January 9, 1999

Slugging, Darkness, and other Crazy Stuff


“From the Tropics to the Tundra”
An Update from the Blair family in Kazakhstan, Central Asia

                                                            January 1999
E-mail:            blairstan@hotmail.com

Mailing address:         Send support money to:
Blair’s                         Pioneers
c/o KECS                    12343 Narcoosse Road
P.O. Box 244              Orlando, Florida 32827
Almaty 480000           [checks are to be made out to “Pioneers”
Kazakhstan                  - noted for Blair’s on a separate paper]
(letters & packages
are arriving safely!)

Phone (from USA) -  011-732-72-636790  [we’re 14 hr. ahead of Pacific Standard Time)

Happy New Year from Almaty!

We all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season here. We now know why so many ballads have waxed eloquently about snow at Christmas! It really is beautiful. The boys initiated their snowboards and claim they’ll never be the same. We’re just 30 minutes from world-class slopes and lifts at a very low price. So they’re especially glad that their school, and the seminary, will be on break until early February.

We thank God that our container arrived! We’re so grateful for our comfortable beds and other goodies. The boys have finished their second quarter of school and are doing well. They continue to be challenged by the tough academic competition of kids from around the world, which we think is great. Dayna will have another colleague for her high school teaching next term which will allow her some more time for other ministry. This month we are getting more settled in our apt., studying for upcoming classes, and learning more Russian. Mark will be the speaker for a large gathering of “workers” from throughout Central Asia in the middle of January.

We are so grateful for your support and prayer. Financially we are slightly under-supported if the Lord puts that on your heart this new year. We ask special prayers for our students who are sent out to “unreached” places in this nation to share His wonderful love. Also, the government is considering a law which would greatly restrict the work of churches and overseas workers here, much like what was passed in Russia last year. Pray! Please ask the Lord to make our year a fruitful one for His Kingdom and glory, we do the same for you.

Lots of interesting things have happened during the last few months, for example:

RIGHT ON TIME     

            Due to some problems with our bank, the Seminary recently endured a financial shortage. Funds from overseas were not available to pay needed expenses. This was especially difficult for our students as many are reliant on their small stipend. Understandably, they were quite troubled and by their own admission they gave into grumbling.
           
At one point there was a collective realization that their attitudes about the financial problem were not pleasing to God. On their own initiative they gathered for a time of prayer; confessing sins of complaining, and asking for patience. As God would have it, the very next day our funds were received in our local bank and they were able to receive their needed stipends. Was it just a banking error? Perhaps. . Would the God of the universe intervene in the banking systems of the world to grow His children to greater maturity in Christ? We know that with our Sovereign God there are no accidents. He is always on time - never early, never late. We thank God for the mature Christian attitude our students displayed in this matter
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WORKING THE BUS

            While we were riding a crowded city bus we saw something quite unusual.  At one stop there boarded a little child holding hands with another younger child - obviously siblings, they are Gypsies from Tadjikastan. The older girl immediately began a very dramatic speech, punctuated with tears. People on the bus grew quiet and listened. After the well delivered message, the little ones worked their way down the aisles of the bus, collecting money from most of the passengers - many of whom are in tears. Even the conductor gives money to the kids. At the next stop they get off - after having traveled freely. Then they board another bus for the same song....second verse.

















                                                            

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GRACE FOR SLUGGER

            After the usually exciting one hour bus ride (oh the sights, sounds, smells, and bumps!), I arrived at the Kazakh campus of the Seminary. I expected to deliver the first lecture of a course I wrote on “Worship.” As I entered the building, I was met by one of the translators who shared a disturbing tale of a fist-fight. As I walked in the building I met the Kazakh pastor who oversees the Seminary. As he knew nothing about the incident, we thought it best to both go into the class of  assembled students and inquire. He stood and asked if anyone knew about such a fight. By the way everyone immediately turned their shocked faces down toward the ground I realized that everyone, and no one, knew about this incident! Everyone sat in nervous silence.

            As the pastor pressed them for a response, we got into discussion about a row in a Chapel service that erupted  a few days before when a student gave a testimony about the healing of their child. Their daughter - now 4 years old - was so badly beaten by an uncle as an infant she never was able to walk. Two months ago she began to walk! (She still needs surgery which the parents have no money for, so pray for the precious little one.) Anyway, she walked the day her mother burned their family’s copy of the Quran (Muslim holy book). They had been converted to Christianity from Islam, but never completely broke with reading the Quran. As he spoke an old Kazakh man who audits classes and works around the campus  began to  shout. I would describe him as a “seeker.” He was a zealous Muslim and is now considering the claims of Jesus - but at this point he still considers the Quran divine. So for him it was sacrilege for these folks to burn the book! An interesting episode, but the “fight” mystery remained unsolved.

            Finally someone rose to speak. He is a Pastor who has come for more training. He had been sucker punched in the face by the man who happened to be sitting right behind him. As the story unfolded, and believe me it took awhile, it was quite interesting. It turns out that the Slugger (better you just pray for these dear folk anonymously) had been a member of this Pastor’s church. In fact, they were quite close. Slugger is an orphan with no family who grew up on the streets. He’s been in and out of jail and overcome addictions. To look at him you can tell its wise to give him some space. Yet, he is clearly a new believer and God is at work in his life. It seems that his pastor friend was recently married and now Slugger feels so lonely; he is emotionally jilted!

            Slugger’s response was honorable. He stood and apologized to me and the Kazakh Pastor, something he had already done to his Pastor in the presence of witnesses. He then announced that he was unfit to be a Seminary student. Our Kazakh overseer quickly rose and said “Go ahead and leave if you are so weak, if you really want to be a  strong man you’ll stay right here and let Jesus change you!” I was a bit shocked by this “tough love,” but for this guy it was quite appropriate. Then a flood of hands were raised and students wanted to share their testimonies. Tearfully looking at Slugger, whose head was  buried in his hands most of the time, they told how God had saved them from some very terrible lives. They admittedly continued to struggle but were proving God faithful. Awesome is a poor word to describe the surge of love, mercy, and compassion which filled that room and surrounded Slugger. I know the angels of God were dancing for joy. Slugger has decided to stay and trust God to make him a new man - he’s not Slugger anymore, by God’s grace.

            Needless to say, my lecture on Worship had to wait for another day. The extended time of prayer we had after this incident was one of the best times of worship I’ve ever had! Then as I was about to head out for the bus ride home one student asked if I could stay for dinner. I asked why. His youngest brother, with whom he had been estranged for many years, had just become a believer in Jesus. He had brought a sheep which had been prepared for a feast of reconciliation. Also, this student’s wife just had a baby and he wanted me to say a prayer of blessing and dedication for their family. Of course I stayed. Being together in the dining hall was very special, seeing the joyful faces of students, husbands, wives, and their children - more than 60 people! To hear their heaven pleasing laughter was a testimony of transforming grace. To see Slugger sitting with his pastor, God’s Kingdom was manifest. Then we closed the mealtime with songs of praise to God.
The bus ride home was no less bumpy, but I hardly noticed.

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ELECTRICAL CHOICES

            One extremely cold Sunday morning our family went to a church pastored by a graduate of our Seminary. Like most churches in this city, they meet in a rented hall; the Fireman’s Museum auditorium to be specific. The smiles of heroic Soviet firemen gazed down from the murals surrounding us. The first thing we noticed was the complete lack of heat in the auditorium. Members were busy trying to solve the problem as they strung a series of extension cords attached to portable heaters, straining to reverse the arctic blasts. I wondered what the painted hero’s on the walls thought about the fire hazard being strung together below them. Then the pastor, an accomplished musician, switched on his electric keyboard. This new power demand was too much for the makeshift system. Soon the pastor jumped down from the platform and out to the electric box. Was there really any choice to be made between the piano and the heaters? Of course not, this was a church that believed in praising the Lord, even if it meant losing a toe or two to frostbite. After a few more trips to the electrical box; with the pastor now standing on the platform and shouting orders to various members, we started our praising. It was good singing but a bit muffled because they dared not switch on the overhead projector to display the words of the songs; to say nothing about the chattering teeth. Then it was time for Mark’s sermon. Another little detail was that during the praising time the lights went out too. It was going to be the first time he had ever preached when he could see his own breath clouds, but with the lights out, even that was not possible. Thank God for the trusty flashlight of our dear translator. He managed to get the Scripture read by its illumination. The text was Isaiah’s vision of God in chapter 6, the setting was perfect!  If there wasn’t enough to distract the listeners, the pastor and another man stood behind them holding a spotlight. They wanted to help Mark see his Bible, but instead it created a glow around him which irritated people’s eyes. Despite their willingness to stand holding the light throughout the message, Mark asked them to sit down. The sermon was shorter than usual. Then the pastor, who had managed to get his beloved keyboard electrified again, said, “Let’s have some more songs of praise.” Our translator shouted out, “No! The Blair’s are too cold, let them go!” So we had a hurried benediction and many kind words from people upon our departure. Then the pastor fired up the keyboard and the frozen faithful gathered back for some more songs. And you thought it was tough to be in your church!





  














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WINTER TIE TROUBLES

            One problem a tall man like Mark faces is short neckties. Most of the time he  solves the problem by shoving the short piece of the tie into his shirt - excuse the intimate details. Well one cold day he was rushing to get his tie on and it ended up looking so short that it was comical! No problem, he needed to wear a sweater anyway. Warm clothing was especially necessary in our Russian campus because we were having problems with the heater. Who would know that he was wearing a kiddy tie?

            That afternoon he was teaching in the Kazakh campus, where they have no problem with the heater. So he began to work up a sweat in his zeal to declare the oracles of God. Reflexively he just took off his sweater in mid-sentence. A collective gasp went out from the bulging-eyed students. Then Mark faced a crisis of decision. Should he quickly pull the sweater back on? Or should he continue to pace around the room lecturing, boldly wearing a midriff length tie? Perhaps they would think it was some new fashion from America. Yes, he chose the bold course of action. If you see such midriff length ties come in fashion in your homeland, it started here.

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KINGDOM ADVANCE

One evening after a day of lecturing three Kazakh students asked Mark to go with them to their “home meeting.” Students are all assigned specific villages in the areas surrounding the city where no churches exist. They begin with door to door evangelism and the typical interest often leads to a home meeting, and eventually a church. Sometimes the graduates continue as pastors of these churches they “planted” during their seminary studies. This outing brought back many memories of such missions in Africa. After just a short time bouncing along in a beat up old car we flagged as our taxi, we were in a village with no electricity or running water. A stirring among the people which said “they’re here!” was evident as soon as we got out of the car. We entered a simple home and were shown to a place on the carpeted floor in Kazakh fashion. In this meeting there were about ten elementary age children, five teenagers, 4 middle aged women, 2 college age men, an elderly lady, a couple in their forties, and the houseowner who was a single woman who recently received Jesus. After some joyful singing they asked Mark to share a message from the Scripture. He spoke from Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus. He had no more than finished when the couple began with a series of earnest questions. Their tone was polite but their aim was clear. They were Muslims and they had little appreciation for this impetuous American demanding that they believe in Jesus. Truth is they were not very good Muslims. They had never read the Quran - Mark had  the advantage there having managed to slog through reading an English translation of it. Also, the man sold liquor and cigarettes - Islamic no-no’s. After an hour of enthusiastic, friendly, discussion it was clearly established that Mark was not interested in being a Muslim and this couple had no time for Jesus, almost. As a table cloth was spread in the center of the floor a meal was served. Everyone got a tablespoon to shovel the common plate of meat and rice into their mouths, focused eating. The man of the couple began to speculate what changes he would have to make to follow Jesus. For example, he knew he would have to stop sacrificing sheep to honor the memory of his departed parents. This was dangerous in his mind because their spirits could torment him if he stopped these rituals. Then we learned that the newly Christianized woman who owned the house had been the teacher of the other women there. She had been a devout Muslim magician who taught them how to cast spells and resist evil spirits! Another hurdle for this man to becoming a Christian was baptism. In his mind this was the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church. Being a typical Kazakh, he hated the Russians and wanted nothing to do with them. (In fact we make it a point to avoid words which Kazakhs associate with the Russians. Words like Christian, Bible, Christ, and Church are so misunderstood we employ believer, Scripture, Messiah, and “kaum” [Kazakh for meeting] in their stead.) The gist of Mark’s answer was to follow Jesus by faith and let Him work out the details of his new obedience as the Holy Spirit guides him through the Scriptures. Sitting next to this man were two bright little neighborhood guys, ages about 10 or 12. They were convinced and wanted to pray to repent and receive Jesus right now! So the Kazakh student lead them in a phrase by phrase prayer of new faith. It was an awesome moment, boys with faces shining in innocent trust, earnestly gaining a glorious eternity; sitting next to this Muslim man potentially destined for endless torment. He looked on them with envy. Walking down the dark highway toward the city after our meeting was a great time of debriefing with the students. Wrapped in our warm jackets we breathed out our frosty words of joy and gratitude. Then the students shared some shocking news. The Muslim couple was not quite a couple. Actually the new Christian houseowner, the former Muslim spell caster, was the second wife of this man; with the full support of his first wife. She has been so for ten years. Then they shared the sad reality that many single women are the second, third, or more “wives” of such rich businessmen. For their sexual favors they get an income to support their children. And with very, very few jobs available it is a hole that is hard to climb out of, even for believers. (Polygamy is not legal in Kazakhstan but it is not prosecuted.) Thinking about this horrible web of sin and sadness the shining faces of these new little brothers in Jesus gave a sense of hope. May God raise up a new generation of His people, devoted to godly lives, marriages, families, churches, and societies. Then out of nowhere an almost new Mercedes Benz sped down the desolate road. We flag him down and Mark is “taxied” the 20 miles to his doorstep through an eerie fog, for $ 3!



















And so we hope these “slices” of our life and work will help to give you a better picture of what we’re doing here. May 1999 be a great year for you and your family.

In His eternal and changeless love,

Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah, and Aaron Blair