experience in evangelism, but I believe it will not be the last one because I study at ‘School Without Walls.’”

Roman’s story:

Ostrog, a city in Ukraine, is home to the Ostrog National Academy, where 3,000 students study and live on campus. The city also plays host to an ever-increasing HIV/AIDS and drug addiction problem.

In the nearby city of Rivne, Roman Kurbatskiy coordinates the “School Without Walls” program, and he wants his students to be involved in reaching out to their peers in high schools and at the university. “The students who study and live in Ostrog are the future of the country and we have to tell them about God and [His]alternative lifestyle," Romans explains.

These young Next Generation Christian students organized and presented “Stop Drugs,” a weeklong event that included talks about God and Christian morals, an art contest and culminated in a concert with Christian music bands. More than 3,000 young people were able to hear about a life without premarital sex, drugs and alcohol as well as the importance of strong, Christian moral values. “Christians need to be active in combating the problem of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. We teach our students to be relevant in their ministries and such events are good examples,” points out Roman.

Jenya’s Story:

Next Generation Christians from Perm, Russia held a summer camp for teenagers from a local shelter. In 2006, Jenya was living on the streets, abusing drugs and alcohol. His alcoholic mother had long since abandoned him. Police found him and brought him to camp. The first thing Jenya announced when he arrived was that there was no God, he was the master of his own life, and he would do as he pleased. But, by the time camp ended, Jenya had a new master of his life—Jesus. During the year, young Christian leaders visited Jenya at the shelter, and he became involved in youth meetings. Jenya came to camp in 2007 with two of his friends from the shelter. He asked the counselors to explain about God and Christ to his friends. And Jenya’s friends trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as well.

Stories of Change

With a massive land mass, hundreds of ethnic groups and myriad social and spiritual challenges, it could seem impossible to see real change in the former Soviet Union. But true change comes one life at a time. We provide these stories of change to help you see the personal impact taking place in lives through the outreach of Russian Ministries.