Drug and Alcohol Centers Offer Hope Along the Silk Road.

Lives ruined by alcohol and drugs are being transformed in a rehabilitation centre in a Central Asian country. The man behind it all is Rafael, who learned about the dangers of addiction the hard way. Once a prosperous family man, he lost everything as a result of alcoholism. In desperation while on a trip, Rafael cried out to God to restore his life. A short time later he converted to the Christian faith. Rafael began to reach out to those in prison. He made friends with a prisoner called Folka who also became a follower of Jesus Christ. Folka was dying from tuberculosis so the prison authorities released him to the care of Rafael, who promised to look after him for his last few days on earth. However, Folka didn’t die! God completely healed him from TB as well as from alcohol and drug abuse!

About the same time, Ina came to Rafael asking for help. Her life was a mess – she was a drug addict as were her two teenage children. Her husband was in jail. Rafael arranged for her and her sons to go through a rehabilitation program. Meanwhile, her husband Alex came out of prison and became a Christian. Rafael started to take other addicts into his home but soon became concerned at how many started drinking alcohol after they left. One night he had a dream in which he saw a vine. The branches were taken off the vine and then put back on. Rafael realized that the addicts needed a place where they could receive long term support. He and his wife put their home up for sale to purchase the grounds of a disused church where they set up ‘The Secret Place’ rehabilitation center. Pavel and his wife even sold their wedding rings to buy food for the addicts who came to stay. Now three years and incredible answers to prayer later, ‘The Secret Place’ offers men and women the opportunity to deal with their addictions and hear more about the Christian faith. Ira and Alec, along with Pavel and Wofka, run training programs every morning and oversee practical activities in the afternoons. Their vision is to see residents transformed by Jesus and go on to reach out to the surrounding communities. One of the residents is a young woman called Elsa. She grew up in a government orphanage but had to leave when she turned 18 years old. She was kidnapped and became someone’s slave. Elsa became pregnant and was sent to the hospital to get an abortion. The doctor took pity on her and arranged for her to be sent to the center. Now Elsa is literally hiding in the Secret Place with her daughter. 

Pavel had always felt inferior to Russians and tried desperately to match their heavy drinking habits. Eventually he lost his job as a gynecologist. His wife became a believer in Jesus and tried to persuade him to go to the centre but he refused. Later on Pavel became a beliver himself but was only able to stop drinking for several weeks. His church sent him to the Secret Place where he says he’s now living a new life! 

Rafael and his team have plans to build a second accommodation block for women. The main obstacle is finance and often Rafael is wondering where the next meal will come from. Please pray that God would be faithful to fulfilling the dream he gave Rafael so that many more broken lives can be made whole.

HIV/AIDS on the Rise Along the Silk Road.

Drug users are on the increase in Central Asia along the Silk Road as more and more men engage in this harmful activity. Central Asia is a major route for drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Russia and then on to Europe. Also, sexual promiscuity has also increased the rate of HIV/AIDS. Unemployment has driven vast numbers of men and women away from home in search of work. Many spend 6-8 months a year away from their families. Most men are sexually active with other women and prostitutes while away from home and many women who work away from home work in the sex industry. Non profit organizations are reaching out to these people with printed materials in local languages and they also train nationals to teach HIV/AIDS awareness in schools. These seminars are being very well received and there is more demand for trained teachers.

In Kazakhstan, Iran, and Turkey, drug users are on the increase as is the incidence of HIV. Governments in the region are concerned, but unable to address the problem due to lack of resources and corruption. The spread of HIV/AIDS is even denied by governments such as many in the regime in Iran. The feeling is that in Muslim countries, all is well and that there is no sexual promiscuity and therefore no HIV/AIDS. This disease is often seen as a western disease and it's this denial that is contributing to it's spreading like wild fire. It is estimated that about 130,000 people become addicted to drugs every year in Iran. Currently over 4 million people are addicted to drugs in Iran. With high unemployment and poverty, people look for an escape,and many turn to drugs. You can find this in every country of the world. Where will people find hope?

Iran has the unfortunate destiny of being a neighbor to Afghanistan where drugs are produced in massive quantities and sold for cheap to drug users in neighboring countries. The temptation to use drugs is great amongst the young people along the Silk Road. For every drug addict, there is a traumatized family and probably an abused son or daughter. Fortunately there is hope.

Ancient Silk Road Routes

Prostitutes in Iran: Their Life of Working in the Sex Industry.

A recent visit to a rather poor area of a major city in Iran revealed some interesting realities about life. Muslim societies are not immune to the social problems that plague our world today.

As a visiting husband and wife walked through the narrow alley ways, it was hard to believe that a small half-way house was nestled in amongst all the other buildings where day-time shelter, food, and medical care are provided for drug addicted prostitutes. That was their destination. They might also meet children there: if they are very young, they often accompany their mothers coming to the shelter.

Sometimes the women are offered the opportunity to do crafts, in order to keep their hands busy. Or a class might take place for them to learn how to protect themselves from getting or spreading HIV AIDS. They might even watch some television as a means of passing the day time low period, before their sex work begins again in the evening.

As the visiting woman mingled with the women, one thing that shook her was how broken, trapped and destitute the prostitutes were. Their exterior behavior was, of course, tough. They were very depressed, angry at life, sickly-looking and addicted to the drugs that sedate them from facing the reality of their situation. They gave off a hard, tense atmosphere that was very depressing. This echoed in the small house sheltering these women, which was packed with women. It was an unpleasant environment with some very unruly behavior to add to the mix.

The visiting woman couldn’t help looking at one little boy who was with his mother at the shelter that day. He was very shy and thin, and probably not more than four years old, but his mother had at least combed his hair and put clothes on him. His two top front teeth were missing. He was very wary and mistrusting of the visiting husband and wife as the husband tried to befriend the boy. They suspected he had been sexually molested by men. However, when a female approached the little boy, he responded positively to her gentle playful actions.

The couple left the half-way house and went home, but the wife couldn't get this little boy out of her mind. She was shaken to the core of her heart. She was moved to tears for him, the poor little fellow. She felt so sorry for him, and very angry that this little one has had to suffer so much, because of his mother's life style. There was the feeling of helplessness. What can we do to try and help the women and the little children like this young boy?  How will they ever get set free from his hellish nightmare lifestyle? What can the community do to help these people especially the children? Does anyone care?

Such is the life of many women and children along the Silk Road. From Turkey to Iran to Afghanistan to China, and yes, even all around the world in all countries, women and children are suffering.  The European Union on human rights has tried to address the issue. However, these are internal affairs. As societies continue to fall into despair, it fuels the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. When people are without hope, they will cling to anything that promises them a better life. Too often these Muslim women are seen as worthless because of their life style. But are they? Don't they have a soul and a brain and feelings just like the rest of society? As with all of us, peace with God is what they need along with the forgiveness of their sins. These children of Abraham and Ishmael are in need of hope. All across central Asia, the Turks, Persians, Turkmen, Uzbeks, Kasakhs, Kyrgys, Uighurs, Azeris, and other people groups need more than economic hope. They need true spiritual hope. One of eternal life.

This region of the world is headed towards possible turmoil. When the United States pulls out of Iraq at the end of 2011, will peace prevail? Or will Islamic fundamentalists attempt to take control leading to the possibility of more civil strife. Multiple countries could be involved in war, the price of oil would sky rocket, and the world economy would sink into another major recession and possibly even a depression. This would be catastrophic for the poor especially women and children of the region.