Fifth Annual Russian Convention, October 2015

While attending the International Convention in Portland in January, I found myself saying to God that I was ready to be of service again. Shortly thereafter, I ran into an SA member living in Russia. Though he and I knew of each other, we’d never spoken before. I introduced myself and asked him for his contact information, “in case I ever come to Russia.” He responded, “Why don’t you come to our Russian Convention in Moscow in November?”

My British wife and I love to travel, but Russia has never crossed our minds as a destination, let alone as a place to carry the SA message. Yet I knew this encounter was not happenstance. God was inviting me to Russia.

Both my wife and my sponsor supported the idea, and I was inspired to invite other members to go with us. In the end, five agreed. We were a diverse group: one member was originally from Australia and one from Iran. One was 25 years old and one was 73.

My friend suggested that when we travelled to Russia, we attend two meetings prior to the convention; one in St. Petersburg and one in Moscow. He said that St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We found this to be true.

Our group rented an apartment together in each city. This meant doing everything together: touring, food shopping, cooking breakfasts, and washing dishes and clothes, as well as sharing bedrooms and bathrooms. It was a test for each of us to sign up for a two-week journey with five other sexaholics to a foreign country where none of us spoke the language! Our morning meetings, where we read from SA literature and checked in with one another, were an indispensable highlight of our life together.

The royal palaces were magnificent; the churches and cathedrals were inspiring; and the museums filled with original paintings of world-famous artists and sculptors were breathtaking. The two ballets and the symphony concert we attended left us with admiration for the rich cultural heritage of the Russian people.

We were warmly welcomed at SA meetings in both St. Petersburg and Moscow. We quickly found that, even though we spoke different languages and came from different cultural backgrounds, we are all one family in the fellowship.

The Russian-Speaking convention was held the last weekend of our visit. Members came from all across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, two from Germany, and one each from Finland, the UK, and Iran. Excellent interpreters helped those of us who spoke only English. The Russian fellowship has younger members in their twenties and thirties, and about one-third are women.

“The Fourth Dimension of Being” was a fitting title for both the convention and for our experience of traveling to Russia. We were definitely having a spiritual experience of “which we had not even dreamed.”

Perhaps the words of one of our Russian brothers capture it best: “I thank God that He has given me the pleasure to know you. My heart is shining love to you and to all our fellowship. This is the great gift of our community.”

Or perhaps the words of one of our Russian sisters: “Thanks to everyone who was at the convention. I felt kinship. You have inspired me that there is nothing that God cannot forgive, and that I might even share scary corners of my soul to my group. I wish you inspiration and ever-growing joy!”

When I returned home, my sponsor asked, “Why did you go to Russia?” followed by the perplexing words: “There is only one right answer.” I paused and said slowly, “To stay sexually sober.” “Try again,” he said. “To stay sexually sober and carry the message to the sexaholic who still suffers,” I then offered. “You’re getting a little rusty,” he chided me. “Okay,” I said, “You tell me why I went to Russia.” “You went to Russia because God wanted you to be in Russia,” he replied.

That is the entryway to living in the Fourth Dimension: being where God wants me to be emotionally, mentally, and physically, one day at a time.