Dear everyone.

I hope you in one way or another have the possibility to enjoy summer.

Yesterday - July 12th - was the big celebration of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Liturgy in the church was conducted by Metropolitan Alexander (picture attached) who is now head of the church Vera, Nadjezda, Lubof and Sophia (Faith,Hope, Love and Wisdom).

Fr. Pavel introduced me to Metropolitan last Tuesday. He is a very, very kind person. He was very positive ad glad to know about my work and look forward to further coorporation. Later I had a talk with the two young priests: fr. Daniel (ieromonarch - priest and monk) and fr. Georgy who will be head of Sunday School and all teaching. Fr. Georgy asked about help for families with ill persons. We will work together.
SO: I am back in church after 12 years.

Fr. Pavel has now more time to visit hospitals and families and he has time to rest.

1. Nursing Project:
Elena Kamalova send me a mail a week ago saying "We bought the tickets. Departure from Moscow, November 10". I called her to get more information. She was on her way for vacation. I shall call her July 26th and I will send you detailled information.

2. Margarita Neliubova.
It will be great if she can manage to join the nurses. Just let me know and I support all needed.

3. André a future high school student ?
André will be 15 years old August 1st and enter the 9th grade September 1st. It is my very big wish to send him as a high school student in Ann Arbor in 2 years - 2014 - before he graduates - because: André´s grandmother, Larisa Alekseevna 62, is born in the countryside, 15 km south of Moscow. Her mother worked - 20 hours a day - at a kolkhos as well as she grew her own garden with vegetables - food for the family. Larisas father died when Larisa was very little. They lived in a wooden house without electricity, water was to carry from a well, no transport, 12 km walk to the nearest hospital. Larisa met her husband Nikoaj when she was 16, the married when she was 18 and had their first child, André. Nikolaj was studying mecanic - cars but went working when their son was born. Later came Aleksey and Margarita. The family got a one room flat where they lived with their 3 children and Larisas mother and Nikolajs mother - 7 people in a 1 room flat just outside of Moscow. Nikolaj felt ill when the youngest child - Rita - was 5 years old. He suffered ostereophose and was bedridden at home in gips for one year and never recovered. He has today a stif kne and strong pain - he is 67 years old. The eldest son, André, fell ill with meningit when he was 7 and when he was 17 he was involved in a serious traffic accident and has been invalid since that time. He is now 42 years old. Aleksey is today fr. Aleksey, married to ma. Nadjezda and they have 4 children. After Rita finished school - 11th grade - she married and gave birth to her son, André, a year later. Her husband - also a Nicolai - has never been very supportive and Rita moved to her parents when André was 4 years old. Rita was one of the first students at Dagmarschool and made a big progress but stopped to take care of her son. Still married she gave birth to Anton 3½ year ago. Anton changed her. Bringing up 2 boys, parents growing elder she realized that she have to have an education and September 2011 she entered law school and has just passed her first exams and start again October 1st. She is studying at an evening university for payment. Her André has completed full music school education with 2 main lines piano and choir. He wants to be a doctor, psycologist (to help people) or dentist (to earn money). --- this is the background for my wish to send André to Ann Arbor for one year at a high school.

4. Misha´s bad eyes.
I have known Misha since he was 2 years old. He has all is life suffered from big minus in his eyes. He has asked me what an operation abroad will cost. Attached is the document - in Russian - about the situation. I hope someone can translate the paper and I am looking forward to receive an answer. Mixail Vasilkiv can be contacted in Russian: martinbear@mail.ru

5. Students from Svibovo in 3 years.
I hope for the possibility to send 2 hight students and 2 university students to Ann Arbor in three years.

We have ongoing very hard cases to care for. Both of us have beed affected. We are much better now but events have accumulated and therefore I will see my psychologist next week.

I excuse for not correct language but I hope you will get the main.

Best regards from fr. Pavel & Connie

Dear everyone.

Finance.
We are looking forward to receive funds. We have supported 6 families and three more families are waiting.

Nursing Project.
It is with great pleasure that I saw you will support a nursing project. It is wonderful and very important to start projects like the Burn Unit and now Nursing. I will follow-up on the Burn-Project some more time to see the direct contact between US and Russian doctors. The Nursing-Project might ned some more time to work independent but I am sure it well be a success also. I would like to know which kind of Nursing Project you have chosen: one in corporation with Managing nurse Lori Pelham or education of nurses to work in the intensive ward. Or maybe both possibilities in one project ?

I will catch up will the Burn Unit Group for following up on their visit to Moscow.

Presentation & Reception.
How wonderful that the presentation and reception was an interconfessional event. We are looking forward to see a report from the event.

Visit to Moscow:
We decided the following to make visits (with visa & registration) more easy:
1. Visitors - who will stay at the hostel in Sviblovo - will stay at Hotel Turist the first and the last night
2. Hotel Turist will give the invitation (1000 rubles) which is the base for visa made in the US.
3. Hotel Turist will arrange all needed arrival/departure registrations
4. The hostel in Sviblovo has one room with three beds and one room with two beds.
Two months before arrival:
1. pdf - copies of passport to connie.meyer@bk.ru
2. information: single/double room

NOTE: bring only credit cards with a pin code. Others do not work in Russia.

I am rather busy as project coordinator for the upcoming exhibition "Danish LaceÂWhen Best"(bobbins) Dec2011/Jan2012 at the Pushkin Museeum. The exhibition will also cover the Dagmar Sewing School and St. Paul Society with information also about RWL. During the exhibition will be my 20 years anneversary in Moscow/Russia: January 2nd 2012.

 Fr. Pavel sends best and warm regards from Moscow and I send my best wishes for your meeting from Denmark, Kristin have a nice summer.

Connie.

Dear everyone.

Christ is risen !

I hope you had joyful holidays.

April was a wonderful (and hard) month.

Visit fro, Michigang University Hospital Burn Unit. The greatest event in April was the visit of medical team from MUH Burn Unit. Attached a photo of the team in front of Speransky Childrens Hospital and the program which was changed a few times.

Very nice people, time was limited, distances big, program tight and everything went very well from our perspective in Moscow.

Next step in the exchange program is to find the way to continue. Dr. Stewart Wang have good ideas and possibilities. Lori Pelham have seen a great lack of nursing.

The Russians are eager to go to US. But next time they will have to find the money themselves which I underlined for them. I also told them that we cannot expect free accomodation.

When I told the team about a possible meeting Dr. Wang immediatly responded that "we will attend" and I was very happy. I see the connection between RWL & the med. team as very important for future exchanges. I am looking forward to get minutes from the meeting.

Trip(s) to Moscow
If any trips shall be arranged to Moscow the coming fall we need to start NOW with the following information:

1. We will be ready to recieve groups in Moscow from October 4th. For group from First Presbytarian I need to ask Fr. Sergei Kiselov when he is free to receive the group and we will need to know how many days the group will need together with fr. Sergei.
2. Names
3. We can arrange invitations from the hotel (1000 rubles)
4. PDF scanning of passports
5. Single-double rooms
6. Level of price ( I suggest Hotel Turist)
7. Arrival and departure dates (Sjeremetjevo Airport)
8. Moscow or other cities ?

When I have dates & number of persons we can start booking rooms and make a program. Later will be more questions and messages.

Monday May 9th I leave for Denmark and return to Moscow May 24th. I will check my mail daily.

We wish you good meeting.
Many warm regards from fr. Pavel & Connie

Dear Friends.

Even it is two weeks ago we turned the calendars we want to wish you Happy New Year and all the best for 2011. At the same time we thank you very much for your support during 2010. It is fantastic that you could send money for every month. Many people have received help in acute situations and for the daily needs. They are grateful for your hard work.

Nursing Project.
I have had a short mailing contact with Lori Pelham who wrote:
 
Connie
I am not sure if you can help me or not but I am the Nurse Manager who will be coming with the group from University of Michigan and I am wondering if they have nurse managers there and what kind of information they would like me to bring or present when I come? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks Lori
 
Lori Pelham, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager
TBICU

  I recommended Lori to contact Linda for further information. We try to arrange meeting(s) with nurses here.

The Social Department under the Moscow Patriarchate has a new leader. The new Patriarch Kirill has blessed bishop Panteleimon (Schatov from City Hospital nr. 1 at Leninsky Prospect where b. P. as fr. Arkady started the best nursing school in Moscow and many other social branches). Margarita Neliubova recommended that the AA team visit bishop Panteleimon. I will soon visit b. P. and among others mention the AA team´s visit and ask for contact for Lori.

Doctors visit
We are in the process. I have received all passports. The team will stay at Hotel Turist (some of you know it) who will make the invitation.
Stewart Wang has a new secretary:Sarah Parviz separviz@med.umich.edu  Sarah is very effectively working. I have as well recommended Sarah to contact John for visa questions.
The visit is scheduled to April 4th - 9th. I have asked for  arrival the 3rd. Elena Perskaya and I will have a meeting next week about the schedule in Moscow.

Christmas Gifts for Orphanage
I have not yet bought the gifts as I wanted to know what is needed for the girls. I am just now told that guage (for drawing) and files for 37 girls and slippers for the 10 small ones. We will start buying very soon.

Support
We have mainly supported the same families as before. The unemployed father is very ill and we managed to send him to a very good doctor who prescribed very good medicine. It all helps him very good but of course it is expensive. A young man has problems with his head and need a MRT scanning - we paid. And then families needs for food and medicine.

The car
is not yet repaired. The details come from Belgium. Because of closed airports in Europe caused of heavy snow, New Year and Christmas the details has not yet arrived. The Federal Government declared vacation from January 1st - 11th. We expect normal working from Monday 17th.

Connie to Denmark
I will be in Denmark February 17th - March 10th. I bring my computer. My granddaughter and her boy-friend are expecting their first child in the beginning of April and I have promised my granddaughter to come when she is in serious labor. I plan to stay for one week - and bring computer.

We wish you a blessed meeting with best regards from fr. Pavel & Connie

From: connie.meyer@bk.ru
Date: Fri, Nov 11, 2010 at 5:37AM
Subject: For RWL meeting Dec. 11th

Dear all friends.

Baby Ilia has been investigated at a very good hospital. He is given medicine and the situation is stabilized.

Baby Irina and her mother Elena. Elena and Igor lived in Moscow and worked at my local market selling fruits and vegetables. They are not from Moscow and were here without registration. So when Elena became pregnan they went back home far from Moscow. Later I send clothes for the baby. Irina is now 7 months. Elena called me three weeks ago asking for help. An analyze showed that Elena and Irina have very low hemoglobin and there is no iron medicine where they live. I asked one of our doctors what to buy and started a long travel in the city. Olga recommended ampoules with iron to drink in three month. There were only two packages in every pharmacy and I needed 18. When I bought box nr.9 I continued with pills. Also I bought baby vitamins for the Irina and vitamins for father. We send all the stuff together with clothes for the growing baby.

Support of families are still the same:
-The family where father and daughter is suffering o depression
-The family where father is still without work. He is now in a bad condition and we send him to a good doctor and paid the bill and the expensive medicine.
- The families and single mothers who cannot make the ends meet.

Doctors visit to Moscow. At last I came in contact with Dr. Stewart Wang (thanks to Johns help). The team of 7 doctors is coming to Moscow 4th - 10th of April 2011

Steward and I are now in close contact looking for a reasonable hotel. I recommended Hotel Turist where John, Bill and Linda stayed. Maybe Stewart will contact one of your about the conditions.

The Danish Queens visit to Moscow is scheduled to the first half of September 2011.

We have not yet decided time for vacation - maybe the two last weeks of September - maybe all October. But we have to decide soon.

Mazda is now permitted to be repaired. There is still no answer from the procurator but the policeman at the Crime Section said: do it. The details are ordered from Belgium and we expect (read hope) the car will be ready before New Year. Friday it was five month after the accident.

Feodor is 23 years old and live at the 6th floor in my house. He is a nice young man studying geology at Moscow State University. He is not satisfied with the old fashion way the students are taught. He helped me with my printer that would not work for 5 weeks. I bought a new printer combined with photocopy and scanner. It is a real toy and just what I need - and it does take much space. Feodor wants to help me and now he is my curer and great help.

The last three weeks have been extremely busy and I fell exhausted and tired.

On top of Elena and her baby daughter Irina came: IWC Winter Bazaar which the Danish ladies took part in this year. It was a suddenly decision and as always a hard job. But we made 8000 USD - a wonderful result for little Denmark. IWC support two of HumanCare Russia's projects

A visit to Mother Teresa's orphanage with 16 very ill people. Nine of them were almost thrown to the sisters 20 years ago. They are now 22 - 24 years old, deformed, without talk, some are blind, some very violent. At the same time they are very dear and taken very good care of. The local authorities wanted to take them to a state institution where they would die within 2 months in lack of love and care. In the beginning of this week a document was signed that they can stay. We are very happy.

I was given a list of 13 serious invalids living at home. Irina Mizitova and I visited a Baptist Church for further details. IWC lead coordinator has arranged a conference Monday morning. I am her assistant and have to take part in the conference, then a meeting at the Donations Office. Monday afternoon I have to visit an institution close to my address ---- and we go to dacha until Friday !

December Appeal I will do my best to make a letter and send to Linda.

On behalf of all the people who have received support from your donation f.Pavel and I give a heartfelt thank you. They are all very grateful and your help really make a difference in their life. Also very important is that they fell your care for them.

We wish all of you a joyful and blessed Christmas and all the best for 2011.
F.Pavel & Connie

• A family where father and youngest daughter suffers   from serious depressions.
• A family where father lost his job a year ago, mother is suffering from migraine and youngest son is in first year of university.
• And all the families who can just make the ends meet.
  And it is not our way of understanding "just make the ends meet".
 
• Buckwheat is a traditional and healthy dish. It is now so expensive that our families cannot buy it anymore because they buy the cheapest goods which is not the best. They seldom buy fruits, vegetables and meat.
• And they buy the cheapest medicine which is not effective.

Ilia is now looking for a job near his home and we hope he will find a place with good and understanding colleagues.

Some of you are now waking up and preparing for the RWL meeting. I am going to sleep wishing you a nice and fruitful 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

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

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.

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

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