Student Spotlight: Gosha Karoushkin
Gosha is currently enrolled in the StreetCry School of Ministry as a 2nd year student, and helps run a local drug rehab center in St. Petersburg. Miraculously, Gosha's life has been preserved after overcoming a serious drug addiction and breaking ties with a dangerous neo-Nazi gang. His life is yet another example of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Gosha Karoushkin
My name is Gosha, and I am 32 years old. I was born in
As a child, teachers had great hope for me as I consistently achieved high grades in school. Towards the end of my sixth grade year a new trend developed in school - glue sniffing. Students began sniffing often, even during class. Soon I gave into peer pressure and joined them. Binge drinking was the next trend and soon I was an alcoholic.
During these years of my life, Perestroika hit the country. For the first time, Russians were allowed to listen to rock-and-roll music! I filled my ears with all forms of rock and heavy metal music and embraced the culture that was promoted through this music.
As a result of my negative lifestyle choices, my grades began to drop. The situation became critical, and one day my school principal approached me with this statement, “Gosha, I truly believe you are a good guy, but you no longer have any place in my school!” My parents also tried to intervene but it became too late, as I had already set my life on a destructive path.
I quickly joined a group of friends who shared my new set of values. We regularly attended rock concerts in surrounding cities, and began smoking hash to enhance our experiences. In 1992, I began experimenting with heavy drugs.
I had a very addictive personality, and drugs quickly got a grip on me. From this point on, everything I had was invested into my drug addiction. Drugs became my god and I served them with all of my heart.
My favorite drugs were hallucinogens. Because of the effect these drugs had on me, I was taken to a Psychiatric hospital five separate times, and five separate times the treatments I received had no effect. As a dog returns to his own vomit, I returned to my drugs.
As time went on, I ended as most drug addicts do, serving time in prison. I was first sentenced in 1997, and it was here that a whole new world of corruption opened up to me. I quickly made friends with a neo-Nazi gang leader who was also serving a drug related sentence.
After my release, I joined the neo-Nazi gang associated with the man I met in prison. Gang life conditioned me to become a hate-filled, dangerous person. The drugs I was still using dulled my sense of humanity, and fueled the violent acts I carried out on a regular basis.
Over the next few years, I was in and out of prison six times. During my final sentence, I met some inmates who were Christians. Even though I respected them, I believed the Bible was the biggest lie in the world.
One day while sitting in my cell, I received news that one of my closest friends from the gang, Yura Bugakov (featured in the October newsletter), had become a Christian and joined a Christian rehab in
After many talks on the phone, Yura decided to come and see me face-to-face in prison. The Yura I encountered on that visit was a different man than I remembered. His eyes were now clean and full of life. I couldn’t figure out how this drastic change could have happened. I went back to my cell after the visit and began to rethink my ideas of Christianity.
In April of 2005, I was released from prison for the final time. Despite my encounter with Yura, I returned to my familiar life of drugs and crime. One day while at a bar, celebrating a successful crime, I suddenly heard a voice clearly say to me, “Enough Gosha, Stop It! Stand up and leave this place!”. Even though I was drunk, surrounded by prostitutes, and drugged out of my mind, I got up and left the bar.
Still high and unsure of what to do next, I hired a taxi to drive me to the train station. Once there, I bought a ticket to
By God’s grace, in my stupor I had bought a ticket that brought me to the very city where my friend Yura lived. I was in desperate need of help, and knew that I had to visit Yura at the rehab.
Once at the rehab, I beat on the front door and yelled until someone answered. The director of the rehab opened the door and I asked him, “Do you give tickets to get to heaven here?” He looked at me with love in his eyes and answered, “Yes, please come inside.”
The director led me inside where he introduced me to everyone. I had never seen so many happy faces in my life. They had light and love that came out of their eyes. I decided to stay.
While at the rehab I began to reflect back on my life. I remembered all the moments I should have died. Twenty times I overdosed, and many times my life was threatened. Jesus revealed to me that He had kept me alive up until this point so that I would be able to spend the rest of my life living for Him. He was waiting for me to come to Him. This realization broke my heart and real repentance set in. In that moment, I gave my life to Jesus and totally surrendered. I now know that He is real.
I was not only a basic sinner but someone who led many other people into sin. Jesus forgave me for all of this. People who knew me thought I could never be helped. Jesus does the impossible. This is a miracle that cannot be explained by words but only accepted by faith.
Please pray for Gosha as he continues his training at the
News
Autumn Evangelism
Although street evangelism can become a challenge during the cold autumn-winter months, teams from StreetCry venture out twice weekly to proclaim salvation to people in the streets of
Prophetic School Launch in Estonia
StreetCry has launched a prophetic school in the small neighboring country of
The first session of the school was well attended as about fifty people registered. There were about ten pastors in attendance who wanted training so they could begin releasing the prophetic ministry in their own congregations (Very exciting!). Overall the response to the ministry was very positive. A number of people gave prophetic words for the first time and left the classes feeling more confident in hearing God’s voice.
The school will continue for the next seven months, with one full day of classes each month. Every month different teachers will be sent out from StreetCry to continue the courses. We consider the school an excellent opportunity to help strengthen churches in our surrounding region and promote unity in the body of Christ. 
Happy Thanksgiving!
We would like to take to the opportunity to wish all our American friends and supporters a very happy Thanksgiving.
With Love,
John, Sara, Vera, Roma, Anya and the StreetCry Team
Special Note from John Russell:
Sara and I would like to express our deepest thanks to all who have been praying for our daughter Katya to receive her permanent residency card in the United States. This past week, our prayers were answered and Katya received her card. Praise God!
Additionally, as the Christmas season approaches plans are already in the works for StreetCry's tenth annual Christmas feed-in. For those who are unfamiliar with this event, it is an outreach we host each Christmas as a celebration of God's goodness and love for the needy. We have seen thousands of lives touched by the love of God as a result of this outreach.
We are financially in a pinch this holiday season and are needing $10,000 USD very soon to cover our feed-in and Christmas season expenses. Please join with us in prayer for the funds, and if you could help out in an exceptional way it would be greatly appreciated.
God Bless,
John
Newsletter Compiled by Chris Loewen
1 comment:
I was happy to read Gosha's story. It is the same story we hear so many times...it is my story. No matter where we are in the world, PRAISE GOD, Jesus is able to find us, save us, deliver us and make us into new creations!
As Romans 12:2 says...it is really, really true that we can be "TRANSFORMED through the renewing of our mind." We don't have to live with "stinking thinking" anymore!
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