March 2003

News from Lestvitsa

Warm greetings to all of you, our dear Friends in Christ!

Once again I (Ellen) have had the opportunity to travel to Minsk. This time, the primary purpose of my trip was to visit Lestvitsa, the rehabilitation center for HIV+ women coming out of the prison system. I wrote to you about this center in December. It is now a reality and "Lestvitsa" is the name they have given to the facility. The term is very close to the word for staircase or ladder. "Lestvitsa" is the name of a book of prayers for spiritual growth. They hope that this new center will be the beginning of a journey of spiritual growth for its residents.

After three months of hard work in winter conditions, heating the ground and materials so that spring thaws would not undo their work, the center was ready for residents. The group of men doing the work, ex-prisoners themselves, persevered in these conditions because they knew that there were already two women who had no place to go. The women worked along side the men and stayed at the center during the remont. The work is a thing of beauty, but there is still more that is needed. A recent donation will allow them to buy a refrigerator. Until now they have been able to keep food outside, but spring is coming. They still need a stove. Their meals are cooked on a single hot plate. They also need two more sewing machines. On a larger scale, they need a new fence to keep the neighbors' cows out of the garden that will be planted shortly, and they need facilities for bathing. In the long run, they hope to build a second dormitory.

After two months, there are already eight women who have gone through the training and are working at embroidery and sewing. Only four actually live at the center. There is a long list of women hoping that they too can participate when they are released from prison.

The problems these women face reentering society are multifold. They have no registration (needed for residency in any city), they have gaps in their labor books, which raise serious questions as they seek employment, and they have very low self-esteem. In the prison system, those that are HIV+ are isolated. They are not allowed to work at all, so they sit around with others in their position and learn to pick at each other and wear away at what sense of self is left.

Sister Paola, an Orthodox nun, visits the prison regularly, offering friendship and spiritual care. It is this connection that has helped the eight find their way to Lestvitsa.

But the women have brought with them a heavy load of pain. They are at the bottom of a long staircase, a staircase that they cannot yet see the top of. They can see the treads and they are rugged and challenging. At least they can see the stairs. They shared with me over and over how the center had given them a chance.

Olga is one of the residents. She has a 12-year-old daughter whom she has been trying to get custody of since being released from prison last fall. The judge, a woman, recently made a ruling. She has decided that as an ex-drug addict and ex-convict infected with HIV, Olga is not fit to be a mother. Her parental rights have been terminated. Olga has immersed herself in the work of the center. There are people trying to prepare the case for another trial, but for the moment, all she has is Lestvitsa.

Natasha is another resident. She is 50 years old and has been in prison more than once. When it was time for her to be released a month and a half ago, the prison contacted the project director and asked if they could find room for her. The prison had received a letter from her hometown saying that there had been a fire at her home and that her parents had been killed. There was apparently nothing left for Natasha to return to. No one felt that they could share this news with Natasha because she was psychologically so fragile. She rarely spoke and most in the prison ignored her, thinking she was crazy. When she was brought to Lestvitsa, she was quite withdrawn. The time she has spent at the center has made a remarkable difference. She has emerged and is now talking and participating in the work. Everyone thought that she would be too shy too talk during my visit, but she surprised us all. She even began speaking English for me, the phrases she had learned in school more than 30 years ago and she did it beautifully. She has hidden depths that have not yet been tapped.

The story of her home is not complete. The project director sent someone to the community to get the rest of the story, only to discover that the house did not burn. Natasha's parents have died, but of old age. Her sister sent the letter to the prison. The project director is trying to arrange some legal assistance to help Natasha recover her rightful share in her parent's home, but even if that is accomplished, she cannot live with the sister, who is quite hostile. On top of this, no one has yet felt that they could tell Natasha that her parents have died. She talks about them frequently and is anxious to visit. With the progress that she has made, they hope to begin psychotherapy soon, so that they can prepare her for the news and help her through the grieving process.

A psychologist visits the center regularly to work with the women, as does a priest and Sister Paola. The program includes job-skill training and psychological and spiritual care. It is a beginning. The women cannot stay at Lestvitsa. Lestvitsa is a place of retreat so that they might heal and grow strong enough to face the world again. The program is linked to another that provides legal assistance. Through that program, they seek to give the women a new lease with new documents that do not reflect the gaps in registration and work history. They will still face rejection from many. They will need to be very strong to continue the climb once they have left the shelter of Lestvitsa.

Many years ago, I read a book Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. It is an allegory about the journey of spiritual growth. The central figure in the story, Much-Afraid, makes the journey in the company of Sorrow and Suffering up a rugged mountain. It is not possible to see the end of the journey at its beginning. The way is difficult and often frightening. But with faith and courage, and the companionship of Sorrow and Suffering, the character at last reaches the "High Places" and a peace which passeth all understanding. I pray for the women of Lestvitsa that, with faith and courage, in the midst of their sorrow and suffering, they will persevere. The climb may be steep, but it is one step at a time and they are not alone. This they know.

Peace and blessings,

Ellen & Al

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 94