Summer Growth

“From the Tropics to the Tundra”

An Update from the Blair family in Kazakhstan, Central Asia

                                                October 2000

E-mail:            blairstan@hotmail.com

Mailing address:                     Send support money to:

Blair’s                                     Pioneers

c/o KECS                                12343 Narcoossee 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]

(do not send mail after

November 1 please)

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

Aloha from Almaty!

            We send this letter with love and appreciation for your faithful prayers and support; and praise to God for His great faithfulness. We are quite busy with our ministries here – teaching in the Seminary and children’s school, and pastoring in the International Christian Fellowship. In September we marked two years of service here. This means that we will have home leave soon. We leave here December 15. We plan to be in California twice: mid-December/early January, and June 2001. From mid-January till early June we’ll be based in Hawaii where the boys will study for a semester. Following our home leave, we plan to return here for at least two more years - maybe longer. We hope to see you, please keep in touch.

Summer Growth

            This summer was a wonderful “growing season” in the spiritual lives of our sons, especially  Nathan (16) and Josiah (15). Both of them had short-term service opportunities.

            Here’s a quote from Nathan’s letter: “My experience in Thailand, I must admit, has been the best two weeks of my life. God deserves so much praise and adoration, he worked everything out, making our trip run so smoothly…. The village I worked in used to worship demons, but now only 4 out of the 150 village people are non-Christian; pray for the witch-doctor, the chief, and two of the oldest peoples in the village. They are still gripped by demons and spirits. The worship services at the village were awesome. It brought tears to my eyes as I witnessed kids and adults alike, with their hands raised and voices praising. These people shared an amazing love with their Father in Heaven. I felt a lot of guilt as I realized these people had no shame in serving the Lord, I knew that I was sometimes embarrassed about my faith. Through these experiences, God gave me the desire to worship Him freely and without shame.

            It was so good for me to join up with my friends from Hilo (Hawaii). It was so interesting to see how everyone had grown up and matured. Their fire for Jesus encouraged me to greater appreciation for my Father in Heaven. They helped to rekindle my desire for total servanthood to the Lord. The day of my sixteenth birthday, July 9^th, I vowed to serve the Lord from then on and recommitted my life to Him fully. I pray that I will be open to wherever he wants me to go and whatever he wants me to do. - Nathan Blair”

            

Josiah also wrote about his service experience: “I went to a camp in Kazakhstan,  located near the China border. It was in the mountains, looking down on the steppe. The camp is owned by the government, but this season they let Christians run it. Because of the government controls, we were restricted from talking much about Jesus. But we talked about God and some prophets of the Old Testament (which is what Jesus talked about!) I went to the camp with some of my friends from school. We all stayed in a cabin with about 10 other kids… Our role at the camp was to show the love of God to the kids. We spent day and night with the kids. At the daily lessons I saw kids crying. They realized they needed something in their life, they realized they needed God. We were allowed to talk to the kids about Jesus in one on one talks... Everyday we played soccer with the kids. I am glad that God brought me to this camp, and now I realize that you should use every opportunity to the glory of God. God had a special plan for every kid at that camp to hear and see his love. I want to ask for prayer for the kids to search for Jesus, the answer of life. - Josiah Blair”

            God is working in Aaron (13) too. He was not yet old enough to go on these trips. But it was neat to see him present a Russian/English New Testament as a birthday present for his best local friend. As parents we are so thankful for your continued prayers for our sons.

Seminary News: Residential Discipleship Course

            For the second year we began our Seminary year with a one-month “boot camp” of spiritual examination. This summer our national leaders  traveled to a dozen cities around Kazakhstan to recruit students. It is wonderful to see these leaders “taking ownership” of different aspects of Seminary leadership and ministry. In many cases their understanding of the cultures gives them great practical wisdom and decision making ability. They found many pastors who had never heard of our Seminary and were eager to send qualified students. We have developed a “mailing list” and have now produced our second Russian/Kazakh language Newsletter which we are sending out.

            The result of these recruiting efforts was eighty students from around Central Asia (including our first North American - from Canada). Together they studied the basics of the faith, shared in small groups, did daily work projects, and lots of life on life experiences. During the month our students heard from sixteen different teachers, most “M’s” from the Almaty area from many boards and denominations. We had two excellent Visitors Professors - one was our first Black American. From this fine group, we had the hard task of selecting sixty to enter the academic program (30 Russian and 30 Kazakh language). It was encouraging to see a couple students who did not make last year’s cut because they needed more growing time in their local church - they did and they’re here! We notice a definite increase in the “quality level” of perspective students, which reflects a similar growth in the Church of Jesus here in Central Asia.

             This academic semester Dayna will teach a course on “Bible Study Methods.” Mark will teach two courses, “Preaching” and “Theology.” Actually we are “team teaching” with national leaders. We are grateful for their willingness to partner with us in the classroom and hopeful that they’ll grow to “solo” teachers soon. Pray for Alexander, Vladimir, and Galina. May God equip them to equip many of their own people.

            The “text” for Mark’s course on “Preaching” will be a book he has written! It is a project which he has been working on for the last two years. It is based on several great books which he has plagiarized, experiences of teaching preaching here and in Uganda, and having preached lots of bad sermons – or something like that. The best thing is that these hundred plus pages have been translated into Russian and Kazakh. So the students this term will be editors – looking at a new chapter every week. If, after all the students fix it up, it would be a useful ministry tool. We will explore having it published here. This would be our second Seminary publication. One graduate recently produced a Kazakh/Russian hymnal which includes fifty-eight compositions from national musicians.

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER THE INSERT ABOUT THE NEW BUILDING.

Board Craze

            What do three boys who love snowboarding do in the summer? Skateboard! Did you know a nolly is not a real olly - neither is it a kick flip twist? Mom and Dad have been learning much about such skateboard technicalities. All we can remember is taking roller skates apart and nailing them to a foot of two by four lumber. Our boys are light-years beyond those dangerous dinosaurs. Now you order your “assembly” -- a deck, bearings,  wheels, pads, and grip tape. (A bit more expensive than the good old days too!) What’s especially interesting is that they now have Christian rock “boarding” bands - electronic crooners and pluckers singing a hard rock Gospel to those who land on the hard pavement. Another missiological frontier has been crossed in people group specialization! What we parents find very exciting is that our boys see no contradiction between Jesus and “boarding.” Not only is He Lord of Heaven and Earth, but also of their bumps and bruises. What a “cool” Savior! 

Tien Shan Educational Center

            This is the name of the newly registered school. God has graciously provided a wonderful teaching staff for the new academic year. We still do not have Kindergarten, 1^st grade, or English as a Second Language teachers. But the other staffing needs have been covered for this term. Yet, this place is constantly “in transition” and the staffing needs are endless. Our “little boys” are now 11^th, 10^th, and 8^th graders who practically block their mother from sight as they hail a taxi together each morning. Dayna continues as the High School supervisor, and also teaches Earth Science,  Health, an Elective, and Bible.

            Remember more than a year ago when a new school building was purchased? Well it seems that just maybe they have found a doorway out of the legal black hole which has kept them from occupying their rightful quarters. The tale of woe is too long to tell. The short end of it is that man – even high and mighty officials – are really terrible sinners; but God is sovereign and gracious to His children. We’re not out of this abyss yet, keep praying. There are a bunch of kids which cannot come to school due to present space limitations. But then we’ll need more teachers; and so our dependence on Him goes on…..

Computer Wedding

            Recently Mark was asked to perform two weddings. The first was between a worker in USAID and a national. It was a nice garden wedding and a good opportunity to share the Gospel with about one hundred diplomats and nationals. The father of the national was a high-ranking General in the Kazakh army. The second was last week. The couple were young American Peace Corp volunteers. Again, it was a time to share with them the love of the Bridegroom for His Bride. Fortunately, this second ceremony was witnessed by just a few friends, in the Central Park just across from our apartment.

            This second wedding was an afternoon of a busy seminary workday. Rushing home, I was so glad the vows were stored in a file on my computer. “What great things these computers are!” I was even able to “Find” and “Replace” the names of the Bride and Groom from the previous wedding. Then I realized that my wonderful computer could lay out the text in “Landscape” (horizontal) - in two wide columns. With the push of a few buttons, the vows - with the right names! - were printed. All I had to do was cut the pages in half and I was ready to hustle over to the park. When the beautiful couple had processed in to stand before me, as the video camera rolled for loved ones who could not attend, I opened my Bible and began to pronounce the ceremony. As I got to the second page of these half-sheet notes I realized there was something the computer did not do. It was something the “superior intelligence” was supposed to do - correctly collate the pages. Well this dear couple was thrilled to receive one extremely short ceremony. If it was a Las Vegas Wedding Chapel they could have kept the motor running. Frantically flipping through the pages - while trying to stay looking very Reverend - I found the paper with the “I do’s.” I walked them through most of them, said a prayer, and that was it. I am now wondering how to get that video-taped evidence out of the mail!

Yours in His love,

Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah, and Aaron Blair

Buildings, Bombs, Blessings

 “From the Tropics to the Tundra”

An Update from the Blair family in Kazakhstan, Central Asia

                                                April 2000

E-mail:            blairstan@hotmail.com

Mailing address:         Send support money to:

Blair’s                         Pioneers

c/o KECS                    12343 Narcoossee 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]

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

Easter Greetings from Almaty!

Love and blessings from Him who died and rose again on our behalf. Here we celebrate Easter twice, once according to the calendar of  Western Christendom, and a week later according the calendar of the Eastern Orthodox churches (the same is true at Christmas). So we are DOUBLY SURE that JESUS IS ALIVE!! We are trusting the Risen Lord Jesus through some challenges only a God who could raise the dead could overcome.

Our Boys Need Teachers!

                Our boys - and over one hundred other Missionary kids - need teachers for next year. At this point there is only one teacher for the entire 00/01 school year! Please pray with us about the following specific faculty needs for the Tien Shan Educational Center.

Elementary Teachers (K-6) - 3 teachers

Junior High - (7&8) - 2  teachers

English as a Second Language - 2 teachers

High School teachers - Language Arts, History, Economics, Math, & Science

Other - Physical Education, Music, Art, German language,

Teacher/Librarian & Korean language

                As you can see, there is an urgent need for this Fall. We are so thankful for this wonderful school, our boys are thriving. Please share this need with any Christian teachers who may be open to this missionary opportunity. Families in this school are on the “cutting edge” of reaching people who have had no opportunity to hear of God’s love in Jesus. For further teacher recruitment information, contact: TienShan@pactec.org

Buildings, Bombs, and Blessings

In January government officials visited our Kazakh campus building. They found several violations. Our national leader’s comment after their intense questioning was, “We were bombed!”  This was not surprising for three reasons.  First, we had rushed to begin our teaching ministry in the newly obtained building without being as careful as we should. Second, the building is over thirty years old. And third, there is an intense concern on the part of the government about the growth of the Kazakh church. In this nation the general opinion is that Russians are Christians and Kazakhs are Muslims; and many would like to keep it that way.    

We had to make a quick decision. Courses were due to begin in one week, visiting professors from all parts of the world were coming, and students were returning  from month-long evangelism trips across Central Asia.  We followed the humble course of apologizing to the government and promising we would right all that is wrong with the building before we continue our ministry there. So in less than one week we needed to move everything out; and find housing for thirty students, and their twenty-five children. We managed to rent places for them all at a cost of less than $800 a month. By the next Monday, the Kazakh students were in one class-room of our  smaller building in the city; with Russian language students in the other. One other large room serves as a worship center and dining hall. Students of both language groups worship together in daily chapel, eat together, and work on teams to prepare food and tidy the facility.

God truly brings great blessing out of difficulties. One of the greatest has been the wonderful unity and ministry partnerships forged between students of different ethnic groups and denominations. An example of this is the impact our seminary has had on the believers in a village over one thousand kilometers away. It happens that two students have come from that village to study in the seminary. One is from a Baptist church, the other a Pentecostal. During this year these men have formed a team ministry and are leading a church together here. Back in their village the Baptists are registered with the government, but have no building; the Pentecostals have a building but no registration. So last week these two men went to their village and convinced the elders of both churches to merge!

Also, it has been much easier and cheaper to operate our seminary ministry in one location. The result is that we are now committed to training in one multi-ethnic setting on a permanent basis. We have decided that the larger building will become our one campus. We are in the second month of  a complete renovation of the building; including:

·        reinforcement of all main walls to meet the new earthquake safety standards

·        replacement of all electrical wiring and plumbing

·        installation of new windows which will save much energy during our very cold winters

·        complete new kitchen area which will meet government hygiene standards

·        a new diesel fuel heating system, including pipes and registers

·        addition of a third floor which will house at least forty more students, including the necessary showers and toilets

·        a new roof

We calculate this project will take at least $300,000 to complete. At this point we have $95,000. We are thankful for, Sergei, an excellent Christian contractor and his team. Every Saturday about twenty seminary students work hard in various tasks.  Our goal is that by the end of this year we can all be together in this building. We are doing our best to make it “completely legal,” to receive the approval of the government. We think this gift to the Church in Central Asia - a safe and functional seminary building - will go a long way to advance the Kingdom of God in this part of the world.

If you are interested, financial support for this project may be sent to the seminary’s parent organization:

In Christ International

2350 W. 5^th Street # C

Santa Ana, CA 92703

ICI will issue tax-deductible receipts for your gifts.

Thank you for helping us train national believers to reach their people for Jesus throughout Central Asia. Please share this need with others as God may lead you.

Lost Professors!

            This term we have lost two professors as they came into the airport!  After the long flight here, often through the night, nobody is at their best when they arrive. So both men were not ready for the scam of clever taxi drivers. Before the first incoming professor saw our driver holding a sign with his name on it, another man approached him. The professor asked him, “Did Pastor Kong (our Seminary President) send you?” And the clever guy quickly responded, “Yes, Pastor Kong is waiting for me to take you to him.” Instead the professor was charged an exorbitant amount for the taxi and led to rent a hotel room he did not need!  The next morning, after we spent most of the night worrying about where our professor was, he called us and we got him back! Two weeks later a man came whom I knew, so I went to the airport to meet him. But someone ushered him out a side door, and we never saw one another. When one “helpful” driver met him he said, “No, I do not need a ride, Mark Blair is coming from the Seminary.” “Oh no,” said the scammer, “Mark Blair sent me because he has too much work at the Seminary!” Then we had another sleepless night trying to find our incoming professor. It was a big relief to see him at our door the first thing on April Fool’s Day morning!

Sometimes it Seems You Really Cannot Get there From Here

            One missionary who lives in another part of the country came here to teach in the Seminary for two weeks. During the week-end between teaching,  he took a bus home to see his family. At a police road block he was asked by an officer to see his passport. The policeman especially wanted to see the stamp in his passport saying that he had been staying in Almaty, our city. “But,” our visiting teacher explained, “I live in another city, so the stamp in my passport says that I live there.” “How could that be!,” questioned the policeman;  “You are coming out of Almaty, you need a stamp saying you were in Almaty.” “But, I was only there for a week,” he reasoned. Fortunately our professor, and the whole bus which waited for him,  were allowed to proceed, after much discussion.

            Monday morning of his second teaching week we decided we better find out what the law really requires. Our lawyer went to the government office to find that the policeman was right, sort of. If you are in Almaty for even one day, so they said, you must have a stamp in your passport that you were here. The only problem is that it can take two to three days to get the stamp in your passport. Bottom line - There is no one day trip to Almaty!! The next day our lawyer wanted to go and get another confirmation from a higher official. “Oh, no! If you have a stamp from another city in Kazakhstan in your passport, then you are welcome to visit Almaty without getting a new stamp!” This does not make a person want to do much cross county travel. This legal ambiguity is one of the reasons Kazakhstan was recently named one of the twenty most corrupt nations in the world! The law is most often on the side of the highest bidder.

Redeemed Cheaters

It was strange to learn that four identical essays were submitted by four different Seminary students. Curiosity was soon replaced by anger. I was ready to vent the full wrath of my position and send them packing. I am glad our Academic Dean, Konstantin Volkov, showed the more excellent way. It was his course on the “Old Testament Interpretation” which required these essays. He shared with me that cheating was as basic to the Soviet classroom as tables and chairs. And that even though these students may be new creatures in Christ, their old nature was passing away at varying speeds. He enthusiastically said, “We must teach them how to learn honestly!”

           

Konstantin said that each of the four students should receive 10 points out of the possible 30 for their essays.  I countered that this meant four people were getting away with cheating. He responded, “No, it means that 3 were cheating and one was foolish enough to allow them! The one who had the good paper now gets a failing mark too.” Thus, he reasoned, the bright author will make sure it never happens again.

His next class session was devoted to instructing them all how to write an essay. Each student was given a blank sheet of paper and together they discussed various themes and approaches. The struggle faced by one writer to get their thoughts moving was overcome through this group exercise. During the two and a  half hour class time they developed their ideas, discussed, refined, and critiqued one another. Following this session I saw a new excitement in the students and their teacher, as if a great mountain had been scaled - together.

The longer we stay here the more I realize I do not know. Many of my most basic assumptions about how things operate here were wrong. Just because we have a classroom full of reasonably intelligent Christian adults, I cannot assume that they know how to do their studies properly. Vestiges of a system which really expected cheating die hard. (Not to say that students in my home country are that much better.) The Lord has given us a group of students who are willing to learn, even how to change long established habits, thank God for their openness. Thank God for Konstantin and his more than thirty years of experience as an educator, the last seven as a believer in Christ. Pray with us as we have the enormous challenge of trying to establishing foundations here -  of new lives in Christ, of the Christian church in this country, and even academic integrity to the glory of God.

A Day of Salvation

            Every so often the Lord blesses us with days which remind us  why we live half the world away from our homeland. One such day began talking with Jhenya,  a twenty year old university student whom the Seminary recently hired as a part time translator. We have know him for about one year, and admired his work ethic and translation skills. Yet, I was concerned that he had not yet made a commitment to follow Christ. But we knew the seminary environment would do much to point him in that direction. One morning he said he needed to talk to me. And to make a long conversation short, he has now begun to follow Christ! Indeed, he now attends meetings at his new church three times a week. Pray for Jhenya to grow as a man of God.

            Late that afternoon, Dayna came home with more good news. Their school has a   Russian man, Valeri,  serving as a driver. He is a talented scientist, forced into unemployment by the collapsed economy. He was not a believer, but honest and a good driver. Recently his teenage daughter failed her entrance exams into University and attempted to commit suicide. Thank God she recovered, and best of all she received the Lord as her Savior through someone’s concerned witness. Dayna came home and shared the wonderful news that Valeri too had made the decision to follow Jesus.

            That night we were invited to the seminary Women Student’s Apartment. There seven young women who had never met before, live in God’s peace. After a nice meal, we asked them to tell how they came to know Jesus. I wish you could have heard their wonderful stories.

            Marina first heard about Jesus from her grandmother when she was just five years old. She thinks her faith journey began. Yet there were no churches in her village, and no Bible available for her to read. It was 15 years later that a church opened in her village. Marina attended the first service and responded to the call to receive Jesus. Her alcoholic father was not very happy at first, but now the entire family have become believers. 

            Nasiba was one of 12 children of a Muslim Mullah (priest). She received Jesus through the witness of some friends in her village in Uzbekistan. Because of this decision, Nasiba was disowned by her family. She told us with tears that it has been two years since her father drove her out of the house. 

            Gulzhan  is also from a Muslim family in Uzbekistan. For six years before she came to Jesus she was an active “Shaman,” an Islamic healer. It was hard to imagine that this very peaceful and attractive young lady was once so tormented by spirits and voices. Yet, people flocked to her home daily for her prayers and rituals - and many were healed. (Quite a challenge to our Western scientific world-view isn’t it!) Thank God for the witness of her older sister who told her about the true Spirit of God and His salvation. All seven of these sisters had great words of God’s saving mercy in their lives.

            We ended this day with a prayer of great thanks for His wonderful salvation. And for the privilege we have to teach Holy Scripture to these growing new believers.  Thanks to your generous support and faithful prayers we are able to serve here on your behalf. May you too know the joy of salvation through our Risen Lord and Savior.

            This poem by our son, Nathan, captures this joy:

            The Prodigal

A quaint family of four,

Lived peacefully on a farm.

Until one day this serenity,

Divided, when one,

Demanded his legacy.

The father bequeathed,

The son was gone to the city.

City life he enjoyed,

For he was free to fill his hunger.

Wallet full, parties and friends carried on.

Empty wallet, friends and parties were gone.

Days were spent in search,

For food and friendships.

All he found were half-eaten items

And fugitives like himself

All because the Rich boy squandered,

A beggar now, he pondered

“Life was never hard,

Food was never refuse and lard,

Friends were a plenty,

My heart was never empty,

I am such a fool, !!

I thought it  was so cool,

To leave my friends and family,

God please forgive Me!!”

So the homeless one,

Went home.

Hoping for forgiveness, Weeping in shame.

The father recognized his son,

Amidst the filth and foul air surrounding him,

Forgiving it all, he laid his coat and ring on the boy,

Finishing it off with a big warm hug.

A party was prepared,

And the empty seat was replaced,

By the Prodigal,

Making the family four again.

     -- Nathan Blair  

In His love,

Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah, and Aaron Blair