Russia/Betel Trip Q&As

The team will spend ten days in Betel centers near St. Petersburg, Russia.

• People who have a vision to reach out to people in post-Soviet Russia who are trying to break free from substance abuse
• People who are willing, in practical humble ways, to serve people in need
• People willing to go far outside of their comfort zone

• Help rebuild the lives of men and women broken through substance abuse
• Serve in a 24/7 ministry where Betel staff and residents live, work and worship with each other
• Help in very practical ways such as working in Betel's second-hand shops, cooking or doing housework
• Possibly help a new friend in Betel walk through detox
• Possibly some construction if those skills are present in the team
• Possibly minister in evangelistic outreaches to addicts at the drug camps near the Betel facility
• Participate in lively worship in churches with people whose lives have been radically transformed

• What it’s like to be immersed in a culture of despair in post-Soviet Russia
• Ministry to drug addicts in Russian
• How the gospel can radically transform people out of hopeless situations
• How to serve with a wildly international missions team
• The highs and lows of ministry to drug addicts
• The joys and frustrations of cross-cultural relationships
• How you respond to it all, a long way from home and well out of your comfort zone

Russia is a proud nation with a great legacy, but it remains a mystery and contradiction. Some see a bleak future, others a resurgent Russia. Demographics reveal a civilization caught in a deadly decline. Russia’s population drops by over 500,000 each year.

The Russian Orthodox Church has grown significantly in the last two decades while the surge of religious activity in the 1990s has all but stalled. Evangelicals make up only about 1.2% of the population.

The country’s state of current gloom has not led to high degrees of spirituality. The alcoholism rate there is one of the world’s highest. Since vodka is plenteous and cheap, there is an increase of disease, homicide and suicide. Drug addiction, has also reached nearly epidemic proportions, controlling the lives of as many as 2.5 million people. The government claimed at one point that 8% of teens used drugs daily. The increased prevalence of hard drugs has led to mafia involvement and control. Ministry to drug addicts is a fruitful area for Christians—and a necessary one.

(Most of this section quoted from Operation World (2010 ed.), p 706-7).

WEC mission coach, Loretta Jackson will lead the team. Loretta has led short-term teams for over ten years all over the world, including last year’s Discovery Team to Betel.

Loretta will coach you through a comprehensive pre-trip preparation. There will be an extensive two-day orientation time at the WEC USA Headquarters near Philadelphia. Your debrief will also be held at WEC’s USA headquarters.