Mission to Magadan Update - June 2008

I recently received the latest newsletter, so it's time for another update about what is going on at the Magadan Mission sponsored by the Archdiocese of Anchorage. It has been a while since I 1st started talking about the work they are doing there.

Why do I keep talking about the work they are doing there? Aren't there many other things you could report on?

Yes, it is true there are many other groups out there that are doing similar work. & occasionally I will report on what they do. However, there are certain groups & their work that I am esp called to support & this is 1 of the ways I can do so.

Obviously, the most important part of their work is to see to the salvation of souls. As a part of that they have started a new program called Catholicism 201. Each session includes a meal, music, prayer & a lecture followed by small group discussion. The recent series had 35 people participate. Topics include The One Holy & Catholic Church, The Sacraments of Initiation, The Sacraments of Healing, The Sacraments of Vocation, Moral Foundations & Thorny Moral Questions (abortion, euthenasia, gay marriage, just war, death penalty, stem cell research & many others).

Like so many other areas of the world, 1 of the biggest battles they face is abortion. They do so many things to provide alternatives. Recently a couple from the Eveni tribe showed up with nothing. thanks to the work of the Mission they now have an apartment, medicine, baby clothes for their newborn daughter, food for the mother & a baby bed. The situation was a little different from the usual situation of a mother who was abandoned by the father. He is ready & willing to do all he can to help support the child.

A sad incident has led them to start a new program. Part of the training the people who serve there receive is to speak about how they view life & save children. Recently Lyuba, their parish director, was on the way to the maternity hospital. She talked to the taxi driver about their work. The driver was young, married & poor. As Lyuba shared he was shocked to find out the truth that abortion kills a child, that it is not just a piece of tissue. He was also saddened because the info about their work came too late to have prevented an abortion his wife recently had. They didn't feel they could feed the child. If he had known about the Mission's work they wouldn't have had the abortion. As the article says: "He was disturbed by what he now knew to be a lie. One innocent child could have been saved if he had known more."

As a result of this encounter the Mission is beginning a new program to get the truth out. Part of this is to get a website up with the truth of abortion. It will also include info about post abortion syndrome & help to bring healing to those who are suffering as a result of abortion. Part of their hope for the website is that it will bring more people to the parish for counciling & help, saving more children. The only limit for this is the lack of money. They have people ready to translate flyers, videos etc into Russian as soon as they have the funding.

Yes, this will take money, plenty. There may be someone out there who could provide the major funding needed. If you can & are reading this & have the money please pray about helping. However, that doesn't mean you can't help if you don't. Most of us don't have more than a few dollars to help out. It doesn't matter if it is $1, $5, $10, $100 or any other amount. Yes, the individual amount is small. But a few dollars here, a few there from a large number of people does add up.

So please prayfully consider helping to financially support the Mission at Magadan.

Monetary contributions need to go to the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

By check:

Make it out to Magadan Russian Mission & send it to

Mission to Magadan
225 Cordova Street
Anchorage AK. 99501-2409

Or you can donate online at the Archdiocesan webpage. Click on this link: Magadan Russian Mission.