Winter Greetings from Almaty,
Kazakhstan October 1999
Three bright eyed Blair boys look out their 11th
floor bedroom window at the magnificent Tien Shan mountains every morning to
see how much more “awesome powder” God has sent for their snowboards to sail
through. Their parents look out their window at the same spectacular sight and
calculate how many layers of clothes to put on for the day. The summer clothes
are packed away, the winter clothes are back out, and a new cold season has
come. Year two has begun for the Blair family in Almaty.
Mom and the guys are again busily involved in Tien Shan
School. Dayna is High School co-ordinator, teacher of three subjects, School
Board member, and everybody’s “Mom” - especially to two of her twenty students
- Nathan (10th grade) and Josiah (9th grade). Aaron is
now in Jr. High, the 7th grade. We are thankful for
their great teachers who are academically and spiritually gifted to help them
discover how “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ”
(Colossians 2.3). The boys converse in Russian with increasing fluency to the
various drivers who taxi them across the city to school every day. They and
their dad are involved in a Boy Scout troop which has been lots of fun. Nathan
has been elected to Student Government and has become quite disciplined to
carry his heavy academic load - Physics, Algebra 2, Geometry, Literature,
Biology, Russian 2, Bible, and Tae Kwon Do. His studies get him to bed most nights
after his parents. Josiah is finding the adjustment to High School academics
difficult. His aspiration is still to play in the NBA, but he now realizes he
will need some “smarts” to manage his basketball millions. Aaron is still the
life of the party. His studies, and most of what he does, comes rather easy for
him. If he does not know the subject, he tries to “schmooze” the teacher! In
last month’s Sports Day Aaron painted his face the color of his team - blue -
and went on to win all the foot races in his division. His parent’s faces went
red as he would throw his hands up in victory and smile at the crowd - even
before crossing the finish line. We thank God for His many blessings on our
family. We ask your continued prayers for wisdom for our guys as they encounter
the challenges of the teen years, multiplied by the complexities in a strange
land.
Only 6,000 out of 10,000,000
- that’s only .0006% so far!
The recent Kazakh
Partnership meetings focused on how to reach Kazakh’s with the message of God’s
saving love. Mission workers and church leaders gathered for a time of sharing,
strategy, and seeking God in prayer. As they have done for the previous five
years, this year they again tried to
calculate how many Kazakh’s are now committed followers of Jesus (using active church
involvement as a standard). This year’s number was six thousand, up about one
thousand from last year. Yet it remains a very small part of the population. There are about 8 million Kazakhs in this
nation and about 2 in China. There are still many towns and village were there
is not any known church - or believer.
Our Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary had an
important role in this Partnership. From the opening program where our students
led in songs of worship, to the closing program where one of our Kazakh pastors
led the communion service. During the final business meeting, Mark, two
graduates, and our translator were all voted on to the Steering Committee. It
is an honor to be a part of this school which is training Kazakhs and Russians
to reach their people for Christ here in their homeland.
Summer Safari
This
year Mark has become the on-sight leader of the Seminary as Pastor Kong, our President, is on a much
deserved year long sabbatical. Before his departure, he and Mark traveled to the south part of this big
country to see the work of several of our graduates in ministry. We traveled
more than 1000 miles was on trains, vans, and taxis. At one train station we
were told the train tickets were “sold
out,” then the clerk directed us the conductor who “privately” sold us tickets.
This scam both supplements their meager salaries and reveals why the salaries
remain so small! Our trip through the
desert in the heat of summer was in a winterized train car, with the double
glassed windows sealed shut - a real “hell on wheels” experience. We joined the
gasping multitude around one train window which did open.
It
was worth the discomfort to finally arrive. We went first to a campground where
102 Kazakh children were attending the first ever Kazakh language Christian
camp in that area. Several of our former students were camp leaders. It was a
great joy to see their bright faces singing praises to “Kodai” and “Isa” (God
and Jesus in Kazakh). There was a wonderful freshness in their singing, as most
of them were new in faith, and all of the songs they sang were newly composed
or translated into their heart language. Now they are back home with these
sacred melodies forever in their hearts as they live for Jesus.
We
traveled further south to a city which is probably the strongest Islamic center
in the nation. Hundreds of mosques reflect the strong presence of Islam
throughout the southern part of the nation. Most of these centers were built in
the last few years with funds from neighboring Islamic states. However, few
worshippers faithfully attend these houses of prayer. Kazakhs are much more
animist than Muslim. They are more concerned about the spirits of their
ancestors than the teachings of Muhammed. While touring a very beautiful 12th
Century shrine of an Islamic saint we saw dozens of worshippers straining to
capture something of his spirit through their gestures, offerings, and prostration
before his crypt. In all our travels I never saw one recognizable church, not
one sign, cross, or outward marker to signify the meeting of believers in
Jesus. God has used one of our graduates to lead 43 people from this city to
faith in Christ in the last few months.
Ten have dared to be baptized in the city. Christian baptism has never happened
before in this city, at least since the Nestorians who were there almost 1500
years ago. Another graduate now pastors a church in a nearby village. He has baptized
50 new believers this year alone.
Seven
hot hours further down the road, we came to another village where God is at
work. Here a Kazakh church is led by a pastor from Maldavia. He faithfully
serves with his wife and five children, together they form their own musical
ensemble. It was our joy to deliver a gift from believers in Korea and the
States to buy a house and land for their church. With most of the members
unemployed, this church land will give them a place to grow needed crops for
their survival. The members are almost all unemployed due to the complete
economic collapse which came with the downfall of the USSR.
It
was a privilege to see our graduates, and those whom they have reached with the
love of God. One morning we ate with 2 graduates reflected with
appreciation on their studies. They also
spoke of being part of a “family” of other graduates all around the nation. In
six years more than 175 have been sent out from KECS to reach their countrymen.
Seeing some of the vast expanse of the territory, I realize these are just the
beginning of the great need. Pray with us that He will continue “establish the
work of His hands.”
Things are not always what
they seem…
And because they’re not, we had a completely new
beginning to our Seminary year this Fall. In September we examined the
character and personal life of all potential students in a Residential
Discipleship Course (RDC). Kazakhstan church history was made! More than 80 men
and women lived together, Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Uzbeks, and Tadjiks, from
32 different churches. Their ages ranged from 17 to 51, with most of them in
their 20’s. This group of strangers survived cramped quarters and people
problems for a month, their only common bond being faith in Jesus.
God blessed us with a very cooperative, hard working and teachable group of students.
There were daily lectures about the basics of the faith. (Truths which
“everyone” learned in Sunday school elsewhere, but new believers and churches
here have not had the privilege of such a heritage.) Students were formed into small groups where
they prayed together, prepared meals, cleaned the facilities, and did other
helpful tasks in the campus and community. In one month we learned more about one
another than we could in years of sitting in the classroom. It was a great joy
to witness the way God broke down barriers between denominations and
nationalities and manifest His one Body in Christ.
One student who proved not all he seemed was Ashur. We
were especially happy to receive him as our first student from Tajikistan. His
country has had much less exposure to the Gospel than even the minuscule amount
in Kazakhstan. We were deeply moved by his dramatic testimony. He told us how
his own dear wife had been martyred for her faith in Jesus and he was forced to
flee his homeland. He asked to use this time in “exile” to train for ministry.
Not long after the term began we were visited by three pastors from Uzbekistan
who had just been released from prison (there is active persecution going on
against church leaders there). They and Ashur were all quite surprised to see
one another! Through them we discovered that our Tajik “hero of faith” was a
fraud. He willing left his wife and 2 children in their peaceful Tajik village.
He made the circuit across churches in Central Asia, moving people to tears
with his well rehearsed lies. Then when
their eyes were filled with tears, he would steal from them (plus $ 100 from
one of our pastors in Almaty). He also stole sexual favors from a number of women.
In one Uzbek village where he was caught stealing, all the believers in Jesus
were fined by the police to repay his theft. He admitted to these acts and was
released him from our course. Pray for Ashur
as he makes his way across Central Asia, hopefully back home to his
family, and His God.
A twenty year old Russian young man named Yura looked to
be a good student, almost too good. Soon we wondered whether came to study or
teach. He quickly made it obvious that he knew more than any other students,
and most of the teachers. There wasn’t a Bible verse he could not exegete or a
problem he could not analyze. The students tolerated him quite patiently. I began his end of the course “exit
interview” fully expecting to send him packing. I did not really expect an
answer, when I asked, “Have you had any problems with people here this month?”
To my surprise he quickly began to admit - and apologize for - his haughty
attitude. Through his transparency I saw that he is teachable and growing. Now
after a month as a regular student, he continues to demonstrate a willingness
to grow in knowledge and maturity. Pray for Yura to keep growing into a good
servant-leader for God’s Kingdom.
-----, an attractive Uzbek young lady, was very quiet for
most of the month long course. Her academics were above average, her work ethic
was high, and her attitude and cooperation were fine. During her “exit
interview” I learned the reason behind her quiet seriousness. If she did not get
into the seminary course, she did not know where else to go. Her father is the
Muslim “Mullah” (teacher/leader) of their village. Her decision to follow Jesus
has become the scandal of the village. She has endured beatings, shunning, and
complete rejection by the whole village - including her family. Central Asia,
especially Uzbekistan, is a long way from “freedom of religion.” Pray that God
would comfort and guide
This month long experience was a chance for students to
discover what seminary life and training are all about, and it is not for
everyone! Out of the 80 plus candidates we choose 60. We sent the others home with our prayers
for their continued growth in grace and hope we may seem them again after some more
maturing.
Sergei, passed through the RDC, and we were happy to
invite him to study in our Russian language department. Considering the
matriarchal Russian society, it is great to have a Russian man, especially a
mature man in his early 50’s like Sergei, train for church ministry. But we sadly
learned that the one month course was not “fool proof.” He managed to survive
the month apart from his mistress and his bottle of booze, but the siren song
proved to strong for him to keep away. Sergei became the fourth student I have
had to release because of a drinking problem in my year here. Alcohol really is
a terrible scourge across the face of this society. Pray for Sergei.
In October we began the more typical seminary academic
program. Mark is teaching an Old
Testament Introduction and Survey course, and Dayna teaches Christian
Education. This year she will teach one day a week at the seminary, and four
days with her High School students. We are thank God for His blessing on the
RDC course. Yet we are very aware that at best we can only see the “outward,”
God sees the heart. Pray with us for His
blessing on the rest of the year. Things are not always what they seem.
People often comment about the sights which our
children get to see living in a foreign country, here’s one unique
example:
(WARNING - Not to be read by
the queasy of stomach)
One morning I traveled the local bus about
15 minutes from where I live to play with my friend at his place. Upon arriving, it seemed like the tenants of the whole building were out to watch a big truck bring a black,
male horse - about three years old in
human years - into the middle of the apartment house courtyard. As they
unloaded this good looking horse, many
Kazak people embraced it and said
goodbye. I thought it was strange for them to do this. Then the last Kazak man
came and sliced the horse across its jugular. The poor animal jumped up for
awhile and fell down to the grassy (more like weeds to me) ground. Then six men
with hatchets quickly cut the horse’s
legs from the knees down. They then began
to slice the skin off the dead horse as its head hung from its neck.
This execution team pulled the whole fur off the body and held it up so it
could dry. Next they cut open the belly
and took out the rib parts and hung them up as well. Kazak kids, holding
branches they had pulled off the nearby
trees, tried to fan off the many flies which swarmed around. Soon the air was
really smelling bad!
All
of the team knew what they had to do.
One Kazakh man grabbed the long intestines and blew in them, making a huge long
tube of air. Yuk ! They use these to make sausage skins. Then the Kazak women came and laid a large piece of
plastic under the animal. With their bare hands, they cleaned out the guts and
whatever meats they were going to cook. The children continued to beat the
flies as the men removed the horse’s head. They even used a blow torch to burn
its head until it was black as black. They then cooked the meat in huge pots of
water right in the open as if you were
at a camp cookout. Everyone was invited
to the feast in memory of a deduchka (grandfather) who had lived in the
building. This was the one year remembrance of his death, celebrated in
traditional Kazakh style. I didn’t stick
around for eating of the horse, I lost my appetite watching the whole
preparation!
We are so grateful for your
prayers and support, Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah, and Aaron Blair
