“Greetings to all who read this testimony!

My name is Vadim. I am 31. I’d like to share how I met Jesus, and how my life has changed since then. I was born to an unbelieving home in Siberia, Russia. Our family was of average income. As I was a firstborn, my parents and my grandmother indulged me since childhood. They would buy me anything I wanted: toys, bicycles, computers, and later a motorcycle and a car. I had everything that my peers didn’t. I got away with my pranks and mischief, while my parents always disregarded my misdeeds. I grew arrogant and spoiled, and the whole world should have been spinning around me.

I started smoking early on, then tried alcohol and started using mild drugs. The girls with whom I was hanging out and had relationships with never heard a gentle word from me; I did not care about anyone, but just took advantage of them. And, as a rule, they were not particularly virtuous. I was just squandering my young years. I am grateful to my parents for insisting that I get an education. Then I went to serve in the Army. Upon return, my frivolous life continued.

At the age of 23, I met a girl named Veronica. At first, I looked at her as another crush, but then I saw that she differed from others in her serious attitude towards life and her decency. She was the complete opposite of me, and that’s what attracted me to her. I was totally tired of easily available and flighty girls, though I was no different from them. Veronica persuaded me to give up mild drugs. She and my mother placed me in a secular fee-based rehab centre, where I met other drug addicts who introduced me to heroin. So, after rehabilitation, quite expected, I tried this drug and that made the life of my family and friends change a great deal. I became an arrogant and unscrupulous drug addict who deceived anyone and everyone to get a dose, stealing valuables from the house, with everyone around to be blamed.

Thank God, my loved ones did not give up on me. Communicating among drug addicts, I saw how everyone would turn away from them, while my family stood by me. And this fact urged my conscience. Veronica also did not leave me in this period of life, despite me causing her a lot of pain by my actions and words. Somewhere deep down, I believed that my life would change, and I would live another way. Only now do I understand that God was already working on my impudent, hardened, and self-willed heart.  My family decided to send me to another fee-based secular rehabilitation centre. They had already found a suitable place, however, expensive, and were looking for financial opportunities to place me there. At that time, my mother broke her leg and moved around the house on crutches. During another phase of withdrawal, I stole a laptop from home, called a taxi to go to a pawnshop and get money for a dose. I realized that my every step was being watched, and when a taxi arrived, I climbed out the window with the laptop. I saw that my mother was down there, who tried to take away the laptop, so I pushed her and ran away; I saw my mother falling down, but I did not return, thinking only about the dose. When I got into the taxi and ordered the driver to go to the pawn shop, I calmed down and started realizing what I had done. Naturally, I did not change my plans, but had a conversation with the driver. He asked me if I was addicted to drugs, or just trying. At first, I pretended not to understand what it was about, but there was something in the gaze and words of the man that urged me to open up to him.

As it turned out, he was a minister of the ECB Church, who was engaged in helping people in difficult life situations. He testified to me about Jesus, about how God loved me and wanted to help me. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t a fairytale. He offered me to go to the Christian rehabilitation centre. I left him my mother’s phone number and asked him to contact her. Then I found out that Artyom (that was the name of the taxi driver and minister of the church) called my mother and met with her and Veronika. After talking to Artyom, they also received the hope for a way-out. Artyom helped me be placed at a free Christian rehab centre, where I found Jesus and turned to Him. After six months at the centre, I returned to my town, trying to live differently, as I went through adaptation period. Artyom became my mentor. That was five years ago, in 2019. God was teaching me to treat Veronica decently. We got married, having legalized our relationship (see wedding photo) and, seeing the changes in me, Veronica also turned to Christ.

God began teaching me to treat my parents rightly, as well as my attitude to work. I started working together with Artyom, at construction projects. I am grateful to God for him, his patience and sacrifice towards me. For three years, I still had breakdowns, and Artyom did not leave me, he was there, and every time helped me return to Christ. I remember, when during another breakdown, I got overdosed. Those who were using drugs at my place ran away, and then my father came in. He saw me there, all blue, having faint signs of life. Since he had never seen such things, he did not know what to do and just called my mother, saying that I was dying or had already died. My mother called Artyom instantly, who was at work, and in 7 minutes he arrived, pulled me out outdoors and brought me back to life.

It is only later that I realized that he went to save me in an unheated car, which meant that the engine could break down, and he risked his life for me – a drug addict who brought trouble after trouble. There was another situation when I robbed people associated with the criminal world, and Artyom, again taking a risk, went to negotiate my case with them.

This all had a great impact on me. The family and Artyom have become an example for me. Now I understand how important it is to help people grow in Christ by helping them go through all the stages. I thank God for such a mentor! Today, Artyom and I are good friends and serve the Lord together. I am involved in the ministry of the adaptation centre and now help people grow in Christ, as well as actively participate in the compassion ministry.

Three years ago, my wife and I received water baptism. We have two lovely daughters: Alina, 3, and Sofia, 2 months.”

From a Drug Rehab Report

Russia

Drug Rehabilitation Ministry