How did MPI begin helping Drug Addicts?
In 1999, Ron Garrison met a man named Sergei Matevosian, director of a drug rehabilitation facility outside St Petersburg, Russia. As Ron became acquainted with New Life Rehab Centre, he learned that Sergei and his workers were going out into the streets of St Petersburg and pulling addicted young men and women out of city gutters. After taking them to New Life Centre they are introduced to Jesus Christ and the healing He offers.
Ron was so impressed with the compassion and success of this program, that he immediately wanted Mission Partners to become a part of what they are doing. Since then, MPI has helped New Life Centre with several large projects to develop the two properties that this program owns. MPI has also sent several Canadian work teams to St Petersburg helping to renovate buildings on these properties. Mission Partners now has a relationship with several other drug rehab programs in the former Soviet Union.