Mission to Magadan - August 2008 Update

A few days ago I got my latest newsletter from the Mission to Magadan sponsored by the Archdiocese of Anchorage, AK. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Mission, Magadan (Магадан) is a town in the Far Eastern part of Russia. It is located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Created in 1930, it played a major part in the Gulag system of the Soviet Union era. "The Archbishop of Anchorage, in service to the Russian Bishop in Irkutsk, oversees and financially supports the Catholic missionary work of the Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia." (Anchorage Archdiocese website)

I am always exciting to find the latest newsletter in my mailbox. I know that there will be some good news about how God is working in the area. This issue is no exception.

Obviously, the most important part of their mission is to bring the Gospel of Jesus to those in the area. In doing so they also meet some very real needs due to the economic circumstances of the area.

1 of the most important parts of meeting those needs is to help young women who are pregnant to see that there IS an alternative to abortion. They "let it be known that any expextant (sic) mother who was considering abortion could come to us for support durring the pregancy and the first years of the child's life. We would help with food, clothing, medicine, and whatever was needed." To do so they have set up the Nativity Inn.

This issue tells the stories of 3 of the women they have recently helped, Olga, Katie & Alla. Olga gave birth to a girl on 11 May 2008. The baby weighed ovcr 8 lbs. It also had a heart murmer. After much prayer & loving care the problem seems to have disappeared. Olga & the baby are now back at the dorm.

Alla is a student living with her common law husband. thanks to councseling by the Mission he stayed with her & their new baby. Shortly after her birth, Alina got an infection & had to be hospitalized. The Mission helped with the medicine, food & other needs. They also supplied the crib, carriage & other needs. They are also helping Alina's father find a job.

Katie is another student. sadly, pre-natal care is very poor over there. Arena was very sick when she was born & had to stay in the hospital for a month. The Mission helped with the medicine & food. Katie wanted to return home to Evensk. But the next medical flight to do so could take up to 6 months. So, on 29 May they sent her home on a commercial flight. they also sent along a baby carriage & other baby things.

So often Pro-lifers have been accused of just caring about preventing the abortion, not the mother or child. This is not true. & the work at Magadan proves that Pro-life is helping those in need during a crisis pregnancy.

Alcoholism is also a big problem in Russia. This issue of the newsletter looks at the efforts that Nativity Parish is doing to combat the problem. From the newsletter: "The Problem of alcohol dependancy is very devistating in Russia and there is incredible ignorance about the disease. Our parish is being active to fight this terrible disease and represents a place of light and hope for people of Magadan who struggle with the alcoholism."

Recently Babara came to Magadan. She was appointed by Bishop Ezhi Mazur to work in the diocese in the area of substance dependancy. She was also to work with alcoholics, addicts & their families. She came to Magadan to "start support groups where people could get help facing alcoholism and begin treatment for their problems of substance abuse." Nativity Church helped organize a conference for doctors, psychologists, teachers, prison workers & members of the legal system from the Magadan & surrounding area. There were 3 speakers from Poland who are recovering alcoholics & work in the area of rehabilitaion. They talked about options to find healing for the whole family, restoring healthy relationships & hope to change one's life to be dependance-free. The also dealt with ways to prevent dependancy & ways to expand those efforts. The newsletter reports that the conference was fruitful & included a new AA meeting.

The work at Magadan goes far beyond the immediate area. 1 of the places that Magadan extends its outreach to is Ola. Ola is a small town located 35 kilometers from Magadan, on the coast and the Ola River. Recently the children of St. Patrick Elementary School in San Jose, CA sent a gift that enabled 5 youngsters from Ola a chance to escape the poverty & problems of Ola & visit the "big" city of Magadan.

The day began with a bus trip from Ola. The day in Magadan began with Mass. This was followed by a lunch. There was a big pot of homemade borscht. after lunch the 5 children wrote thank you letters to the children of St. Patrick's. The boys from Ola demonstrated their skill at parkour (a type of street gymnastics). With some Magadan adults they Ola youth had their 1st experience of bowling. The day ended with ice cream & the bus trip back to Ola.

So, why do I share this info? Simple, because I feel it is important to do so. I 1st heard about the Mission on a Sunday Night Live w/ Fr. Benedict Groeschel episode on EWTN. In checking it out I found something that I could wholeheartedly support. (Fr. Groeschel's endorsement didn't hurt either.) I am very Pro-life as anyone who regular reads my blog knows. & here is a group that puts the "Gospel of Life" into practice. they proclaim Jesus as Lord & bring the Gospel message in word & deed.

That is why I ask you to seriously consider supporting them financially. They cannot accept cash donations directly. Checks are useless in Russia. These have to go to the Archdiocese of Anchorage. Mail your check to:

Mission to Magadan

Archdiocese of Anchorage
225 Cordova Street
Anchorage AK 99501-2409

Or you can donate on line here.

The Magadan website has info on how to mail packages & letters to them & contact them via e-mail. Letters take at least 2 weeks to arrive. Packages take at least 8 weeks to be delivered. US Customs require a declared value of less than $90 on each box.