Detained

Mission trips are often filled with difficulties, but Monday night was a little intimating for one of our members. Nancy Durrett, a long time SAC trip participant and trip leader, has been working with the Road of Life (ROL) Transition Homes for graduate orphans and most recently a couple of orphan dormitories where kids are assigned after leaving an orphanage. On Monday evening, October 14, Nancy had gone to one of these dorms to host a birthday party for kids whose birthdays were in September to November time frame. At the same time, government inspectors and the police came to this dorm investigating some recent problems that had come to their attention. When the inspectors began arriving at the dorm, they began going floor to floor and room to room, asking, "Who lives here? Where is this person?" Several events converged on this night causing this investigation on the same evening that Nancy had planned this social for the kids at one of the dorms. Nancy and several others from the dorm were interviewed by the police and the government inspectors for 45 minutes that Monday. Let me try to explain how several different events converged on this one evening.

One problem caused an investigation when it was discovered that Sasha (not his real name), a deaf boy living at the ROL Transition Home, had no official documents with the government. His papers had been lost or misplaced and he had never been officially designated as an orphan. He was abandoned as a child. The orphanage had not done their proper job. After he left the orphanage he became a resident of this dorm. The dorm had ignored the fact that he had no papers and failed to check. He had been without paperwork for years. ROL had taken him in as one of their residents. Nancy met him at the ROL Transition Home. ROL was doing the right thing by trying to put together the information needed to get the right documents so he can live on his own. Sasha’s deaf translator wrote eight different agencies to get the correct documents. These eight agencies began calling each other, and suddenly they all converged, unexpectedly on the dorm that evening.

A second problem involved one of the residents of this dorm. This past summer, this boy had been revived from a drowning accident after being underwater for 30 minutes. He was legally dead, but though the prayer of his church friends, he was miraculously healed and was not left as a vegetable as the doctors predicted. He regained consciousness and is now recovering, though slowly. In his current condition, this boy needs help. The director of the ROL Transition Home has spoken to this boy’s nurse and found out that he had not been given the medicine that was prescribed. The director had also previously found out that he was being left in his room and was being fed only one meal a day. That Monday, the ROL Director went to get his medicine, buy some water, and went back to the dorm to explain to this boy about the medicine and how to take it. While she is doing this, the inspectors who came to visit Monday evening asked the director, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The ROL director explained about providing the needs for this boy’s medicine. The inspectors tell her that she has no authority to be there, and she must leave. ROL had no official letter or paperwork established with the dorm allowing visits.

A third problem involved a girl named Tatiana (not her real name). When the inspectors arrived at Tatiana’s room, they are told that the ROL director took her to live at their apartment. The inspectors asked, "Where are her papers transferring her residence?" The answer was that there are no papers and there was no official transfer. Tatiana had two residences which are against government laws. The police called ROL and ask if Tatiana was living there. ROL confirmed this and the police said they were checking into the matter. Having a resident of at the ROL Transition home without having proper transfer paperwork is against the law in Russia.

Further investigation into ROL found that one of their counselors had not been registered in the country for over a year. Russian law requires that a person register in the city after arrival within 3 days. It’s a commonly known law. Although the registration had recently been obtained before this event on Monday, it has further soured the perception of the ROL by the authorities. The counselor who brought Tatiana (willingly) to the ROL Transition Home was not registered at the time of the transfer and had not completed any official transfer paperwork.

The ROL Director complies with the inspectors and comes downstairs to find that Nancy has arrived. Shortly after the ROL Director arrives, a female police officer and the head counselor of the dorm enter the room where the birthday party is planned. After exiting for a short time, the female officer returned and asked Nancy to come with her. The ROL Director and the head counselor went with Nancy and they walked into a room filled with several people. Over the next 45 minutes Nancy is asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? Who gave you authority to be here? What church do you represent? Do you know that people are using your name and abusing children from this dorm in your name when you are not here?" Everyone talking at once (in Russian) with half-truths, lies and finger pointing was filling the room. No one was taking responsibility for their own inaction. Nancy was sitting waiting for the head counselor to translate. Nancy said later that she never felt ill at ease and was perfectly calm. She was praying the whole time for God to give her that sense of calm and to give her the words to say and God did!

Near the end of this ordeal all the ladies were talking and arguing at once and the male police officer screamed for everyone to "Stop"! He then told Nancy, "Madam please excuse us that we have involved you in this. I can see from your answers and from your face that you are an honest woman who loves children, and who wants only the best for the children. May I ask that you bring documents showing that SAC is registered to do ministry in St. Petersburg?" Nancy respond, "Of course, I will be happy to." He then states that Nancy is welcome to finish her work at the dorm and come back any time, but must first have a contact who will schedule the event, and she must submit to that contact in writing what she will be doing and who will be coming with her. Nancy agreed. Then the officer asks, "Who will be your contact, and you must understand it cannot be the ROL Director or any of her staff"? Nancy looked around the room and one of the dorm counselors’ steps forward and says, in English, "I will be honored to be Nancy's contact". She then says, laughing, "I need to practice my English and this will be a good chance to do that." Nancy laughed and told her she can practice her English on her, but she doesn't guarantee that she will practice any Russian on her. Everyone laughs, and nods. The counselor then writes out her contact information and at the bottom of a paper and writes in big letters in English, "You are welcome!!!" Then the General Director of the dorms leans across the table and says to Nancy, "Would you like to go now and have the party you had planned?" Nancy responded yes, and they all smiled and agreed that she could go.

As Nancy starts to go, the male police officer tells her, "You must understand that this woman (pointing to the ROL Director and one of her staff), will NEVER be allowed back at this dorm. If either of them comes here or attempts to take any of the people from here, they will be arrested. Do you understand?" Nancy said "Yes, sir." and he replied, "Then please go, and enjoy your time with the residents."

It was pretty intense meeting. Although God has closed the door for the ROL Transition Home to have a ministry at this dorm, He has left that door open for Nancy. In complying with the wishes of the authorities, Nancy went to SAC’s ministry partner and legal entity MIR (the organization that officially allows us to do ministry in St. Petersburg) and gathered all of the documents the dorm had required, including copies of her teaching certificates that can be given to the head counselor of this dorm on Friday.

Unfortunately, one of the causalities of this encounter is the young girl Tatiana who had moved from the dorm to the ROL Transition Home. She had just begun adjusting and had recently became a Christian before being ordered by the authorities to return to the dorm by noon the next day from the home setting she had come to know at ROL. If she did not move back, all in the home would be arrested. She moved back on Tuesday, amid tears and great disappointment. Please pray for her as she adjusts from this trauma of being removed from the ROL transition home.

What does God have planned for the ROL Transition Home and its ministry? Only God knows. Through these “pruning” events, it has caused ROL to be seen as an organization not abiding by the laws of Russia. The Christians at the ROL Transition Home are great people, called by God, to do a great work in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately they have let some things slide and have allowed friendships and personalities to get in the way of their original calling into the ministry. The ROL ministry will recover in time after doing some house cleaning and working to make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed so they can abide by the law and continue their good work.

Meanwhile, Nancy and the SAC Ministry are very thankful that God is allowing Nancy to continue to love and be with these hurting children in the dormitories. We know that God knows what is going to happen before it does and we know that He has a plan greater than anything we could ever understand. Mostly we are happy to report that Nancy didn’t write the details of these events from the prison library in Siberia! At this writing, she is well on her way home to Louisiana.

God Bless you as you pray for the SAC Ministry team as we continue this month to work in Russia for the orphans and hurting children we are allowed to come in contact with.