Jesus in Disguise

Every picture tells a story. This is the story of this picture. The man come from Romania and he belongs to the roma (tigani) minority. He came to Sweden to get a job and earn money so that he could support his sick children in Romania. He didn't get a job so he had to start begging for money so that he can get enough money for his trip back to Romania and hopefully some extra money so that he can buy some extra food and clothes for his children when he come back to them again.

Most people ignore the beggars. I usually try to make contact with them. It´s hard for me to speak with them cause they hardly speak anything else then Romanian or Bulgarian and they often don't know how to write or read. I think that it is important that we see them and try to do something about their situation. I work as an PR officer for the Swedish NGO Heart to Heart in Linköping and we try to change the situation for Roma and Rudari people in Romania, both through direct projects as individual help, school projects and through advocacy.

I looked him straight in the eyes when I kneeled down in front of him and took the picture. And I got that funny feeling that I looked straight in the eyes of Jesus. I took his hands and said God bless you. But I believe that I was the one that was most blessed by our meeting  outside a Swedish store. "The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved they are Jesus in disguise" - Mother Teresa.



Text and Photo: Mikael Good

A Oasis Of Grace In The Wilderness

Places like Jayer in St. Petersburg are dark places that make far too early graves for young people who never stood a real chance in life. Even if the situation is tough for young adults who´s graduated from institutions in Russia there are some oases of Grace to be found in the Wilderness.

When orphans turn 18 they are dropped from the institutions where they grew up. One day they where kids and the other day they were grownups who don´t know how to live in the real world on their own. The problem is that they have not learned to deal with the various problems of life that they now encounter. They are completly left alone and don´t have any parents, siblings, grandparent or other persons who care about them and can help them in this new situation. They often lack the everyday knowledge that others children learn in their families, such as washing clothes, cooking, managing household cash. They often feel lonely and left out, and in reality, they really are.

The statistics for orphans who graduate from institutions in Russia is very dark. Only 10% of them can adopt to a normal life in the society after graduation. The other 90% are doomed to a life in misery which often puts them in far too early graves. Some of them are lured into prostitution and criminality, some of them becomes alcohol or drug addicts. some of them end up as homeless or couch surfers and some of them take their lifes.

Jayer is street talk for a girl who is willing to do any kind of sexual act with everybody she meets. It´s also the name of a unfinished hospital in S:t Petersburg. Jayer is a house of death were young prostitutes sell their bodies for drug money and they spread HIV to customers who often refuses to use condoms. It´s a place where heroin addicts injects slow death into their veins. Most of them are HIV-positive and when they share their needles they also share their deadly disease. Jayer is also a place were homeless people live and young hipsters get together to have Squat Parties in the weekends. Those who come to Jayer are exposed for GHB and heroin and many of them end up as addicts.

Nearly 70% of all heroin addicts in Russia are young people and you can find places like Jayer all over the country. It´s estimated that between 1.5 to 3 million out of 142 millions Russians are heroin addicts. The Russian authorities are not powerless before the big drug problem in the country. In recent years, the authorities have invested a lot of money on drug prevention among young people. And they try to limit the supply roats of heroin and other drugs flowing in from Afghanistan. 21% of the heroin produced in Afghanistan goes to Russia. Even if the future for former orphans are very dark. There are some oasis of Grace to be found in Russia.

One such oasis are Grace Family Center which is located in a Russian Orthodox monastery in St. Petersburg. The work at Grace is very successful and according to Valentina who is the volunteer director at Grace 90% of the orphans who have received help and support at Grace after their graduation have been able to adapt to a normal life. For orphans who has never had a family of they own, places like Grace Family Center must be worth one's weight in gold.

At Grace Family Center, orphans meet and spend time with adults who give them support and encouragement and help them develop into independent people with strong self-worth. The staff, at the project, prepare an individual plan for each young person who comes to it. The work is based on Christian principles. They live and work in an environment where they can meet and know the saving grace of Jesus. Even if the work at Grace Family Center is very successful. They are in a desperate need of money so that they can continue with their important job.

Maybe it's you who read this article that shall provide an economic miracle so that Grace Family Center can continue with their important work among the least of our brothers and sisters. Star of Hope USA concentrates their efforts on different countries than Russia. However if you wish to donate they will be happy to funnel your gift to Grace Family Center. Click the following link if you want to donate money via Star of Hope: Grace St. Petersburg

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done". - Proverbs 19:17

"We can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by the society - completely forgotten, completely left alone. That is the greatest poverty of the rich countries." - Mother Teresa

Klick the following link if you want to see the pictures in the slide-show on your cell phone or on your pad: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chasid68/sets/72157633493146234/

Text and Photo © Mikael Good, All Rights Reserved

The Christmas story - There was a girl named Lisa

When young people leave institutions in Russia (at age 18) they encounter multiple problems. Many are met with various types of prejudice because they come from an institution, they have no adults who care about them and they often lack the everyday knowledge that others may learn in their family, such as washing clothes, cooking, managing household cash, finding suitable accommodations in which to live and more.