Letter from Garth Moller in Russia
November 2010
Dear Friends in Christ,
Heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been praying for me the last several weeks. As many of you know, I checked into the hospital here in St. Petersburg over three weeks ago for what was supposed to be a relatively simple hernia operation. Well, nothing is ever simple in Russia! Three weeks later and still no sign yet of the needed hernia operation taking place — but I have been successfully treated for an ulcer and am still under treatment for pneumonia. I am feeling much better already.
The Rev. Garth Moller sharing the ministry of the Kargel and Baedeker Christian School at the central Baptist church of St. Petersburg.
Whether or not I’m in the hospital, the work of the Lord continues. The ministry of the Kargel and Baedeker Christian School continues on a daily basis. Over the last 15 years we have seen more than 30 Christian schools of various sizes start up and close. We are the last Christian school legally operating in this city of 6 million people.
Our ministry started many years ago with children coming from two primary sources: Christian families seeking a Christian environment for their children’s education and children from broken families. By broken families, I mean orphans or children being raised by someone other than their parents.
In recent years we have seen a third group of children coming to our school. We call them “special needs” children. They are children with a variety of learning disabilities ranging from dyslexia to autism, disabilities that within the financially strapped and struggling Russian public education system go overlooked. Essentially, any children who need even a bit of special attention or help will just be set aside and overlooked.
We recently had two new boys join our school, Misha and Pasha; both are in the fifth grade.
Misha’s parents both died of alcoholism when he was very young. He and his brother and sisters ended up in different orphanages. He was one of the lucky ones and eventually ended up in a loving Christian foster home. Unfortunately, his foster father died and his foster mother became ill. Foster parents do not receive any support in Russia and the foster mother could not care for her own children, much less Misha. Misha was headed back to the orphanage when a single older woman from the church felt God was calling her to raise him. One of the first problems Misha’s new foster mother had was to put him into a school because he was being badly bullied by other students and ignored by teachers at the school he was attending. That was when she found the Kargel and Baedeker Christian School.
Now Misha is a happy child with a mother and school friends and teachers who love him. He has a lot to catch up on academically and he clearly has some learning challenges that may be connected to fetal alcohol syndrome, but the difference is he is now in a loving Christian environment at home and at school.
Misha’s new best friend at school is Pasha. Pasha is also new to our school. Until recently he was in a public school, where he was quickly falling behind. Like Misha he was being bullied by other students and ignored by teachers. What are Pasha’s learning disabilities? Very poor eyesight and, probably, dyslexia. Pasha is doing much better academically and socially now that he is in our school. It’s surprising what a difference it has made moving him to the front of the classroom and giving him a little support!
Here's a poem for you that was written by Pasha:
Do not annoy your friends
And do not let anger come into your heart.
If something goes wrong
Wonder if it has been right from the very start.
The evil that you do
Comes back to you. Be sure!
Fulfill God’s will
And blessings of all kinds
Will surely come to you.
My ministry as well as the ministry of the school continues only through the generosity of donors. Most of our children, especially those most in need, do not have the means to cover the cost of their tuition. As we enter the season of giving, I invite you and your congregation to help strengthen God’s mission here either through contributing to my support or through sponsoring a child in part or in full.
To contribute to my support, please write “E200387 — Moller” on the memo line of your check. To contribute to the school scholarship program, please write “E048549 — scholarship.” In either case, the check should be made out to Presbyterian World Mission.
Donations can be sent to:
Presbyterian World Mission
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Please pray for Misha, Pasha and all the children — as well as for my work — at the Kargel and Baedeker Christian School.
If you have any questions regarding my ministry here in Russia, please feel free to contact me at kandbschool@hotmail.com
Blessings to you in the name of Christ,
Garth Moller
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 195
