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07 Aug 2009 -- Subject: Connie Report -- Glasses and Dentists
10 Apr 2009 -- Subject: Report from Connie in Moscow 12 Feb 2009 -- Subject: Report from Connie in Moscow 08 Jan 2009 -- Subject: RWL Meeting 13 Jun 2008 -- Subject: Greetings from Moscow 28 Apr 2008 -- Russian Easter Greeting 25 Apr 2008 -- Response to a recent New York Times Article 19 Mar 2008 -- Link to Disciples World article on Russia With Love |
| From: connie.meyer@bk.ru
A growing problem is eyes glasses and dental care. Eyes glasses are not the most expensive from 100 to 200 USD each. But the dental care is a growing problem. Russian go to dentist only when they have pain and problems. At the same time are all of them deeply afraid of visiting the dentist - and I think not only Russians try to avoid a visit to the dentist. Some of our people have not been at the dentist the last 7 - 9 years ! That mean a lot of expensive problems. The bills are from 1,500 USD to 2,000 USD (with discount). And that is only for the most necessary treatment - no implant or bridge are included. Often does a person have seven to ten bad teeth, some with infection. Many of these teeth need root canal treatment with anesthetics. We have a very good dentist with a calm, polite and professional authority with a big smile which make our afraid people calm. Dental care is very important because the infection is not only in the tooth but goes into the whole body. Several of our people have recovered from "feeling bad" and "too tired" etc. after the teeth have been cured. I have myself visited several Russian dentists and I understand completely that people are afraid. An important point is also the hygiene which is not the same as abroad. Our dentist is German and not expensive according to Western prices. KM |
| From: connie.meyer@bk.ru Subject: RWL Meeting Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 Dear Friends, The crisis makes effect now.. Prices is growing, salaries are paid lower and many people has lost their jobs. People are waiting and afraid for the future. Will there be food? Will there be medicine? And how to survive with less money and rising prices? We do our best to find the people among our parishioners so we can support them before everything turns to chaos. We have three newborn babies. Two are boys and cousins. The grandparents are happy but it is a rather big expense. Also a girl is born the fourth daughter in her family. A woman is caring for her bedridden mother after an insult. We support with diapers, medicine and cream for skin care. It is a really job to care for old people at home. Blessing from f.Pavel Best regards Connie |
| From: connie.meyer@bk.ru Subject: RWL Meeting Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:24:01 +0300 Dear friends. Thank you for one more contribution. It is a very good help. Our people are growing older - as we all are - and many of them need eyes glasses. We have a family with big minus at their eyes and they need special glasses. Both Anastasia and her brother Mixail are minus five. They are studying at universities and need good sight. Anastasia Ilia is studying and doing very well. From time to time does he have investigations and all seems to be fine. Polina is growing into a "big" beautiful girl who is doing well at school and she now she spend part of her spare time with good friends. She is doing well thanks to her mother's intensive care from her birth. Her mother is now collecting money for the second operation of the knee. The doctors are waiting as it is important. Fr. Pavel's mother (77 years old) is very ill and we have learned that she has a diabetes. She is living 350 km north of Moscow and we buy food and medicine and bring to her. She is better but it will last for some time more. Fr. Pavel's father, fr. Sergei (82 years old) is doing well. He is skiing one hour every day in the forest. Once more thank you for the very big work you are doing for collecting funds for helping the poor people in Moscow. Even there are very rich people here do we have many very poor families - specially now when financial crisis has started. The families we have been helping through the last 17 years are the targets for the crisis. We keep you in our prayers Connie |
| From: connie.meyer@bk.ru Subject: RWL Meeting Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 22:18:58 +0300 For the RWL Meeting Saturday January 10th. Dear all friends. I want to wish you all a very happy new year and all the best for 2009. Also I want to thank you for all your efforts to help the poor Russians through 2008. Your help is very important and goes to a great number of people. We are supporting 35 families, The Christian Gymnasium, Morozovskaya Children s Hospital, Dep. 21, The Orphanage at the Convent in Khodkovo and The Pariarcate Social Department, who support 110 families We have arranged 45 Christmas gifts for the girls in the orphanage in the Convent of Khodkovo The gifts contents of tooth paste and brush, cream for the face and a little towel. A shop in the nearest market arranged it all and the gifts were beautifully packed. It was just 500 USD. And the nuns are happy for the presents to the girls. Also Larisa needed new eyes glasses which is rather expensive now, 538 USD for two pairs, one for reading and another for long distance. The economical crisis has reached Russia/Moscow. The holidays for New Year and Christmas started December 30th and last until January 11th - without salary. F. Pavel's sister-in-law is going to lose her job as book keeper. The brother, f.Sergei is priest in a church outside Moscow and has a salary of 75 USD monthly. There are two grown up sons and the family is living of Tatiana's income. We are ready to support them. From now on and during the spring time we will support our families with food and medicine. Burn Project. Two doctors from Speransky Children's Burn Hospital are ready to go and join the project as well as Elena Perskaya is ready and planning to go. What we need - urgent - is a full program for two weeks in Ann Arbor. The hospital schedule and free time. This will be the background for asking funds for the flight tickets (Elena Perskaya's ticket will be paid of RWL). I suggest some pocket money for all three of them as well as the hosting families should be paid a sum for extra food. I hope this sounds reasonable. The three doctors are used to public transport and can use the AA buses from their living place to the hospital. I know that Elena is used to bike and can do this in AA as well. Important is that this is my last attempt for this project. We are ready here in Moscow and we are only waiting a program and time schedule from you. I hope we can have a program before February 15th - when I go to Denmark for 2BD week. I am back in Moscow March 5th. Christmas time is hard time for the priests and f. Pavel is exhausted. But he is serving wonderful God Services and we all enjoy the Christmas time. I wish you a blessed meeting and send my Best regards Connie PS.: I am well, getting better and better every day. |
Subject: Greetings from Moscow
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:15:36 +0400 Dear RWL friends. We have a very busy time these days. The Ministry of Immigration has accepted me and I am now preparing all the documents, health certificates, that I have not been imprisoned etc.,etc. Everything should be ready before my departure June 22nd. I'm very grateful for the financial support to go through this jungle. F.Pavel's papers for vacation in Greece must be prepared at the same time. And at the same time are we doing repair of the flat. St. Paul Society in Denmark has changed the name into "Help to Russia" (HtR). The name is still St. Paul Society in English. The new name should help us to get more members from a greater group. Its financial situation is very critical at the moment. We hope it will soon change. I will be on pension from December from the Danish State but I will continue my work as usual. Irina Mizitova's son, Kirill, need medication for 200 USD every month. This support is from your donation. Also part of the dental care for Irina herself is from your donation. The coordinator from one of the Street People projects called me today and asked help. A boy 16 years old died. His mother and grandmother have rejected him and he is now in the morgue. So the question was how to get him into a cemetery. The boy is baptized. He will be cremated and brought to f.Pavel's father f. Sergei 375 km north of Moscow. I do not yet know about the cost but some of the expenses would be covered of your donations. Also a man is in prison far from Moscow and needs food. It will also be from your donation. During the summer time are our teachers at Sviblovo not paid. That means three months without income and I will support them with your donation. Appolinarya (who had the operation) is in fine progress. So is Ilia who gets fine marks at his exams. Soon should the fee for the next academic year be paid. Because of the low rate of the USD is the fee this year 2.900 USD. We do hope for support for the fee. Therefore are your donations very important for keeping the support for the people. We know it is a big and hard work you are doing. I do not know what to do without your help. Thank you very much. A group from Ann Arbor will be very welcome in the middle of October. We just need to know the dates and numbers of participants now for booking the hotel and prepare. We keep you in our prayers and wish your meeting to be under the guidance of God. Best regards F.Pavel & Connie |
Response to a recent New York Times Article:
Subject: Religion in Russia--The NYT's View.
4 West Eden Court
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
Work Phone 734/995-4217
Home Phone 734/477-9942
April 25, 2008
letters@nytimes.com
The New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, New York 10036-3959
To the Editor:
As one who has been involved in and supportive of the Christian
revival in Russia, I find myself very troubled by your description
(art., Apr. 24) of the religious situation there. Based on my own
experience in that country, I am quite disturbed by the rather
unbalanced picture you present of the Russian Orthodox Church and its
attitudes towards other groups which is a much more varied situation
than you describe in the article.
There are some very good people at the level of the Patriarchate and
at the parish level in the Russian Orthodox Church whom we ought to be
supporting rather than spending large resources, as American
Methodists have done, on proselytizing.
Since 1998, our Russia With Love project has been involved, along with
the Danish St. Paul Society, in supporting a joint Russian
Orthodox/Danish Lutheran outreach to the poor in Moscow. It has been
a rewarding and exciting experience to work with and see an old and
venerable branch of the Christian Church revive itself and its charity
work with meager resources after 70 years of unspeakable oppression.
American Protestants concerned with promoting a Christian revival in
Russia would find it much more rewarding and effective to follow our
example rather than that of the Methodists and other foreign groups
involved in proselytizing.
Sincerely yours,
John Howard Wilhelm, Chair,
Russia With Love Steering
Committee, Ann Arbor
E-mail address: jhw@ams.org
Easter Greetings from Connie Meyer:
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