Our last Aloha from Almaty,
Twelve years ago our family arrived in a country we had never heard of before. We are leaving Thursday for a place we never dreamed we would live. Life takes some unexpected turns. In the summer of 1997 we taught aspiring pastors in Almaty, Kazakhstan for two months. Frankly that seemed long enough for me! When the seminary president said thanks and come back I just smiled. But when we got back home to Hawaii late that summer our sons began to say, “Dad, why not?” They were ready to come to this country with no skateboard laws and snowboarding all through the long winter! So we landed back in 1998, thanks to lots of generous folks. We’d see if we could last till the end of our three year commitment. We liked it. Truth is we still like it. It will be hard to get on the plane.
Picture15a smaller.jpg 1997 2007BlairFam1 resized.jpg
We leave behind nearly a thousand men and women in whom we have invested His Word for their Kingdom service. Some of them are serving faithfully as church leaders, sadly a few have abandoned the faith, but most are walking with Jesus and witnessing for Him. We have published several books in Russian and Kazakh which can keep on teaching after we’re gone! Dayna has seen dozens of kids pass through Tien Shan School in her ten years of teaching there. A couple months before our arrival back in 1998 they notified us that our sons would not be admitted unless one of us could teach. I thought it was a scam to get teachers, probably was, but it has been a lot of fun! Sixteen more will be graduating at the same hour we are in the air toward Beijing. We have never had a bad Sunday with our ‘family’ at International Christian Fellowship - lots of tearful good-byes yesterday.
Praying reduced.JPG ICF cake small.JPG
Last week Mark had the privilege of sharing with a small group of Kazakhstani pastors he has worked with for over a decade. He oversaw most of their seminary ‘entry interviews’! They have been faithful in serving Him. Their churches are not large, but they are self-supporting and growing. It was a great encouragement to hear their kind words. One brother said, “When people ask me how I got to be such a good preacher, I tell them Mark Blair.” And he can preach in Kazakh and Russian! Words like that just confirm our plan to leave, praise and glory to God.
We need to be a bit more careful with email in our new place of service. Feel free to tell us anything about yourselves, we’d love to know. Feel free to ask about us and our work in the International church. Please do not mention anything about Government (anybody’s), conversion (in or out of any religion), or Chinese churches (any kind). We ask for your consideration in this primarily for the benefit of brothers and sisters who face challenging circumstances there.
We had a great visit recently with our son Nathan and his wife Heather. They’re back home in Eugene, Oregon. Nathan is pursuing studies in the field of Product Design. Aaron is also in Eugene, working and continuing his studies. Josiah has been living in Almaty since Christmas. He is quite busy working several jobs and enjoying his daughter Maylee. We appreciate your continued prayer for our family too. We will start our work at BICF from this coming Sunday. We are excited about the new opportunities. We are so grateful for your faithful support as the journey continues!
Yours in Him who was Promised the Nations, Mark and Dayna Blair
NEW CONTACT INFORMATION:
Our PREFERRED Email (we hear Hotmail is erratic in China)
blairstan2@gmail.com
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Telephones
Mark’s Mobile: 13669934719
Dayna’s Mobile: 13520615371
Home: +86(10) 8213-5890
Work: +86(10) 82862813
Skype: blairstan
Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org (audio sermons)
Our Mailing Address
Beijing International Christian Fellowship / Zhong Guan Cun
Raycom Infotech Park, Tower C, Room B115,
2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100190
June 11, 2009
April 27, 2009
SuperCenter Here we Come!
Beautiful Spring-time Greetings from Almaty,
We have just returned from a very productive preparatory trip to our new harvest field – Beijing. It was a special joy that our son Nathan and his wife Heather came with us.
We had the privilege of staying with the pastor we will follow at Beijing International Christian Fellowship Zhong Guan Cun. He graciously showed us around, introduced us to our new colleagues and neighbors, and gave us a much better understanding of the task before us. We were there for three Sundays, preaching on one. Not only did we attend the two English services, we had the further privilege of attending services of the Korean, Mandarin, and Indonesian congregations which are also part of our church. We also went to Bible studies, prayer meetings, office staff meetings, and met with leaders of the entire BICF with whom we will serve. It was all very exciting. God is doing great things there. Countless times our new friends said, “We have been praying for you for a long time.” Thank you for praying too! We are very grateful.
You can listen to the sermon Mark preached there on Palm Sunday at:
http://bicf.org/admin/object/download.cfm?ED_MediaSourceID=4922
or find it on April 5 from http://bicf.org/sermonfull_menupage.cfm
We are looking forward to serving this diverse congregation. We sensed an eagerness to grow in the Lord and His Word. Sixty percent are students, coming from all over the world. Many are studying Chinese in anticipation of further work and studies in that nation. Eighty percent of the congregation is involved in education in some way. We meet in the midst of the greatest collection of campuses in all of China. Eighty-two universities are in close proximity. We have Africans from more than twenty African nations. People come to worship at BICF from every continent.
There are more people crowded into the city of Beijing than live in the vast expanse of Kazakhstan. Noise, crowds, smells, and smog are constant. Yet, we found people to be helpful, patient, and open. Just at the times we found ourselves frustrated by our lack of Chinese language a kind passer-by would help us communicate. We really need prayer to get a basic grasp of Mandarin….fast! Dayna and Heather had a great time shopping, singing like birds – cheap, cheap, cheap!
While in Beijing Mark had a thorough physical exam. No traces of the two cancers he had surgery for in February 2007 were found. Thanks be to God! Our son Nathan was also able to have an extensive stress test for his heart in anticipation of the very long distances he will be running later this year. Doctors found him very fit. So he is moving forward with his plan to run three ultra-marathons, the longest 100 miles. He is hoping to raise a significant amount of funds to provide schoolbooks for children in Mongolia. You can read more about this at http://edurelief.org/involved/people-nathan
On our last day there we signed a contract for renting our new home – a very nice apartment located near the church, at the junction of two Subway lines, and next to Beijing’s only Wal-mart SuperCenter! This was the last step of a series of divine encouragements. All the way along we felt carried on His ‘eagle’s wings.’ Our trip began with a challenge the Kazakh Immigration officials did not want to let Mark out of their country. The last time his visa was extended a small mistake was made on one exit document. This omission of a ‘little’ stamp was huge in their eyes. Fortunately, an airline captain who is in our Almaty ICF was with us and declared the flight a ‘medical emergency’! (I did have my exam the next day in Beijing J!) But I had a hard time not laughing when he looked at the Kazakh official and said, “If this man dies here because you will not let him out of your country, you will have to face the consequences.”!! God got us out of that jam and carried us all the way.
Now we are back in Almaty until our moving date of June 11. We are quite busy here; preaching at ICF, teaching in local Bible schools, and figuring out what to do with our stuff. (Thanks to this trip, a big pile of it is already in Beijing!) The best quote we have found on shipping things to this neighbor nation is $15 a kilo! Needless to say, we are doing our best to downsize! The apartment we have rented in Beijing is furnished nicely.
We are acutely aware that this is not the most ideal time to ask for your financial support. But even without much asking you have graciously given to meet our needs in these difficult times. In a recent interview in Christianity Today, Rick Warren reminds us that times of crisis are not times to retreat from ministry. He tells that they just baptized 800 people at Saddleback Church! This trip to Beijing has been a strong confirmation of His leading to an important ministry opportunity. We are so glad we stand together with you! Thank you. We hope you come and visit us, just wear your red cap…
Yours in our Risen Lord, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org
We have just returned from a very productive preparatory trip to our new harvest field – Beijing. It was a special joy that our son Nathan and his wife Heather came with us.
We had the privilege of staying with the pastor we will follow at Beijing International Christian Fellowship Zhong Guan Cun. He graciously showed us around, introduced us to our new colleagues and neighbors, and gave us a much better understanding of the task before us. We were there for three Sundays, preaching on one. Not only did we attend the two English services, we had the further privilege of attending services of the Korean, Mandarin, and Indonesian congregations which are also part of our church. We also went to Bible studies, prayer meetings, office staff meetings, and met with leaders of the entire BICF with whom we will serve. It was all very exciting. God is doing great things there. Countless times our new friends said, “We have been praying for you for a long time.” Thank you for praying too! We are very grateful.
You can listen to the sermon Mark preached there on Palm Sunday at:
http://bicf.org/admin/object/download.cfm?ED_MediaSourceID=4922
or find it on April 5 from http://bicf.org/sermonfull_menupage.cfm
We are looking forward to serving this diverse congregation. We sensed an eagerness to grow in the Lord and His Word. Sixty percent are students, coming from all over the world. Many are studying Chinese in anticipation of further work and studies in that nation. Eighty percent of the congregation is involved in education in some way. We meet in the midst of the greatest collection of campuses in all of China. Eighty-two universities are in close proximity. We have Africans from more than twenty African nations. People come to worship at BICF from every continent.
There are more people crowded into the city of Beijing than live in the vast expanse of Kazakhstan. Noise, crowds, smells, and smog are constant. Yet, we found people to be helpful, patient, and open. Just at the times we found ourselves frustrated by our lack of Chinese language a kind passer-by would help us communicate. We really need prayer to get a basic grasp of Mandarin….fast! Dayna and Heather had a great time shopping, singing like birds – cheap, cheap, cheap!
While in Beijing Mark had a thorough physical exam. No traces of the two cancers he had surgery for in February 2007 were found. Thanks be to God! Our son Nathan was also able to have an extensive stress test for his heart in anticipation of the very long distances he will be running later this year. Doctors found him very fit. So he is moving forward with his plan to run three ultra-marathons, the longest 100 miles. He is hoping to raise a significant amount of funds to provide schoolbooks for children in Mongolia. You can read more about this at http://edurelief.org/involved/people-nathan
On our last day there we signed a contract for renting our new home – a very nice apartment located near the church, at the junction of two Subway lines, and next to Beijing’s only Wal-mart SuperCenter! This was the last step of a series of divine encouragements. All the way along we felt carried on His ‘eagle’s wings.’ Our trip began with a challenge the Kazakh Immigration officials did not want to let Mark out of their country. The last time his visa was extended a small mistake was made on one exit document. This omission of a ‘little’ stamp was huge in their eyes. Fortunately, an airline captain who is in our Almaty ICF was with us and declared the flight a ‘medical emergency’! (I did have my exam the next day in Beijing J!) But I had a hard time not laughing when he looked at the Kazakh official and said, “If this man dies here because you will not let him out of your country, you will have to face the consequences.”!! God got us out of that jam and carried us all the way.
Now we are back in Almaty until our moving date of June 11. We are quite busy here; preaching at ICF, teaching in local Bible schools, and figuring out what to do with our stuff. (Thanks to this trip, a big pile of it is already in Beijing!) The best quote we have found on shipping things to this neighbor nation is $15 a kilo! Needless to say, we are doing our best to downsize! The apartment we have rented in Beijing is furnished nicely.
We are acutely aware that this is not the most ideal time to ask for your financial support. But even without much asking you have graciously given to meet our needs in these difficult times. In a recent interview in Christianity Today, Rick Warren reminds us that times of crisis are not times to retreat from ministry. He tells that they just baptized 800 people at Saddleback Church! This trip to Beijing has been a strong confirmation of His leading to an important ministry opportunity. We are so glad we stand together with you! Thank you. We hope you come and visit us, just wear your red cap…
Yours in our Risen Lord, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org
February 9, 2009
Here and There
Aloha from Almaty,
We have been very encouraged by your affirmation of our upcoming move to Beijing in June, God willing. Several have asked helpful questions about our plans, so we’re sending this letter with answers to all. We are blessed to have such a loving and generous team of people who have so faithfully stood with us in mission. When we began our ministry abroad in war-torn Uganda in 1983 it took more than six months to receive a letter, email did not exist, and telephone was impossible. Now we connect globally in nano-seconds – even with former colleagues in that remote African village. Sometimes, when the news is bad, this can overwhelm us all with compounding sadness, as the stock exchanges around the globe sink in one another’s panic! But as we know Him who holds this world, we look to Him with faith not fear. When the puny nation of Judah was about to be swallowed by the wicked global tyrant Babylon, God sent the prophet Isaiah to help the faithful keep things in perspective -
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:22-31
On Sunday, July 6, 1924 those words were read from the pulpit of the Scots Church in Paris. At that very hour the starting guns for the 100 meter Olympic heats sounded nearby. Eric Liddell, the one favored to win that event, was not on the track but in that pulpit. He would not run on the Sabbath, but he would preach. Later that week Liddell entered the 400 meters, by no means his best event. He was a sprinter. As he went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand with a quotation: "Those who honour me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). He ran with that paper in his hand. Not only did he win the gold, he broke the world record. Eric Liddell was born and died in China as a missionary. This Scotsman, ‘the Pride of Scotland,’ was also China’s first Olympic medalist! Hard times will not last, but those who find their strength in God will. We do not know God’s plans, but we must not doubt His power.
Pressing on in KZ
As with any move, the hardest part will be saying good-bye to beloved friends. The life-challenges we face together here in Kazakhstan have forged deep bonds of partnership and love. We want to be faithful to seize every opportunity for Him in the remaining months we have here. (God wants obedience today, not just dreams about tomorrow!) In January we had a wonderful time in the south of this country with 35 leaders and pastors from 10 churches. We studied the Pastoral letters of Paul; long, but encouraging days. Pray for their perseverance in a strong Islamic area - lots of adversity. Stones have hit several, literally! Broken windows, government pressure, harassment, slander from the media, and general discouragement are rife. They want us to come back for another week of teaching in March. We plan on it.
Now some of questions we have received about our plans to move to BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship)…
I hate to be so dumb, but will you now have to learn Chinese?? If so, blessings on you - I mean, since you're so old now I imagine new language acquisition might be more of a challenge! :-)
Ouch! That was from Mark’s college dorm mate – a true “Catacombs Homeboy” from Covenant. So he is no young pup either! But it is a good, and daunting, question. And this makes us wonder – “God, are you really calling us there!” When we walked past a restaurant in China recently we thought they were giving language lessons but it was just the busboy dropping the silverware on the floor. Thankfully, we are going to serve an English language church in Beijing. And there will be many people to serve and ministries to do in English. But we will have neighbors, shopping, traveling, etc. that will require at least some ‘survival’ Chinese, like we have ‘survived’ in Russian here. This is not our strength. Pray, please!
If "local Chinese" are restricted from coming to BICF are the people who attend all from different countries working or studying in China?
Yes, only foreign passport holders are allowed in BICF. There are thousands of internationals living and working in Beijing. Our experience here has been that people in this status are unusually open to the Gospel. Those who attend BICF do have numerous opportunities with nationals throughout their week, and we will too.
What is the situation of the Church in China?
We still have much to learn, but we will share what we know. The government has allowed their citizens to meet in officially recognized churches since the late 1970’s. There are both Protestant and Catholic official churches. The number of official churches is not enough for the huge demand. Clearly there are limits placed on these churches. Yet, many leaders we respect tell us the gospel is being preached in many of these churches and people are coming to faith in Jesus. Although their shortage of pastors and teachers often means that possibilities for growth in discipleship are limited. BICF has good relations with this official church and opportunities for our teaching in their seminaries are quite possible.
In addition, there are a large, and growing, number of ‘unofficial’ churches. Many of those who find their way to these churches have come to faith through official churches. We have friendships here too. This group, like Christendom, varies from balanced, Biblical understanding to wild fanaticism. Some have little access to good teaching, others have embraced false teaching. Spiritual hunger – inside and outside the Church - is great in China. Even the government now estimates the number of believers in China as 130 million, and 9,000 unofficial churches in Beijing alone. God knows His own.
Are there Bibles in China?
The government allows the publication and distribution of Bibles. The former days of hand-copied scraps of Scripture are thankfully over, at least in the primary language of Mandarin. One printing press alone, which we visited a few years ago, has now printed more than 50 million Chinese Bibles and counting. There is also a growing amount of Christian literature available for believers. With such a huge population, this is just a small, but encouraging, beginning.
I know you will have to be more careful of your words in China than you have needed to be in Kazakhstan.
Yes, for the safety of local believers especially. The government will recognize us as a foreign Christian workers through the ministry of BICF.
What will your job description and title be at BICF?
Mark will be a pastor in function, and a ‘Church Leader’ in title. The historical context has guided BICF not to use the term pastor in the past. Now that title is more freely used with no problems. Their structure has three ‘Church Leaders,’ one at each of their three primary sites of ministry. We will be at Zhong Guan Cun, which began four years ago. Mark will be on a team of Elders in ZGC and part of the Community Elders of the entire BICF. I have never been very interested in titles. I think the title ‘Senior Pastor’ has some unbiblical implications and anyway it makes me feel old! Perhaps the title “Servant Pastor” would be closer to Scripture. There will be three main areas of my duties at BICF ZGC, quoting their document: 1) To provide spiritual and pastoral leadership, as leader of the church elders, to the BICF ZGC congregation. To preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments. 2) To serve as the chief administrator of the congregation so that it might fulfill its mission and purpose as the body of Christ. 3) To give primary leadership to the four ministry quadrants: Inspiration, Life Stations, Small Groups, and Impact.
Maybe someday our church can do some kind of outreach or something there with you.
That is an exciting idea! Let us see.
What percentage of financial support are you currently at while serving in Almaty and what your current monthly need is through May?
At this point, thanks to many generous folks, we are nearly at full support. As we have mentioned before, and as you are no doubt feeling, the value of the dollar has gone down significantly here too. One thing local pastors are asking us to do before leaving is reprint several of the books Mark has produced in Russian and Kazakh. Currently, all copies are in circulation. We have been able to produce these through excess mission funds.
Will there be any one-time start up costs?
Yes. We plan two trips to China, in April and then our move there in early June. In April we will have a week together with the current leader of BICF ZGC. (He leaves in May.) This will be an invaluable time to learn from him. Mark is scheduled to preach there on Palm Sunday, April 5. Our eldest son Nathan and his wife Heather will be visiting us then and they will come too. We also hope to find an apartment for our future home then.
We will not move our furniture to Beijing. But we do plan to transport books, clothing, and personal effects. We are exploring the best options. We hope for an apartment not far from where the church meets. We will need to outfit this apartment. Dayna is excited about one of the world’s largest Ikea stores located in Beijing!
As some of you know, we were extremely blessed to have an anonymous believer in the States loan us $35,000 in 2001 which we used to purchase an apartment here in Almaty. By May we will have repaid that dear person at 5% interest. This has allowed us a fixed rent cost. The seminary we have served since 1997 owns the apartment. Now it will help their ministry. It is now valued at over $100,000. IF there is anyone who is open to such an idea, we would love to explore the possibilities in Beijing.
If you could tell us what your monthly needs will be in BJ.
We anticipate that our overall living costs may be quite similar to what we have here. Food and supplies will probably be cheaper. But we may have to pay more for rent. We will see.
Will there be any kind of compensation from BICF-ZGC?
There is a monthly stipend. It is not designed to support the pastor but to supplement some of his needs. As we have explained, there are presently three sites of BICF. ZGC is comprised of many students. At this point their congregation is not fully self-supporting but is supplemented by the general BICF budget. The rental of facilities large enough to serve the members and children of the congregation is significant. Once we are in position we will be able to give more detailed figures of our needs and the BICF.
Is there any denominational affiliation of BICF?
As you can see from their statement of faith posted on their web site; their doctrine is theologically conservative. (That word which has a negative ring in the popular press is still quite useful. It simply means they’re trying to ‘HOLD ON’ (conserve) to truths entrusted to us by our Lord in His Word.) The members come from many Christian denominations, traditions and nations. There is a strong emphasis on mission and evangelism. Speaking from our experience here in Almaty, we have found the International Church to be a wonderful foretaste of heaven!
What does BICF resemble organizationally?
My answer, to all these questions, will be more accurate in one year. But as an outside observer I can say it is a very active, changing, and focused place. They have a strong core commitment to the Lord and His Word and a great desire to do what they can to make Him known, from Beijing to the ends of the earth. There are three sites where English language worship services are held. Those sites offer simultaneous translations through headsets into several different languages during their services. Also during the services, there is a full program of ‘Sunday School’ for all ages. Each site has multiple worship services. In addition there are numerous fellowships of different language groups. ZGC currently has Korean, Mandarin, and Indonesian meetings every week. Then, during the week there are many small groups – with lots of different styles and subjects – meeting throughout the city of Beijing. There is also a strong emphasis of community outreach and ministries of mercy. For example the total BICF – about 3000 members – donated RMB 1.7 million ($250,000) and many man-hours toward earthquake relief in China in 2008. One more factor that shapes this picture is the transient nature of the membership, with people coming for one Sunday, one school term, one year, and a few long termers. There is a good administrative network which tries to get people mobilized and maximized in ministry while they’re in Beijing. Their documents at www.bicf.org offer many good ideas for any church.
Do you hope to continue teaching national church leaders?
Definitely. At this point we cannot say how or where. And even when it happens we may not be as free to say how and where. But it is our deep desire to use our gifts of teaching to encourage the leaders of His Church in that nation. Pray for this with us, please.
How many years are you initially committing to BICF?
We want to commit at least three years initially. We are open to how He leads both us and the elders of BICF regarding a longer term of service.
Will you go on furlough before heading to BJ?
No. We returned here to Almaty from furlough in January 2008, just one year ago. We may visit the States in 2010, but no plans are made yet.
Again, we are so grateful that you are standing with us and even reading this loooong letter!
Yours in Him who holds the Nations, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org
Our Mailing Address (Please do not send anything after April 15 as we leave here in June.)
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
We have been very encouraged by your affirmation of our upcoming move to Beijing in June, God willing. Several have asked helpful questions about our plans, so we’re sending this letter with answers to all. We are blessed to have such a loving and generous team of people who have so faithfully stood with us in mission. When we began our ministry abroad in war-torn Uganda in 1983 it took more than six months to receive a letter, email did not exist, and telephone was impossible. Now we connect globally in nano-seconds – even with former colleagues in that remote African village. Sometimes, when the news is bad, this can overwhelm us all with compounding sadness, as the stock exchanges around the globe sink in one another’s panic! But as we know Him who holds this world, we look to Him with faith not fear. When the puny nation of Judah was about to be swallowed by the wicked global tyrant Babylon, God sent the prophet Isaiah to help the faithful keep things in perspective -
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:22-31
On Sunday, July 6, 1924 those words were read from the pulpit of the Scots Church in Paris. At that very hour the starting guns for the 100 meter Olympic heats sounded nearby. Eric Liddell, the one favored to win that event, was not on the track but in that pulpit. He would not run on the Sabbath, but he would preach. Later that week Liddell entered the 400 meters, by no means his best event. He was a sprinter. As he went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand with a quotation: "Those who honour me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). He ran with that paper in his hand. Not only did he win the gold, he broke the world record. Eric Liddell was born and died in China as a missionary. This Scotsman, ‘the Pride of Scotland,’ was also China’s first Olympic medalist! Hard times will not last, but those who find their strength in God will. We do not know God’s plans, but we must not doubt His power.
Pressing on in KZ
As with any move, the hardest part will be saying good-bye to beloved friends. The life-challenges we face together here in Kazakhstan have forged deep bonds of partnership and love. We want to be faithful to seize every opportunity for Him in the remaining months we have here. (God wants obedience today, not just dreams about tomorrow!) In January we had a wonderful time in the south of this country with 35 leaders and pastors from 10 churches. We studied the Pastoral letters of Paul; long, but encouraging days. Pray for their perseverance in a strong Islamic area - lots of adversity. Stones have hit several, literally! Broken windows, government pressure, harassment, slander from the media, and general discouragement are rife. They want us to come back for another week of teaching in March. We plan on it.
Now some of questions we have received about our plans to move to BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship)…
I hate to be so dumb, but will you now have to learn Chinese?? If so, blessings on you - I mean, since you're so old now I imagine new language acquisition might be more of a challenge! :-)
Ouch! That was from Mark’s college dorm mate – a true “Catacombs Homeboy” from Covenant. So he is no young pup either! But it is a good, and daunting, question. And this makes us wonder – “God, are you really calling us there!” When we walked past a restaurant in China recently we thought they were giving language lessons but it was just the busboy dropping the silverware on the floor. Thankfully, we are going to serve an English language church in Beijing. And there will be many people to serve and ministries to do in English. But we will have neighbors, shopping, traveling, etc. that will require at least some ‘survival’ Chinese, like we have ‘survived’ in Russian here. This is not our strength. Pray, please!
If "local Chinese" are restricted from coming to BICF are the people who attend all from different countries working or studying in China?
Yes, only foreign passport holders are allowed in BICF. There are thousands of internationals living and working in Beijing. Our experience here has been that people in this status are unusually open to the Gospel. Those who attend BICF do have numerous opportunities with nationals throughout their week, and we will too.
What is the situation of the Church in China?
We still have much to learn, but we will share what we know. The government has allowed their citizens to meet in officially recognized churches since the late 1970’s. There are both Protestant and Catholic official churches. The number of official churches is not enough for the huge demand. Clearly there are limits placed on these churches. Yet, many leaders we respect tell us the gospel is being preached in many of these churches and people are coming to faith in Jesus. Although their shortage of pastors and teachers often means that possibilities for growth in discipleship are limited. BICF has good relations with this official church and opportunities for our teaching in their seminaries are quite possible.
In addition, there are a large, and growing, number of ‘unofficial’ churches. Many of those who find their way to these churches have come to faith through official churches. We have friendships here too. This group, like Christendom, varies from balanced, Biblical understanding to wild fanaticism. Some have little access to good teaching, others have embraced false teaching. Spiritual hunger – inside and outside the Church - is great in China. Even the government now estimates the number of believers in China as 130 million, and 9,000 unofficial churches in Beijing alone. God knows His own.
Are there Bibles in China?
The government allows the publication and distribution of Bibles. The former days of hand-copied scraps of Scripture are thankfully over, at least in the primary language of Mandarin. One printing press alone, which we visited a few years ago, has now printed more than 50 million Chinese Bibles and counting. There is also a growing amount of Christian literature available for believers. With such a huge population, this is just a small, but encouraging, beginning.
I know you will have to be more careful of your words in China than you have needed to be in Kazakhstan.
Yes, for the safety of local believers especially. The government will recognize us as a foreign Christian workers through the ministry of BICF.
What will your job description and title be at BICF?
Mark will be a pastor in function, and a ‘Church Leader’ in title. The historical context has guided BICF not to use the term pastor in the past. Now that title is more freely used with no problems. Their structure has three ‘Church Leaders,’ one at each of their three primary sites of ministry. We will be at Zhong Guan Cun, which began four years ago. Mark will be on a team of Elders in ZGC and part of the Community Elders of the entire BICF. I have never been very interested in titles. I think the title ‘Senior Pastor’ has some unbiblical implications and anyway it makes me feel old! Perhaps the title “Servant Pastor” would be closer to Scripture. There will be three main areas of my duties at BICF ZGC, quoting their document: 1) To provide spiritual and pastoral leadership, as leader of the church elders, to the BICF ZGC congregation. To preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments. 2) To serve as the chief administrator of the congregation so that it might fulfill its mission and purpose as the body of Christ. 3) To give primary leadership to the four ministry quadrants: Inspiration, Life Stations, Small Groups, and Impact.
Maybe someday our church can do some kind of outreach or something there with you.
That is an exciting idea! Let us see.
What percentage of financial support are you currently at while serving in Almaty and what your current monthly need is through May?
At this point, thanks to many generous folks, we are nearly at full support. As we have mentioned before, and as you are no doubt feeling, the value of the dollar has gone down significantly here too. One thing local pastors are asking us to do before leaving is reprint several of the books Mark has produced in Russian and Kazakh. Currently, all copies are in circulation. We have been able to produce these through excess mission funds.
Will there be any one-time start up costs?
Yes. We plan two trips to China, in April and then our move there in early June. In April we will have a week together with the current leader of BICF ZGC. (He leaves in May.) This will be an invaluable time to learn from him. Mark is scheduled to preach there on Palm Sunday, April 5. Our eldest son Nathan and his wife Heather will be visiting us then and they will come too. We also hope to find an apartment for our future home then.
We will not move our furniture to Beijing. But we do plan to transport books, clothing, and personal effects. We are exploring the best options. We hope for an apartment not far from where the church meets. We will need to outfit this apartment. Dayna is excited about one of the world’s largest Ikea stores located in Beijing!
As some of you know, we were extremely blessed to have an anonymous believer in the States loan us $35,000 in 2001 which we used to purchase an apartment here in Almaty. By May we will have repaid that dear person at 5% interest. This has allowed us a fixed rent cost. The seminary we have served since 1997 owns the apartment. Now it will help their ministry. It is now valued at over $100,000. IF there is anyone who is open to such an idea, we would love to explore the possibilities in Beijing.
If you could tell us what your monthly needs will be in BJ.
We anticipate that our overall living costs may be quite similar to what we have here. Food and supplies will probably be cheaper. But we may have to pay more for rent. We will see.
Will there be any kind of compensation from BICF-ZGC?
There is a monthly stipend. It is not designed to support the pastor but to supplement some of his needs. As we have explained, there are presently three sites of BICF. ZGC is comprised of many students. At this point their congregation is not fully self-supporting but is supplemented by the general BICF budget. The rental of facilities large enough to serve the members and children of the congregation is significant. Once we are in position we will be able to give more detailed figures of our needs and the BICF.
Is there any denominational affiliation of BICF?
As you can see from their statement of faith posted on their web site; their doctrine is theologically conservative. (That word which has a negative ring in the popular press is still quite useful. It simply means they’re trying to ‘HOLD ON’ (conserve) to truths entrusted to us by our Lord in His Word.) The members come from many Christian denominations, traditions and nations. There is a strong emphasis on mission and evangelism. Speaking from our experience here in Almaty, we have found the International Church to be a wonderful foretaste of heaven!
What does BICF resemble organizationally?
My answer, to all these questions, will be more accurate in one year. But as an outside observer I can say it is a very active, changing, and focused place. They have a strong core commitment to the Lord and His Word and a great desire to do what they can to make Him known, from Beijing to the ends of the earth. There are three sites where English language worship services are held. Those sites offer simultaneous translations through headsets into several different languages during their services. Also during the services, there is a full program of ‘Sunday School’ for all ages. Each site has multiple worship services. In addition there are numerous fellowships of different language groups. ZGC currently has Korean, Mandarin, and Indonesian meetings every week. Then, during the week there are many small groups – with lots of different styles and subjects – meeting throughout the city of Beijing. There is also a strong emphasis of community outreach and ministries of mercy. For example the total BICF – about 3000 members – donated RMB 1.7 million ($250,000) and many man-hours toward earthquake relief in China in 2008. One more factor that shapes this picture is the transient nature of the membership, with people coming for one Sunday, one school term, one year, and a few long termers. There is a good administrative network which tries to get people mobilized and maximized in ministry while they’re in Beijing. Their documents at www.bicf.org offer many good ideas for any church.
Do you hope to continue teaching national church leaders?
Definitely. At this point we cannot say how or where. And even when it happens we may not be as free to say how and where. But it is our deep desire to use our gifts of teaching to encourage the leaders of His Church in that nation. Pray for this with us, please.
How many years are you initially committing to BICF?
We want to commit at least three years initially. We are open to how He leads both us and the elders of BICF regarding a longer term of service.
Will you go on furlough before heading to BJ?
No. We returned here to Almaty from furlough in January 2008, just one year ago. We may visit the States in 2010, but no plans are made yet.
Again, we are so grateful that you are standing with us and even reading this loooong letter!
Yours in Him who holds the Nations, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org
Our Mailing Address (Please do not send anything after April 15 as we leave here in June.)
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
January 7, 2009
Merry Christmas! TODAY?
Warm Greetings from snowy Kazakhstan!
We pray 2009 will be a year of great blessing as you follow the Him who was, and is, and is to come. We are so grateful for your prayers and support which have kept us strong in His service here. We have entered our eleventh, and last, year of life and ministry here in Almaty. We have some big news to share about our future plans.
We have been quite busy with ministry and family during this holiday season. Our son Josiah arrived just before Christmas and it has been great having him here. His daughter, Maylee, is really having fun with Papa. He is looking for work here. This month he turns 23, and Maylee will be 5. We are grateful for your prayers for them.
Merry Christmas! TODAY, January 7, is the public holiday of Christmas in Kazakhstan. This reflects the strong influence of the Russian Orthodox Church which follows the Julian calendar. Advent is wonderful in any church, and especially so here at our International Christian Fellowship. Our mix of nations, traditions, and denominations makes it very special to appreciate how Jesus truly is the “Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7 NKJV). Amidst our differences we find a deep oneness in Him. And as a church planted in a nation where so few truly know Him, it is a special joy to declare Him. When we walked into the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel on the last day of November we found the staff frantically hanging beautiful decorations because the government threatened to fine any business that did not have Christmas displays by December 1! Lights, songs, trees, decorations, and carols – the only thing missing is knowing why He came. The Turkish GM of the Intercontinental asked us to bring a choral group from our church to sing carols for their tree lighting ceremony. Imagine standing with forty of your friends from church singing the praises of Him who is “God of God, Light of Light” to a group of smiling and eager Muslims, atheists, and hedonists. The same GM, his entire family, and many from Almaty joined us on Christmas Eve. Clearly the babe from Bethlehem has far exceeded His fifteen minutes of fame.
Praising Him
New Year’s is the most important day of the year for the people of Kazakhstan- several days of fireworks, new clothes, lots of food and alcohol, exchanging gifts (typically candy and alcohol) and family and friends. Most here call their festive tree a New Year’s Tree and the guy we Westerners know in the Red suit is often clad in Blue here – “Grandfather Ice.” Here is Maylee at her Kindergarten’s New Year’s program with the man in blue and classmates.
It is painful to think that the dark hole of New Year’s is the most exciting day of the year for most here. Some go into debt for the feast. It is ‘good luck’ – if you eat well on the first day of the year, you will have a prosperous year. But for many once their platters are wiped clean, their bottles of alcohol drained, and their fireworks fizzled, they’re left with the same fears, economic uncertainties, and empty hopes. As we look into the dark tunnel of a new year, we have no idea whether we will come out the other end alive. But we know Someone who does. Not only is He all knowing, He is ever-present, and abounding in mercy and grace. It is only in His light that tomorrow has any hope. And because of His promises we have every hope – for an eternity of tomorrows. How we long for the people of Central Asia, indeed the world, to know Jesus.
Preaching Him
In the last several weeks Mark has had opportunity to teach local pastors here in Kazakhstan. In early December he spent three days with a group of young leaders, looking at the main sermons in the book of Acts and drawing out their implications for mission. Four years ago, he spent a week with the same group teaching the book of Ephesians. How good it was to see them again and hear the testimonies of God’s faithfulness in their lives and ministries. What a joy to see the Lord raising up godly and faithful leaders for His Church here.
A couple weeks ago Mark had a day-long seminar with the 16 men and women who preach and teach at the First Presbyterian Church of Almaty (founded 1990). It was great to see how their faithful pastor is doing his best to equip and release these ones into ministry. The day’s topic was preaching and much of the day was spent listening to, and evaluating, their sermons. The best part was to witness their teachable spirits and how eager they were to build one another up in their calling. Understandably, some needed more ‘exhortation’ than others, but it was great to hear them faithfully speaking His Word.
Plans from Him
Our news is that we have received a call to move. Last October when we were in Beijing for things we wrote about in our last letter, we worshipped at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship on our two Sundays in the city. We were quite surprised when their pastor and elders approached us to come and serve there. BICF has several thousand members in three different congregations and a number of smaller groups organized by language. Specifically, we have been asked to pastor the congregation on the west side of the city. (More details below or at http://english.zgc.bicf.org/home.cfm ) We spent the month of November back here in Almaty praying and thinking about this call. Their elders spent the month “checking us out” a bit more, references, sermons, etc. And last month they extended a call to come in early June 2009. We made our decision to accept very recently.
We feel no “push” out of Almaty. It has been a great privilege for us to invest in hundreds of pastors and church leaders throughout Central Asia, several hundred MK’s in Tien Shan School, and the many who have passed through ICF Almaty over the years. And we have several books published in Russian and Kazakh which are in the hands of many leaders. We have been very blessed; there are many here we love.
But we do feel that we should accept this call to Beijing. There are more people living in that one city than in the entire nation of Kazakhstan! We would pastor people on the front lines of ministry in many areas. (As we are here, but the number is more than tripled in Beijing.) Also, we already have a number of friends there that would like us to teach leaders of the rapidly growing church there. Our job description of preaching and teaching would remain unchanged, just with a wider influence. Another issue is Mark will be able to have the necessary cancer follow-up tests he needs for the next couple years right there in Beijing.
The letter below details how their current pastor (a long time friend of ours who is returning to the States for a season) sees our potential role.
Obviously, we would very much like to be blessed with your support, as God leads and provides. We will not receive a salary from BICF, but live by mission support. We will continue to serve through Pioneers. We also want to release you with much love and appreciation if you feel that this is not the kind of work you are led to support. If the Lord is indeed guiding us to Beijing, we trust He will provide. We look forward to hearing from you!
We also realize that perhaps you may no longer wish to receive our news. If that is the case please click reply and simply write DELETE on the subject line. We understand.
In Him whose Advent is our Hope! Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
The letter from the pastor of BICF…..
Dear Mark & Dayna,
We are very excited about the possibility of you coming to Beijing. Last summer when I began to think about us leaving BJ, wondering who could take over at ZGC, your name was the 1st on my list.
In inviting you to move to Beijing and to be the church leader at BICF ZGC we could see many good fits between our church and your experience and gifting. You have experience in international churches and that’s truly what we are. We have students, teachers, and business people from around 50 different countries regularly attending. Last month we had a “New Women’s Night” and there were 60+ who attended representing 33 different countries. Being international we have great diversity, both ethnically and in denominational background. I believe it takes someone who has worked in this type of environment to appreciate the differences and see it as part of God’s great creativity. When we experience unity as a group fully committed to Christ’s lordship it makes a great statement to the world. We feel your experience while leading other international fellowships will be invaluable.
I’m also excited because of your Central Asian and African experience. Your years in Africa will be a blessing to our congregation. We have many Africans in the church. Although I don’t know the country count, but I’m guessing we have Africans from 15 or more countries. Some of our strong leaders are African students. As a matter of fact we plan to begin a monthly African service in January. Your Central Asian experience will challenge our congregation to think about the Moslems to our west, both within and outside of China. We have a few Central Asians in the congregation, but there are many more who are studying in nearby universities.
Mark, we have a fairly young church, both in age and in the congregation and our target population. Our campus of the BICF is 4 years old. We have a congregation that varies in size from 300-700, depending on the time of the year. We don’t have our own building but have found a stable home for the past 3 years in an IT Office building in the middle of China’s Silicon Valley. Intel, AMD, and many other top IT companies have offices in our building. Surrounding us are some of China’s top “think tanks”, associated with China’s “Academy of Sciences”. Within 10 minutes of our location are China’s Harvard and MIT (Beijing University and Qinghua University). We have close to 50 universities on our side of Beijing that attract many of China’s elite students. We also have close to 40,000 foreign students in the area. These students come from almost every country in the world. Our part of Beijing is also where many returning Chinese land back in China after living and studying abroad. Many have become Christians and some are finding their way to our church. We feel God has planted us right in the middle of our target audiences.
Finally Mark, when we thought about who would come in as pastor we wanted someone with a missions background. Over 20% of our congregation has come to Asia as ministry workers. We know you will be able to relate to this group and help encourage them in their work. We feel your pastoral and teaching skills will greatly encourage them in their work and help extent their time in Asia. While the government still restricts local Chinese from coming to our church, many within our fellowship are ministering directly and effectively to this group.
Beijing is a changing place. It has become a global city and we believe that the BICF has been strategically positioned by God to have a world-wide ministry from Beijing. We’re very excited about the possibility of you joining us in 2009. We will continue to pray with you as we seek His guidance.
We pray 2009 will be a year of great blessing as you follow the Him who was, and is, and is to come. We are so grateful for your prayers and support which have kept us strong in His service here. We have entered our eleventh, and last, year of life and ministry here in Almaty. We have some big news to share about our future plans.
We have been quite busy with ministry and family during this holiday season. Our son Josiah arrived just before Christmas and it has been great having him here. His daughter, Maylee, is really having fun with Papa. He is looking for work here. This month he turns 23, and Maylee will be 5. We are grateful for your prayers for them.
Merry Christmas! TODAY, January 7, is the public holiday of Christmas in Kazakhstan. This reflects the strong influence of the Russian Orthodox Church which follows the Julian calendar. Advent is wonderful in any church, and especially so here at our International Christian Fellowship. Our mix of nations, traditions, and denominations makes it very special to appreciate how Jesus truly is the “Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7 NKJV). Amidst our differences we find a deep oneness in Him. And as a church planted in a nation where so few truly know Him, it is a special joy to declare Him. When we walked into the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel on the last day of November we found the staff frantically hanging beautiful decorations because the government threatened to fine any business that did not have Christmas displays by December 1! Lights, songs, trees, decorations, and carols – the only thing missing is knowing why He came. The Turkish GM of the Intercontinental asked us to bring a choral group from our church to sing carols for their tree lighting ceremony. Imagine standing with forty of your friends from church singing the praises of Him who is “God of God, Light of Light” to a group of smiling and eager Muslims, atheists, and hedonists. The same GM, his entire family, and many from Almaty joined us on Christmas Eve. Clearly the babe from Bethlehem has far exceeded His fifteen minutes of fame.
Praising Him
New Year’s is the most important day of the year for the people of Kazakhstan- several days of fireworks, new clothes, lots of food and alcohol, exchanging gifts (typically candy and alcohol) and family and friends. Most here call their festive tree a New Year’s Tree and the guy we Westerners know in the Red suit is often clad in Blue here – “Grandfather Ice.” Here is Maylee at her Kindergarten’s New Year’s program with the man in blue and classmates.
It is painful to think that the dark hole of New Year’s is the most exciting day of the year for most here. Some go into debt for the feast. It is ‘good luck’ – if you eat well on the first day of the year, you will have a prosperous year. But for many once their platters are wiped clean, their bottles of alcohol drained, and their fireworks fizzled, they’re left with the same fears, economic uncertainties, and empty hopes. As we look into the dark tunnel of a new year, we have no idea whether we will come out the other end alive. But we know Someone who does. Not only is He all knowing, He is ever-present, and abounding in mercy and grace. It is only in His light that tomorrow has any hope. And because of His promises we have every hope – for an eternity of tomorrows. How we long for the people of Central Asia, indeed the world, to know Jesus.
Preaching Him
In the last several weeks Mark has had opportunity to teach local pastors here in Kazakhstan. In early December he spent three days with a group of young leaders, looking at the main sermons in the book of Acts and drawing out their implications for mission. Four years ago, he spent a week with the same group teaching the book of Ephesians. How good it was to see them again and hear the testimonies of God’s faithfulness in their lives and ministries. What a joy to see the Lord raising up godly and faithful leaders for His Church here.
A couple weeks ago Mark had a day-long seminar with the 16 men and women who preach and teach at the First Presbyterian Church of Almaty (founded 1990). It was great to see how their faithful pastor is doing his best to equip and release these ones into ministry. The day’s topic was preaching and much of the day was spent listening to, and evaluating, their sermons. The best part was to witness their teachable spirits and how eager they were to build one another up in their calling. Understandably, some needed more ‘exhortation’ than others, but it was great to hear them faithfully speaking His Word.
Plans from Him
Our news is that we have received a call to move. Last October when we were in Beijing for things we wrote about in our last letter, we worshipped at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship on our two Sundays in the city. We were quite surprised when their pastor and elders approached us to come and serve there. BICF has several thousand members in three different congregations and a number of smaller groups organized by language. Specifically, we have been asked to pastor the congregation on the west side of the city. (More details below or at http://english.zgc.bicf.org/home.cfm ) We spent the month of November back here in Almaty praying and thinking about this call. Their elders spent the month “checking us out” a bit more, references, sermons, etc. And last month they extended a call to come in early June 2009. We made our decision to accept very recently.
We feel no “push” out of Almaty. It has been a great privilege for us to invest in hundreds of pastors and church leaders throughout Central Asia, several hundred MK’s in Tien Shan School, and the many who have passed through ICF Almaty over the years. And we have several books published in Russian and Kazakh which are in the hands of many leaders. We have been very blessed; there are many here we love.
But we do feel that we should accept this call to Beijing. There are more people living in that one city than in the entire nation of Kazakhstan! We would pastor people on the front lines of ministry in many areas. (As we are here, but the number is more than tripled in Beijing.) Also, we already have a number of friends there that would like us to teach leaders of the rapidly growing church there. Our job description of preaching and teaching would remain unchanged, just with a wider influence. Another issue is Mark will be able to have the necessary cancer follow-up tests he needs for the next couple years right there in Beijing.
The letter below details how their current pastor (a long time friend of ours who is returning to the States for a season) sees our potential role.
Obviously, we would very much like to be blessed with your support, as God leads and provides. We will not receive a salary from BICF, but live by mission support. We will continue to serve through Pioneers. We also want to release you with much love and appreciation if you feel that this is not the kind of work you are led to support. If the Lord is indeed guiding us to Beijing, we trust He will provide. We look forward to hearing from you!
We also realize that perhaps you may no longer wish to receive our news. If that is the case please click reply and simply write DELETE on the subject line. We understand.
In Him whose Advent is our Hope! Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
The letter from the pastor of BICF…..
Dear Mark & Dayna,
We are very excited about the possibility of you coming to Beijing. Last summer when I began to think about us leaving BJ, wondering who could take over at ZGC, your name was the 1st on my list.
In inviting you to move to Beijing and to be the church leader at BICF ZGC we could see many good fits between our church and your experience and gifting. You have experience in international churches and that’s truly what we are. We have students, teachers, and business people from around 50 different countries regularly attending. Last month we had a “New Women’s Night” and there were 60+ who attended representing 33 different countries. Being international we have great diversity, both ethnically and in denominational background. I believe it takes someone who has worked in this type of environment to appreciate the differences and see it as part of God’s great creativity. When we experience unity as a group fully committed to Christ’s lordship it makes a great statement to the world. We feel your experience while leading other international fellowships will be invaluable.
I’m also excited because of your Central Asian and African experience. Your years in Africa will be a blessing to our congregation. We have many Africans in the church. Although I don’t know the country count, but I’m guessing we have Africans from 15 or more countries. Some of our strong leaders are African students. As a matter of fact we plan to begin a monthly African service in January. Your Central Asian experience will challenge our congregation to think about the Moslems to our west, both within and outside of China. We have a few Central Asians in the congregation, but there are many more who are studying in nearby universities.
Mark, we have a fairly young church, both in age and in the congregation and our target population. Our campus of the BICF is 4 years old. We have a congregation that varies in size from 300-700, depending on the time of the year. We don’t have our own building but have found a stable home for the past 3 years in an IT Office building in the middle of China’s Silicon Valley. Intel, AMD, and many other top IT companies have offices in our building. Surrounding us are some of China’s top “think tanks”, associated with China’s “Academy of Sciences”. Within 10 minutes of our location are China’s Harvard and MIT (Beijing University and Qinghua University). We have close to 50 universities on our side of Beijing that attract many of China’s elite students. We also have close to 40,000 foreign students in the area. These students come from almost every country in the world. Our part of Beijing is also where many returning Chinese land back in China after living and studying abroad. Many have become Christians and some are finding their way to our church. We feel God has planted us right in the middle of our target audiences.
Finally Mark, when we thought about who would come in as pastor we wanted someone with a missions background. Over 20% of our congregation has come to Asia as ministry workers. We know you will be able to relate to this group and help encourage them in their work. We feel your pastoral and teaching skills will greatly encourage them in their work and help extent their time in Asia. While the government still restricts local Chinese from coming to our church, many within our fellowship are ministering directly and effectively to this group.
Beijing is a changing place. It has become a global city and we believe that the BICF has been strategically positioned by God to have a world-wide ministry from Beijing. We’re very excited about the possibility of you joining us in 2009. We will continue to pray with you as we seek His guidance.
November 15, 2008
Thankful in Kazakhstan
Warm Greetings from cool Kazakhstan!
‘Rabba slippas’ are packed up and sweaters are on. Our mountains are full of snow and city trees grow bare. Windows are half-closed and the heat is on?! (Soviet efficiency!) Winter is near!
We returned Saturday from our best trip ever to the large nation ‘next door.’ Medical news was quite good. No cancer seen in Mark, good numbers on thyroid levels, cholesterol, etc. More importantly we had two five-day sessions with some of God’s finest. Week one we met with thirty-one leaders in a ‘small city’ (JUST 8 million!). Some of them have endured prison and hardship for the One Crucified for them. We traced the pathways of His first followers as we studied the book of Acts. With great zeal they sought to learn timeless principles for the work of mission - so that they could get themselves in trouble again! Group one (picture below) is on those stools every long day for 2 months of intensive study, we heard no complaints!
Take a good look at the book they’re poring over. You might have one of your own, hopefully as well used. It was six hours a day with them, eight hours a day with thirty-eight students the second week in the Olympic city, considering the message of the Bible.
The writings of more than forty authors from over a thousand year span are compiled therein. The last of its sixty-six books was written almost two thousand years ago. It is a book from the Middle East written in ancient Hebrew and Greek languages. How does an English-speaking Californian teach THAT book through translators to a group of peasants (week one) and University graduates (week two – pictured below) in the Far East? How does it grab our attention and enliven our souls through long hours and less than ideal circumstances? How do you end those long sessions feeling enriched and excited that there is so much to that Book you never noticed before - and yet still so much more to be seen? If you’re not quite sure that God is real and His Word is true, I wish you could have come along and seen for yourself.
We are in the midst of a busy fall season here in Almaty. We have a growing number of people coming to worship at International Christian Fellowship. Together with my co-pastor we are preaching through the Gospel of Mark, seeing our Lord Jesus as a man of action and authority. Five small groups meet during the week. Dayna has been sharing His love through teaching English, discipleship coffees, substitute teaching at a secular International school, joining the Almaty International Women’s Club and it looks like they’ve convinced her to coach volleyball again at Tien Shan School!
$ 100
As we rode through the city of Almaty in his stylish Toyota, Pastor Andre told me that two years ago he had less than $100 to his name. He was taking me home after a Sunday night seminar at his church. Most of his congregation is young people who are quite interested in dating and romance. Quite naturally, ha ha ha, I was invited to address this topic! After teaching “The Biblical Foundation of Marriage” from Genesis and Ephesians, I answered their written questions. For example, “How old do I have to be before wearing make-up?” I told them I was 53 and still had not started. That kind of stuff….
Then I toured the ‘church yard’ – which is a work in progress. He took me into a large garage, which Andre and a team of men erected in two weeks! Several cars stood in various stages of repair. Andre teaches the young men of the church how to repair cars. The back yard held six nice looking cars they have repaired and are now rentals. In addition to the normal church activities, Andre takes these kids skydiving, jet skiing, wake boarding, and snowboarding. He hopes the large open area in the churchyard will one day be an ‘extreme sports’ center! It was no surprise the place was full of young people, who are as enthusiastic about praising the Lord as parachuting. As Andre and I conversed in a fusion of Russian and English, he lamented that he did not have better English skills, saying that he had wasted most of his school years on drugs. He was addicted to heroin for twenty years! He came clean two years ago, and has had not had time to look back. It is a thrill to see what the Lord is doing through this humble servant.
As we reached my corner I opened the car door and turned to go. He said, “Wait! I must give you this from my ministry.” Despite my protest, he firmly insisted. He stuck $100 in my hand and wished me God’s blessings.
Qualified Elder
Every Thursday Mark teaches “Ethics” to the students of Central Asia United Seminary. Pastor Andre is one of them. We are studying the Ten Commandments and seeing their wide application to our life with God in the modern world. As we looked at the Sixth Command, against murder, I shared about the many Sunday nights in the 1990’s when I had the privilege of preaching at Kulani Christian Church. KCC gathers behind prison walls on the Big Island of Hawaii. As I got to know the Elders they gradually shared (never ask an inmate what he did!) that they had broken the Sixth Commandment. In all the places I have visited to preach, never did I pay more careful attention to the concerns of the Elders! Seriously, they, like the famous murderers Moses, David, and Paul, had a profound gratitude for the mercy of God. The joyful roar of their congregational singing still rings in my heart. I wondered aloud with my students here whether being a murderer was a qualification to Eldership in KCC. After the Ethics lecture one student who is bigger than me stuck out his hand and quietly spoke, “Thanks for the good word. I am qualified to be an Elder in that church in Hawaii.” Now I know why he spent years in prison in Uzbekistan! The God of mercy and grace is building His Church here in Central Asia.
We Need You!
Carefully studying the book of Acts these past weeks has reminded us again how much we need you! The great mission exploits of Paul and Barnabas were achieved because the entire church at Antioch sent them and sustained them. And not one of the many churches planted by those faithful workers was left with just one man in leadership – teams of elders were ordained. Battles are not won by individual soldiers but disciplined armies. Mr. Obama did not gain the Presidency alone!
When the world laments its global economic crisis, we who live by donations begin to shudder! Yet it is also a time to examine our call and affirm our convictions. Do we believe that His arm has grown short amidst this global shortage? I trust not. We have been sustained in mission work by your prayers, gifts, and encouragement for many years. We are truly grateful for you and give praise to God. Someday the people whose faces it may not be safe to send now over cyberspace will be your great Kingdom-friends, for eternity! This is your work.
A couple months ago we asked you to pray for B’s father who struggled with alcohol for many years. His struggle ended tragically as he fell from a third floor window to his death. It has been a horribly sad event for the family and our ICF family. We have been there for support, but words seem feeble in those moments. Remember them all, especially B who stands courageously as the lone believer in his family. You would be proud to see his gentle, noble, witness.
As Thanksgiving season passes in many of our countries, thank God you live in a nation that remembers the Giver!
Believing all nations will stream to His throne with their gifts, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
‘Rabba slippas’ are packed up and sweaters are on. Our mountains are full of snow and city trees grow bare. Windows are half-closed and the heat is on?! (Soviet efficiency!) Winter is near!
We returned Saturday from our best trip ever to the large nation ‘next door.’ Medical news was quite good. No cancer seen in Mark, good numbers on thyroid levels, cholesterol, etc. More importantly we had two five-day sessions with some of God’s finest. Week one we met with thirty-one leaders in a ‘small city’ (JUST 8 million!). Some of them have endured prison and hardship for the One Crucified for them. We traced the pathways of His first followers as we studied the book of Acts. With great zeal they sought to learn timeless principles for the work of mission - so that they could get themselves in trouble again! Group one (picture below) is on those stools every long day for 2 months of intensive study, we heard no complaints!
Take a good look at the book they’re poring over. You might have one of your own, hopefully as well used. It was six hours a day with them, eight hours a day with thirty-eight students the second week in the Olympic city, considering the message of the Bible.
The writings of more than forty authors from over a thousand year span are compiled therein. The last of its sixty-six books was written almost two thousand years ago. It is a book from the Middle East written in ancient Hebrew and Greek languages. How does an English-speaking Californian teach THAT book through translators to a group of peasants (week one) and University graduates (week two – pictured below) in the Far East? How does it grab our attention and enliven our souls through long hours and less than ideal circumstances? How do you end those long sessions feeling enriched and excited that there is so much to that Book you never noticed before - and yet still so much more to be seen? If you’re not quite sure that God is real and His Word is true, I wish you could have come along and seen for yourself.
We are in the midst of a busy fall season here in Almaty. We have a growing number of people coming to worship at International Christian Fellowship. Together with my co-pastor we are preaching through the Gospel of Mark, seeing our Lord Jesus as a man of action and authority. Five small groups meet during the week. Dayna has been sharing His love through teaching English, discipleship coffees, substitute teaching at a secular International school, joining the Almaty International Women’s Club and it looks like they’ve convinced her to coach volleyball again at Tien Shan School!
$ 100
As we rode through the city of Almaty in his stylish Toyota, Pastor Andre told me that two years ago he had less than $100 to his name. He was taking me home after a Sunday night seminar at his church. Most of his congregation is young people who are quite interested in dating and romance. Quite naturally, ha ha ha, I was invited to address this topic! After teaching “The Biblical Foundation of Marriage” from Genesis and Ephesians, I answered their written questions. For example, “How old do I have to be before wearing make-up?” I told them I was 53 and still had not started. That kind of stuff….
Then I toured the ‘church yard’ – which is a work in progress. He took me into a large garage, which Andre and a team of men erected in two weeks! Several cars stood in various stages of repair. Andre teaches the young men of the church how to repair cars. The back yard held six nice looking cars they have repaired and are now rentals. In addition to the normal church activities, Andre takes these kids skydiving, jet skiing, wake boarding, and snowboarding. He hopes the large open area in the churchyard will one day be an ‘extreme sports’ center! It was no surprise the place was full of young people, who are as enthusiastic about praising the Lord as parachuting. As Andre and I conversed in a fusion of Russian and English, he lamented that he did not have better English skills, saying that he had wasted most of his school years on drugs. He was addicted to heroin for twenty years! He came clean two years ago, and has had not had time to look back. It is a thrill to see what the Lord is doing through this humble servant.
As we reached my corner I opened the car door and turned to go. He said, “Wait! I must give you this from my ministry.” Despite my protest, he firmly insisted. He stuck $100 in my hand and wished me God’s blessings.
Qualified Elder
Every Thursday Mark teaches “Ethics” to the students of Central Asia United Seminary. Pastor Andre is one of them. We are studying the Ten Commandments and seeing their wide application to our life with God in the modern world. As we looked at the Sixth Command, against murder, I shared about the many Sunday nights in the 1990’s when I had the privilege of preaching at Kulani Christian Church. KCC gathers behind prison walls on the Big Island of Hawaii. As I got to know the Elders they gradually shared (never ask an inmate what he did!) that they had broken the Sixth Commandment. In all the places I have visited to preach, never did I pay more careful attention to the concerns of the Elders! Seriously, they, like the famous murderers Moses, David, and Paul, had a profound gratitude for the mercy of God. The joyful roar of their congregational singing still rings in my heart. I wondered aloud with my students here whether being a murderer was a qualification to Eldership in KCC. After the Ethics lecture one student who is bigger than me stuck out his hand and quietly spoke, “Thanks for the good word. I am qualified to be an Elder in that church in Hawaii.” Now I know why he spent years in prison in Uzbekistan! The God of mercy and grace is building His Church here in Central Asia.
We Need You!
Carefully studying the book of Acts these past weeks has reminded us again how much we need you! The great mission exploits of Paul and Barnabas were achieved because the entire church at Antioch sent them and sustained them. And not one of the many churches planted by those faithful workers was left with just one man in leadership – teams of elders were ordained. Battles are not won by individual soldiers but disciplined armies. Mr. Obama did not gain the Presidency alone!
When the world laments its global economic crisis, we who live by donations begin to shudder! Yet it is also a time to examine our call and affirm our convictions. Do we believe that His arm has grown short amidst this global shortage? I trust not. We have been sustained in mission work by your prayers, gifts, and encouragement for many years. We are truly grateful for you and give praise to God. Someday the people whose faces it may not be safe to send now over cyberspace will be your great Kingdom-friends, for eternity! This is your work.
A couple months ago we asked you to pray for B’s father who struggled with alcohol for many years. His struggle ended tragically as he fell from a third floor window to his death. It has been a horribly sad event for the family and our ICF family. We have been there for support, but words seem feeble in those moments. Remember them all, especially B who stands courageously as the lone believer in his family. You would be proud to see his gentle, noble, witness.
As Thanksgiving season passes in many of our countries, thank God you live in a nation that remembers the Giver!
Believing all nations will stream to His throne with their gifts, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
October 3, 2008
Fall 2008
Aloha from Kazakhstan!
In our last letter we mentioned that we’ve taken a financial hit in recent months and several people responded by sending gifts! We are very grateful. We are thankful for each gift and every prayer that keeps us strong in His service here. Along that line, yesterday we found out the Dr. in Los Angeles who performed Mark’s back surgery last summer (which has really worked, thank God!) has written off our after-insurance part of his bill – about $3000!
Taking Off
Our ministry is up and running with the new school year. Our attendance at International Christian Fellowship has been bolstered with a number of teachers and families who have returned from summer travels, and expats who have come to work in Almaty. We finished our summer sermon series on Ecclesiastes and will begin preaching through the Gospel of Mark this Sunday. Five small groups are being launched around the city. We will offer a ‘Welcome to Almaty’ weekend at the end of this month, offering guide service to expats new to our city. Hopefully, some will find their way to ICF, and most of all to Him.
This is the first autumn in ten years that Dayna has not taught at Tien Shan School. They are blessed with enough teachers and lots of students, and Dayna is quite busy too! When her substitute English teaching at the Intercontinental Hotel came to end, they did not want her to go! (In fact they surprised her with cake and coffee on her birthday, as you can see.)
So they created another English class for their Executive staff. Of course when Mark learned the benefit was continued membership in the Hotel Spa and Exercise Center, he decided Dayna needed an assistant! We’re loving it. Besides this class, Dayna is busy discipling women of ICF – expat and local – and has already been a substitute teacher at Almaty International School. Still much to do!
Shrub Hunting
In August Mark traveled to the south of Kazakhstan to be the Bible teacher for a church Youth Camp. About 100 young adults gathered for a week; enduring seven messages from Scripture! The rustic camp along the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan had almost all we needed; plenty of good food, games, music, and fun were all carefully planned. Just one small detail, no toilets! In fact, our ‘running water’ was a small stream, enjoyed by man and beast. Now
there was one pit latrine which under normal circumstances could be adequate. But sparing the vivid details, this latrine was not ‘normal’. So one of the most interesting – and essential - facets of camp life became scouring hither and yon for appropriate shrubs. We would exchange nervous social banter with those you met by surprise at all hours of the night or day, as the need arose. It developed into a level of closeness which I would have never expected! No toilets, no showers….well, let’s just say it was a in that way a long week. But these young people, not the cool and sophisticated big city kids of Almaty, were very open and sincere, with a great hunger and submissiveness to God and His Word. It was a privilege to be with them…no matter the circumstances!
Jesus Builds His Church
This semester Mark is teaching every week in two different Bible schools, one Presbyterian, one Methodist – ‘keeping it fair and balanced’! This is a time of anxiety for churches, Bible schools, and ministries as yet another law restricting religion is being discussed. The loud threats are that it will be approved at the end of the year. Meanwhile, we are trying to take advantage of every opportunity to teach and encourage leaders of His Church here. And we do so knowing ‘God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world: the world is peripheral to the church.’ Closing verses of Ephesians chapter 1 from The Message The church is where the action is from God’s viewpoint! That place we struggle to have enough Sunday school teachers, projectors that work, and people that stay awake during sermons --- that place is in the center of God’s global vision!
Four years ago, with your help, Mark was able to publish his first book – “The Privilege of Preaching” in Russian language. Since that time four other he has been able to produce four other books to resource Church leaders here in Central Asia, two
in Russian and two in Kazakh language. We are not quite sure where they have all gone, though we do get occasional testimonies from around our region. One brother recently took a serious risk to carry 40 copies into a nearby country which does not allow people to have more than one copy of any religious book. We printed 1000 copies of this first book and now they are all gone. There has been a request by local leaders for this book to be reprinted. The original translator is now making some minor corrections and we the printer says printing another 1000 will cost $ 1.40 US per copy. If you would like to support the printing of a few copies, we would be grateful for any special gifts. They can be sent as normal support to Pioneers, just let us know your intention for the gift and we will put it toward the cause.
Upcoming Travel?
Mark is supposed to have a Scan every six months (he waited 15 months for the first one!) as a follow up to his two cancer’s last year. It is time. Unfortunately, we cannot get this done reliably here. At the same time he has been invited to teach a one week pastor’s course in a country quite near. But present travel restrictions now make it quite far! So we are asking the Lord to guide our steps in this regard. We would love to be able to take care of the medical requirement and bless others.
We are very grateful for your prayers about this and all the ministry opportunities the Lord has opened to us here. Let us know how we can remember you before Him too.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
In our last letter we mentioned that we’ve taken a financial hit in recent months and several people responded by sending gifts! We are very grateful. We are thankful for each gift and every prayer that keeps us strong in His service here. Along that line, yesterday we found out the Dr. in Los Angeles who performed Mark’s back surgery last summer (which has really worked, thank God!) has written off our after-insurance part of his bill – about $3000!
Taking Off
Our ministry is up and running with the new school year. Our attendance at International Christian Fellowship has been bolstered with a number of teachers and families who have returned from summer travels, and expats who have come to work in Almaty. We finished our summer sermon series on Ecclesiastes and will begin preaching through the Gospel of Mark this Sunday. Five small groups are being launched around the city. We will offer a ‘Welcome to Almaty’ weekend at the end of this month, offering guide service to expats new to our city. Hopefully, some will find their way to ICF, and most of all to Him.
This is the first autumn in ten years that Dayna has not taught at Tien Shan School. They are blessed with enough teachers and lots of students, and Dayna is quite busy too! When her substitute English teaching at the Intercontinental Hotel came to end, they did not want her to go! (In fact they surprised her with cake and coffee on her birthday, as you can see.)
So they created another English class for their Executive staff. Of course when Mark learned the benefit was continued membership in the Hotel Spa and Exercise Center, he decided Dayna needed an assistant! We’re loving it. Besides this class, Dayna is busy discipling women of ICF – expat and local – and has already been a substitute teacher at Almaty International School. Still much to do!
Shrub Hunting
In August Mark traveled to the south of Kazakhstan to be the Bible teacher for a church Youth Camp. About 100 young adults gathered for a week; enduring seven messages from Scripture! The rustic camp along the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan had almost all we needed; plenty of good food, games, music, and fun were all carefully planned. Just one small detail, no toilets! In fact, our ‘running water’ was a small stream, enjoyed by man and beast. Now
there was one pit latrine which under normal circumstances could be adequate. But sparing the vivid details, this latrine was not ‘normal’. So one of the most interesting – and essential - facets of camp life became scouring hither and yon for appropriate shrubs. We would exchange nervous social banter with those you met by surprise at all hours of the night or day, as the need arose. It developed into a level of closeness which I would have never expected! No toilets, no showers….well, let’s just say it was a in that way a long week. But these young people, not the cool and sophisticated big city kids of Almaty, were very open and sincere, with a great hunger and submissiveness to God and His Word. It was a privilege to be with them…no matter the circumstances!
Jesus Builds His Church
This semester Mark is teaching every week in two different Bible schools, one Presbyterian, one Methodist – ‘keeping it fair and balanced’! This is a time of anxiety for churches, Bible schools, and ministries as yet another law restricting religion is being discussed. The loud threats are that it will be approved at the end of the year. Meanwhile, we are trying to take advantage of every opportunity to teach and encourage leaders of His Church here. And we do so knowing ‘God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world: the world is peripheral to the church.’ Closing verses of Ephesians chapter 1 from The Message The church is where the action is from God’s viewpoint! That place we struggle to have enough Sunday school teachers, projectors that work, and people that stay awake during sermons --- that place is in the center of God’s global vision!
Four years ago, with your help, Mark was able to publish his first book – “The Privilege of Preaching” in Russian language. Since that time four other he has been able to produce four other books to resource Church leaders here in Central Asia, two
in Russian and two in Kazakh language. We are not quite sure where they have all gone, though we do get occasional testimonies from around our region. One brother recently took a serious risk to carry 40 copies into a nearby country which does not allow people to have more than one copy of any religious book. We printed 1000 copies of this first book and now they are all gone. There has been a request by local leaders for this book to be reprinted. The original translator is now making some minor corrections and we the printer says printing another 1000 will cost $ 1.40 US per copy. If you would like to support the printing of a few copies, we would be grateful for any special gifts. They can be sent as normal support to Pioneers, just let us know your intention for the gift and we will put it toward the cause.
Upcoming Travel?
Mark is supposed to have a Scan every six months (he waited 15 months for the first one!) as a follow up to his two cancer’s last year. It is time. Unfortunately, we cannot get this done reliably here. At the same time he has been invited to teach a one week pastor’s course in a country quite near. But present travel restrictions now make it quite far! So we are asking the Lord to guide our steps in this regard. We would love to be able to take care of the medical requirement and bless others.
We are very grateful for your prayers about this and all the ministry opportunities the Lord has opened to us here. Let us know how we can remember you before Him too.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
August 12, 2008
Hot Summer News
Warm Greetings from Kazakhstan!
Almaty is about as far from the sea as one can get on this globe. As our temperature hovers around 100 F. this week, we’re pining for trade winds and the ocean roar. But we have been enjoying a five-star resort right in the city – free of charge! For six weeks we teach a Conversational English class to the manger employees of the Intercontinental Hotel. The class meets just three hours a week, but the compensation is membership in the ‘Spa’ – exercise equipment room, pool, sauna, and relaxation! Not quite Hawaii, but….
Church Family
Our International Christian Fellowship (ICF) moved into our seventh venue since 1995. We have up-scaled from a bar to a bank! We found a nice auditorium within a modern bank building in the central part of the city. After two years of church in a bar it hardly seems like a ‘real church’ without lingering smells of cigarettes and beer, somehow we are managing to cope. Seriously, we are so thankful the Lord ‘lifted the cloud’ and moved us to a cleaner and cheaper place to declare His glory. We are continually having new people come. Pray that we will be effective in reaching and discipling English speakers from many nations who live in this growing city.
One of the bright spots in our ministry at International Christian Fellowship is the ‘Professionals.’ When they launched they called themselves the ‘Young Professionals’ but now some of them are pushing 25! There are a couple of foreigners but most are Kazakhstani. They meet weekly for sharing, prayer, and study of Scripture. Now there are about ten regulars. Recently, as I was walking out from their meeting for the bus home, one young man offered me a ride in his car – they ARE professional! As we drove I started with a simple question, “Tell me about your family.” Then B’s sad story poured out. He is a University graduate in his early 20’s with a good job in one of the biggest corporations in the country. He is a devout believer who has been a part of ICF for about a year. I had no idea he had such troubles at home.
The troubles stem from the one word that wreaks such havoc in so many hearts and homes here – alcohol. He and his sister have never known their father not to be a drunkard. In fact his parent’s entire married life has been marred by dad’s wild, drunken behavior. B shared that even his father’s father could never keep a job because he could not hold his liquor. Then he looked at me with firm resolve saying, “I will not touch alcohol.”
The sad details sound much the same in any home ravaged by this sin in any land. The whole family hurtles along on his drunken roller-coaster from his wild, terrifying, violence to his sobs of remorse and promises of ‘never again’ – and back ‘round again, and again. It just seems that there are so many tragic cases here. As we motored down one of Almaty’s newest modern roads, B shared his father is a highly educated road engineer. “Just look at all the jobs he could have with all the growth here!” he said. But alas, Dad just lost another job, again. Now Dad is sorry, sad, and yet starting to drink all over again!
Like most of our Professionals, B is the only follower of Jesus in his home. His mom is mildly sympathetic but thinks if B really wants to follow God, then he should be Orthodox like a good Russian. When he is sober his dad does not say very much. Once when his dad was drunk he stormed into B’s room and ripped a Christian poster off his wall and tore it into shreds. That was the only statement on religion B has heard his dad make. But B is praying faithfully, loving his family, living as a loyal son, and trusting that God can change even them. He mentions with hope that his mother has stayed with his father “all these years” despite his antics. Divorce is the norm here. B sees her endurance as a sign of God’s blessing and His better future for them all. Now I understand why when B was in our home for dinner not long ago he signed our Guest Book, “…Just being able to see the kind of family like yours is really inspiring…” ICF has become B’s real family. We are so thankful to be able to love and encourage him, and his Professional colleagues, they are the hope of Kazakhstan.
Cover Girl
One of our local friends who works for ‘Esquire’ magazine in Kazakhstan asked Dayna to share her favorite place in the city for one of their features. So Dayna stood in front of ‘Banya Arasan’ (the Turkish bath house) for a photo shoot which appeared in the magazine last summer. In the Russian text in the box she says the Banya is the next best thing to the beaches of Hawaii…
Going Postal
Mark, and our co-pastor at ICF, recently got a one year accreditation for ministry here in Kazakhstan. This is a procedure we go through every year, and each time it is a new excellent adventure! This time the biggest snag was in receiving the necessary documents from our American sending church. Despite the fact that they sent it properly, the regional Post Office where we have our box (Almaty 43) received no information about the vital letter. The on-line tracking info from USPS said the letter was in Almaty, but our branch workers knew nothing about it. So I went to the central Express Mail Service PO downtown. I gave them the tracking number of my letter and after 20 minutes of checking, in an office not much bigger than a phone booth, they said "It is not here, but we know where it is." It was accidently sent to another regional PO, Almaty 11. And if I came back tomorrow they would try to have it back at Central. Well, I did not relish spending another hour going to and fro across the congested city again. Besides, this day my co-pastor had loaned me his car and driver to collect this letter. (His accreditation has been waiting on mine as we did them together.) So as there were several PO workers who seemed to be just standing around the office idly, I announced that one of them needed to come in the car with us and go to region 11 PO. They looked at each other, and finally one stepped forward. Then I had to convince my colleague's driver to take her in the car. He was afraid he'd have to drive her back! After convincing him that I'd give her some taxi money to get back to Central, she came on board. Thirty minutes later we arrived at PO 11. She walked in and greeted the ladies at the counter like long lost friends, with kisses! Two minutes after walking into the back room, she appeared with the letter. Then when I offered her the taxi money, she said, "No thanks, I will stay here!" More fun in the outer regions maybe! So we even 'go postal' in Kazakhstan, they go with you! Thanks to God it all worked out.
Going South
This Saturday Mark heads to a city in the South of Kazakhstan. He will preach this Sunday in a local church there and then go with about 80 church members to be the Bible teacher for their summer camp. Dayna needs to remain in Almaty to continue the English class…and/or spa? We are grateful for your prayers.
Going Forward
It is our sincere desire to share the Lord Jesus in word and deed here. After ten years we have gained a good understanding of the people and place. We have great freedom and many open doors. And praise the Lord we are healthy and happy. But we are also severely financially challenged. For the last five months our monthly allowance has been finished by the middle or third week of the month. We are in additional debt from medical travel and care in April. We fully understand that we are not alone! We all face a global economic crisis. But we ask you to stand with us in prayer and giving as you are able. We do want to press on here.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Tien Shan School www.tienshanschool.org
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
Almaty is about as far from the sea as one can get on this globe. As our temperature hovers around 100 F. this week, we’re pining for trade winds and the ocean roar. But we have been enjoying a five-star resort right in the city – free of charge! For six weeks we teach a Conversational English class to the manger employees of the Intercontinental Hotel. The class meets just three hours a week, but the compensation is membership in the ‘Spa’ – exercise equipment room, pool, sauna, and relaxation! Not quite Hawaii, but….
Church Family
Our International Christian Fellowship (ICF) moved into our seventh venue since 1995. We have up-scaled from a bar to a bank! We found a nice auditorium within a modern bank building in the central part of the city. After two years of church in a bar it hardly seems like a ‘real church’ without lingering smells of cigarettes and beer, somehow we are managing to cope. Seriously, we are so thankful the Lord ‘lifted the cloud’ and moved us to a cleaner and cheaper place to declare His glory. We are continually having new people come. Pray that we will be effective in reaching and discipling English speakers from many nations who live in this growing city.
One of the bright spots in our ministry at International Christian Fellowship is the ‘Professionals.’ When they launched they called themselves the ‘Young Professionals’ but now some of them are pushing 25! There are a couple of foreigners but most are Kazakhstani. They meet weekly for sharing, prayer, and study of Scripture. Now there are about ten regulars. Recently, as I was walking out from their meeting for the bus home, one young man offered me a ride in his car – they ARE professional! As we drove I started with a simple question, “Tell me about your family.” Then B’s sad story poured out. He is a University graduate in his early 20’s with a good job in one of the biggest corporations in the country. He is a devout believer who has been a part of ICF for about a year. I had no idea he had such troubles at home.
The troubles stem from the one word that wreaks such havoc in so many hearts and homes here – alcohol. He and his sister have never known their father not to be a drunkard. In fact his parent’s entire married life has been marred by dad’s wild, drunken behavior. B shared that even his father’s father could never keep a job because he could not hold his liquor. Then he looked at me with firm resolve saying, “I will not touch alcohol.”
The sad details sound much the same in any home ravaged by this sin in any land. The whole family hurtles along on his drunken roller-coaster from his wild, terrifying, violence to his sobs of remorse and promises of ‘never again’ – and back ‘round again, and again. It just seems that there are so many tragic cases here. As we motored down one of Almaty’s newest modern roads, B shared his father is a highly educated road engineer. “Just look at all the jobs he could have with all the growth here!” he said. But alas, Dad just lost another job, again. Now Dad is sorry, sad, and yet starting to drink all over again!
Like most of our Professionals, B is the only follower of Jesus in his home. His mom is mildly sympathetic but thinks if B really wants to follow God, then he should be Orthodox like a good Russian. When he is sober his dad does not say very much. Once when his dad was drunk he stormed into B’s room and ripped a Christian poster off his wall and tore it into shreds. That was the only statement on religion B has heard his dad make. But B is praying faithfully, loving his family, living as a loyal son, and trusting that God can change even them. He mentions with hope that his mother has stayed with his father “all these years” despite his antics. Divorce is the norm here. B sees her endurance as a sign of God’s blessing and His better future for them all. Now I understand why when B was in our home for dinner not long ago he signed our Guest Book, “…Just being able to see the kind of family like yours is really inspiring…” ICF has become B’s real family. We are so thankful to be able to love and encourage him, and his Professional colleagues, they are the hope of Kazakhstan.
Cover Girl
One of our local friends who works for ‘Esquire’ magazine in Kazakhstan asked Dayna to share her favorite place in the city for one of their features. So Dayna stood in front of ‘Banya Arasan’ (the Turkish bath house) for a photo shoot which appeared in the magazine last summer. In the Russian text in the box she says the Banya is the next best thing to the beaches of Hawaii…
Going Postal
Mark, and our co-pastor at ICF, recently got a one year accreditation for ministry here in Kazakhstan. This is a procedure we go through every year, and each time it is a new excellent adventure! This time the biggest snag was in receiving the necessary documents from our American sending church. Despite the fact that they sent it properly, the regional Post Office where we have our box (Almaty 43) received no information about the vital letter. The on-line tracking info from USPS said the letter was in Almaty, but our branch workers knew nothing about it. So I went to the central Express Mail Service PO downtown. I gave them the tracking number of my letter and after 20 minutes of checking, in an office not much bigger than a phone booth, they said "It is not here, but we know where it is." It was accidently sent to another regional PO, Almaty 11. And if I came back tomorrow they would try to have it back at Central. Well, I did not relish spending another hour going to and fro across the congested city again. Besides, this day my co-pastor had loaned me his car and driver to collect this letter. (His accreditation has been waiting on mine as we did them together.) So as there were several PO workers who seemed to be just standing around the office idly, I announced that one of them needed to come in the car with us and go to region 11 PO. They looked at each other, and finally one stepped forward. Then I had to convince my colleague's driver to take her in the car. He was afraid he'd have to drive her back! After convincing him that I'd give her some taxi money to get back to Central, she came on board. Thirty minutes later we arrived at PO 11. She walked in and greeted the ladies at the counter like long lost friends, with kisses! Two minutes after walking into the back room, she appeared with the letter. Then when I offered her the taxi money, she said, "No thanks, I will stay here!" More fun in the outer regions maybe! So we even 'go postal' in Kazakhstan, they go with you! Thanks to God it all worked out.
Going South
This Saturday Mark heads to a city in the South of Kazakhstan. He will preach this Sunday in a local church there and then go with about 80 church members to be the Bible teacher for their summer camp. Dayna needs to remain in Almaty to continue the English class…and/or spa? We are grateful for your prayers.
Going Forward
It is our sincere desire to share the Lord Jesus in word and deed here. After ten years we have gained a good understanding of the people and place. We have great freedom and many open doors. And praise the Lord we are healthy and happy. But we are also severely financially challenged. For the last five months our monthly allowance has been finished by the middle or third week of the month. We are in additional debt from medical travel and care in April. We fully understand that we are not alone! We all face a global economic crisis. But we ask you to stand with us in prayer and giving as you are able. We do want to press on here.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Tien Shan School www.tienshanschool.org
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
June 14, 2008
Summer is Starting
Aloha from Almaty!
Summer Thoughts
We are enjoying warm days in this city of blossoming trees. We pray this letter finds you happy in the Lord. We are well, busy and enjoying our work here. We are so grateful for your continued prayers and support.
Bedouin Bazaar
This week Dayna culminated her years of teaching Central Asian History at Tien Shan School with a Bedouin Bazaar. Her eighth grade students were treated to dancers, musicians, and foods from this part of the world. They worked hard all term on ‘Caravan teams’ earning ‘Central Asian Bucks’ for excellence and participation. They ‘spent’ those bucks on this happy day. After ten years of teaching at TSS, Dayna will finish this month. She will, of course, be busy with other ministries. Pray for the Lord to guide her.
Marathon Man
In May our eldest son Nathan completed the Eugene, Oregon Marathon, his third. We’re proud to say he recorded his best time yet, 26 miles in 3 hours, 24 minutes. Nathan wrote: “I had a bunch of my friends at the finish line helping out…It was a great race... Heather and I memorized Isaiah 40.30-31 the night before and I recited it in my head when the going got tough. It was great to have scripture to push me along.” They’re news is good as they enjoy married life. Heather completed ‘Doula’ training (mid-wife assistant) and will be participating in her first birth any day now. They’re both working, very active in the College Ministry of their church, and seeking the Lord’s will for their future.
Prayer Update on Chinese Brother
In our last letter we asked prayer for Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti who was arrested for his faith in China. His trial was on May 27. He was allowed legal representation from two lawyers who were permitted to be present during the trial. But his wife, Gulnur, and the media were prohibited from entering the courtroom due to the Government’s claims of the sensitivity of the case. The verdict was that the case be sent back to the original prosecuters due to “insufficient evidence” against the accused. On Monday in Beijing a US delegation led by assistant Secretary of State, David Kramer reinstated human rights dialogue and raised Mr. Yimiti’s case with the Chinese Government. Mr. Yimiti’s wife, Gulnur, restated her husband’s innocence of separatist activities. She pleaded for the early release of her husband. She said her two year old son points to his father’s picture everyday and tells visitors that his dad is busy buying toy cars for him and will return soon. Gulnur thanked the many people around the world for their continual support and prayers which to strengthen her faith through this difficult time. From Website: http://www.chinaaid.org/ http://www.monitorchina.org/
KECS Graduation
Last week we attended the 15th Graduation ceremony for Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary. It was a joy to see 19 students recognized for their accomplishments. This semester Mark taught Old Testament Survey to the first year students. As the Old Testament is not yet complete in Kazakh (about one third is published, two thirds is nearing final draft stages!), students here are usually not as familiar with its contents. Yet, their enthusiasm to learn these timeless Words was inspiring. One day we had spent time in concerned prayer about restrictive legislation the government is proposing against the church; then we began studying Ezra and Nehemiah. We saw the opposition the people of God faced several hundred years before Jesus birth was not unlike the very issues we are facing here. Yet, God heard their prayers and intervened for their protection and His glory. We trust Him for such in our day.
Summer Thoughts
From Mark’s recent pastoral letter to our International Christian Fellowship here in Almaty: For some churches and Christians ‘summer schedule’ means stop. Surely we need some time to refresh and get ready for autumn’s demands. But walking with Jesus knows no stopping. The Bible has much to say about ‘fruitfulness’ and being ready for ‘harvest.’ Summer is a time for growing. We pray you will grow this summer, closer to the Lord, your family, and your family of faith.
When I was a young Christian (way back when!) my pastor shared a verse with our church in California one summer. "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved" (Jeremiah 8.20). I remember thinking at the time how strange that verse seemed. Even more, my pastor had tears in his eyes, pleading that this verse would NOT be true for us! More than thirty years have passed, I understand those tears now.
Jeremiah knew those tears. He was called the ‘weeping prophet’ for his tender concern for his fellow citizens of Jerusalem. Despite the grim destruction of their northern brothers in Israel by Assyria, Jeremiah’s kinsmen in Judah were deaf to God’s Word. Jeremiah was the brunt of their anger, because he bluntly foretold the coming Babylonian conquest if they did not repent. By contrast, there were dozens of ‘popular prophets’ who told their complacent kinsmen to take it easy. God, they said, did not see their ethical corruption or religious hypocrisy - no worries! Yet Jeremiah worried so much he wept – for Judah and most of all for the honor of the Lion of Judah.
Hear his strong words from Jeremiah 8: "'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped…Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle… my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. "'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD, "when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious."Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush… "'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.'" … O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away:"… "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." from Jeremiah 8.1-20
Notice how they hurtle downward - trusting in men - worshipping the stars - clinging to deceit - refusing to repent - charging into sin - lies replace truth - loss of treasures - empty promises of peace - taken into exile - barren and fruitless! Do we see any of these dangerous trends in our nations? In our churches? In our families? In our hearts? May God help us!
I don’t know what God’s Word through Jeremiah says to your heart this summer. Perhaps He challenges you to renew your commitment to grow in Him. Perhaps you need to repent of some lingering sin. Perhaps you need to restore some broken relationship. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your ‘Daily Planner’ and put the Ancient of Days back in the center. Those are some of my thoughts for myself. May we each hear His voice and follow fruitfully.
Jeremiah’s antidote to tragedy has not yet expired. God still holds out His mercy. The Lion of Judah has come. ‘Repent and believe’ is the path of blessing. The summer is starting, may its end find us – and many we love and pray for – saved.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Tien Shan School www.tienshanschool.org
Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043
March 24, 2008
Amazing Disco Easter
Greetings in the Name of our Risen Lord! 
A., the young pastor in the yellow sweater, is married with one daughter. The church he serves near the Uzbekistan border is located in a poor area of his struggling city. A number of kids that come to their church are already alcoholics, several even pre-teen. Gifts their church sacrifices to give these kids are often taken by ‘parents’ and sold. There is a deep feeling of hopelessness in the city. Yet, their church has a good core of mature believer who generously provide financial support for ministry, they are eagerly working and praying to see God awaken the city. As a young pastor A. was especially glad to study 1 Timothy 4.12 and know that he has a ‘right’ to serve, especially as he strives to be a good example in life and ministry. He asks prayer for more confidence and courage in ministry.
Once in a while someone will ask, ‘Why did you ever leave Hawaii to come here?’ That question can get us wondering, especially in winter. I am sure Paul also did his wondering. No doubt there were a few down-days in those prison cells when he’d think, ‘what am I doing here?’ But his questions led him back to the unshakeable truth of the empty tomb. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”
(1 Corinthians 15:14,19,20). The resurrection of Jesus was good medicine for his doubts.
“I will build my church….”
This season of Lent / Easter has given us new joy and confidence in the Lord as we see more of the good work He is doing in Central Asia. One promise of Jesus was, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Words of confidence and words of caution; the job will get done, but not without difficulty. I can hear the world snicker as we make this claim. “Christian church!?! Oh, do you mean those empty Cathedrals, or those disgraced Televangelists, or maybe that homosexual bishop?” Yes, there is much to be sorry and ashamed for – hypocrisy and heresies – beginning with us! Yet, sometimes despite us, the Risen Jesus is making good on His Word. In ways beyond our plans and imagination, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The building rises.
Earlier this month I had the privilege of teaching twelve pastors from around Kazakhstan. This is a new theological academy where I had never been. And this was the first time to spend a week with local pastors since our return. These are not easy days. The value of the dollar is sinking here too, and the intensity of government obstruction to the work of the Gospel is increasing. We know a number of pastors who have given up their calling, a couple who have given up their faith. I was curious to meet these twelve. We spent the week looking at Paul’s letters to leaders – Timothy (1 & 2) and Titus. It is always a great joy to teach the Bible, but there is a special joy when leaders who struggle in service gain fresh insight and encouragement from the Word and Spirit. God blessed us with such a week.
A., the young pastor in the yellow sweater, is married with one daughter. The church he serves near the Uzbekistan border is located in a poor area of his struggling city. A number of kids that come to their church are already alcoholics, several even pre-teen. Gifts their church sacrifices to give these kids are often taken by ‘parents’ and sold. There is a deep feeling of hopelessness in the city. Yet, their church has a good core of mature believer who generously provide financial support for ministry, they are eagerly working and praying to see God awaken the city. As a young pastor A. was especially glad to study 1 Timothy 4.12 and know that he has a ‘right’ to serve, especially as he strives to be a good example in life and ministry. He asks prayer for more confidence and courage in ministry.
Z. is a woman in her sixties. When her “M”/pastor and his wife arrived in this city in 1991, she was one of the first people they met. Before long she became a believer in Jesus and in time a leader in their newly planted church. She says many people who came in those early days remain faithful in their walk with Him, holding on to the Gospel. Z. now serves as a leader for their ‘Academy of the Grey Hairs’ - fellowship and Bible teaching for people over 60, plus a catered lunch! She appreciated Paul’s specific instruction about the care and ministry of widows in 1 Timothy 5. Z. asks for prayer that she will be more effective in this ministry, especially caring for new widows. There are ten other wonderful testimonies from that class which would warm your heart. Someday we’ll have the joy of celebrating all Jesus’ victories. He is building His Church. He is risen, indeed!
In addition to the on-going courses we are teaching here, I will have two weeks of intensive teaching for leaders in April - one in this city and another in the Olympic capital ‘east’ of here. That trip next door will be the first leg of a journey back to Singapore. One year ago we left there having passed through several surgeries for cancer. Now it is time for a check-up. We’d appreciate your prayers – for continued good health, but most of all that He will build His Church.
Resurrection Witnesses for the Next Generation
Dayna has been teaching at Tien Shan School since August 1998. Each year it has been a joy to impact the lives of these “M” young people. I have taught many subjects. I now thoroughly love the challenge of teaching 8th grade History. We are on a week of Spring Break and I am preparing for my next course, Central Asian History. This past Term I taught Geography: Map Skills to 14 great international, multilingual, and competitive students. They’re from Korea, USA, and Singapore. I challenged the students at the beginning of the Term that if they wanted an “A” they had to work very hard because I required a lot of work. Well, after completing their grades there were 10 students that earned A’s, the rest got B’s or C’s. It is my passion to not just teach facts and locations, but to give them a vision of what God is doing in that nation. They have learned about more than 200 nations! A few years ago I discovered a compilation of ‘Geography Songs’ to help students learn facts through catchy tunes. They really help. As we ‘sing and learn’ in class, former students who pass by in the hallway join in the singing! A 10th grader from America was recently in the States on Home Assignment with her family. She told me she “breezed” through Geography because she remembered the songs from 8th grade! My prayer is that as they learn about a nation’s features, cultures, and peoples, they’ll gain a burden that many of these peoples have not heard the good news of the Risen Jesus. One former student, a class mate of our Nathan’s, is now sharing with Muslims in India, another is in China. May the Lord call more these students to peoples and places He created. (If you and your family want to pray for the nations, get a copy of Operation World.) The greatest joy in teaching is to see students love God and His world and realize they have a part in making Christ known to all peoples.
Amazing Disco Easter
Our Easter day was wonderful. We had a tremendous celebration at our International Christian Fellowship. As you may remember, we gather in a well known Dance club in the middle of Almaty. One crowd clears out about 5 a.m. on Sunday’s, and those who have something better to dance about arrive about 10!
We had people from every continent come to glorify Him who made every constellation. We had the privilege of baptizing two high school girls who have been faithful participants of our music team. Their testimonies of Him who died and rose again for us were a strong encouragement to us all. And, as you can see, we also remembered the Lord in communion.
Following our service, we shared lunch and fellowship together. Then we ended the day watching the film “Amazing Grace” on the life of William Wilberforce. (By all means watch it if you can.) What a great day. We worshipped the God-Man who saved the world, and then watched the story of one man who changed the world in His Name. It was a good reminder of our calling to be the earthly ‘hands and feet’ of Him who ascended to reign.
We are so grateful for your generous support and faithful prayers which keep us thriving here.
We pray that you too will know the joy of His Risen power in the coming days.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
February 8, 2008
Even our Stuff - February 2008
Aloha from Arctic Almaty!
May God bless you in your Kingdom-trek. Press on!
Yours in Him who moves Mountains --- and pebbles,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Back in 1990 Bishop Maseri Kauma asked Mark to preach in a Bible Conference at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala from what seemed at the time a rather strange text:
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:21-23
As we carried our suitcases up the dark stairwell and into our apartment here in Almaty early one morning a couple weeks ago we thought of God’s goodness. The God who long ago carried the Hebrews from Persia had brought us back to Central Asia. The suitcases we had fussed over --- get as much in there as you’re allowed! --- had winged their way with us across the Pacific, across China, and into Almaty airport. It is hard to say whether those God-fearing migrants carried any Starbuck’s Coffee, Hawaiian calendars, or Old Spice Deodorant (manly smell and easy on the armpits….aaargh!). But surely they looked to Him – the giver of every good gift – as they planned, packed, and pressed on across the miles. God is good…even in the details of our life journey.
Few American Evangelicals today even have a ‘Theology of Stuff’ – perhaps because most of us are convicted that we have too much of it. But surely we must know that He is our Giver and Keeper. (Maybe He is the one prompting us to get rid of some of what we don’t need and bless those in greater need. But hey, now I’m preaching….yikes!) So we give praise to Him who has kept us – and our maximum baggage allowance – in His gracious care!
Our Time ‘Next Door’
One thing that made our journey back to Kazakhstan more interesting was not having a visa to get into Kazakhstan. For reasons explained only as ‘that’s just the way it is here’ we got on board the plane with a promise but an empty space in our passports. We anticipated friends in the faith from the big country next door to be waiting for us at their Capital City Airport. After a warm reunion we were taken to an apartment in a new area of their sprawling Olympic city. Four years ago it was a big field, today 325,000 apartment dwellers are planted there. On Sunday we were privileged to meet with a group of brothers and sisters - gathered behind the locked doors of one apartment - worshipping Him who once transcended locked doors and said, ‘Shalom!’ It was a joy to bring a message from His Word to them.
First thing Monday morning we made our way to the Kazakhstan Embassy in that massive city and found friendly helpful people. By the end of that day we had one year multiple-entry visas to Kazakhstan stamped into our passports. About midnight that day we were in line for our four and half hour flight onward to Almaty. How true - "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him…and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23
New Tasks in the New Year
As we slip along the icy sidewalks of Almaty we look back with fondness on the sunny days of blessing and warm fellowship we enjoyed in California, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Oregon. Our local friends are saying this is the coldest winter they can ever remember in this city! Surely this is not the kind of history we want to make! We are certainly grateful for your prayer and support which keeps us serving Him here. We feel well and are excited to resume the work He has put before us.
Dayna hosted the Tien Shan 2007 Grads for a dinner in our apartment.
Dayna is teaching four days a week at Tien Shan School. She has greatly enjoyed many glad reunions with students and colleagues there. The Lord’s hand of blessing has been on the school. Now about 200 students pack into their crowded corridors; this year the teachers move from class to class to ease the kid crunch! By December 2008 they must vacate their now sold premises. So the push is on at their new construction site. Pray for favor with authorities (always lots of hoops to jump through) and blessing upon their building crew. They anticipate a big need for teachers for 08/09. Check out their web site listed below.
We have found the International Christian Fellowship in great shape. The colleague who served as an Interim Pastor in our absence has consented to join Mark as co-pastor. This is a great blessing. Both he and Mark are involved in teaching and mentoring national leaders. So together we will be able to serve the needs of the ICF and encourage the work of extending His Church across Central Asia.
Mark is preparing for teaching ‘Life of Christ’ and ‘Old Testament Survey’ at the Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary this term. He will also teach a class on ‘Ephesians’ at a newly formed Presbyterian school. As always, we ask you to join us in prayer for God to raise up leaders to plant and grow His Church in this part of the world.
Mountains and Pebbles
May God bless you in your Kingdom-trek. Press on!
Yours in Him who moves Mountains --- and pebbles,
Mark and Dayna Blair
December 11, 2007
Nathan marries Heather December 8, 2007
Nathan and Heather Blair surrounded by (clockwise) Dayna, Mark, Aaron, Josiah, Masha, and Maylee.May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67.1,2
Twenty five years and eleven months ago a California guy with cool 'Afro' hair and a lovely Hawaiian girl heard their pastor read this Psalm during their wedding in Hilo, Hawaii. In the years following they dwelt in the smile of God's face as they shared His salvation among the nations. Three sons were born during their eight years in Africa - grew during their seven years in Hawaii - and matured during their nine years in Central Asia. Last weekend the guy – now with a diminishing amount of white hair – spoke these same words of blessing for their first born son and his bride.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Psalm 67.3
We rejoice in the smile of our gracious King! What a joy to see Nathan and Heather proclaim their love for Jesus and one another. Family and friends gathered from far and wide – even Masha and Maylee from Kazakhstan – to support the happy couple. While we shiver in Oregon, we envy them in the sun and surf on their Hawaiian honeymoon.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Psalm 67.4.
In God's good providence we've seen Him praised among many nations in 2007. Central Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and the islands of the Pacific. Jesus rules and reigns and His Kingdom advances. We have so enjoyed your rich fellowship and warm hospitality. Several years passed since we'd been with many friends and churches. What a joy to know that through those years you have faithfully upheld us before Him who rules and guides with justice. Mahalo nui loa! (Thank you very much!) As we enter 2008 we affirm the promise of this Psalm. No matter what – He rules! The challenges we face within our world, our churches, our families, and even in our bodies are part of His Sovereign plan – working for our good, achieving His glory.
God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. Psalm 67.7
How could the Psalmist write with such confidence? Because in the fullness of time the blessing of God came in the babe of Bethlehem. The gracious face of God was revealed in Jesus our Emmanuel. Through Him we have received one blessing after another. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. So we wish you His blessing this 'Advent' (Latin for 'come'). Our wish comes in the strong confidence of Him who came, has come, and will come again!
After we share Christmas and the New Year with family, we leave for another term of Kingdom service in Kazakhstan on 10 January 2008. We ask for your prayers and continued support. The door of opportunity remains open for us in Central Asia. We have been given an unique privilege to help equip and encourage young Christian leaders to plant and grow His Church in lands where few know Him. It is always hard to leave the comfort of family and friends here. What a kick it's been to ride the waves in the Pacific, graze In & Out (over graze I'm afraid!), and cheer the University of Hawaii through their first undefeated football season! But what a greater kick to see ALL the nations rejoice and sing for joy in Him. Someday we'll gather with them all around His glorious throne...wow! That will be BIG Screen and HIGH DEFINITION big time.
Yours in our Advent King,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mobile
541 - 743 – 6837
Our Blog
http://blairstan.blogspot.com/
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
http://www.pioneers.org/
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/
Tien Shan School http://www.tienshanschool.org
Our Mailing Address
Blair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
October 17, 2007
Hawaii News Autumn 2007
Aloha from Hilo, Hawaii!
We are very thankful for your continued support and prayers. God is Good!
After four years away, we are very glad to be home in Hawaii for a couple months. It is a joy to reunite with family, friends, and churches here. Not to mention all the good food and the amazing beauty of this place. We are thankful for good health and ability to take advantage of hiking in the Volcanoes National Park and swimming in the clear blue sea. If it sounds like we have missed this place…you’re right! (Our Mobile 541 - 743 – 6837 until January)
Life has not been all play here in Paradise. We are privileged to be sharing in our supporting churches on Sundays and meet with friends interested in our mission work during the week. We have been invited to share in classes and chapels in some of the Christian schools in the area. Also, Mark is teaching a ten week Bible study on the Book of Revelation on Wednesday nights.
And now we have a blog! Thanks to a new friend in Southern California. http://blairstan.blogspot.com/
News from Kazakhstan is good. Tien Shan School is off to a good beginning of their academic year. Praise the Lord for providing all their staff. Please keep the building project they have recently undertaken in your prayers. A great friend is serving as Interim Pastor of the International Christian Fellowship in Almaty. Please keep him and his wife in your prayers as they lead that ministry in our absence. When we left in June four other elders also left as their terms of service in Almaty ended. But we hear good reports of how the Lord has been raising up others to serve and lead. We miss our church family there and look forward to being with them again in January. (Health tests are good!)
All three of our sons are in Eugene, Oregon. Josiah has joined Aaron at Lane Community College in order to work toward his degree. Masha and Maylee are back in Almaty. Nathan and Heather are both working and planning their wedding. They’re also both quite involved in ministry through their church there. Please open the attachment on this letter regarding Nathan’s ministry project for Mongolia.
September 23 - Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau, HISeptember 30 - Kalahikiola Congregational Church, Kohala, Hawaii
October 7 – Trinity Community Assembly of God, Hilo, Hawaii
October 14 - Central Kona Union Church, Kealakekua, Hawaii
October 21 - Mokuaikaua Congregational Church, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
October 28 - Hawaii Kai UCC, Hawaii Kai, Oahu
November 4 – Living Waters Assembly of God, Hilo
November 11 - Waipuna Chapel, Kula, Maui
November 18 - Wailuku Union Church, Wailuku, Maui
November 25 - North Shore Christian Church, Kauai
December 2 - Fly Honolulu to Portland, ORDecember 8 - Nathan Blair weds Heather Madison in Eugene, ORJanuary 10, 2008 - Fly from Portland, OR to Beijing - en route to Kazakhstan
Yours in Him who Reigns,Mark and Dayna BlairOur Mobile541 - 743 - 6837Our MissionPioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USAhttp://www.pioneers.org/Our MinistriesInternational Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/Tien Shan School tienshan@pactec.kzOur Mailing AddressBlair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
We are very thankful for your continued support and prayers. God is Good!
After four years away, we are very glad to be home in Hawaii for a couple months. It is a joy to reunite with family, friends, and churches here. Not to mention all the good food and the amazing beauty of this place. We are thankful for good health and ability to take advantage of hiking in the Volcanoes National Park and swimming in the clear blue sea. If it sounds like we have missed this place…you’re right! (Our Mobile 541 - 743 – 6837 until January)
Life has not been all play here in Paradise. We are privileged to be sharing in our supporting churches on Sundays and meet with friends interested in our mission work during the week. We have been invited to share in classes and chapels in some of the Christian schools in the area. Also, Mark is teaching a ten week Bible study on the Book of Revelation on Wednesday nights.
And now we have a blog! Thanks to a new friend in Southern California. http://blairstan.blogspot.com/
News from Kazakhstan is good. Tien Shan School is off to a good beginning of their academic year. Praise the Lord for providing all their staff. Please keep the building project they have recently undertaken in your prayers. A great friend is serving as Interim Pastor of the International Christian Fellowship in Almaty. Please keep him and his wife in your prayers as they lead that ministry in our absence. When we left in June four other elders also left as their terms of service in Almaty ended. But we hear good reports of how the Lord has been raising up others to serve and lead. We miss our church family there and look forward to being with them again in January. (Health tests are good!)
All three of our sons are in Eugene, Oregon. Josiah has joined Aaron at Lane Community College in order to work toward his degree. Masha and Maylee are back in Almaty. Nathan and Heather are both working and planning their wedding. They’re also both quite involved in ministry through their church there. Please open the attachment on this letter regarding Nathan’s ministry project for Mongolia.
September 23 - Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau, HISeptember 30 - Kalahikiola Congregational Church, Kohala, Hawaii
October 7 – Trinity Community Assembly of God, Hilo, Hawaii
October 14 - Central Kona Union Church, Kealakekua, Hawaii
October 21 - Mokuaikaua Congregational Church, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
October 28 - Hawaii Kai UCC, Hawaii Kai, Oahu
November 4 – Living Waters Assembly of God, Hilo
November 11 - Waipuna Chapel, Kula, Maui
November 18 - Wailuku Union Church, Wailuku, Maui
November 25 - North Shore Christian Church, Kauai
December 2 - Fly Honolulu to Portland, ORDecember 8 - Nathan Blair weds Heather Madison in Eugene, ORJanuary 10, 2008 - Fly from Portland, OR to Beijing - en route to Kazakhstan
Yours in Him who Reigns,Mark and Dayna BlairOur Mobile541 - 743 - 6837Our MissionPioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USAhttp://www.pioneers.org/Our MinistriesInternational Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/Tien Shan School tienshan@pactec.kzOur Mailing AddressBlair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
August 1, 2007
July 29, 2007
Back in Action - July 2007
Greetings from Southern California,
We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement. Due to our nomadic lifestyle these days we have not been able to get out an email update until now.
We praise the Lord for again extending His healing hand through skilled surgeons! Mark walked out of the hospital the day after back surgery on July 10 (for herniated disc). Best of all the intense pain which he had in his leg for several months prior is 95 % gone. He still needs to avoid ‘B.L.T.’ - bending, lifting, and twisting - which means that Dayna is getting ‘buff’ arms from carrying our luggage! Pray for her back now!
It has been a blessing to catch up with family, friends, and supporting churches here. It has been a strong encouragement to meet those who have so faithfully kept us before the Lord. As you can see from our schedule below, we will be traveling quite a bit in the month ahead. We appreciate your continued prayers for recuperation, safety, and most of all that we would be a blessing to those who have so blessed us.
This week we shared in Mark’s hometown of La Canada, California. The local paper ran the article below -
Kazakhstan missionary Mark Blair to speak at La Canada Presbyterian Church
A life-changing experience at a Crescenta-Canada Family YMCA camp set Mark Blair on a journey halfway around the world, from Catalina Island to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.
Blair, a 1973 graduate of Crescenta Valley High School, is a Christian missionary in Kazakhstan with wife Dayna. He will talk of his work Sunday morning (July 29) while preaching the sermon at all three of La Canada Presbyterian Church’s worship services -- 7:55, 9:25 and 10:55. The church supports the ministry work of the two.
Blair says his spiritual journey began when he was in high school and attended a summer camp on Catalina Island. “It was through the YMCA camp when I heard the Gospel at Camp Fox that I became a Christian,” he said.
After attending Glendale College, he got a degree from Covenant College in Tennessee and began a life of missionary service, working in Uganda, serving as a church pastor in Hawaii, and then, in 1998, moving on to Kazakhstan.
It was an obscure posting -- until Hollywood trained one of its spotlights on the country last year. “When we meet people, often the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, yes, I know about Kazakhstan from the Borat movie,’ “ Blair said. “It’s an entry point for conversation, I guess. It kind of put the place on the map.”
Blair and Dayna had been crisscrossing that map for years before then. He trains and equips national church leaders, and is pastor at the International Christian Fellowship in Almaty. She teaches at Tien Shan School.
It can be challenging work. “Kazakhstan is a very secular place,” Blair said. “It’s Islamic, but not devoutly Muslim -- more secular Muslim. It has a history of 70 years of Soviet atheism. Most people really don’t think much about God and don’t have any religious practices, so initially they don’t seem very interested in spiritual things, but at the same time they’re searching for something deeper in their lives.
“Right now there’s something of an economic boom with the oil and a lot of money coming in. So there’s a lot of materialism. It’s not long before people realize that that doesn’t give them a lot of deep satisfaction, so it opens up a spiritual search.”
La Canada Presbyterian Church is at 626 Foothill Blvd. For information, visit www.lacanadapc.org.
July 29 La Canada Presbyterian Church
August 5 Meadowlark Community Church, San Marcos, CA
August 7 - Begin drive from Southern California back up to Eugene, Oregon
August 17 - Fly from Portland, OR to Philadelphia, PA
August 19 - Grace Bible Fellowship Church, Harrisburg, PA
August 26 - Maple Glen Bible Fellowship Church (near Philadelphia, PA)
August 27 - Fly Philadelphia back to Oregon
August 31 - Fly Portland, OR to Hilo, Hawaii
September 2 - Hilo Missionary Church, Hilo, HI
September 9 - Waimea Assemby of God, Kamuela, HI
September 16 and 23 - Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau, HI
Open for other meetings in Hawaii
December 2 - Fly Honolulu to Portland, OR
December 8 - Nathan Blair weds Heather Madison in Eugene, OR
January 10, 2008 - Fly Portland, OR to Beijing - en route to Kazakhstan
Yours in His Living Hope,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mobile
541 - 743 - 6837
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
http://www.pioneers.org/
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/
Tien Shan School tienshan@pactec.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement. Due to our nomadic lifestyle these days we have not been able to get out an email update until now.
We praise the Lord for again extending His healing hand through skilled surgeons! Mark walked out of the hospital the day after back surgery on July 10 (for herniated disc). Best of all the intense pain which he had in his leg for several months prior is 95 % gone. He still needs to avoid ‘B.L.T.’ - bending, lifting, and twisting - which means that Dayna is getting ‘buff’ arms from carrying our luggage! Pray for her back now!
It has been a blessing to catch up with family, friends, and supporting churches here. It has been a strong encouragement to meet those who have so faithfully kept us before the Lord. As you can see from our schedule below, we will be traveling quite a bit in the month ahead. We appreciate your continued prayers for recuperation, safety, and most of all that we would be a blessing to those who have so blessed us.
This week we shared in Mark’s hometown of La Canada, California. The local paper ran the article below -
Kazakhstan missionary Mark Blair to speak at La Canada Presbyterian Church
A life-changing experience at a Crescenta-Canada Family YMCA camp set Mark Blair on a journey halfway around the world, from Catalina Island to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.
Blair, a 1973 graduate of Crescenta Valley High School, is a Christian missionary in Kazakhstan with wife Dayna. He will talk of his work Sunday morning (July 29) while preaching the sermon at all three of La Canada Presbyterian Church’s worship services -- 7:55, 9:25 and 10:55. The church supports the ministry work of the two.
Blair says his spiritual journey began when he was in high school and attended a summer camp on Catalina Island. “It was through the YMCA camp when I heard the Gospel at Camp Fox that I became a Christian,” he said.
After attending Glendale College, he got a degree from Covenant College in Tennessee and began a life of missionary service, working in Uganda, serving as a church pastor in Hawaii, and then, in 1998, moving on to Kazakhstan.
It was an obscure posting -- until Hollywood trained one of its spotlights on the country last year. “When we meet people, often the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, yes, I know about Kazakhstan from the Borat movie,’ “ Blair said. “It’s an entry point for conversation, I guess. It kind of put the place on the map.”
Blair and Dayna had been crisscrossing that map for years before then. He trains and equips national church leaders, and is pastor at the International Christian Fellowship in Almaty. She teaches at Tien Shan School.
It can be challenging work. “Kazakhstan is a very secular place,” Blair said. “It’s Islamic, but not devoutly Muslim -- more secular Muslim. It has a history of 70 years of Soviet atheism. Most people really don’t think much about God and don’t have any religious practices, so initially they don’t seem very interested in spiritual things, but at the same time they’re searching for something deeper in their lives.
“Right now there’s something of an economic boom with the oil and a lot of money coming in. So there’s a lot of materialism. It’s not long before people realize that that doesn’t give them a lot of deep satisfaction, so it opens up a spiritual search.”
La Canada Presbyterian Church is at 626 Foothill Blvd. For information, visit www.lacanadapc.org.
July 29 La Canada Presbyterian Church
August 5 Meadowlark Community Church, San Marcos, CA
August 7 - Begin drive from Southern California back up to Eugene, Oregon
August 17 - Fly from Portland, OR to Philadelphia, PA
August 19 - Grace Bible Fellowship Church, Harrisburg, PA
August 26 - Maple Glen Bible Fellowship Church (near Philadelphia, PA)
August 27 - Fly Philadelphia back to Oregon
August 31 - Fly Portland, OR to Hilo, Hawaii
September 2 - Hilo Missionary Church, Hilo, HI
September 9 - Waimea Assemby of God, Kamuela, HI
September 16 and 23 - Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau, HI
Open for other meetings in Hawaii
December 2 - Fly Honolulu to Portland, OR
December 8 - Nathan Blair weds Heather Madison in Eugene, OR
January 10, 2008 - Fly Portland, OR to Beijing - en route to Kazakhstan
Yours in His Living Hope,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mobile
541 - 743 - 6837
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
http://www.pioneers.org/
Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/
Tien Shan School tienshan@pactec.kz
Our Mailing Address
Blair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720
July 11, 2007
Don't Waste Your Cancer - great thoughts!
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2006/1776_Dont_Waste_Your_Cancer/
I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.
Pastor John
Don't Waste Your Cancer
By John Piper February 15, 2006
[Editor's Note: Our friend, David Powlison, of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation, who also was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, has added some helpful expansions to John Piper’s ten points. Indented paragraphs beginning with "DP:" are written by David Powlison.]
I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.
DP: I (David Powlison) add these reflections on John Piper’s words the morning after receiving news that I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer (March 3, 2006). The ten main points and first paragraphs are his; the second paragraphs are mine.
1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: “They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). If you don’t believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.DP: Recognizing his designing hand does not make you stoic or dishonest or artificially buoyant. Instead, the reality of God’s design elicits and channels your honest outcry to your one true Savior. God’s design invites honest speech, rather than silencing us into resignation. Consider the honesty of the Psalms, of King Hezekiah (Isaiah 38), of Habakkuk 3. These people are bluntly, believingly honest because they know that God is God and set their hopes in him. Psalm 28 teaches you passionate, direct prayer to God. He must hear you. He will hear you. He will continue to work in you and your situation. This outcry comes from your sense of need for help (28:1-2). Then name your particular troubles to God (28:3-5). You are free to personalize with your own particulars. Often in life’s ‘various trials’ (James 1:2), what you face does not exactly map on to the particulars that David or Jesus faced – but the dynamic of faith is the same. Having cast your cares on him who cares for you, then voice your joy (28:6-7): the God-given peace that is beyond understanding. Finally, because faith always works out into love, your personal need and joy will branch out into loving concern for others (28:8-9). Illness can sharpen your awareness of how thoroughly God has already and always been at work in every detail of your life.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel” (Numbers 23:23). “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).DP: The blessing comes in what God does for us, with us, through us. He brings his great and merciful redemption onto the stage of the curse. Your cancer, in itself, is one of those 10,000 ‘shadows of death’ (Psalm 23:4) that come upon each of us: all the threats, losses, pains, incompletion, disappointment, evils. But in his beloved children, our Father works a most kind good through our most grievous losses: sometimes healing and restoring the body (temporarily, until the resurrection of the dead to eternal life), always sustaining and teaching us that we might know and love him more simply. In the testing ground of evils, your faith becomes deep and real, and your love becomes purposeful and wise: James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:3-9, Romans 5:1-5, Romans 8:18-39.
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). God’s design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, “We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.DP: God himself is your comfort. He gives himself. The hymn “Be Still My Soul” (by Katerina von Schlegel) reckons the odds the right way: we are 100% certain to suffer, and Christ is 100% certain to meet us, to come for us, comfort us, and restore love’s purest joys. The hymn “How Firm a Foundation” reckons the odds the same way: you are 100% certain to pass through grave distresses, and your Savior is 100% certain to “be with you, your troubles to bless, and sanctify to you your deepest distress.” With God, you aren’t playing percentages, but living within certainties.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can you lay it to heart if you won’t think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.DP: Paul describes the Holy Spirit is the unseen, inner ‘downpayment’ on the certainty of life. By faith, the Lord gives a sweet taste of the face-to-face reality of eternal life in the presence of our God and Christ. We might also say that cancer is one ‘downpayment’ on inevitable death, giving one bad taste of the reality of of our mortality. Cancer is a signpost pointing to something far bigger: the last enemy that you must face. But Christ has defeated this last enemy: 1 Corinthians 15. Death is swallowed up in victory. Cancer is merely one of the enemy’s scouting parties, out on patrol. It has no final power if you are a child of the resurrection, so you can look it in the eye.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan’s and God’s designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).DP: Cherishing Christ expresses the two core activities of faith: dire need and utter joy. Many psalms cry out in a ‘minor key’: we cherish our Savior by needing him to save us from real troubles, real sins, real sufferings, real anguish. Many psalms sing out in a ‘major key’: we cherish our Savior by delighting in him, loving him, thanking him for all his benefits to us, rejoicing that his salvation is the weightiest thing in the world and that he gets last say. And many psalms start out in one key and end up in the other. Cherishing Christ is not monochromatic; you live the whole spectrum of human experience with him. To ‘beat’ cancer is to live knowing how your Father has compassion on his beloved child, because he knows your frame, that you are but dust. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. To live is to know him, whom to know is to love.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.DP: What is so for your reading is also true for your conversations with others. Other people will often express their care and concern by inquiring about your health. That’s good, but the conversation easily gets stuck there. So tell them openly about your sickness, seeking their prayers and counsel, but then change the direction of the conversation by telling them what your God is doing to faithfully sustain you with 10,000 mercies. Robert Murray McCheyne wisely said, “For every one look at your sins, take ten looks at Christ.” He was countering our tendency to reverse that 10:1 ratio by brooding over our failings and forgetting the Lord of mercy. What McCheyne says about our sins we can also apply to our sufferings. For every one sentence you say to others about your cancer, say ten sentences about your God, and your hope, and what he is teaching you, and the small blessings of each day. For every hour you spend researching or discussing your cancer, spend 10 hours researching and discussing and serving your Lord. Relate all that you are learning about cancer back to him and his purposes, and you won’t become obsessed.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, “He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill” (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don’t waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.DP: Our culture is terrified of facing death. It is obsessed with medicine. It idolizes youth, health and energy. It tries to hide any signs of weakness or imperfection. You will bring huge blessing to others by living openly, believingly and lovingly within your weaknesses. Paradoxically, moving out into relationships when you are hurting and weak will actually strengthen others. ‘One anothering’ is a two-way street of generous giving and grateful receiving. Your need gives others an opportunity to love. And since love is always God’s highest purpose in you, too, you will learn his finest and most joyous lessons as you find small ways to express concern for others even when you are most weak. A great, life-threatening weakness can prove amazingly freeing. Nothing is left for you to do except to be loved by God and others, and to love God and others.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss—loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different—it is permeated with hope. “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don’t waste your cancer grieving as those who don’t have this hope.DP: Show the world this different way of grieving. Paul said that he would have had “grief upon grief” if his friend Epaphroditus had died. He had been grieving, feeling the painful weight of his friend’s illness. He would have doubly grieved if his friend had died. But this loving, honest, God-oriented grief coexisted with “rejoice always” and “the peace of God that passes understanding” and “showing a genuine concern for your welfare.” How on earth can heartache coexist with love, joy, peace, and an indestructible sense of life purpose? In the inner logic of faith, this makes perfect sense. In fact, because you have hope, you may feel the sufferings of this life more keenly: grief upon grief. In contrast, the grieving that has no hope often chooses denial or escape or busyness because it can’t face reality without becoming distraught. In Christ, you know what’s at stake, and so you keenly feel the wrong of this fallen world. You don’t take pain and death for granted. You love what is good, and hate what is evil. After all, you follow in the image of “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” But this Jesus chose his cross willingly “for the joy set before him.” He lived and died in hopes that all come true. His pain was not muted by denial or medication, nor was it tainted with despair, fear, or thrashing about for any straw of hope that might change his circumstances. Jesus’ final promises overflow with the gladness of solid hope amid sorrows: “My joy will be in you, and your joy will be made full. Your grief will be turned to joy. No one will take your joy away from you. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy will be made full. These things I speak in the world, so that they may have my joy made full in themselves” (selection from John 15-17).
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination—all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don’t just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don’t waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).DP: Suffering really is meant to wean you from sin and strengthen your faith. If you are God-less, then suffering magnifies sin. Will you become more bitter, despairing, addictive, fearful, frenzied, avoidant, sentimental, godless in how you go about life? Will you pretend it’s business as usual? Will you come to terms with death, on your terms? But if you are God’s, then suffering in Christ’s hands will change you, always slowly, sometimes quickly. You come to terms with life and death on his terms. He will gentle you, purify you, cleanse you of vanities. He will make you need him and love him. He rearranges your priorities, so first things come first more often. He will walk with you. Of course you’ll fail at times, perhaps seized by irritability or brooding, escapism or fears. But he will always pick you up when you stumble. Your inner enemy – a moral cancer 10,000 times more deadly than your physical cancer – will be dying as you continue seeking and finding your Savior: “For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is very great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose” (Psalm 25).
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don’t waste it.DP: Jesus is your life. He is the man before whom every knee will bow. He has defeated death once for all. He will finish what he has begun. Let your light so shine as you live in him, by him, through him, for him. One of the church’s ancient hymns puts it this way: “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger” (from “I bind unto myself the name”). In your cancer, you will need your brothers and sisters to witness to the truth and glory of Christ, to walk with you, to live out their faith beside you, to love you. And you can do same with them and with all others, becoming the heart that loves with the love of Christ, the mouth filled with hope to both friends and strangers.Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Pastor John
May 15, 2006
China Visit – May 2006
Warm greetings from green and beautiful Almaty, Kazakhstan. We got back from a great trip to China and jumped right into duties here. Dayna had new insights for her class on ‘Central Asian History’ after seeing Xian, the ancient Chinese city where the ‘Silk Road’ started west. We bicycled 14 km atop the massive Xian city wall, more fun than Marco Polo ever had…
We visited the central Three-Self (government endorsed) Church Seminary in Nanjing. There 180 students are in their Master’s program. There are another 17 Three-Self theological schools across the land. But these cannot keep pace with their church’s tremendous growth. The Nanjing Seminary moves next year to a new campus where enrollment will exceed 500. Dayna, shared in a week night meeting in a Shanghai church…
Can you imagine a city with 4000 buildings over 40 stories tall, many bearing an impressive architecture and illumined by colored lights at night? More than 20 million people live in this clean and modern city of Shanghai. Busy shoppers in Shanghai.. Dayna’s grandfather who left from there 100 years ago for Hawaii, would be astounded. We were too. Inside the beautiful and modern Shanghai Museum we saw sculptures, bowls, and carvings that pre-date Abraham! China – very old and very new! We covered a lot of territory; from Urumqi in the Northwest to Shanghai in the Southeast, and Nanjing, Beijing, and Xian along the way. People were friendly and helpful. Food was tasty and cheap. Transport was timely and efficient – planes, trains, subways, light rail, taxis, & pedicabs.
We had encouraging visits with old friends who work there. We shared in a couple of International Churches and got lots of good ideas for our ICF in Almaty. We met believers from ‘house’ churches in two major cities and had several evenings of Bible teaching with them. It was a special joy to see their devotion to the Lord, eagerness for His Word, and zeal for mission – across China and ‘back to Jerusalem.’ We anticipated more sadness and suffering – especially after reading ‘Safely Home’ and ‘Heavenly Man’. But we were happy to learn that now – at least in large cities – there is more peace and increasing freedom. Mark made some new friends watching ‘King Kong’ on the big TV in Nanjing’s Wal-Mart Super Center…
We were very happily surprised by the wide availability of Mandarin Bibles throughout the country. We toured a government-sanctioned printing press where more than 40 million Bibles have been printed and distributed throughout China. The number multiplies as their two presses run 24 hours a day. Believers we met in several cities affirmed it is not difficult to obtain a Bible in China today. We can only anticipate with joy the great ways God will use His Word across the land. An average of 3,500 people are coming to faith in Jesus across China daily. Printing and sending ‘Good Book’ around the nation…
Back in Almaty, the ‘cloud’ lifted and our meeting with the Lord in the International Christian Fellowship has moved into the ‘Star’s Disco Club’! Their management has welcomed us to use this interesting venue. Sunday mornings we find the place clean and ready for us to worship the Bright Morning Star. I do not know where the first Christians in Philippi met for worship, but we seek to follow Paul’s exhortation to integrity and illumination; '…so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.' (Philippians 2.14-16) In mid May, Mark was the Bible teacher for a Pastor’s and Leader’s Conference of the Kazakhstan Assembly of God, also sharing about the Lord’s work among their colleagues ‘next door’…
Right now we are busy with end of the year activities at the schools where we are teaching here in Almaty. Yesterday was our daughter in law Masha’s 21st birthday. She had several good opportunities to exhibit her clothes designs in Moscow and here in Almaty in the last month. She hopes to finish her University course on Fashion Design in 2007. Josiah is very busy with many students who want to learn English here. Maylee has been ‘terrific’ at two years, four months. Our sons, Nathan and Aaron, come here for the summer in late June. We look forward to having them. We are thankful for the good year they have had in Eugene, Oregon. Aaron has almost finished one year at Lane Community College. Nathan enters his Senior year at University of Oregon in September. God is so good!
We pray that this will be a summer of growth and fruitfulness in Him. Mark’s book of sermon outlines on the Life of Abraham (Genesis 12-25) in Russian should come out in June. Pray that these may be useful tools for teachers and preachers.
We are very thankful for your prayers and support. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours for the Nations,
Mark and Dayna Blair
We visited the central Three-Self (government endorsed) Church Seminary in Nanjing. There 180 students are in their Master’s program. There are another 17 Three-Self theological schools across the land. But these cannot keep pace with their church’s tremendous growth. The Nanjing Seminary moves next year to a new campus where enrollment will exceed 500. Dayna, shared in a week night meeting in a Shanghai church…
Can you imagine a city with 4000 buildings over 40 stories tall, many bearing an impressive architecture and illumined by colored lights at night? More than 20 million people live in this clean and modern city of Shanghai. Busy shoppers in Shanghai.. Dayna’s grandfather who left from there 100 years ago for Hawaii, would be astounded. We were too. Inside the beautiful and modern Shanghai Museum we saw sculptures, bowls, and carvings that pre-date Abraham! China – very old and very new! We covered a lot of territory; from Urumqi in the Northwest to Shanghai in the Southeast, and Nanjing, Beijing, and Xian along the way. People were friendly and helpful. Food was tasty and cheap. Transport was timely and efficient – planes, trains, subways, light rail, taxis, & pedicabs.
We had encouraging visits with old friends who work there. We shared in a couple of International Churches and got lots of good ideas for our ICF in Almaty. We met believers from ‘house’ churches in two major cities and had several evenings of Bible teaching with them. It was a special joy to see their devotion to the Lord, eagerness for His Word, and zeal for mission – across China and ‘back to Jerusalem.’ We anticipated more sadness and suffering – especially after reading ‘Safely Home’ and ‘Heavenly Man’. But we were happy to learn that now – at least in large cities – there is more peace and increasing freedom. Mark made some new friends watching ‘King Kong’ on the big TV in Nanjing’s Wal-Mart Super Center…
We were very happily surprised by the wide availability of Mandarin Bibles throughout the country. We toured a government-sanctioned printing press where more than 40 million Bibles have been printed and distributed throughout China. The number multiplies as their two presses run 24 hours a day. Believers we met in several cities affirmed it is not difficult to obtain a Bible in China today. We can only anticipate with joy the great ways God will use His Word across the land. An average of 3,500 people are coming to faith in Jesus across China daily. Printing and sending ‘Good Book’ around the nation…
Back in Almaty, the ‘cloud’ lifted and our meeting with the Lord in the International Christian Fellowship has moved into the ‘Star’s Disco Club’! Their management has welcomed us to use this interesting venue. Sunday mornings we find the place clean and ready for us to worship the Bright Morning Star. I do not know where the first Christians in Philippi met for worship, but we seek to follow Paul’s exhortation to integrity and illumination; '…so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.' (Philippians 2.14-16) In mid May, Mark was the Bible teacher for a Pastor’s and Leader’s Conference of the Kazakhstan Assembly of God, also sharing about the Lord’s work among their colleagues ‘next door’…
Right now we are busy with end of the year activities at the schools where we are teaching here in Almaty. Yesterday was our daughter in law Masha’s 21st birthday. She had several good opportunities to exhibit her clothes designs in Moscow and here in Almaty in the last month. She hopes to finish her University course on Fashion Design in 2007. Josiah is very busy with many students who want to learn English here. Maylee has been ‘terrific’ at two years, four months. Our sons, Nathan and Aaron, come here for the summer in late June. We look forward to having them. We are thankful for the good year they have had in Eugene, Oregon. Aaron has almost finished one year at Lane Community College. Nathan enters his Senior year at University of Oregon in September. God is so good!
We pray that this will be a summer of growth and fruitfulness in Him. Mark’s book of sermon outlines on the Life of Abraham (Genesis 12-25) in Russian should come out in June. Pray that these may be useful tools for teachers and preachers.
We are very thankful for your prayers and support. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours for the Nations,
Mark and Dayna Blair
February 14, 2006
'Id' and Valentines Day 2006
We send warm greetings from a cool and calm Almaty. Amidst the global hubbub over religious cartoons, we have had no hostilities. Given the very secular outlook of most local Muslims, we are not surprised, but we are thankful. The subject of religion is an interesting one here.
One snowy day in January Kazakhstan recognized the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha -‘The Sacrifice of Abraham.’ Of course in this predominantly Muslim country they believe Abe’s almost-victim was his son Ishmael – as the Koran says. But this is a country where Islam is a thin veneer over deeper attitudes of superstition, atheism, and materialism which animate most hearts. So a holiday is viewed as an opportunity to open the ever present bottle of Vodka (it sells for less than Coca-Cola). Even if ‘good Muslims’ are not supposed to drink alcohol, many toasted Abraham and his son.
We looked out our window that morning onto the snow filled open courtyard between our collection of five-story apartment buildings. Here kids play soccer, even in the snow. Lovers kiss. And the garbage which should be in the dumpsters spreads across the territory – thank God for white blankets of snow! Well on this day a group of Kazakh men gathered to remember Abraham’s deed by killing a sheep. Driving their car onto the field they hoisted the unsuspecting fleece covered victim out of the trunk. Prayers were said, with their palms uplifted and their heads bowed. And a cross was etched upon the forehead of the sheep by the finger of the eldest man. (Ask a Kazakh why a cross is drawn on the head of an about to be sacrificed sheep and very few will know why. They’ve ‘always done it.’ Kazakh Christians will remind them that Christians crossed the Central Asian steppe centuries before the Muslims and this just might be a reminder of the Jesus who died on the cross as the Lamb of God.) Prayers being said and cross being etched, the knife was bared and soon the now headless sheep had fallen to its side. This spurred the gathered men to great activity. Skin is removed, entrails opened, meat is divided. Another couple of men put the sheep’s dripping head on a rock and burned it black with a gas-powered blow torch. (Oh, if Abraham could see how technology has accelerated!) It was not long before all that remained was a wet sheep skin hanging from the clothes line and a puddle of blood. No doubt there were more toasts to Abraham over a hearty meal of mutton that night.
Today – on the Love Day, as they say here – we got a warm letter from a new member of our International Christian Fellowship who is coming to know a new and wonderful love. We share it, unedited, asking you to remember this young woman, and the many millions who do not yet know why they etch a cross on sheep they sacrifice.
Dear Mark and Dayna!Today, February, 14th, 2006, is a holiday - the Day of Holy Valentine - the Love Day - in my country. I congratulate you with this Day! I wish you both and your family a strong health, happiness, success, love and prosperity to ICF Family! Let all the Christians and all people in all over the world be happy and have a strong health. Let it be a Peace and No War! Thank you for your organization and existence of ICF Church in Almaty, in Kazakhstan. It is a very wonderfull and nice place. I am glad that I've found and stay in ICF Family! It is interesting and useful for me to learn about the Christian religion, to learn the Bible. The Bible is a very valuable Book. Before this I didn't touch it and didn't open it. It is written a lot of Values in the Bible. The Bible learns to live. I want to share my thoughts and my life experience with you. I know it will be interesting for you as a Leader of the Church. You are a nice Leader. God gave you this quality. In spite of that fact that my family - Muslims, I accepted the belief in Jesus Christ in October 2005. God led me to you, to ICF Church through events and people. I should say that since October I start pray in the name of Jesus Christ from my true heart and visit the Church. And some amazing and incredible stories occurred with me when I started to believe in Him. I SHOCKED! It makes me to believe in Him, He exists REALLY! I should say that God listen to me through Jesus Christ, He replies at my requests. I made a discovery for me. In October I accepted Jesus Christ in spite of that fact that my family is Muslims. Nobody knows that I go to the Church, believe me it is not easier for me to be between two religions. Two religions came across: Muslim and Christian. My parents go to Mosk and pray for our family during a whole life. But I didn't get a reply from the Heavens before I started to believe in Jesus Christ and pray in the name of Jesus Christ. I don't know - why - only God knows. THE SOVIET SCHOOL STUDIED US TO BE ATHEISM! THE SOVIET TEACHERS STUDIED US THAT GOD DOESN'T EXIST. BUT NOWADAYS THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS WRONG. WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT GOD! THANK YOU FOR ICF AND YOUR SERMONS. GIVE THE GOD TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HEALTH AND HAPPINESS AND LONGEVITY!
And we wish the same to you!! We are very thankful for your prayers and support as we have the privilege of serving the True and Living God here in Central Asia. We have a Sovereign Savior, if He could handle the cross, bring on the cartoons!!
For His honor,
Mark and Dayna Blair
One snowy day in January Kazakhstan recognized the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha -‘The Sacrifice of Abraham.’ Of course in this predominantly Muslim country they believe Abe’s almost-victim was his son Ishmael – as the Koran says. But this is a country where Islam is a thin veneer over deeper attitudes of superstition, atheism, and materialism which animate most hearts. So a holiday is viewed as an opportunity to open the ever present bottle of Vodka (it sells for less than Coca-Cola). Even if ‘good Muslims’ are not supposed to drink alcohol, many toasted Abraham and his son.
We looked out our window that morning onto the snow filled open courtyard between our collection of five-story apartment buildings. Here kids play soccer, even in the snow. Lovers kiss. And the garbage which should be in the dumpsters spreads across the territory – thank God for white blankets of snow! Well on this day a group of Kazakh men gathered to remember Abraham’s deed by killing a sheep. Driving their car onto the field they hoisted the unsuspecting fleece covered victim out of the trunk. Prayers were said, with their palms uplifted and their heads bowed. And a cross was etched upon the forehead of the sheep by the finger of the eldest man. (Ask a Kazakh why a cross is drawn on the head of an about to be sacrificed sheep and very few will know why. They’ve ‘always done it.’ Kazakh Christians will remind them that Christians crossed the Central Asian steppe centuries before the Muslims and this just might be a reminder of the Jesus who died on the cross as the Lamb of God.) Prayers being said and cross being etched, the knife was bared and soon the now headless sheep had fallen to its side. This spurred the gathered men to great activity. Skin is removed, entrails opened, meat is divided. Another couple of men put the sheep’s dripping head on a rock and burned it black with a gas-powered blow torch. (Oh, if Abraham could see how technology has accelerated!) It was not long before all that remained was a wet sheep skin hanging from the clothes line and a puddle of blood. No doubt there were more toasts to Abraham over a hearty meal of mutton that night.
Today – on the Love Day, as they say here – we got a warm letter from a new member of our International Christian Fellowship who is coming to know a new and wonderful love. We share it, unedited, asking you to remember this young woman, and the many millions who do not yet know why they etch a cross on sheep they sacrifice.
Dear Mark and Dayna!Today, February, 14th, 2006, is a holiday - the Day of Holy Valentine - the Love Day - in my country. I congratulate you with this Day! I wish you both and your family a strong health, happiness, success, love and prosperity to ICF Family! Let all the Christians and all people in all over the world be happy and have a strong health. Let it be a Peace and No War! Thank you for your organization and existence of ICF Church in Almaty, in Kazakhstan. It is a very wonderfull and nice place. I am glad that I've found and stay in ICF Family! It is interesting and useful for me to learn about the Christian religion, to learn the Bible. The Bible is a very valuable Book. Before this I didn't touch it and didn't open it. It is written a lot of Values in the Bible. The Bible learns to live. I want to share my thoughts and my life experience with you. I know it will be interesting for you as a Leader of the Church. You are a nice Leader. God gave you this quality. In spite of that fact that my family - Muslims, I accepted the belief in Jesus Christ in October 2005. God led me to you, to ICF Church through events and people. I should say that since October I start pray in the name of Jesus Christ from my true heart and visit the Church. And some amazing and incredible stories occurred with me when I started to believe in Him. I SHOCKED! It makes me to believe in Him, He exists REALLY! I should say that God listen to me through Jesus Christ, He replies at my requests. I made a discovery for me. In October I accepted Jesus Christ in spite of that fact that my family is Muslims. Nobody knows that I go to the Church, believe me it is not easier for me to be between two religions. Two religions came across: Muslim and Christian. My parents go to Mosk and pray for our family during a whole life. But I didn't get a reply from the Heavens before I started to believe in Jesus Christ and pray in the name of Jesus Christ. I don't know - why - only God knows. THE SOVIET SCHOOL STUDIED US TO BE ATHEISM! THE SOVIET TEACHERS STUDIED US THAT GOD DOESN'T EXIST. BUT NOWADAYS THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS WRONG. WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT GOD! THANK YOU FOR ICF AND YOUR SERMONS. GIVE THE GOD TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HEALTH AND HAPPINESS AND LONGEVITY!
And we wish the same to you!! We are very thankful for your prayers and support as we have the privilege of serving the True and Living God here in Central Asia. We have a Sovereign Savior, if He could handle the cross, bring on the cartoons!!
For His honor,
Mark and Dayna Blair
May 1, 2005
The Passion of the Christ in Almaty May 2005
God has given a historic opportunity to our city; to view a vivid portrayal of what His Son did to save us from sin. “The Passion of the Christ” – in Russian - is now playing in two theaters, Alatau . At this point the film is scheduled to be shown for just two weeks. If there is a good response, it may play longer at these theaters and also be shown in other theaters around the city.
There are different opinions about this very graphic film. But as this film has been shown around the world, entire communities have focused their attention on the most ultimate questions, ‘who is Jesus?’ and ‘what did Jesus do?’ There should at least be a Christian consensus to pray that many people who have not yet found the life changing answers to these questions may do so. God only knows whether we will again see this kind of high profile Christian impact on society in our lifetime.
May I suggest that you “jump on this wave” of opportunity?
· See the film, decide its worth for yourself.
· If you feel it is valuable, take others to see it – family members, friends, colleagues from work – especially those who do not know Him.
· Seize this opportunity to talk about Jesus, people you know in the neighborhood, at work, in school, are going to see this film. Tell them more about this Jesus.
· Provide resources for people to learn more - books, Bibles, the “Jesus” film – a number of these are on the ICF Book table. If you need more materials, let me know.
· Consider going to the theaters and handing out Scripture portions and the ‘Jesus’ film to those who having seen the film want to know more. (Last night one valiant ICF member was all alone at the Arman theater – I trust he will soon be getting the word out about how we can help.)
· Pray, pray, pray!!!
I believe in the God of Jonah, who at the simple word of repentance brought the entire city of Nineveh to salvation. I believe God loves Almaty and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Almost one hundred years ago, Harry Ironside, then a preacher with the Salvation Army, was challenged by an Atheist to a debate. He agreed on one condition:
"First, you must promise to bring with you a man who was for years what we commonly call a 'down and outer'...a man who for years was under the power of evil habits from which he could not deliver himself, but on some occasion entered your meetings and heard this glorification of agnosticism and your denunciations of the Bible and Christianity, and whose heart and mind as he listened to such addresses was so deeply stirred that he went away from the meeting saying, 'From today, I too am an atheist!' and as a result of imbibing that particular philosophy found that a new power had come into his life. The sins he once loved he now hates, and righteousness and goodness are now the ideals of his life. He is now an entirely new man, a credit to himself and an asset to society - all because he is an agnostic.
Secondly, I would like you to bring with you a woman...once a poor, wrecked, characterless outcast, the slave of evil passions, and the victim of man's corrupt living but who also entered a hall where you were loudly proclaiming your agnosticism and as you spoke, hope was born in her heart and she said, 'this is just what I need to deliver me from the slavery of sin!' She followed the teaching and became an intelligent agnostic or infidel. As a result her whole life revolted against the degradation of the life she was living. She fled from the den of iniquity where she was held captive for so long; and today, rehabilitated, she has won her way back to an honored position in society and is living a clean, virtuous, happy life, all because she is an agnostic"
“If you find those two people and I will find 100 people who have been so changed by Christ.” The two people were never found, and the debate was never held.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Romans 1.16
Praying with you for our city,
Pastor Mark Blair
There are different opinions about this very graphic film. But as this film has been shown around the world, entire communities have focused their attention on the most ultimate questions, ‘who is Jesus?’ and ‘what did Jesus do?’ There should at least be a Christian consensus to pray that many people who have not yet found the life changing answers to these questions may do so. God only knows whether we will again see this kind of high profile Christian impact on society in our lifetime.
May I suggest that you “jump on this wave” of opportunity?
· See the film, decide its worth for yourself.
· If you feel it is valuable, take others to see it – family members, friends, colleagues from work – especially those who do not know Him.
· Seize this opportunity to talk about Jesus, people you know in the neighborhood, at work, in school, are going to see this film. Tell them more about this Jesus.
· Provide resources for people to learn more - books, Bibles, the “Jesus” film – a number of these are on the ICF Book table. If you need more materials, let me know.
· Consider going to the theaters and handing out Scripture portions and the ‘Jesus’ film to those who having seen the film want to know more. (Last night one valiant ICF member was all alone at the Arman theater – I trust he will soon be getting the word out about how we can help.)
· Pray, pray, pray!!!
I believe in the God of Jonah, who at the simple word of repentance brought the entire city of Nineveh to salvation. I believe God loves Almaty and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Almost one hundred years ago, Harry Ironside, then a preacher with the Salvation Army, was challenged by an Atheist to a debate. He agreed on one condition:
"First, you must promise to bring with you a man who was for years what we commonly call a 'down and outer'...a man who for years was under the power of evil habits from which he could not deliver himself, but on some occasion entered your meetings and heard this glorification of agnosticism and your denunciations of the Bible and Christianity, and whose heart and mind as he listened to such addresses was so deeply stirred that he went away from the meeting saying, 'From today, I too am an atheist!' and as a result of imbibing that particular philosophy found that a new power had come into his life. The sins he once loved he now hates, and righteousness and goodness are now the ideals of his life. He is now an entirely new man, a credit to himself and an asset to society - all because he is an agnostic.
Secondly, I would like you to bring with you a woman...once a poor, wrecked, characterless outcast, the slave of evil passions, and the victim of man's corrupt living but who also entered a hall where you were loudly proclaiming your agnosticism and as you spoke, hope was born in her heart and she said, 'this is just what I need to deliver me from the slavery of sin!' She followed the teaching and became an intelligent agnostic or infidel. As a result her whole life revolted against the degradation of the life she was living. She fled from the den of iniquity where she was held captive for so long; and today, rehabilitated, she has won her way back to an honored position in society and is living a clean, virtuous, happy life, all because she is an agnostic"
“If you find those two people and I will find 100 people who have been so changed by Christ.” The two people were never found, and the debate was never held.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Romans 1.16
Praying with you for our city,
Pastor Mark Blair
April 1, 2005
Tajikstan Report – Easter 2005
We send warm Easter greetings on this snowy day in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Our warm Springtime was abruptly covered by a cold white blanket! But it did not chill our hearts – or reduce the attendance – at our International Christian Fellowship. We had a wonderful morning exalting our Risen Lord. We pray that you also were giving Him praise – what a joyous hope we have in Him! Following our service we had an Easter feast at the hotel where we hold our services.
This year we’ve been blessed with many ministry opportunities. In January Dayna and I spent ten days in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. Mark taught a one week course on the ‘Trinity’ to young ministry leaders from five different churches there. Understanding the ‘Triples’ – as one of them innocently said in his limited English – is not easy, in any language. But the Lord graciously opened His Word to us. We also met with local pastors, preached in two prisons (Jesus brings joy and hope to the darkest places), and a home for the Elderly. On our Sunday there we shared in the Baptist church and the International Church. Dayna must have reached a new spiritual plateau that Sunday as she heard five sermons, two of them by her husband. It was actually a ‘slow’ day for the Dushanbe Baptists with only four sermons, they sometimes have eight. But as we sat in their very cold sanctuary from 9 to 1, four was quite enough, thanks! Mark and Tajik students:
‘Tajik’ is a Persian language, so there are strong linguistic and cultural ties to their Persian neighbor nations of Afghanistan and Iran. It was great to witness the passion of Tajik believers to share their Savior with ‘cousins’ in those lands. Several of our students are ‘in training’ to go in Gospel-service there. A group of Iranian Christians sang their Farsi language praise to Him who set them free during the Sunday afternoon service at the International Church.
In February Mark taught a week-long modular course on ‘Preaching’ at the newly formed ‘Reformed Theological Academy of Kazakhstan.’ At this point their name is longer than their enrollment. But the ten pastors who gather four times a year to study are bright and zealous. After seven years of teaching Central Asian church leaders, it is encouraging to see their depth of insight and understanding grow significantly. This particular ‘class’ was more like a ‘laboratory’ with each pastor preaching once during the week and their colleagues offering very helpful constructive critique.
In March Mark taught a seminar on ‘Spiritual Gifts’ at the Central Asian Business Conference. Over 100 men and women gathered from throughout the region to – in their words – learn to serve on their jobs like missionaries. Wow! What a great vision and hope. These believers want their faith to bust out of their church walls and transform their society. It was quite stimulating to interact with them. The main speaker is a Christian businessman from the Philippines! We’re quite privileged to see Him reaching into every land from this corner of His harvest field, as Isaiah foresaw the ‘nations stream to the mountain of the Lord.’
Among the many in our Easter service was a young Kazakh lawyer who has been attending ICF regularly for a couple of years. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree here, he was one of 100 Kazahstanis sent for a Master’s degree in USA that year. He earned a Master’s in Law from a prestigious American University and successfully passed the Bar Exam there. (He is one of seven Kazakhstanis with American legal credentials.) He went to America as an avowed Atheist. His host family were sincere Christians, and invited him to their church, he went out of curiosity. On the campus where he studied law, he met people who claimed to ‘have it all together’ - he did not meet any who told him about God. But in this church he met newly released prisoners, people struggling economically, and others in need. He heard them cry out to God and he watched them change. He had never seen people change in this way before. Then his sister, on a similar academic program in London, became a believer in Jesus. This was a real shock to their family. He soon saw her change in similarly positive ways. Now he is teaching in the largest law University in Almaty – fulfilling his government required service for his study abroad. Last year he obtained a 300 seat hall for a weekly presentation of the ‘Alpha Course.’ (Unfortunately, the attendance was quite small as advertisement was not allowed.) But he has come a long way from Atheism to the Alpha Course! And he continues to seek God and His Truth. I just learned from him that now the Kazakhstan government sends 3000 students for Master’s degrees to the States every year. Maybe there is someone down the road from you, waiting for an invitation to your church. All of us have a part in His great Harvest.
This week the 4th quarter at Tien Shan school begins. Dayna teaches a full load of courses, Mark teaches Bible to High Schoolers, and Aaron will graduate in June. Nathan also begins his 4th quarter at University of Oregon. Last quarter he earned a 4.0. He is enjoying his life there very much. Aaron plans to begin Community College in Oregon this Fall, living with Nathan in Eugene. Josiah, Masha and Maylee are also doing well here.
We are very thankful for your support and prayers which enable us to serve here.
In His great love,
Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
This year we’ve been blessed with many ministry opportunities. In January Dayna and I spent ten days in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. Mark taught a one week course on the ‘Trinity’ to young ministry leaders from five different churches there. Understanding the ‘Triples’ – as one of them innocently said in his limited English – is not easy, in any language. But the Lord graciously opened His Word to us. We also met with local pastors, preached in two prisons (Jesus brings joy and hope to the darkest places), and a home for the Elderly. On our Sunday there we shared in the Baptist church and the International Church. Dayna must have reached a new spiritual plateau that Sunday as she heard five sermons, two of them by her husband. It was actually a ‘slow’ day for the Dushanbe Baptists with only four sermons, they sometimes have eight. But as we sat in their very cold sanctuary from 9 to 1, four was quite enough, thanks! Mark and Tajik students:
‘Tajik’ is a Persian language, so there are strong linguistic and cultural ties to their Persian neighbor nations of Afghanistan and Iran. It was great to witness the passion of Tajik believers to share their Savior with ‘cousins’ in those lands. Several of our students are ‘in training’ to go in Gospel-service there. A group of Iranian Christians sang their Farsi language praise to Him who set them free during the Sunday afternoon service at the International Church.
In February Mark taught a week-long modular course on ‘Preaching’ at the newly formed ‘Reformed Theological Academy of Kazakhstan.’ At this point their name is longer than their enrollment. But the ten pastors who gather four times a year to study are bright and zealous. After seven years of teaching Central Asian church leaders, it is encouraging to see their depth of insight and understanding grow significantly. This particular ‘class’ was more like a ‘laboratory’ with each pastor preaching once during the week and their colleagues offering very helpful constructive critique.
In March Mark taught a seminar on ‘Spiritual Gifts’ at the Central Asian Business Conference. Over 100 men and women gathered from throughout the region to – in their words – learn to serve on their jobs like missionaries. Wow! What a great vision and hope. These believers want their faith to bust out of their church walls and transform their society. It was quite stimulating to interact with them. The main speaker is a Christian businessman from the Philippines! We’re quite privileged to see Him reaching into every land from this corner of His harvest field, as Isaiah foresaw the ‘nations stream to the mountain of the Lord.’
Among the many in our Easter service was a young Kazakh lawyer who has been attending ICF regularly for a couple of years. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree here, he was one of 100 Kazahstanis sent for a Master’s degree in USA that year. He earned a Master’s in Law from a prestigious American University and successfully passed the Bar Exam there. (He is one of seven Kazakhstanis with American legal credentials.) He went to America as an avowed Atheist. His host family were sincere Christians, and invited him to their church, he went out of curiosity. On the campus where he studied law, he met people who claimed to ‘have it all together’ - he did not meet any who told him about God. But in this church he met newly released prisoners, people struggling economically, and others in need. He heard them cry out to God and he watched them change. He had never seen people change in this way before. Then his sister, on a similar academic program in London, became a believer in Jesus. This was a real shock to their family. He soon saw her change in similarly positive ways. Now he is teaching in the largest law University in Almaty – fulfilling his government required service for his study abroad. Last year he obtained a 300 seat hall for a weekly presentation of the ‘Alpha Course.’ (Unfortunately, the attendance was quite small as advertisement was not allowed.) But he has come a long way from Atheism to the Alpha Course! And he continues to seek God and His Truth. I just learned from him that now the Kazakhstan government sends 3000 students for Master’s degrees to the States every year. Maybe there is someone down the road from you, waiting for an invitation to your church. All of us have a part in His great Harvest.
This week the 4th quarter at Tien Shan school begins. Dayna teaches a full load of courses, Mark teaches Bible to High Schoolers, and Aaron will graduate in June. Nathan also begins his 4th quarter at University of Oregon. Last quarter he earned a 4.0. He is enjoying his life there very much. Aaron plans to begin Community College in Oregon this Fall, living with Nathan in Eugene. Josiah, Masha and Maylee are also doing well here.
We are very thankful for your support and prayers which enable us to serve here.
In His great love,
Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
January 1, 2005
India Report January 2005
Namaste from Kazakhstan!
We are back from a life-changing trip to India. What an amazing country. There are so many people, all quite friendly, many poor. We saw sights – and smells - of desperate poverty and misery. And we saw exquisite beauty. Words and pictures cannot convey the incredible magnificence of the Taj Mahal. We learned much about their rich and varied history. Awesome forts and palaces of successive conquering rulers continue to speak of their ancient powers. We were impressed by their resolve to build a nation – shown in their refusal to accept outside aide for tsunami relief.
We were in the northern city of Delhi, far inland, when the tsunami struck on December 26. We watched the television pictures in shock like the rest of the world. There are twice as many people just in Delhi – not India’s largest city – than in the entire county of Kazakhstan. We spent about a week touring the northwestern area, the state of Rajasthan. Then we went to Agra, city of the Taj Mahal. From Agra we had a 30 hour train ride to the western coast of Goa – unaffected by the tsunami. There in Goa we enjoyed almost a week along the Arabian Sea – lounging on wide sandy beaches, enjoying fresh fruits and fish, and riding the waves, with very few people. Our time in India was restful, inexpensive, and interesting. It’s quite different to be back in our ‘small town’ of Almaty with just a million and a half people. We seemed to pass that many people just walking around some blocks in India.
I’m sure I’ll sound like a preacher, but I came away very grateful. I do not know why God allowed me to be a fat, rich American. We traveled very light – by our standards – with just a couple changes of our ‘oldest clothes’ but we looked well dressed. It was not unusual to see entire families living in the median strips of congested city highways, in tattered tents with a bunch of half naked children. I have seen the ‘ghettos’ of America, and it is a scandal that they exist, but they’re palatial by comparison. I ‘cruised’ through school – making more memories than grades – while students in India intensely compete with millions of others for the very few places available in Universities. When an ‘outsourced’ job is offered at one of the new communications centers, hundreds of thousands apply for the modest salaried positions. I suppose it won’t be long before I have an extra scoop of chocolate on my Jamoca Almond Fudge, but I hope what we saw continues to challenge my decisions.
We are packing again for a trip. The teaching I was supposed to do in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in early December has been rescheduled to next week. We were unable to get the Tajik visa at that time. Dayna and I will be leaving on Sunday, Aaron will be here with a friend. We will teach an intensive week-long course on “The Trinity” to about 30 ministry leaders.
God is good! Thanks for praying us all through this year. We are very grateful.
May this New Year be one of joy and blessing to you through Jesus Christ – Lord of the Nations, Hope of the World.
Love and prayers, Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
We are back from a life-changing trip to India. What an amazing country. There are so many people, all quite friendly, many poor. We saw sights – and smells - of desperate poverty and misery. And we saw exquisite beauty. Words and pictures cannot convey the incredible magnificence of the Taj Mahal. We learned much about their rich and varied history. Awesome forts and palaces of successive conquering rulers continue to speak of their ancient powers. We were impressed by their resolve to build a nation – shown in their refusal to accept outside aide for tsunami relief.
We were in the northern city of Delhi, far inland, when the tsunami struck on December 26. We watched the television pictures in shock like the rest of the world. There are twice as many people just in Delhi – not India’s largest city – than in the entire county of Kazakhstan. We spent about a week touring the northwestern area, the state of Rajasthan. Then we went to Agra, city of the Taj Mahal. From Agra we had a 30 hour train ride to the western coast of Goa – unaffected by the tsunami. There in Goa we enjoyed almost a week along the Arabian Sea – lounging on wide sandy beaches, enjoying fresh fruits and fish, and riding the waves, with very few people. Our time in India was restful, inexpensive, and interesting. It’s quite different to be back in our ‘small town’ of Almaty with just a million and a half people. We seemed to pass that many people just walking around some blocks in India.
I’m sure I’ll sound like a preacher, but I came away very grateful. I do not know why God allowed me to be a fat, rich American. We traveled very light – by our standards – with just a couple changes of our ‘oldest clothes’ but we looked well dressed. It was not unusual to see entire families living in the median strips of congested city highways, in tattered tents with a bunch of half naked children. I have seen the ‘ghettos’ of America, and it is a scandal that they exist, but they’re palatial by comparison. I ‘cruised’ through school – making more memories than grades – while students in India intensely compete with millions of others for the very few places available in Universities. When an ‘outsourced’ job is offered at one of the new communications centers, hundreds of thousands apply for the modest salaried positions. I suppose it won’t be long before I have an extra scoop of chocolate on my Jamoca Almond Fudge, but I hope what we saw continues to challenge my decisions.
We are packing again for a trip. The teaching I was supposed to do in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in early December has been rescheduled to next week. We were unable to get the Tajik visa at that time. Dayna and I will be leaving on Sunday, Aaron will be here with a friend. We will teach an intensive week-long course on “The Trinity” to about 30 ministry leaders.
God is good! Thanks for praying us all through this year. We are very grateful.
May this New Year be one of joy and blessing to you through Jesus Christ – Lord of the Nations, Hope of the World.
Love and prayers, Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
October 15, 2004
Socks, Neckties, and Rock and Roll – Almaty, October 2004
Aloha from Almaty! Last week I had dinner with the “Minority Report” a Rock and Roll band here in Kazakhstan. Despite their craft, tattoos and body piercing were conspicuously absent. Actually “Minority Report” is five quite normal looking young people, two women and three men. Three are married with small children. A couple graduated from a prestigious Music Conservatory here. All of them have day jobs. Two are Kazakh, one is Karakalpak, one is Uighur, and one Russian – united by their musical talents, love for God, and concern for others. I was not invited for musical advice, or wardrobe consultation, (double obviously!) but as a Bible teacher - a ‘neutral pastor (none of them attend ICF) whom they all respect.’ As these ‘rock stars’ struggle to make ends meet, the outside observer would be quite surprised to find them concerned about God’s tithe. But they are acutely conscious of the Heavenly Observer. So we spent four hours talking about ‘tithes and offerings.’ (Most America Christians find it hard to sit still for ten minutes on that topic!) Since they’re members of four different churches, which one should receive? Or should they ‘by pass’ the church and give to poor people whom they know? Or, since the funds were given to do ministry, should 100% be spent on instruments and other ministry needs? Some shared heartfelt convictions with tears. Their families are blessed through tithing, and they wanted that blessing for their group.
Twenty years ago we were privileged to witness the ‘East African Revival’ while serving in Uganda. Believers in Jesus strove to ‘walk in the light of God’ through all their life. Their dynamic preaching and singing was matched by daily surrender to God. I remember attending fellowship meetings where their transparency was sometimes painful. Men daringly asked their brethren why they succumbed to ‘worldly standards’ - like wearing socks and neckties. At which point I curled my covered ankles under my chair. They sometimes bordered on the extreme, but such sincere questions measured their fervency. ‘Going to church’ was the highlight of a week lived for God. They desired, as they often said, to ‘live in a house with no walls and no roof’. This dwelling, which sounds more appropriate for tropical Africa than Kazakhstan, revealed a longing that nothing hinders their fellowship with man and God. All their life was from Him and they wanted to live it for Him.
Last week in a cozy Soviet-style apartment of a Minority Report member, I witnessed that same intensity. It was voiced by Central Asians speaking Russian instead of African English. But with one voice they expressed a sincere desire to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we wonder, “What is the impact of our ministry?” There are many obstacles to Christian work in Central Asia. The government claims to be open, but the numerous officials we have to deal with (our visa expires again November 11!!) are not particularly welcoming (lots of understatement there…). And the oft’ spoken mantra here is ‘to be Kazakh is to be Muslim.’ But despite adversity, God has His Minority Report.
At the end of our discussion they agreed to consider the ‘Solomon’s baby’ approach to their tithe – cut it up! Ten percent of their ministry proceeds will be designated for tithing, and each of the five members will be entrusted with using two percent the way they believe God directs. Although they had strong convictions, they agreed to live in mutual respect and trust under His leadership. I urged them not to let diversity in a debatable matter hinder their unity in the unquestionable task of making Christ known. Praise the Lord for this group of sincere servants! Pray that He will keep them in His peace and unity. Pray that with one heart and voice – and guitar rip - they will glorify the Lord Jesus and see many drawn to Him.
Spiritual Gifts Seminar
Yesterday after preaching on Jesus’ letter to the Church at Laodicea (Revelation 3) at International Christian Fellowship, Dayna and I taxied up into the nearby mountains for an overnight retreat. There we joined more than 300 members from a local Presbytery. (One Presbyterian church planted about 8 years ago now has 5 daughter congregations, in three languages!) Mark was asked to present two sessions on the topic of “Spiritual Gifts.” We had a great time with them. What a joy to meet vibrant believers who want to leap from the pews into the harvest field. They wanted to know ‘how can I find MY spiritual gift and put it to use?’ Pray that He will show them and continue to multiply these faithful congregations.
Fall Festival
Dayna has a full load of classes to teach at Tien Shan School this year. Aaron is having a good senior year thus far. He was the captain of the Soccer team and is now preparing for volleyball season (Dayna will be a coach). To mark the end of the first quarter TSS just held their first Fall Festival. The Lord provided a warm shirt-sleeve Saturday for the several hundred people who came. They enjoyed numerous game booths and competitions, lots of good food, piñatas, cake walks, and even back massages (the ‘Tension Buster Booth’). More than 50 kids – or more accurately Spider Men, Shrek’s, Firemen, Hobbit’s, and even a blue M & M paraded in competition. Talent gushed from the stage as 11 “Air Bands” lip-synched famous ballads – from Louis Armstrong to ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ to Rappers. They more than fulfilled their intention of raising money for school expenses and providing a great day of fun for families.
More Opportunities
We are extremely busy. Dayna continues to help guide our Sunday school at International Christian Fellowship. Mark is enjoying preaching every Sunday at ICF through the book of Revelation. Mark also teaches Old Testament Survey and Preaching weekly at KECS seminary. My textbook on ‘Preaching’ translated into Russian arrived from the printers two weeks ago. It was the day before I taught a modular course on Preaching in a newly formed graduate program at the Baptist Bible Institute. In mid November Mark has been asked to preach at the building dedication service for a newly formed local church. At the end of November, Dayna and Mark hope to go to Dushanbe, Tajikistan where Mark will teach a week long modular course on ‘The Trinity’ and preach in the International Church there. Pray for visas and the needed travel fare. We thank the Lord for these open doors of service and pray that we may be of encouragement to His newly forming Church here in Central Asia.
One concern in the midst of this busy time is that our financial support is down. Our funds for this month were finished half way through the month. We are very grateful for your faithful support and especially your prayers.
Well, the brilliant fall colors here have mostly fallen to the ground and the barren branches point to winter’s coming. We’re not quite ready, but it’s coming anyway! We are thankful to serve a faithful God and that He has made you a demonstration of that faithfulness in our lives.
Love and prayers,
Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
Twenty years ago we were privileged to witness the ‘East African Revival’ while serving in Uganda. Believers in Jesus strove to ‘walk in the light of God’ through all their life. Their dynamic preaching and singing was matched by daily surrender to God. I remember attending fellowship meetings where their transparency was sometimes painful. Men daringly asked their brethren why they succumbed to ‘worldly standards’ - like wearing socks and neckties. At which point I curled my covered ankles under my chair. They sometimes bordered on the extreme, but such sincere questions measured their fervency. ‘Going to church’ was the highlight of a week lived for God. They desired, as they often said, to ‘live in a house with no walls and no roof’. This dwelling, which sounds more appropriate for tropical Africa than Kazakhstan, revealed a longing that nothing hinders their fellowship with man and God. All their life was from Him and they wanted to live it for Him.
Last week in a cozy Soviet-style apartment of a Minority Report member, I witnessed that same intensity. It was voiced by Central Asians speaking Russian instead of African English. But with one voice they expressed a sincere desire to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we wonder, “What is the impact of our ministry?” There are many obstacles to Christian work in Central Asia. The government claims to be open, but the numerous officials we have to deal with (our visa expires again November 11!!) are not particularly welcoming (lots of understatement there…). And the oft’ spoken mantra here is ‘to be Kazakh is to be Muslim.’ But despite adversity, God has His Minority Report.
At the end of our discussion they agreed to consider the ‘Solomon’s baby’ approach to their tithe – cut it up! Ten percent of their ministry proceeds will be designated for tithing, and each of the five members will be entrusted with using two percent the way they believe God directs. Although they had strong convictions, they agreed to live in mutual respect and trust under His leadership. I urged them not to let diversity in a debatable matter hinder their unity in the unquestionable task of making Christ known. Praise the Lord for this group of sincere servants! Pray that He will keep them in His peace and unity. Pray that with one heart and voice – and guitar rip - they will glorify the Lord Jesus and see many drawn to Him.
Spiritual Gifts Seminar
Yesterday after preaching on Jesus’ letter to the Church at Laodicea (Revelation 3) at International Christian Fellowship, Dayna and I taxied up into the nearby mountains for an overnight retreat. There we joined more than 300 members from a local Presbytery. (One Presbyterian church planted about 8 years ago now has 5 daughter congregations, in three languages!) Mark was asked to present two sessions on the topic of “Spiritual Gifts.” We had a great time with them. What a joy to meet vibrant believers who want to leap from the pews into the harvest field. They wanted to know ‘how can I find MY spiritual gift and put it to use?’ Pray that He will show them and continue to multiply these faithful congregations.
Fall Festival
Dayna has a full load of classes to teach at Tien Shan School this year. Aaron is having a good senior year thus far. He was the captain of the Soccer team and is now preparing for volleyball season (Dayna will be a coach). To mark the end of the first quarter TSS just held their first Fall Festival. The Lord provided a warm shirt-sleeve Saturday for the several hundred people who came. They enjoyed numerous game booths and competitions, lots of good food, piñatas, cake walks, and even back massages (the ‘Tension Buster Booth’). More than 50 kids – or more accurately Spider Men, Shrek’s, Firemen, Hobbit’s, and even a blue M & M paraded in competition. Talent gushed from the stage as 11 “Air Bands” lip-synched famous ballads – from Louis Armstrong to ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ to Rappers. They more than fulfilled their intention of raising money for school expenses and providing a great day of fun for families.
More Opportunities
We are extremely busy. Dayna continues to help guide our Sunday school at International Christian Fellowship. Mark is enjoying preaching every Sunday at ICF through the book of Revelation. Mark also teaches Old Testament Survey and Preaching weekly at KECS seminary. My textbook on ‘Preaching’ translated into Russian arrived from the printers two weeks ago. It was the day before I taught a modular course on Preaching in a newly formed graduate program at the Baptist Bible Institute. In mid November Mark has been asked to preach at the building dedication service for a newly formed local church. At the end of November, Dayna and Mark hope to go to Dushanbe, Tajikistan where Mark will teach a week long modular course on ‘The Trinity’ and preach in the International Church there. Pray for visas and the needed travel fare. We thank the Lord for these open doors of service and pray that we may be of encouragement to His newly forming Church here in Central Asia.
One concern in the midst of this busy time is that our financial support is down. Our funds for this month were finished half way through the month. We are very grateful for your faithful support and especially your prayers.
Well, the brilliant fall colors here have mostly fallen to the ground and the barren branches point to winter’s coming. We’re not quite ready, but it’s coming anyway! We are thankful to serve a faithful God and that He has made you a demonstration of that faithfulness in our lives.
Love and prayers,
Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair
June 1, 2004
Kyrgyz Students 2004
Last month Mark taught a course on “Paul’s Letters” to about 20 young leaders in the city of Osh in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Half of the class were former Muslims. Islam is often depicted as an impenetrable monolith of zealous Muslims. Indeed, among the world’s billion Muslims, many are ready to die a martyrs’ death. But there are a large number who silently question their authoritarian leaders – who cringe at the violence and terror – and wonder if there is another way. Here are three I had the privilege of teaching in Osh.
Shengiz became religiously aware in 1999 when a Jehovah’s Witness man in his village said the world would end that year. When the clocked rolled over to 2000 the villagers gave a sigh of relief and booted the false prophet out. A year later Shengiz was invited to attend a birthday party with his college friends. He soon found this group of Kyrgyz kinsmen offering up prayers to God in Jesus name. This was the first time he had heard anyone pray in Kyrgyz. (Muslims there pray in ‘Arabic;’ at least they are supposed to. In reality very few actually know that holy language so they mumble ‘Arabic’ sounds.) Shengiz heard these classmates daring to speak to the Almighty in their colloquial. His first thought was that they too were Jehovah’s Witnesses! But they explained they were Bible believing Christians who trusted in Jesus (‘Isa in Arabic) for their salvation. This set Shengiz on a year-long quest to discover “who is Jesus?’ He read the Quran, religion and philosophy tomes, and the Bible. On one night-long read through the New Testament he called out to Jesus about 5 a.m. He then returned home carrying a Bible and was promptly thrown out of the house by his parents. His two brothers have attended Christian meetings with Shengiz but dropped out because they did not want trouble with their father. Over the last few years Shengiz has deepened in his Christian experience and continued to be a loving and respectful son. He is now his father’s favorite son, admired for his maturity and his convictions.
Jedegul, a Kyrgyz young lady, found Jesus along the road one day. She was walking the several miles from a hospital to the town. Her companion had just been discharged from one year of hospitalization. Wanting to fully experience all the sensations of her new freedom, they walked! As they passed a fancy home the two girls expressed their envy. Just then – almost like Jesus on the road to Emmaus – a man came up from behind and told them that true riches were only found in God. Their walk became a Christ-centered trialogue. By the time they reached town, all three knew Him. That night Jedegul gathered all the girls in her college dormitory and took them to a prayer meeting at a Russian Baptist church. For these Asian Muslim women, it was much like a trip to Mars. Yet the God who breaks down all barriers created a bond between them and a number have continued with Him. Jedegul’s parents soon found out about their young mass evangelist and they were not pleased. They appeared at her dorm unexpectedly and ordered that she renounce her faith in Jesus. She respectfully refused. Then her father had a talk with the college director. The next day this official met with Jedegul saying that if she did not renounce Jesus, she would be expelled. She refused and she was. Having no where to turn, Jedegul returned home, and stopped attending church. For several years she went every day to the bazaar and helped her father sell his wares, but she never stopped believing in Jesus. One day a summer team of American Christians visited that bazaar and engaged Jedegul in conversation. She then realized she could no longer keep her light hidden and returned to church. She still works alongside her father in the bazaar six days a week. But now he pretends not to know where his daughter has been slipping away to every Sunday for the last four years. Recently he told his daughter of his admiration for her. And then he added, “I too believe that Jesus is God. But if I say this openly, our Muslim neighbors will burn our house down.”
Sonarbek, a young Kyrgyz man was only a nominal Muslim, despite his father being an ‘Imam’ (Islamic prayer leader) for their village. When he came to faith in Jesus through the witness of some friends, both his parents were angry. Yet Sonarbek intentionally left Christian books and literature – all in Kyrgyz language – in the sitting room so his family could know what he had come to believe. He often found his parents reading this material. Soon his father was reading the Bible quite regularly and citing Biblical themes in his conversations. One day Sonarbek’s infant adopted sister became quite ill, near unto death. Sonarbek’s father desperately sought his prayers saying, “In your Bible Jesus says, ‘Whatever you ask in my name I will do.’ Ask him to heal your sister!” Sonarbek refused. Rather, he challenged his father saying, “I think Jesus would rather you ask Him yourself.” So this Muslim Imam prayed to Jesus, pleading for his young daughter’s life. God heard his prayer and the girl was healed. Sonarbek’s mother is now quite openly praying to Jesus and reading the Bible, though still praying in a mosque. His grandmother is doing the same. Grandma recently told Sonarbek, “When you choose a girl to marry find her in your church, not our mosque, the best one’s are in the church.” His father is at this point a secret disciple of Jesus, still leading prayers in the mosque.
Not long ago Sonarbek went to visit a friend in a neighboring village of about 500 people. While visiting and sharing the message of Jesus with this friend, the Imam from that village arrived. Sonarbek placed the Kyrgyz Bible on the table in the room as they visited together. Eventually the Imam picked up the book and was interested that it was in their language, Kyrgyz. Sonarbek explained that it was a Bible. The Imam became quite fascinated and read intently. After some time he said, “I need this book. This is the message I need to teach in the mosque.” Sonarbek said that as he had written many notes in the book it would be more appropriate for him to give the Imam a new copy. (Muslims revere the Holy Books themselves and would not respect a book as well-marked as S’s Bible.) In a matter of days Sonarbek presented a new Bible to the Imam and he has begun to use it as the basis of his messages in the mosque.
Yulia’s father is an Uzbek Muslim and her mother is Russian Orthodox. Neither one was very happy when at the age of 12 Yulia announced that she wanted to follow Jesus. Over the years, as they have watched Yulia grow into a mature Christian woman, wife, and mother - their opinions have softened. Her mother has become an interested student of the Bible, still praying in the Orthodox church. Her father kept his anti-Christian arguments going for several years. But a few years back both mother and father found themselves unemployed. The father challenged, “You pray to Jesus for a job, and I will pray to Allah for a job.” Jesus gave her mother a job, the father is still unemployed, and no longer speaks about Islam.
The course I taught in Osh was an intensive night course. The students are busy with their normal work and study demands during the day. But there were arranged lunches with small groups of students each day to have some informal time together. All week we joined the small crowd in a ‘western style’ restaurant. In a city where the population is 50% Kyrgyz, 35% Uzbek, and the rest Koreans, Chinese, other Central Asian peoples and Russians, Western cuisine is not their specialty. So all week I dined on what was no doubt their best effort to make ‘cutlet’, ‘baked chicken’, and ‘beef stroganoff.’ Throughout the week I kept asking my host where the local people ate. On Friday I found out. We found the “In and Out” of Osh. It is located right across the street from the city’s central mosque where several thousand gather for Friday prayers. I think half of them found also found their way to our restaurant. They specialize in ‘Samsa’ which is a meat pie found throughout this part of the world. But this place serves up the ‘Mother of all Samsas!’ Eating one of these samsa’s is the equivalent of consuming two Burger King Whoppers – not that I would know, of course. A meat and onion mix is placed into the bread dough and the ball shaped entrée is stuck on to the side of a huge rounded clay oven. We arrived just as a batch was being taken out and distributed to the several dozen people who lined up, or sort of lined up. Many had multiple orders to fill. Some hopped onto bicycles and raced off for steaming hot deliveries. So we missed this batch. We spent the next half an hour sitting at our plastic table in a large bustling open air patio area, drinking tea and eating fresh baked bread. These loaves are round and flat, about the shape of a ‘Frisbee’, also cooked along the walls of rounded clay ovens. My host, an ethnic Russian, and I were about the only white skinned customers in the cavernous dining area. A steady stream of bearded men, wearing robes and Islamic prayer caps, came to eat. About a fourth of the crowd were women, most wearing Islamic head covering. The occasional western dressed young woman came in, and all the prayer caps turned in her direction. Finally, after numerous cups of tea, and nearly consuming the entire ‘Frisbee,’ it was samsa time! We reached across to a nearby table for the common knife used to remove the hard baked top from the pie, steam gushed out as we sliced. A savory mix of meat, onions, and fat lie awaited us. As I spooned down more fat than I would normally choose to eat – which tasted great! – I clung to the words of a colleague on the Atkins diet who recently told me, “fat is your friend.” This day that friendship intensified.
Shengiz became religiously aware in 1999 when a Jehovah’s Witness man in his village said the world would end that year. When the clocked rolled over to 2000 the villagers gave a sigh of relief and booted the false prophet out. A year later Shengiz was invited to attend a birthday party with his college friends. He soon found this group of Kyrgyz kinsmen offering up prayers to God in Jesus name. This was the first time he had heard anyone pray in Kyrgyz. (Muslims there pray in ‘Arabic;’ at least they are supposed to. In reality very few actually know that holy language so they mumble ‘Arabic’ sounds.) Shengiz heard these classmates daring to speak to the Almighty in their colloquial. His first thought was that they too were Jehovah’s Witnesses! But they explained they were Bible believing Christians who trusted in Jesus (‘Isa in Arabic) for their salvation. This set Shengiz on a year-long quest to discover “who is Jesus?’ He read the Quran, religion and philosophy tomes, and the Bible. On one night-long read through the New Testament he called out to Jesus about 5 a.m. He then returned home carrying a Bible and was promptly thrown out of the house by his parents. His two brothers have attended Christian meetings with Shengiz but dropped out because they did not want trouble with their father. Over the last few years Shengiz has deepened in his Christian experience and continued to be a loving and respectful son. He is now his father’s favorite son, admired for his maturity and his convictions.
Jedegul, a Kyrgyz young lady, found Jesus along the road one day. She was walking the several miles from a hospital to the town. Her companion had just been discharged from one year of hospitalization. Wanting to fully experience all the sensations of her new freedom, they walked! As they passed a fancy home the two girls expressed their envy. Just then – almost like Jesus on the road to Emmaus – a man came up from behind and told them that true riches were only found in God. Their walk became a Christ-centered trialogue. By the time they reached town, all three knew Him. That night Jedegul gathered all the girls in her college dormitory and took them to a prayer meeting at a Russian Baptist church. For these Asian Muslim women, it was much like a trip to Mars. Yet the God who breaks down all barriers created a bond between them and a number have continued with Him. Jedegul’s parents soon found out about their young mass evangelist and they were not pleased. They appeared at her dorm unexpectedly and ordered that she renounce her faith in Jesus. She respectfully refused. Then her father had a talk with the college director. The next day this official met with Jedegul saying that if she did not renounce Jesus, she would be expelled. She refused and she was. Having no where to turn, Jedegul returned home, and stopped attending church. For several years she went every day to the bazaar and helped her father sell his wares, but she never stopped believing in Jesus. One day a summer team of American Christians visited that bazaar and engaged Jedegul in conversation. She then realized she could no longer keep her light hidden and returned to church. She still works alongside her father in the bazaar six days a week. But now he pretends not to know where his daughter has been slipping away to every Sunday for the last four years. Recently he told his daughter of his admiration for her. And then he added, “I too believe that Jesus is God. But if I say this openly, our Muslim neighbors will burn our house down.”
Sonarbek, a young Kyrgyz man was only a nominal Muslim, despite his father being an ‘Imam’ (Islamic prayer leader) for their village. When he came to faith in Jesus through the witness of some friends, both his parents were angry. Yet Sonarbek intentionally left Christian books and literature – all in Kyrgyz language – in the sitting room so his family could know what he had come to believe. He often found his parents reading this material. Soon his father was reading the Bible quite regularly and citing Biblical themes in his conversations. One day Sonarbek’s infant adopted sister became quite ill, near unto death. Sonarbek’s father desperately sought his prayers saying, “In your Bible Jesus says, ‘Whatever you ask in my name I will do.’ Ask him to heal your sister!” Sonarbek refused. Rather, he challenged his father saying, “I think Jesus would rather you ask Him yourself.” So this Muslim Imam prayed to Jesus, pleading for his young daughter’s life. God heard his prayer and the girl was healed. Sonarbek’s mother is now quite openly praying to Jesus and reading the Bible, though still praying in a mosque. His grandmother is doing the same. Grandma recently told Sonarbek, “When you choose a girl to marry find her in your church, not our mosque, the best one’s are in the church.” His father is at this point a secret disciple of Jesus, still leading prayers in the mosque.
Not long ago Sonarbek went to visit a friend in a neighboring village of about 500 people. While visiting and sharing the message of Jesus with this friend, the Imam from that village arrived. Sonarbek placed the Kyrgyz Bible on the table in the room as they visited together. Eventually the Imam picked up the book and was interested that it was in their language, Kyrgyz. Sonarbek explained that it was a Bible. The Imam became quite fascinated and read intently. After some time he said, “I need this book. This is the message I need to teach in the mosque.” Sonarbek said that as he had written many notes in the book it would be more appropriate for him to give the Imam a new copy. (Muslims revere the Holy Books themselves and would not respect a book as well-marked as S’s Bible.) In a matter of days Sonarbek presented a new Bible to the Imam and he has begun to use it as the basis of his messages in the mosque.
Yulia’s father is an Uzbek Muslim and her mother is Russian Orthodox. Neither one was very happy when at the age of 12 Yulia announced that she wanted to follow Jesus. Over the years, as they have watched Yulia grow into a mature Christian woman, wife, and mother - their opinions have softened. Her mother has become an interested student of the Bible, still praying in the Orthodox church. Her father kept his anti-Christian arguments going for several years. But a few years back both mother and father found themselves unemployed. The father challenged, “You pray to Jesus for a job, and I will pray to Allah for a job.” Jesus gave her mother a job, the father is still unemployed, and no longer speaks about Islam.
The course I taught in Osh was an intensive night course. The students are busy with their normal work and study demands during the day. But there were arranged lunches with small groups of students each day to have some informal time together. All week we joined the small crowd in a ‘western style’ restaurant. In a city where the population is 50% Kyrgyz, 35% Uzbek, and the rest Koreans, Chinese, other Central Asian peoples and Russians, Western cuisine is not their specialty. So all week I dined on what was no doubt their best effort to make ‘cutlet’, ‘baked chicken’, and ‘beef stroganoff.’ Throughout the week I kept asking my host where the local people ate. On Friday I found out. We found the “In and Out” of Osh. It is located right across the street from the city’s central mosque where several thousand gather for Friday prayers. I think half of them found also found their way to our restaurant. They specialize in ‘Samsa’ which is a meat pie found throughout this part of the world. But this place serves up the ‘Mother of all Samsas!’ Eating one of these samsa’s is the equivalent of consuming two Burger King Whoppers – not that I would know, of course. A meat and onion mix is placed into the bread dough and the ball shaped entrée is stuck on to the side of a huge rounded clay oven. We arrived just as a batch was being taken out and distributed to the several dozen people who lined up, or sort of lined up. Many had multiple orders to fill. Some hopped onto bicycles and raced off for steaming hot deliveries. So we missed this batch. We spent the next half an hour sitting at our plastic table in a large bustling open air patio area, drinking tea and eating fresh baked bread. These loaves are round and flat, about the shape of a ‘Frisbee’, also cooked along the walls of rounded clay ovens. My host, an ethnic Russian, and I were about the only white skinned customers in the cavernous dining area. A steady stream of bearded men, wearing robes and Islamic prayer caps, came to eat. About a fourth of the crowd were women, most wearing Islamic head covering. The occasional western dressed young woman came in, and all the prayer caps turned in her direction. Finally, after numerous cups of tea, and nearly consuming the entire ‘Frisbee,’ it was samsa time! We reached across to a nearby table for the common knife used to remove the hard baked top from the pie, steam gushed out as we sliced. A savory mix of meat, onions, and fat lie awaited us. As I spooned down more fat than I would normally choose to eat – which tasted great! – I clung to the words of a colleague on the Atkins diet who recently told me, “fat is your friend.” This day that friendship intensified.
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