"If I'm feeling bad, I go to church. There, I light a candle and pray to God. I pray when I need help. Otherwise I'll be all alone in life." That’s how the visitor to Sabine Matthias explained her relationship with God. Serving in Russia for the past five years, the Liebenzell missionary has noticed a common thread in the spirituality of many Russians; they go to God only when all else fails.

“When I visit the hospital,” writes Matthias, “I encounter many people who say, ‘If I'm feeling bad, I pray and then God must help. If I start feeling better, I do not need him anymore. Too much closeness to God is not necessary. I need my privacy.’”

The challenge in Russia is that most people have no idea that a relationship with God can be different. They believe that God is so far away from them that He can’t possibly be interested in their everyday struggles. “How should I address him? What words should I use?” are common questions which Matthias has had to address.

But there are break-throughs. Matthias tells the story of Anna, whose son was seriously ill. When the doctors said there was nothing else they could, Anna turned to God. With daily prayers, her son slowly began to recover and Anna discovered that she had developed a relationship with God. “Now I go to God and tell him everything I have in my heart,” says Anna happily.