March 23, 2001
March 1, 2001
January 31, 2001
Meet Mels!
February 2001
Aloha from Hawaii
Switching from snowboards to surfboards, we are on home
assignment for a few months. We spent
one month in California Hawaii California Hawaii
It’s All in the Name
One cold December evening we were invited to dinner at the
home of some Kazakh friends. Upon our arrival we saw frozen pieces of carcass
in buckets on their back porch. (During the winter the porch serves as a big
refrigerator. In fact, everyplace is a big freezer!) As our host warmly greeted
us he pointed to the buckets saying, “Yesterday we cut horse!” We then knew we
were in for a culinary treat! Joining us for the meal was our host’s father,
Mels. After our horse feast we had an interesting conversation over tea. I asked Mels about his name. He said, “It’s a
common name, many people have it.” I then asked it’s meaning. It is an acronym
for Marx, Engles, Lenin, and Stalin! Then he shared more interesting names from
their Soviet past. Some of the more popular women’s names were, and still are,
Revo and Socia. That’s just the short version, the full names are Revo-lution
and Socia-lism! I could easily understand, my new President is named after our
first President – George W.
Kazakhstan Ministries Report
God’s work in Kazakhstan Tien Shan School
Systematic Theology for the Man on the Bus
Last Fall I had the privilege of teaching a course on
“Systematic Theology” to our seminary students. As we began to study God, I
asked the Kazakh students what they would say to “the man on the bus.” What if
this “man” has learned that they’re a seminary student who studies God all day.
“Oh, good!” he replies, “I have always wanted someone to tell me about God.”
Now for “privatized” Americans this might seem quite contrived. We would never
share our faith on a “public” bus. Religion in America
Soon the first student shot his hand into the air. “Kazakh’s
need to know that God is Holy!” he confidently asserted. Several “Amen’s”
affirmed his opinion. “O.K. - what exactly do you want to say about this Holy
God?” I asked. Around the room Bibles began to open and pages were quickly
turned. One person quoted Isaiah who saw God “high and lifted up” with angels
declaring that He is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” A young lady cited John’s Revelation
seeing His throne room and hearing He is “Holy, Holy, Holy - the Lord God
Almighty.” We saw from Scripture that “holiness” is “separation” - a dimension
of God’s transcendence and majesty. We realized that, like Isaiah, we are far
from holy. Our lips and our neighbors are unclean. We rejoiced that Jesus died
to make us holy and that His Spirit continues the cleansing process. We
resolved to seek His power to “be holy in all we do.”
This was a wonderful day, like so many we have had in our
teaching ministry in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
In Case You Were Wondering
Since we have come on furlough, we have often hear the
following questions:
“Where have you folks been, I haven’t seen you for a long
time?”
As much as it may burst our bubble, we realize not everyone
knows that our family has been working in Kazakhstan Africa ,
where we had the privilege of working in the 80’s.) Dayna has been teaching at Tien Shan School Central Asia . Also, we are
all involved in the International Christian Fellowship where Mark serves as the
co-pastor.
“Where is this Ka…, Kaaaa…., what is it again?”
“Oh! I thought you were in a small village!?”
No, we live and work in the largest city in Kazakhstan
“Do you like it over there?”
We are enjoying our life there. We have all made a number of
good friends. The boys have a good school to attend. Best of all, we are
privileged to play a small part in the growth of the newly forming Christian
Church in Central Asia .
“What’s the weather like?”
The winter is cold – lots of snow and ice. The summer is hot
– and far from any ocean! The Spring and Fall are very pleasant but too
short. If we were looking for great
weather, we’d stay in Hawaii
“How about the food?”
Not exactly a reason to move over there either! The best of
the Russian influence is lots of fresh breads. They also make some good soups
and stews. We’re still wondering what is best about Kazakh food. They love
meat, especially sheep and horse. Horse is not really that bad….tastes
like….chicken!? There are lots of restaurants in Almaty, with foods from around
the world, some of them are not too bad. We’re all thankful that Dayna is a
great cook, so we usually graze in our own pastures.
“Do you have a house?”
We do not have a house, or even a car! We live in an
apartment like the vast majority of the citizens. We had three bedrooms which
is larger than most. We can travel across the city on buses and taxis very
reasonably.
“What do you do for fun?”
Like any big city, Almaty has lots of things going on. The
boys have played Little League baseball in the summers. Our church has indoor
soccer games weekly. We especially enjoy the Symphony Orchestra. They give
world class performances, at just $1 for front row seats! Once in a while the
theatre plays English language movies. We especially enjoy the magnificent Tien Shan mountains, the peaks are over 17,000 feet and
just 30 minutes away. They offer lots of great hikes in the summer and
snowboarding in the winter.
“Are you going back again?”
Yes. We plan to be in Hawaii California Kazakhstan
“How is the new building for the seminary?”
The construction is finished. There are still some rooms to
be painted and fixtures to be hung, but the heat is on and everything looks
great. Of the approximately $ 300,000 USD needed for the project, more than $
250,000 has been raised by God’s grace. We are thankful for those who are
giving now to help us close the gap.
Another urgent prayer concern is for final permission from
the government to use the new facility for ministry. This entire project was
prompted by a government inspection one year ago which found us guilty of
several safety and fire code violations. We apologized and promised we would
fix everything. At each point along the way we sought and received permission
to continue the work. Now we trust they will give the final green light. Yet,
the underlying force prompting the inspection a year ago was pressure from
Islamic leaders in the village where the seminary building is located. Frankly,
the Muslims are now more unhappy because we have such an excellent facility to
train Christian leaders! Pray that Government officials will acknowledge the
standard of our work and ignore the slander of our critics.
What now remains is the making of needed furniture for the
building – beds, desks, wardrobes, dining tables and chairs, study desks,
library shelves, and computer work stations.
We are in urgent need of $ 30,370
to finish the new building for Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary. We
praise the Lord for all He has done thus far. Can you consider helping us with
these interior furnishings?
I received this list just yesterday
from our team in Almaty. They wrote, "The end is very close. You will see
this beautiful building. We need to pray for good students and pastors in Kazakhstan
Building Materials: Total - $ 16,050
Linoleum (1st and 2nd floors) $ 6430
Glue for linoleum
250
Floor boards to hold linoleum 560
Ceiling (1st floor) 1300
Wood for window shelves 650
Sinks 500
Taps for sinks 400
Light fixtures 1500
Heating Oil (5000 liters) 1300
Water Pump 600
Fire Alarm System (50% paid) 2000
Labor / Installation: Total - $ 7000
Painters 1200
Carpenters 1000
Tile 400
Electricians
3500
Linoleum 900
Furniture Total
- $ 7320
Classroom desks (60) 1520
Kitchen counters, shelves,
cupboards 1300
Dining Room (15 tables, 60
chairs) 3000
Work Stations (12 computer
tables) 1200
Funds for this project may be sent
to our seminary's founding organization:
In Christ International
You will receive a tax-deductible
receipt. Please help us finish this strategic ministry center.
This is our present itinerary for
our home ministry. We are looking forward to seeing many of you.
December 17 - Grace Covenant
Church Vista , CA
December 24 - Montrose Community
Church Montrose , CA
December 31 - El Segundo First
Baptist Church El Segundo , CA
January 7 - La Canada Canada
January 14 - Biola Congregational
Church, Biola , CA
January 28 - Kalahikiola
Congregational Church, Kohala ,
HI
February 4 - Puna Congregational
Christian Church, Keaau , HI
February 11 - Hilo Missionary
Church Hilo , HI
February 18 - Spring of Life Church Pahoa , HI
February 25 - Waioli Huia
Congregational Church, Hanalei ,
HI
March 4 - Central
Kona Union Church, Kealakekua ,
HI
March 11- Living Waters Assembly of
God, Hilo , HI
March 18 - open
March 25 - Windward Missionary
Church, Kaneohe , HI
April 1 - Hawaii Church of Christ , Hawaii Kai , HI
April 8 - Holualoa Chapel, Holualoa , HI
April 15 - open
April 22 - Waimea Assembly of God, Waimea , HI
April 29 - Wailuku Union
Church, Wailuku , HI
May 6 - Hale Halawai O Holoaloa - Kailua-Kona , HI
May 13 – Hilo Missionary
Church Hilo , HI
May 20 - open
May 27 - open
June 3 - open
June 10 - open
June 17 - In California
June 24 - In California
July 1 - In California
July 8 - In California
July 10 - Leaving Los Angeles Kazakhstan
We still hope to schedule meetings
in the open dates.
Yours in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Please respond to us at
blairstan@hotmail.com
Aloha from Hawaii Kazakhstan Hawaii Hilo Haili Christian
School Christian
Liberty School
Until June 10 our telephone number
is 808-964-2201, cell phone 808-987-2968. Our mailing address is 190 Ululani Street , Hilo , Hawaii 96720
We are in urgent need of $ 30,370
to finish the new building for Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary. We
praise the Lord for all He has done thus far. Can you consider helping us with
these interior furnishings?
I received this list just yesterday
from our team in Almaty. They wrote, “The end is very close. You will see this
beautiful building. We need to pray for good students and pastors in Kazakhstan
Building Materials: Total - $ 16,050
Linoleum (1st and 2nd floors) $ 6430
Glue for linoleum
250
Floor boards to hold linoleum 560
Ceiling (1st floor)
1300
Wood for window shelves 650
Sinks 500
Taps for sinks 400
Light fixtures 1500
Heating Oil (5000 liters) 1300
Water Pump 600
Fire Alarm System (50% paid) 2000
Labor / Installation: Total
- $ 7000
Painters 1200
Carpenters 1000
Tile 400
Electricians
3500
Linoleum 900
Furniture Total
- $ 7320
Classroom desks (60) 1520
Kitchen counters, shelves, cupboards 1300
Dining Room (15 tables, 60 chairs) 3000
Work Stations (12 computer tables) 1200
Funds for this project may be sent to our seminary’s
founding organization:
In Christ International
You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Please help us
finish this strategic ministry center.
This is our present itinerary for our home ministry. We are
looking forward to seeing many of you.
December 17 – Grace
Covenant Church Vista , CA
December 24 – Montrose
Community Church Montrose , CA
December 31 – El Segundo
First Baptist
Church El Segundo , CA
January 7 – La Canada Canada
January 14 – Biola Congregational Church, Biola , CA
January 28 – Kalahikiola Congregational Church, Kohala , HI
February 4 – Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau , HI
February 11 – Hilo
Missionary Church Hilo , HI
February 18 – Spring of Life Church Pahoa , HI
February 25 – Waioli Huia Congregational Church, Hanalei , HI
March 4 – Central Kona
Union Church, Kealakekua , HI
March 11- Living Waters Assembly of God, Hilo , HI
March 18 - open
March 25 – Windward Missionary Church, Kaneohe , HI
April 1 – Hawaii Church of Christ ,
Hawaii Kai , HI
April 8 – Holualoa Chapel, Holualoa , HI
April 15 - open
April 22 – Waimea Assembly of God, Waimea , HI
April 29 – Wailuku Union Church, Wailuku ,
HI
May 6 – Hale Halawai O Holoaloa – Kailua-Kona , HI
May 13 – Hilo
Missionary Church Hilo , HI
May 20 - Puna Congregational Christian Church, Keaau , HI
May 27 - open
June 3 - open
June 10 – open
June 17 - In California
June 24 - In California
July 1 - In California
July 8 - In California
July 10 – Leaving Los Angeles forKazakhstan
July 10 – Leaving Los Angeles for
We still hope to schedule meetings in the open dates.
Yours in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Please respond to us at blairstan@hotmail.com
October 1, 2000
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 9th,
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, 1st 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 11th, 10th,
and 8th 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
April 10, 2000
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. 5th 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
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