July 10, 2002
May 5, 2002
Seminary Director's Report
KECS Director’s
Report
May 2002
Mark Blair
This has been a
historic year for KECS as we moved into our new facilities and led our ministry
into new and better directions. This report will highlight some of those
changes and suggest areas of further growth and development in three areas;
facilities, staffing, and finances.
Facilities
Old Campus
I thank the Lord for
more than five years of His blessing as we used the facilities on Rosa Luxemborg Street Brethren church
New Campus
I believe our ministry
should concentrate its efforts at effectively using our excellent facilities in
Primoy Put. We are truly blessed to have such a fine center for ministry. There
are small improvements being made right now, curbs and paving the walkways,
window sills inside, planting a food
garden for our consumption, library development, and computer center for
students and church leaders. I anticipate that we have a donor for a much
needed standby generator.
1. Married
Student/Family Housing
Often the best church
leaders are married men with families. Presently we have no permission from the
KZ gov’t to house children in our seminary building. My suggestion is that we
build a married student living complex behind our seminary building. Fortunately
we have two adjoining properties, each with a poor quality house. I suggest
these houses be replaced with a larger facility. The design I envision would
have small living quarters for families (2 rooms), with a common kitchen and
bath facilities shared by four or five families. Perhaps we could build two or
three “clusters” for up to 15 families. I leave the details to the experts, I
simply share the need and vision. I wonder if the OMS building teams could take
this on as a project? Perhaps the funds obtained from the sale of the old
campus could be at least partially devoted to this need.
2. Restoration and
Expansion of Car Garage Workshop Area
The old buildings in
the southeast corner of our property will need to be restored and improved. Again,
I have no specific plan, but I think it is a medium level priority.
3. Painting the
Building
Another lower priority
item is to paint the building. I have wanted to propose this as a project for a
visiting work team, but the height and potential dangers have concerned me.
4. Property
Acquisition
I think we would be
wise to continue to buy properties both adjacent to and across the street from
our campus as they become available for staff housing and our future growth.
Staff Issues
We have a very
committed and faithful staff of seminary workers. This year we made some
improvements in our structure and organization which has improved our
operation. One reality we face is the rising salary levels for professionals in
Almaty. The surge of oil money and “new industry” related to aid to Afghanistan
Our weakest department
is “Student Life.” These workers are
like student deans who care for them as they study and live here. One reason for
the department weakness is the newness of the church here. Few believers have
the maturity and pastoral sensitivity needed for this work. Those who do are
engaged in church planting work. As a result, we do not have a very solid team
of pastoral leaders for this department. The need is magnified by the fact the
students are in residence. Without strong and sensitive on site leadership, the
potential for problems is great. We will be working on some restructuring of
this department. Pray for us.
One general problem in
administration here is the issue of authority. The operative cultural model is
authoritarianism, usually centralized in one individual. Those “under” this
person dare not act without specific orders. Those “below” also typically
struggle for secondary positions of power. Everyone wants someone to shout at.
If the authority figure is absent, those under authority can even flaunt their
freedom. My cultural model is democracy; I have tried to operate with this
model with little success. Workers have been confused and paralyzed being asked
to make their own decisions. My present operational model is a benevolent
dictatorship with limited participation. I always try and discuss the decision
making process with key leaders, often implementing their suggestions. As a
foreign worker I want to prepare local leaders to take over. I raise this
discussion for continued prayer and advice. My prayer is that we would gain a
growing sense that Christ is our head and that under Him we all follow His
lead. Along these lines of localizing our leadership I have two specific
suggestions.
1) We need a Local
Advisory Board for KECS. I suggest this board be comprised of national
Christian leaders, from the KECC association and beyond, clergy and laity.
Also, there should be minority membership of foreign mission workers on this
board. Initially this board can be advisory only, but as they prove their
worth, they should be given increasing authority.
2) We need to take more intentional steps at
developing local leadership for KECS. Right now the best candidate I see on our
horizon is Pastor Alexander Melenkov. I suggest he be sent to Moscow Seminary,
hopefully even this fall. (Fortunately, his church is well supplied with
associate leaders who can take over.) He
has proven an excellent leader for our Pastor’s Assoc. As a Russian he displays
sensitivity and understanding for Kazakh people. I pray that he can be a future
leader of KECS. Another fine leader is Kairot. I am not sure what steps should
be taken to develop his leadership and service. But we should explore this
question with him.
Finance
KECS could not exist
without foreign financial support. Our challenge is the develop ways for KECS
to continue with decreasing amounts of outside funding. We have taken some
small steps to promote the responsibility of the local churches to fund their
students. Two years ago we discontinued offering transportation costs for
students coming and returning to their home cities. Many said that they would
not be able to come, but God has blessed them to meet this need. This fall will
be the first year we do not offer monthly stipends for our students. Our
practice has been to give each student the local equivalent of $10 a month for
their incidental expenses. Again we are hearing the cries that this is
impossible! But we believe this small amount is a reasonable expectation for a
sending church to give toward the free education of their student. Granted,
these are just token amounts of the full cost of operating KECS. Yet it is a
beginning. We need wisdom to know how and when to ask the local churches to
finance more of the cost of their student’s training. But even in the “wealthy
West” tuition costs are just a portion of a school’s operational budget. What
other areas can we explore?
This fall we formed a
KECS Alumni Association. The primary purpose of this organization is to
encourage our graduates in their walk and witness. They have been collecting
addresses and thinking of future conferences. Hopefully this group will be more
active. In the West such associations become a source of financial support to
their alma mater. Unfortunately most of
our graduates, like most believers, are presently unemployed. But we need to
build for the future in this area.
One means of economizing
is expansion of our vegetable gardens. We have been blessed with helpful advice
and cooperation from a team of foreign Christian agricultural workers. After
visiting our site they were confident that with careful planning and techniques
we could easily feed our own students and staff with fruits and vegetables.
This spring/summer our concentration is on one-time improvements in our
territory. So this year we will only plant potatoes. But we want to be ready
for next spring.
Another way to
subsidize our costs is to utilize our building for conferences when we are not
in session. There are a growing number of groups looking for facilities. We
already have at least one group coming in June, and we are advertising for
more.
We should do a careful
review of the various properties owned by KECS. Are they in use? Are we gaining
maximum potential from them?
Schools in the States
are assisted by endowment programs, life insurance policies, and other
financial schemes. I have no knowledge of how these work. Could we find a
person in the States to take on this type of ministry assistance? Perhaps a
retired finance worker looking for a way to advance the cause of mission?
Maybe we need to
“think bigger.” One businessman in Hawaii
* * * * *
March 7, 2002
From Fur to Flip Flops
“From the Tropics to the Tundra”
An Update from the Blair family in Kazakhstan
June
2002
Mailing address: Mission
c/o KECS Pioneers
P.O. Box 244 10123
William Carey Drive
Almaty 480000 Orlando , Florida 32827-6020 USA
Phone (7-3272) 550128
Our Church:
International Christian Fellowship, Almaty
www.icf.nursat.kz (check this
out!)
Aloha from Almaty,
We traded the fur
lining for flip flops, summer is here. And season by season we are rejoicing in
the God of all grace. We are so thankful for your gracious support and faithful
prayers. We continue to be mightily blessed by Him in all our life and work. The
media may no longer tell you about Afghanistan Central Asia . We hear great reports of
Gospel progress in formerly closed lands. These are times of historic
opportunity for all the “stans” (lands of the peoples), but not without
hardship and even bloodshed. Fervently pray.
One Flies out of the
Nest
We will soon bid a
bittersweet Ahui Hou! to our eldest son Nathan. He graduates from high school
this month and heads home to University
of Hawaii Hilo
It is indeed a pleasure to write this letter of
recommendation for Nathan. I have known Nathan for four years. He is an
exceptional young man and it has been a privilege to serve as his principal
during his High School years. Nathan is a leader among his peers. I have
enjoyed seeing him grow and mature as a strong young man and in his leadership
roles. This year he was elected as
Chairman of the Student Council and demonstrates a natural ability to lead. He is greatly respected by all the staff and
students and has a natural warmth and ability to relate to a wide variety of
ages.
I have observed excellent character qualities in
Nathan. When faced with a challenge he perseveres to reach the goals set,
achieving sound academic results in his studies. He shows particular talent in
expressive writing and I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading his
writings. He is to be commended for his
persistence and diligence; even in subjects he finds more challenging. Nathan
responds respectfully to correction or input. He makes wise choices and is
willing to make a stand on personal convictions and beliefs. Living in Kazakhstan
I would describe him as an excellent all-rounder. I
have watched Nathan throw himself into everything he does from snowboarding to
taking part in school drama productions.
He is also a singer in our school’s music group. Living in a foreign
country has enabled Nathan to have an opportunity to relate to many different
cultures. He has also tackled the learning of the Russian language and his
achievement has been commendable allowing him to relate easily to the local
community.
Gillian sent this letter
from her home in New Zealand Tien
Shan School
Church is Fun
Perhaps that sounds
strange, but International Christian Fellowship here in Almaty has been just that for our family. We are privileged to
be part of a team of leaders who enjoy serving God and one another. We are
stimulated by people and cultures from around the world. Mark preaches (every
other week usually) to a congregation whose Bibles are open and eyes are
attentive. We moved to a new site, a large hotel meeting room in November.
After several weeks of using just half the ball room, the dividing wall is now
open. Every Sunday we’re about 250 people, 50 are kids under 10 years old who
attend Sunday school. Dayna leads a bunch of parents/teachers who willingly
take their turns without cajoling! One recently asked to take all the kids for
a whole month and organize a Children’s Musical. We are blessed each Sunday by
different worship teams whose music and praise leads us into the throne room of
God. We give away more than 70% of our offerings to ministries here. We’re a
bunch of people from different countries and denominations, busy in lots of
different ministries, wanting to raise a banner for the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody
wastes time with petty Churchianity, it really is fun. Easter was especially
fun. About 350 people came. We baptized nine people, seven of them were new
converts – an Englishman, a Kazakh, five Russians - two were MK’s, including
our son Nathan. Pray that as we focus on
Him we will continue to major on the majors - Jesus, His Word, His
mission. Our venue is a good platform to
reach out to many in the largely untouched business community. We are thinking
about launching a Russian language service, with their own pastor and leaders,
to reach even more professionals. Pray for wisdom and fruitful labors.
The Net of Complicity
“Three of our seminary
students raped a school girl in the next village some months ago.” My colleague’s face winced in pain as she whispered
this tragic news. Shock, anger, disappointment, hurt, betrayal, punishment, all
raced around in my mind. How could such students have found their way into a
seminary? I honestly did not know what
step to take. But my class was waiting for me, so I went to teach “Preaching.”
As a strange twist of fate, one of the accused was the student preacher for
this hour. I sat back in my chair with my arms tightly folded across my chest,
fists clenched. I seethed inwardly, certain that this creep would make a fool
of himself. He read his text, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and we will come near to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners…”
(James 4.7,8) “Wow!” I was shocked, “Does this hypocrite have no shame?”
Hypocrite or not, the guy preached a good sermon; correct understanding of the
text, insightful applications, and even a very transparent confession of his
struggle to submit to God. During the group critique after the message I asked,
“Why did you select that text?” Without hesitation he responded, “Because I
know I am not good at doing this, and I want to improve.” I did not know what
to think. He could talk the talk, but did he walk the walk? That night I
struggled to sleep. “Rape! Oh my God, that poor girl, those wicked boys, what a
scandal for our ministry, what shame on the name of Christ. How many people
know this, or will know it? How can we redeem our testimony? What am I doing as
a seminary director here in Kazakhstan
Riding to the seminary
the next day I wrestled with my plan of action. What would I do first? I should
go to the local school and meet the principal, apologize, and ask to meet this
girl. I should go to the police department and confess our students deed, and
invite officers to arrest them. I should do both, but in which order? When I arrived
I invited key members of staff for a meeting, including the member who first
brought this news. As seven of us gathered behind closed doors I prayed,
beseeching our God of Truth, Light, and Love.
The member of staff who dropped this bomb apprehensively explained she had
not really heard this news directly. It was relayed from her sister in law, who
had heard it from another student, who had heard it from another. As a matter
of fact she could not remember if this event happened two, three, or maybe four
months ago – but she was sure it was a Friday night. Someone suggested we
follow this rabbit trail from the sister in law, to one student, then to
another. Cooler heads said we should talk directly to the three culprits. But,
how? Some adamantly preferred individual interrogations to prevent corroboration.
I suggested we hold them innocent until proven guilty and invite them together
- as students whom we have known and trusted all year long. We did this.
Thanks be to God, they
were not wicked - but one was very stupid – yesterday’s preacher. About three months ago, in a moment of
perverse bravado, he bragged he and his mates had done a dastardly deed. It
was, he explained, “A joke!” What a joke it was. A joke that almost landed them
in prison, or at least beaten severely by the police. This joke terribly
damaged the reputation of our students, our seminary, and our Lord. The two
friends woven into this story were ready to attack their Joker. What should I
do? Nothing in the Student Handbook discussed such jokes. The two leaders we
met with suggested confession before the seminary community, I agreed. I added
that he should also confess before the village church – perhaps their members
could help douse the rumor fires. But surely the retraction never travels as
far and fast as the “Joke.” Then our seminary staff gathered to meet. I
reminded us of a Scripture I often cite, Matthew 18.15-18. We read Jesus’ very
simple formulation for dealing with such jokes and the storms which follow. Go
right to the person and try and sort out the problem, if there is no
reconciliation, take a few friends along; if even that does not work, tell
Blair the Big, Bad Director. (That’s kind of a paraphrase.) Tears were shed,
confessions were made, and absolution was granted. What am I doing here? As
this slice of life reveals, the work is tough, dirty, and wonderful. There are
many such stories to tell, good and bad. We see God transform Jokesters into
Jewels in His crown. We try to model the Grace we want them to preach. He uses
us sinful leaders to mold these midwives for newborn saints. Honestly, it is
not always fun, but often rewarding. On June 7, 2002 , twenty-three students (including one
Jokester), graduate from Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary. May you send them out with your prayers? Central Asia ’s multitudes wait.
Summer Travels
Before Nathan heads
off to University, we will take a family vacation. The boys want to go to their
homeland. So in July we’re heading down the hill – sort of – to Uganda
Yours in His service,
Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah and Aaron Blair
November 15, 2001
Moving, Moving, Moving
Warm greetings from Kazakhstan ! A few days ago we did
not feel as cheery. The temperatures have dipped into the cool digits – outside
and in. But we finally had the heat turned on in our apartment building, now we
can take off the arctic wear inside. We are doubly warm and thankful. We got
hot water last week after a month of chilly dip and pour bathing! The first
snow came the beginning of October. The snow-capped mountains are beautiful. We
had some nice autumn days - awesome yellows, oranges, and reds – when we could
peel down to just two layers. Forecast: cold and colder. But our snowboards are
ready!
We look with fondness at the photos of our home leave. It
was great to see family and friends in Hawaii
and California .
We had the privilege of sharing about our ministry more than forty times. We
are encouraged by the strong interest in what God is doing in Central
Asia . We’re extremely grateful for the generous support and
faithful prayer our family receives as we labor here
That solemn date evokes a flood of emotions for us all.
Actually the impact hit our family the following day. Unlike thousands of
people in Almaty, we did not stay up all night watching the shocking images on
television. (Morning in New York
is evening here.) We slept in ignorant
bliss. On our routine e-mail check the morning of the 12th, a letter had come
from a Christian brother from India
had written with the heading - “Sorry.” In the text he sent condolences for the
“tragedy in America .”
Clicking on the Internet news, we went numb. Going to work, we found people gathered at both our schools in
fervent prayer - many with tears. We joined them. The local people soon made the grounds around
the American embassy a sea of flowers – for most a costly and extravagant
kindness. The President of Kazakhstan was among the many
visitors who signed the book of condolences. He still continues to affirm his
support for the war against terrorism. Now several weeks into the
bombing of Afghanistan ,
a Muslim taxi driver recently spoke to us about the WTC tragedy with tears. We
feel safe and privileged to be serving here at this time.
The world is focused on the military and political
developments in this part of the world. The “Islamic curtain” is being lifted
enough to reveal the intellectual darkness, stifling oppression, and dire
poverty that grip many in these lands. One of the best ways to understand a
religion is to look at a country that is controlled by it. Unfortunately, most
media is silent about God’s Kingdom purpose for Central
Asia . Of course, on this side of eternity we do not know the half
of it. But Scripture clearly states, “God our Savior wants all men to be saved
and come to a knowledge of the truth.”
The openness in Kazakhstan – a
nominally Muslim nation - is amazing. It is harvest time here. People hear the
Gospel with eagerness. When we invite them to church they come, many even ask
the price of admission. (We’re getting rich! – not really.) We believe
the Central Asian Church
Moved, Moved, Moved, and Moving
The last two months have been filled with moves, three down
and one to go. When we returned in August we were thrilled to see the beautiful
new facility for Kazakhstan
Evangelical Christian Seminary. After a year and half of reconstruction,
students now live and study in this like-new building. In September we held our Discipleship
Course. Out of 40 student-candidates, 30
were invited for this academic year - 11 in Russian language, the rest in
Kazakh. Interestingly, only 1 young man is a Russian, the other 29 students are
Kazakh. This reflects both the growth of the Kazakh church and the exodus of
many Russians from this country. One Kazakh young lady is from Mongolia , our
first from that nation. Pray for these students to be trained to lead God’s
Church here in Central Asia . We are making a
packet containing names and photos of each individual student, we hope to send
these out to churches for prayer – let us know if you would like to receive
one.
Our family moved the
first week of September. Thanks to a loan from a friend in Colorado , we were able to purchase a
four-bedroom apartment for $30,000. We were able to register the apartment in
the name of our seminary as an asset to enhance its ministry. Our apartment is
located about ten minutes from TSS and twenty minutes from the seminary by car.
Ask God that this new home will be a place of refuge for us and a blessing for
many who come and enjoy.
This month our International
Christian Fellowship will begin
meeting in a new location. We are changing luxury hotels – from the Hyatt to
the Regent. In two years at the Hyatt we have grown from about 60 to more than
200 each week. Ambassadors from two nations have recently joined our
congregation. The Regent offers a much
bigger room, maximum of 750. But until we need that many seats, we will use
just half the ballroom. We searched long and hard for a more “modest” meeting
place in this city. There are laws against religious meetings in schools and
other government owned buildings. Other halls are poorly maintained - no heat,
broken seats, stinky toilets, no place for Sunday school classes, poor
locations, no public bus access, on and on. Mark continues to serve as co-pastor
and preaches often, Dayna helps teach and organize Sunday school, and Nathan is
singing with a worship team. So pray with us that the prominently located
Regent will become a “five-star” outpost for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Adventures with Alexi
Apartment hunting gave us an interesting window into the way
things work – or sometimes don’t – here in Almaty. One place we liked was
$40,000; no make that 45, well maybe 40 – so Alexi waffled. Even though we did
not buy his apartment, Alexi the owner gave us some lasting memories. He is an
administrator in the National Bank. He was supposed to be at work in Moscow last April but
could not sell his apartment and move. Needless to say, he was an eager beaver;
especially when the Americans showed up.
When I said we’d need to get a loan. He said, “No problem.” In minutes
he was on two phones with three different bankers. Soon he rushed us down the
steps and into his car. We were going to the bank! The banker we met was not so
confident. There was a list of about ten standard requirements, and two more
for foreigners. We saw “Soviet bureaucracy” written all over. The workday
ended, but Alexi was ready to pick us up at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Day 2 started in the huge, ornate,
government building dominating the city square. Foreigners need a special pass
to even step inside. We were escorted inside and walked past dozens of offices
with doors open, lots of workers, couldn’t see much work! Our host sat us down
in his office, adorned with a picture of him and the President. After he tried
and failed about ten telephone calls, as we sat for two hours reading old
Russian magazines, we were sent to another government building. This more
modest building held no promise either, but they knew the building we needed to
find! Racing across the city, I saw dollar signs reflected in Alexi’s glasses.
We found the right building, but the wrong answer. I could not get a loan; in
fact I could not even own an apartment in this country. (We had told him from
the beginning that we wanted to register the place in the name of the seminary
- but he knew best.) What did we loose? - the chance to make monthly payments
on a 21% interest loan into a bank that is ethically questionable and
administratively insane. In the end we got a much bigger apartment, newer,
cleaner, and closer to our work, for only 30k – with a 5% loan and all funds
remaining in the States. We said Dhasvadania to Alexi and wished him success.
Da Boys
Giants increasingly surround poor Dayna. As each boy grew
taller than his mother, Mark did not think much about it. But as they’re starting to look him in the
eye it is an issue! Though there’s not much he can do as they say, “See ya
later shorty!” Pray with us that they’ll also keep growing in maturity and
grace. Someone defined maturity as being “big enough on the inside to control
yourself on the outside.” Considering their stature, they’ll need a big
portion. Both Nathan and Josiah have “teaching jobs” – after school tutoring
for younger boys. Aaron has entered high school, 9th grade. So we
have a 12th, 11th and 9th grader to keep their
mother/teacher busy! In addition to a full school schedule, they also belong to
boy scouts, youth group, and are board addicts. The addiction is in the
transition phase now – when the snow patches are cleared off the sidewalks
there’s still some time for skateboarding. But snowboarding here we come… It’s
great to see them and the usual pack of 5 to 10 other boys from around the
world enjoying life here.
Good-bye Victor
One reason why this country sinks into difficulty is the
exodus of talented people. Our seminary recently lost one of our best workers,
and America
gained a wonderful Russian family. In our years abroad we have met many
foreigners trying to immigrate to USA – some were almost consumed by
their efforts. But for the first time we have watched some repatriate by
“surprise.”
Victor began his work for the Seminary as a Driver. He
showed great initiative in learning English, on his own time at his own
expense, to converse with the missionary staff. His integrity and
trustworthiness prompted us to increase his responsibilities to Director of all
facilities. What was especially unique is that he is a Russian who shows real
love and concern for Kazakhs. Victor had
the excellent idea of consolidating our ministries through adding a third floor
to our larger building. We gave Victor full responsibility for this rebuilding
project. The total cost of this project was over $300,000. Nearly every dollar
passed through his hands. Every penny was meticulously accounted for. His wise
decisions along the way saved us many thousands of dollars. God used Victor to
erect a tremendous facility for our seminary ministry. Just last month Victor
got the last of about 15 permission documents for our building – hallelujah!
Days later he heard from his family, most of whom live in USA , that all
was “ready” for he, his wife, and two small children to immigrate. They had
been working on Victor’s behalf for several years. When his neighbor
unexpectedly came over and asked to buy Victor’s apartment, he took it as God’s
clear leading. Now they’re getting settled in Portland , Oregon
We realize how dependent we are on the Lord in all we do.
The Church belongs to Him, and we trust in Him as the Master Builder. May we be
attentive to His leading and faithful to His calling. Again, many thanks for
your vital partnership in prayer and support of our work here. May God use us
all as His Ambassadors of hope and love in this troubled world.
Sincerely in Him, Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Josiah, and Aaron
Blair
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
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