Tajikstan Report – Easter 2005

We send warm Easter greetings on this snowy day in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Our warm Springtime was abruptly covered by a cold white blanket! But it did not chill our hearts – or reduce the attendance – at our International Christian Fellowship. We had a wonderful morning exalting our Risen Lord. We pray that you also were giving Him praise – what a joyous hope we have in Him! Following our service we had an Easter feast at the hotel where we hold our services.

This year we’ve been blessed with many ministry opportunities. In January Dayna and I spent ten days in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. Mark taught a one week course on the ‘Trinity’ to young ministry leaders from five different churches there. Understanding the ‘Triples’ – as one of them innocently said in his limited English – is not easy, in any language. But the Lord graciously opened His Word to us. We also met with local pastors, preached in two prisons (Jesus brings joy and hope to the darkest places), and a home for the Elderly. On our Sunday there we shared in the Baptist church and the International Church. Dayna must have reached a new spiritual plateau that Sunday as she heard five sermons, two of them by her husband. It was actually a ‘slow’ day for the Dushanbe Baptists with only four sermons, they sometimes have eight. But as we sat in their very cold sanctuary from 9 to 1, four was quite enough, thanks! Mark and Tajik students:

‘Tajik’ is a Persian language, so there are strong linguistic and cultural ties to their Persian neighbor nations of Afghanistan and Iran. It was great to witness the passion of Tajik believers to share their Savior with ‘cousins’ in those lands. Several of our students are ‘in training’ to go in Gospel-service there. A group of Iranian Christians sang their Farsi language praise to Him who set them free during the Sunday afternoon service at the International Church.

In February Mark taught a week-long modular course on ‘Preaching’ at the newly formed ‘Reformed Theological Academy of Kazakhstan.’ At this point their name is longer than their enrollment. But the ten pastors who gather four times a year to study are bright and zealous. After seven years of teaching Central Asian church leaders, it is encouraging to see their depth of insight and understanding grow significantly. This particular ‘class’ was more like a ‘laboratory’ with each pastor preaching once during the week and their colleagues offering very helpful constructive critique.

In March Mark taught a seminar on ‘Spiritual Gifts’ at the Central Asian Business Conference. Over 100 men and women gathered from throughout the region to – in their words – learn to serve on their jobs like missionaries. Wow! What a great vision and hope. These believers want their faith to bust out of their church walls and transform their society. It was quite stimulating to interact with them. The main speaker is a Christian businessman from the Philippines! We’re quite privileged to see Him reaching into every land from this corner of His harvest field, as Isaiah foresaw the ‘nations stream to the mountain of the Lord.’

Among the many in our Easter service was a young Kazakh lawyer who has been attending ICF regularly for a couple of years. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree here, he was one of 100 Kazahstanis sent for a Master’s degree in USA that year. He earned a Master’s in Law from a prestigious American University and successfully passed the Bar Exam there. (He is one of seven Kazakhstanis with American legal credentials.) He went to America as an avowed Atheist. His host family were sincere Christians, and invited him to their church, he went out of curiosity. On the campus where he studied law, he met people who claimed to ‘have it all together’ - he did not meet any who told him about God. But in this church he met newly released prisoners, people struggling economically, and others in need. He heard them cry out to God and he watched them change. He had never seen people change in this way before. Then his sister, on a similar academic program in London, became a believer in Jesus. This was a real shock to their family. He soon saw her change in similarly positive ways. Now he is teaching in the largest law University in Almaty – fulfilling his government required service for his study abroad. Last year he obtained a 300 seat hall for a weekly presentation of the ‘Alpha Course.’ (Unfortunately, the attendance was quite small as advertisement was not allowed.) But he has come a long way from Atheism to the Alpha Course! And he continues to seek God and His Truth. I just learned from him that now the Kazakhstan government sends 3000 students for Master’s degrees to the States every year. Maybe there is someone down the road from you, waiting for an invitation to your church. All of us have a part in His great Harvest.

This week the 4th quarter at Tien Shan school begins. Dayna teaches a full load of courses, Mark teaches Bible to High Schoolers, and Aaron will graduate in June. Nathan also begins his 4th quarter at University of Oregon. Last quarter he earned a 4.0. He is enjoying his life there very much. Aaron plans to begin Community College in Oregon this Fall, living with Nathan in Eugene. Josiah, Masha and Maylee are also doing well here.

We are very thankful for your support and prayers which enable us to serve here.

In His great love,
Mark, Dayna, and Aaron Blair