New Life founder Sergey Matevosian travels from New Life near St. Petersburg, Russia to New Life USA in Missouri for an exclusive interview! Uncle Dave and Mick Richards travel to Cabool, Missouri to get an exclusive interview that will appear in Building a Difference Volume 3 – The Story of New Life.
Building a Difference was in production January 6th-12th as we continue to follow people through their recovery journeys in the New Life program.
It all started when founder Sergey Matevosian felt a strong calling to rescue helpless addicts that were literally rotting to death in the underground basements of St. Petersburg, Russia. “We discovered that there had been young people living with rats in sewer systems for many years in these dirty basements and most were close to death. At the time we didn’t know how to help them, but we started trying anyway.” Fifteen years later, New Life has saved thousands and thousands of precious lives through a remarkable recovery program that has proven a success.
It wasn’t long before Sergey was asked to bring his recovery program to America. Through the fundraising efforts of several churches, enough money was raised to purchase 102-acres of land in Cabool, Missouri. It’s here that New Life USA began its American ministry in helping rescue desperate people seeking a new life.
The recovery program is based on biblical principles and hard work. Part of the challenge is to get an addict’s lifeless, comatose-like body to the point where it’s physically strong again. “We explain to them that you have to move, and you have to work,” said Sergey. “Movement is life. Through physical labor they are able to build their bodies back to health.” “And through biblical studies they are able to build their mental and spiritual health back,” added Vartanian.
Among the many activities of recovery, they learn life skills, such as the construction of their own buildings on the property, repairing of equipment in their mechanics shop, and cultivation of fruits and vegetables in their own gardens, just to name a few. They try to be as financially resourceful as possible to cover some of their operating costs, such as making custom wooden tables and harvesting truckloads of walnuts to sell. However, that simply just isn’t enough money to run this ministry. The rest is heavily relied upon through individual and church donations.
“We believe in what New Life is trying to accomplish,” said Mick Richards, Building a Difference Producer/Director. “They are about restoring and rebuilding the lives of those in desperate need, and we want to share this story with the world in hopes that good hearts will see the real miracles that are taking place. We hope it will inspire groups and individuals to give financially, tradesman to donate materials and services, churches to help with religious visas, and people to volunteer as missionaries for this great cause.”
