Dayna is still in Almaty, Kazakhstan enjoying some more ‘mom and grandma’ time with Josiah and Maylee (now 7 ½!). I got back from there Friday night for weekend services here in Beijing International Christian Fellowship.
During my week in Almaty I had the privilege of teaching in a local church. About 40 people came for a nightly study of the book of Revelation. We had the joy of spending a Sunday with the International Christian Fellowship in Almaty. They remain strong, with many new people, despite the increasing pressure against churches and mission workers now being applied in Kazakhstan. Thanks for praying for His faithful ones in Central Asia.
Back here in East Asia, we’re preparing to leave for East Africa on Monday. As we have shared, we have been invited for a teaching mission in Uganda. We will teach in both of the Church of Uganda (Anglican) theological colleges we served over 20 years ago. We are quite eager to see old friends and hear their testimonies of His faithfulness. We are bracing for surprises. The regional school in Arua (northwest Uganda) was about 50 students when we were there. Now we’re told they have 500! The central school in Mukono was about 300, now there are 10,000 students in various disciplines – Uganda Christian University. Mark will also be preaching at Makerere University in Kampala. Mark is to speak nine times in for the Missions Week at UCU. Two of the talks will be presented to the entire faculties - “Global trends in mission: what is the role of the African Church?” to the Theological Faculty and “The role of a Christian University in God’s Mission” to the entire Faculty. This responsibility feels overwhelming to a dumb guy in China! Your prayers are much appreciated.
This Spring the Ambassador from Rwanda to China invited BICF ZGC to lead a service of worship in remembrance of their holocaust in 1994. It happens that our family was on a two month mission visit in the neighboring country of Uganda at that time. We listened with shock then as Rwandan church leaders came with stories of atrocity, seeking the prayers of Bishop Kauma our host. (The leader of Uganda Christian University is now Bishop Kauma’s son in law!) Seventeen years later I sat with the Ambassador who told more tales of woe. Over a million were brutally killed for belonging to the wrong tribe. Church leaders actually advanced the slaughter, some pastors emptied their machine guns on their own members! This horrible example of those whose vocation is to be ‘like Jesus’ – my vocation! – made me wonder what could I say in Beijing’s Rwandan Embassy?
Fortunately, our ministry here in Beijing is team ministry. What a joy to join a worship team from our BICF ZGC, led by a Rwandan believer in our church, with members from seven nations. The gathering of Ambassadors, Chinese leaders, NGO workers, must have been surprised when this diplomatic gathering became a celebration of the mercy, justice, forgiveness, and grace of Jesus Christ. For my part I shared about the ‘Good Samaritan’ – showing how none of us really love our neighbors as we should and how only Jesus himself displays a love far beyond imagination for our salvation. Just a few weeks later the Rwandan Ambassador and his family joined us for Easter service at ZGC, and we went out for lunch, followed by ice cream!
Easter in BICF ZGC was a wonderful celebration. It was a great joy to baptize three new believers. And rejoice together in our Risen Savior. Every chair we had, almost 500, was filled, with many standing. Dayna joined with Pacific Island Fellowship for their ‘action song’ ie. ‘hula’ during the worship service. And that night in a special meeting seven from the islands received Christ as Lord and Savior.
The coming that we’re most excited about is our son, Nathan, and his wife, Heather moving to Beijing in early August. They’re both graduating in Portland, Oregon and will work here – Nathan: Product Design, and Heather: Teaching. It will be wonderful to have them here in this city.
Your prayers and support keep us coming and going! We are very grateful.
Yours in the Faithful One, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 – USA
www.pioneers.org
Our Blog www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Skype: blairstan
Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian Fellowship - www.bicf.org
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc
Our Mailing Address
Beijing International Christian Fellowship / Zhong Guan Cun
Raycom Infotech Park, Tower C, Room B115,
2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100190
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