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

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

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

Summer is Starting

Aloha from Almaty!

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 15^th 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

Amazing Disco Easter

Greetings in the Name of our Risen Lord!

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 8^th 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 10^th 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 8^th 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

Even our Stuff - February 2008

Aloha from Arctic Almaty!

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

Someone once said it is not the mountain we have to climb that is difficult – it is the rock in our shoe along the trail! Even the work of ministry brings small but serious pebbles. While having a dinner with a couple of leaders in the big country to our east last month, we met a perplexing question. Boaz (not his real name), our host, is a second year seminary student, husband, father, businessman, and elder in his church. He eagerly anticipates the opportunity of being ordained to the ministry. But he knows the issue has become a firestorm. Most of the thousands of house-churches there are of the ‘Brethren’ tradition which opposes a rigid Clergy/Laity distinction. Indeed many forbid ordination, calling everyone ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister.’ A number of these precious ones suffered through their ‘Cultural Revolution.’ One ‘Brother,’ now almost 90, endured 22 years of harsh imprisonment. He emerged with a conviction that their churches needed more devoted and recognizable leaders so he travels the country ordaining those who manifest God’s call. This Elder Brother was in his second year of seminary back when he was wrenched from the classroom to the cell. Thus, he was never ‘properly ordained’ in the eyes of those who hold that stuff as important. Now Boaz is learning about a whole new tradition of ordination. The seminary he studies in was founded and still guided by workers from an East Asian nation with tremendous church growth. And the ordination from the seminary – and its churches - is still rigidly controlled by those from this neighbor nation. For Daniel to have any ‘street cred’ in their eyes he better bow down to those holy foreign hands! And yet, the church he now serves, and wants to remain in, has a whole different spin on the topic. Should anyone even be ordained!? Is this Elder Brother the God-appointed ‘ordainer’? What happens when he goes on to receive his heavenly-ordination? So as you pray for our brothers and sisters to build His Church in their lands here, ask God to grace them to scale the mountains and to endure the pebbles.

May God bless you in your Kingdom-trek. Press on!
Yours in Him who moves Mountains --- and pebbles,
Mark and Dayna Blair