Here and There

Aloha from Almaty,

We have been very encouraged by your affirmation of our upcoming move to Beijing in June, God willing. Several have asked helpful questions about our plans, so we’re sending this letter with answers to all. We are blessed to have such a loving and generous team of people who have so faithfully stood with us in mission. When we began our ministry abroad in war-torn Uganda in 1983 it took more than six months to receive a letter, email did not exist, and telephone was impossible. Now we connect globally in nano-seconds – even with former colleagues in that remote African village. Sometimes, when the news is bad, this can overwhelm us all with compounding sadness, as the stock exchanges around the globe sink in one another’s panic! But as we know Him who holds this world, we look to Him with faith not fear. When the puny nation of Judah was about to be swallowed by the wicked global tyrant Babylon, God sent the prophet Isaiah to help the faithful keep things in perspective -

“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:22-31

On Sunday, July 6, 1924 those words were read from the pulpit of the Scots Church in Paris. At that very hour the starting guns for the 100 meter Olympic heats sounded nearby. Eric Liddell, the one favored to win that event, was not on the track but in that pulpit. He would not run on the Sabbath, but he would preach. Later that week Liddell entered the 400 meters, by no means his best event. He was a sprinter. As he went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand with a quotation: "Those who honour me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). He ran with that paper in his hand. Not only did he win the gold, he broke the world record. Eric Liddell was born and died in China as a missionary. This Scotsman, ‘the Pride of Scotland,’ was also China’s first Olympic medalist! Hard times will not last, but those who find their strength in God will. We do not know God’s plans, but we must not doubt His power.

Pressing on in KZ

As with any move, the hardest part will be saying good-bye to beloved friends. The life-challenges we face together here in Kazakhstan have forged deep bonds of partnership and love. We want to be faithful to seize every opportunity for Him in the remaining months we have here. (God wants obedience today, not just dreams about tomorrow!) In January we had a wonderful time in the south of this country with 35 leaders and pastors from 10 churches. We studied the Pastoral letters of Paul; long, but encouraging days. Pray for their perseverance in a strong Islamic area - lots of adversity. Stones have hit several, literally! Broken windows, government pressure, harassment, slander from the media, and general discouragement are rife. They want us to come back for another week of teaching in March. We plan on it.



Now some of questions we have received about our plans to move to BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship)…

I hate to be so dumb, but will you now have to learn Chinese?? If so, blessings on you - I mean, since you're so old now I imagine new language acquisition might be more of a challenge! :-)

Ouch! That was from Mark’s college dorm mate – a true “Catacombs Homeboy” from Covenant. So he is no young pup either! But it is a good, and daunting, question. And this makes us wonder – “God, are you really calling us there!” When we walked past a restaurant in China recently we thought they were giving language lessons but it was just the busboy dropping the silverware on the floor. Thankfully, we are going to serve an English language church in Beijing. And there will be many people to serve and ministries to do in English. But we will have neighbors, shopping, traveling, etc. that will require at least some ‘survival’ Chinese, like we have ‘survived’ in Russian here. This is not our strength. Pray, please!

If "local Chinese" are restricted from coming to BICF are the people who attend all from different countries working or studying in China?

Yes, only foreign passport holders are allowed in BICF. There are thousands of internationals living and working in Beijing. Our experience here has been that people in this status are unusually open to the Gospel. Those who attend BICF do have numerous opportunities with nationals throughout their week, and we will too.

What is the situation of the Church in China?

We still have much to learn, but we will share what we know. The government has allowed their citizens to meet in officially recognized churches since the late 1970’s. There are both Protestant and Catholic official churches. The number of official churches is not enough for the huge demand. Clearly there are limits placed on these churches. Yet, many leaders we respect tell us the gospel is being preached in many of these churches and people are coming to faith in Jesus. Although their shortage of pastors and teachers often means that possibilities for growth in discipleship are limited. BICF has good relations with this official church and opportunities for our teaching in their seminaries are quite possible.

In addition, there are a large, and growing, number of ‘unofficial’ churches. Many of those who find their way to these churches have come to faith through official churches. We have friendships here too. This group, like Christendom, varies from balanced, Biblical understanding to wild fanaticism. Some have little access to good teaching, others have embraced false teaching. Spiritual hunger – inside and outside the Church - is great in China. Even the government now estimates the number of believers in China as 130 million, and 9,000 unofficial churches in Beijing alone. God knows His own.

Are there Bibles in China?

The government allows the publication and distribution of Bibles. The former days of hand-copied scraps of Scripture are thankfully over, at least in the primary language of Mandarin. One printing press alone, which we visited a few years ago, has now printed more than 50 million Chinese Bibles and counting. There is also a growing amount of Christian literature available for believers. With such a huge population, this is just a small, but encouraging, beginning.

I know you will have to be more careful of your words in China than you have needed to be in Kazakhstan.

Yes, for the safety of local believers especially. The government will recognize us as a foreign Christian workers through the ministry of BICF.

What will your job description and title be at BICF?

Mark will be a pastor in function, and a ‘Church Leader’ in title. The historical context has guided BICF not to use the term pastor in the past. Now that title is more freely used with no problems. Their structure has three ‘Church Leaders,’ one at each of their three primary sites of ministry. We will be at Zhong Guan Cun, which began four years ago. Mark will be on a team of Elders in ZGC and part of the Community Elders of the entire BICF. I have never been very interested in titles. I think the title ‘Senior Pastor’ has some unbiblical implications and anyway it makes me feel old! Perhaps the title “Servant Pastor” would be closer to Scripture. There will be three main areas of my duties at BICF ZGC, quoting their document: 1) To provide spiritual and pastoral leadership, as leader of the church elders, to the BICF ZGC congregation. To preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments. 2) To serve as the chief administrator of the congregation so that it might fulfill its mission and purpose as the body of Christ. 3) To give primary leadership to the four ministry quadrants: Inspiration, Life Stations, Small Groups, and Impact.

Maybe someday our church can do some kind of outreach or something there with you.

That is an exciting idea! Let us see.

What percentage of financial support are you currently at while serving in Almaty and what your current monthly need is through May?

At this point, thanks to many generous folks, we are nearly at full support. As we have mentioned before, and as you are no doubt feeling, the value of the dollar has gone down significantly here too. One thing local pastors are asking us to do before leaving is reprint several of the books Mark has produced in Russian and Kazakh. Currently, all copies are in circulation. We have been able to produce these through excess mission funds.

Will there be any one-time start up costs?

Yes. We plan two trips to China, in April and then our move there in early June. In April we will have a week together with the current leader of BICF ZGC. (He leaves in May.) This will be an invaluable time to learn from him. Mark is scheduled to preach there on Palm Sunday, April 5. Our eldest son Nathan and his wife Heather will be visiting us then and they will come too. We also hope to find an apartment for our future home then.

We will not move our furniture to Beijing. But we do plan to transport books, clothing, and personal effects. We are exploring the best options. We hope for an apartment not far from where the church meets. We will need to outfit this apartment. Dayna is excited about one of the world’s largest Ikea stores located in Beijing!

As some of you know, we were extremely blessed to have an anonymous believer in the States loan us $35,000 in 2001 which we used to purchase an apartment here in Almaty. By May we will have repaid that dear person at 5% interest. This has allowed us a fixed rent cost. The seminary we have served since 1997 owns the apartment. Now it will help their ministry. It is now valued at over $100,000. IF there is anyone who is open to such an idea, we would love to explore the possibilities in Beijing.

If you could tell us what your monthly needs will be in BJ.

We anticipate that our overall living costs may be quite similar to what we have here. Food and supplies will probably be cheaper. But we may have to pay more for rent. We will see.

Will there be any kind of compensation from BICF-ZGC?

There is a monthly stipend. It is not designed to support the pastor but to supplement some of his needs. As we have explained, there are presently three sites of BICF. ZGC is comprised of many students. At this point their congregation is not fully self-supporting but is supplemented by the general BICF budget. The rental of facilities large enough to serve the members and children of the congregation is significant. Once we are in position we will be able to give more detailed figures of our needs and the BICF.

Is there any denominational affiliation of BICF?

As you can see from their statement of faith posted on their web site; their doctrine is theologically conservative. (That word which has a negative ring in the popular press is still quite useful. It simply means they’re trying to ‘HOLD ON’ (conserve) to truths entrusted to us by our Lord in His Word.) The members come from many Christian denominations, traditions and nations. There is a strong emphasis on mission and evangelism. Speaking from our experience here in Almaty, we have found the International Church to be a wonderful foretaste of heaven!

What does BICF resemble organizationally?

My answer, to all these questions, will be more accurate in one year. But as an outside observer I can say it is a very active, changing, and focused place. They have a strong core commitment to the Lord and His Word and a great desire to do what they can to make Him known, from Beijing to the ends of the earth. There are three sites where English language worship services are held. Those sites offer simultaneous translations through headsets into several different languages during their services. Also during the services, there is a full program of ‘Sunday School’ for all ages. Each site has multiple worship services. In addition there are numerous fellowships of different language groups. ZGC currently has Korean, Mandarin, and Indonesian meetings every week. Then, during the week there are many small groups – with lots of different styles and subjects – meeting throughout the city of Beijing. There is also a strong emphasis of community outreach and ministries of mercy. For example the total BICF – about 3000 members – donated RMB 1.7 million ($250,000) and many man-hours toward earthquake relief in China in 2008. One more factor that shapes this picture is the transient nature of the membership, with people coming for one Sunday, one school term, one year, and a few long termers. There is a good administrative network which tries to get people mobilized and maximized in ministry while they’re in Beijing. Their documents at www.bicf.org offer many good ideas for any church.

Do you hope to continue teaching national church leaders?

Definitely. At this point we cannot say how or where. And even when it happens we may not be as free to say how and where. But it is our deep desire to use our gifts of teaching to encourage the leaders of His Church in that nation. Pray for this with us, please.

How many years are you initially committing to BICF?

We want to commit at least three years initially. We are open to how He leads both us and the elders of BICF regarding a longer term of service.

Will you go on furlough before heading to BJ?

No. We returned here to Almaty from furlough in January 2008, just one year ago. We may visit the States in 2010, but no plans are made yet.

Again, we are so grateful that you are standing with us and even reading this loooong letter!

Yours in Him who holds the Nations, Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org

Our Mailing Address (Please do not send anything after April 15 as we leave here in June.)
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

Merry Christmas! TODAY?

Warm Greetings from snowy Kazakhstan!

We pray 2009 will be a year of great blessing as you follow the Him who was, and is, and is to come. We are so grateful for your prayers and support which have kept us strong in His service here. We have entered our eleventh, and last, year of life and ministry here in Almaty. We have some big news to share about our future plans.

We have been quite busy with ministry and family during this holiday season. Our son Josiah arrived just before Christmas and it has been great having him here. His daughter, Maylee, is really having fun with Papa. He is looking for work here. This month he turns 23, and Maylee will be 5. We are grateful for your prayers for them.

Merry Christmas! TODAY, January 7, is the public holiday of Christmas in Kazakhstan. This reflects the strong influence of the Russian Orthodox Church which follows the Julian calendar. Advent is wonderful in any church, and especially so here at our International Christian Fellowship. Our mix of nations, traditions, and denominations makes it very special to appreciate how Jesus truly is the “Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7 NKJV). Amidst our differences we find a deep oneness in Him. And as a church planted in a nation where so few truly know Him, it is a special joy to declare Him. When we walked into the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel on the last day of November we found the staff frantically hanging beautiful decorations because the government threatened to fine any business that did not have Christmas displays by December 1! Lights, songs, trees, decorations, and carols – the only thing missing is knowing why He came. The Turkish GM of the Intercontinental asked us to bring a choral group from our church to sing carols for their tree lighting ceremony. Imagine standing with forty of your friends from church singing the praises of Him who is “God of God, Light of Light” to a group of smiling and eager Muslims, atheists, and hedonists. The same GM, his entire family, and many from Almaty joined us on Christmas Eve. Clearly the babe from Bethlehem has far exceeded His fifteen minutes of fame.

Praising Him

New Year’s is the most important day of the year for the people of Kazakhstan- several days of fireworks, new clothes, lots of food and alcohol, exchanging gifts (typically candy and alcohol) and family and friends. Most here call their festive tree a New Year’s Tree and the guy we Westerners know in the Red suit is often clad in Blue here – “Grandfather Ice.” Here is Maylee at her Kindergarten’s New Year’s program with the man in blue and classmates.

It is painful to think that the dark hole of New Year’s is the most exciting day of the year for most here. Some go into debt for the feast. It is ‘good luck’ – if you eat well on the first day of the year, you will have a prosperous year. But for many once their platters are wiped clean, their bottles of alcohol drained, and their fireworks fizzled, they’re left with the same fears, economic uncertainties, and empty hopes. As we look into the dark tunnel of a new year, we have no idea whether we will come out the other end alive. But we know Someone who does. Not only is He all knowing, He is ever-present, and abounding in mercy and grace. It is only in His light that tomorrow has any hope. And because of His promises we have every hope – for an eternity of tomorrows. How we long for the people of Central Asia, indeed the world, to know Jesus.

Preaching Him

In the last several weeks Mark has had opportunity to teach local pastors here in Kazakhstan. In early December he spent three days with a group of young leaders, looking at the main sermons in the book of Acts and drawing out their implications for mission. Four years ago, he spent a week with the same group teaching the book of Ephesians. How good it was to see them again and hear the testimonies of God’s faithfulness in their lives and ministries. What a joy to see the Lord raising up godly and faithful leaders for His Church here.

A couple weeks ago Mark had a day-long seminar with the 16 men and women who preach and teach at the First Presbyterian Church of Almaty (founded 1990). It was great to see how their faithful pastor is doing his best to equip and release these ones into ministry. The day’s topic was preaching and much of the day was spent listening to, and evaluating, their sermons. The best part was to witness their teachable spirits and how eager they were to build one another up in their calling. Understandably, some needed more ‘exhortation’ than others, but it was great to hear them faithfully speaking His Word.

Plans from Him

Our news is that we have received a call to move. Last October when we were in Beijing for things we wrote about in our last letter, we worshipped at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship on our two Sundays in the city. We were quite surprised when their pastor and elders approached us to come and serve there. BICF has several thousand members in three different congregations and a number of smaller groups organized by language. Specifically, we have been asked to pastor the congregation on the west side of the city. (More details below or at http://english.zgc.bicf.org/home.cfm ) We spent the month of November back here in Almaty praying and thinking about this call. Their elders spent the month “checking us out” a bit more, references, sermons, etc. And last month they extended a call to come in early June 2009. We made our decision to accept very recently.

We feel no “push” out of Almaty. It has been a great privilege for us to invest in hundreds of pastors and church leaders throughout Central Asia, several hundred MK’s in Tien Shan School, and the many who have passed through ICF Almaty over the years. And we have several books published in Russian and Kazakh which are in the hands of many leaders. We have been very blessed; there are many here we love.

But we do feel that we should accept this call to Beijing. There are more people living in that one city than in the entire nation of Kazakhstan! We would pastor people on the front lines of ministry in many areas. (As we are here, but the number is more than tripled in Beijing.) Also, we already have a number of friends there that would like us to teach leaders of the rapidly growing church there. Our job description of preaching and teaching would remain unchanged, just with a wider influence. Another issue is Mark will be able to have the necessary cancer follow-up tests he needs for the next couple years right there in Beijing.

The letter below details how their current pastor (a long time friend of ours who is returning to the States for a season) sees our potential role.

Obviously, we would very much like to be blessed with your support, as God leads and provides. We will not receive a salary from BICF, but live by mission support. We will continue to serve through Pioneers. We also want to release you with much love and appreciation if you feel that this is not the kind of work you are led to support. If the Lord is indeed guiding us to Beijing, we trust He will provide. We look forward to hearing from you!

We also realize that perhaps you may no longer wish to receive our news. If that is the case please click reply and simply write DELETE on the subject line. We understand.

In Him whose Advent is our Hope! Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz

Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

The letter from the pastor of BICF…..

Dear Mark & Dayna,

We are very excited about the possibility of you coming to Beijing. Last summer when I began to think about us leaving BJ, wondering who could take over at ZGC, your name was the 1st on my list.

In inviting you to move to Beijing and to be the church leader at BICF ZGC we could see many good fits between our church and your experience and gifting. You have experience in international churches and that’s truly what we are. We have students, teachers, and business people from around 50 different countries regularly attending. Last month we had a “New Women’s Night” and there were 60+ who attended representing 33 different countries. Being international we have great diversity, both ethnically and in denominational background. I believe it takes someone who has worked in this type of environment to appreciate the differences and see it as part of God’s great creativity. When we experience unity as a group fully committed to Christ’s lordship it makes a great statement to the world. We feel your experience while leading other international fellowships will be invaluable.

I’m also excited because of your Central Asian and African experience. Your years in Africa will be a blessing to our congregation. We have many Africans in the church. Although I don’t know the country count, but I’m guessing we have Africans from 15 or more countries. Some of our strong leaders are African students. As a matter of fact we plan to begin a monthly African service in January. Your Central Asian experience will challenge our congregation to think about the Moslems to our west, both within and outside of China. We have a few Central Asians in the congregation, but there are many more who are studying in nearby universities.

Mark, we have a fairly young church, both in age and in the congregation and our target population. Our campus of the BICF is 4 years old. We have a congregation that varies in size from 300-700, depending on the time of the year. We don’t have our own building but have found a stable home for the past 3 years in an IT Office building in the middle of China’s Silicon Valley. Intel, AMD, and many other top IT companies have offices in our building. Surrounding us are some of China’s top “think tanks”, associated with China’s “Academy of Sciences”. Within 10 minutes of our location are China’s Harvard and MIT (Beijing University and Qinghua University). We have close to 50 universities on our side of Beijing that attract many of China’s elite students. We also have close to 40,000 foreign students in the area. These students come from almost every country in the world. Our part of Beijing is also where many returning Chinese land back in China after living and studying abroad. Many have become Christians and some are finding their way to our church. We feel God has planted us right in the middle of our target audiences.

Finally Mark, when we thought about who would come in as pastor we wanted someone with a missions background. Over 20% of our congregation has come to Asia as ministry workers. We know you will be able to relate to this group and help encourage them in their work. We feel your pastoral and teaching skills will greatly encourage them in their work and help extent their time in Asia. While the government still restricts local Chinese from coming to our church, many within our fellowship are ministering directly and effectively to this group.

Beijing is a changing place. It has become a global city and we believe that the BICF has been strategically positioned by God to have a world-wide ministry from Beijing. We’re very excited about the possibility of you joining us in 2009. We will continue to pray with you as we seek His guidance.

Thankful in Kazakhstan

Warm Greetings from cool Kazakhstan!

‘Rabba slippas’ are packed up and sweaters are on. Our mountains are full of snow and city trees grow bare. Windows are half-closed and the heat is on?! (Soviet efficiency!) Winter is near!
We returned Saturday from our best trip ever to the large nation ‘next door.’ Medical news was quite good. No cancer seen in Mark, good numbers on thyroid levels, cholesterol, etc. More importantly we had two five-day sessions with some of God’s finest. Week one we met with thirty-one leaders in a ‘small city’ (JUST 8 million!). Some of them have endured prison and hardship for the One Crucified for them. We traced the pathways of His first followers as we studied the book of Acts. With great zeal they sought to learn timeless principles for the work of mission - so that they could get themselves in trouble again! Group one (picture below) is on those stools every long day for 2 months of intensive study, we heard no complaints!

Take a good look at the book they’re poring over. You might have one of your own, hopefully as well used. It was six hours a day with them, eight hours a day with thirty-eight students the second week in the Olympic city, considering the message of the Bible.
The writings of more than forty authors from over a thousand year span are compiled therein. The last of its sixty-six books was written almost two thousand years ago. It is a book from the Middle East written in ancient Hebrew and Greek languages. How does an English-speaking Californian teach THAT book through translators to a group of peasants (week one) and University graduates (week two – pictured below) in the Far East? How does it grab our attention and enliven our souls through long hours and less than ideal circumstances? How do you end those long sessions feeling enriched and excited that there is so much to that Book you never noticed before - and yet still so much more to be seen? If you’re not quite sure that God is real and His Word is true, I wish you could have come along and seen for yourself.

We are in the midst of a busy fall season here in Almaty. We have a growing number of people coming to worship at International Christian Fellowship. Together with my co-pastor we are preaching through the Gospel of Mark, seeing our Lord Jesus as a man of action and authority. Five small groups meet during the week. Dayna has been sharing His love through teaching English, discipleship coffees, substitute teaching at a secular International school, joining the Almaty International Women’s Club and it looks like they’ve convinced her to coach volleyball again at Tien Shan School!

$ 100
As we rode through the city of Almaty in his stylish Toyota, Pastor Andre told me that two years ago he had less than $100 to his name. He was taking me home after a Sunday night seminar at his church. Most of his congregation is young people who are quite interested in dating and romance. Quite naturally, ha ha ha, I was invited to address this topic! After teaching “The Biblical Foundation of Marriage” from Genesis and Ephesians, I answered their written questions. For example, “How old do I have to be before wearing make-up?” I told them I was 53 and still had not started. That kind of stuff….
Then I toured the ‘church yard’ – which is a work in progress. He took me into a large garage, which Andre and a team of men erected in two weeks! Several cars stood in various stages of repair. Andre teaches the young men of the church how to repair cars. The back yard held six nice looking cars they have repaired and are now rentals. In addition to the normal church activities, Andre takes these kids skydiving, jet skiing, wake boarding, and snowboarding. He hopes the large open area in the churchyard will one day be an ‘extreme sports’ center! It was no surprise the place was full of young people, who are as enthusiastic about praising the Lord as parachuting. As Andre and I conversed in a fusion of Russian and English, he lamented that he did not have better English skills, saying that he had wasted most of his school years on drugs. He was addicted to heroin for twenty years! He came clean two years ago, and has had not had time to look back. It is a thrill to see what the Lord is doing through this humble servant.
As we reached my corner I opened the car door and turned to go. He said, “Wait! I must give you this from my ministry.” Despite my protest, he firmly insisted. He stuck $100 in my hand and wished me God’s blessings.

Qualified Elder
Every Thursday Mark teaches “Ethics” to the students of Central Asia United Seminary. Pastor Andre is one of them. We are studying the Ten Commandments and seeing their wide application to our life with God in the modern world. As we looked at the Sixth Command, against murder, I shared about the many Sunday nights in the 1990’s when I had the privilege of preaching at Kulani Christian Church. KCC gathers behind prison walls on the Big Island of Hawaii. As I got to know the Elders they gradually shared (never ask an inmate what he did!) that they had broken the Sixth Commandment. In all the places I have visited to preach, never did I pay more careful attention to the concerns of the Elders! Seriously, they, like the famous murderers Moses, David, and Paul, had a profound gratitude for the mercy of God. The joyful roar of their congregational singing still rings in my heart. I wondered aloud with my students here whether being a murderer was a qualification to Eldership in KCC. After the Ethics lecture one student who is bigger than me stuck out his hand and quietly spoke, “Thanks for the good word. I am qualified to be an Elder in that church in Hawaii.” Now I know why he spent years in prison in Uzbekistan! The God of mercy and grace is building His Church here in Central Asia.

We Need You!
Carefully studying the book of Acts these past weeks has reminded us again how much we need you! The great mission exploits of Paul and Barnabas were achieved because the entire church at Antioch sent them and sustained them. And not one of the many churches planted by those faithful workers was left with just one man in leadership – teams of elders were ordained. Battles are not won by individual soldiers but disciplined armies. Mr. Obama did not gain the Presidency alone!
When the world laments its global economic crisis, we who live by donations begin to shudder! Yet it is also a time to examine our call and affirm our convictions. Do we believe that His arm has grown short amidst this global shortage? I trust not. We have been sustained in mission work by your prayers, gifts, and encouragement for many years. We are truly grateful for you and give praise to God. Someday the people whose faces it may not be safe to send now over cyberspace will be your great Kingdom-friends, for eternity! This is your work.
A couple months ago we asked you to pray for B’s father who struggled with alcohol for many years. His struggle ended tragically as he fell from a third floor window to his death. It has been a horribly sad event for the family and our ICF family. We have been there for support, but words seem feeble in those moments. Remember them all, especially B who stands courageously as the lone believer in his family. You would be proud to see his gentle, noble, witness.

As Thanksgiving season passes in many of our countries, thank God you live in a nation that remembers the Giver!

Believing all nations will stream to His throne with their gifts, Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz

Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

Fall 2008

Aloha from Kazakhstan!
In our last letter we mentioned that we’ve taken a financial hit in recent months and several people responded by sending gifts! We are very grateful. We are thankful for each gift and every prayer that keeps us strong in His service here. Along that line, yesterday we found out the Dr. in Los Angeles who performed Mark’s back surgery last summer (which has really worked, thank God!) has written off our after-insurance part of his bill – about $3000!
Taking Off
Our ministry is up and running with the new school year. Our attendance at International Christian Fellowship has been bolstered with a number of teachers and families who have returned from summer travels, and expats who have come to work in Almaty. We finished our summer sermon series on Ecclesiastes and will begin preaching through the Gospel of Mark this Sunday. Five small groups are being launched around the city. We will offer a ‘Welcome to Almaty’ weekend at the end of this month, offering guide service to expats new to our city. Hopefully, some will find their way to ICF, and most of all to Him.
This is the first autumn in ten years that Dayna has not taught at Tien Shan School. They are blessed with enough teachers and lots of students, and Dayna is quite busy too! When her substitute English teaching at the Intercontinental Hotel came to end, they did not want her to go! (In fact they surprised her with cake and coffee on her birthday, as you can see.)
So they created another English class for their Executive staff. Of course when Mark learned the benefit was continued membership in the Hotel Spa and Exercise Center, he decided Dayna needed an assistant! We’re loving it. Besides this class, Dayna is busy discipling women of ICF – expat and local – and has already been a substitute teacher at Almaty International School. Still much to do!

Shrub Hunting
In August Mark traveled to the south of Kazakhstan to be the Bible teacher for a church Youth Camp. About 100 young adults gathered for a week; enduring seven messages from Scripture! The rustic camp along the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan had almost all we needed; plenty of good food, games, music, and fun were all carefully planned. Just one small detail, no toilets! In fact, our ‘running water’ was a small stream, enjoyed by man and beast. Now
there was one pit latrine which under normal circumstances could be adequate. But sparing the vivid details, this latrine was not ‘normal’. So one of the most interesting – and essential - facets of camp life became scouring hither and yon for appropriate shrubs. We would exchange nervous social banter with those you met by surprise at all hours of the night or day, as the need arose. It developed into a level of closeness which I would have never expected! No toilets, no showers….well, let’s just say it was a in that way a long week. But these young people, not the cool and sophisticated big city kids of Almaty, were very open and sincere, with a great hunger and submissiveness to God and His Word. It was a privilege to be with them…no matter the circumstances!

Jesus Builds His Church
This semester Mark is teaching every week in two different Bible schools, one Presbyterian, one Methodist – ‘keeping it fair and balanced’! This is a time of anxiety for churches, Bible schools, and ministries as yet another law restricting religion is being discussed. The loud threats are that it will be approved at the end of the year. Meanwhile, we are trying to take advantage of every opportunity to teach and encourage leaders of His Church here. And we do so knowing ‘God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world: the world is peripheral to the church.’ Closing verses of Ephesians chapter 1 from The Message The church is where the action is from God’s viewpoint! That place we struggle to have enough Sunday school teachers, projectors that work, and people that stay awake during sermons --- that place is in the center of God’s global vision!
Four years ago, with your help, Mark was able to publish his first book – “The Privilege of Preaching” in Russian language. Since that time four other he has been able to produce four other books to resource Church leaders here in Central Asia, two
in Russian and two in Kazakh language. We are not quite sure where they have all gone, though we do get occasional testimonies from around our region. One brother recently took a serious risk to carry 40 copies into a nearby country which does not allow people to have more than one copy of any religious book. We printed 1000 copies of this first book and now they are all gone. There has been a request by local leaders for this book to be reprinted. The original translator is now making some minor corrections and we the printer says printing another 1000 will cost $ 1.40 US per copy. If you would like to support the printing of a few copies, we would be grateful for any special gifts. They can be sent as normal support to Pioneers, just let us know your intention for the gift and we will put it toward the cause.
Upcoming Travel?
Mark is supposed to have a Scan every six months (he waited 15 months for the first one!) as a follow up to his two cancer’s last year. It is time. Unfortunately, we cannot get this done reliably here. At the same time he has been invited to teach a one week pastor’s course in a country quite near. But present travel restrictions now make it quite far! So we are asking the Lord to guide our steps in this regard. We would love to be able to take care of the medical requirement and bless others.
We are very grateful for your prayers about this and all the ministry opportunities the Lord has opened to us here. Let us know how we can remember you before Him too.
Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz

Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

Hot Summer News

Warm Greetings from Kazakhstan!

Almaty is about as far from the sea as one can get on this globe. As our temperature hovers around 100 F. this week, we’re pining for trade winds and the ocean roar. But we have been enjoying a five-star resort right in the city – free of charge! For six weeks we teach a Conversational English class to the manger employees of the Intercontinental Hotel. The class meets just three hours a week, but the compensation is membership in the ‘Spa’ – exercise equipment room, pool, sauna, and relaxation! Not quite Hawaii, but….

Church Family
Our International Christian Fellowship (ICF) moved into our seventh venue since 1995. We have up-scaled from a bar to a bank! We found a nice auditorium within a modern bank building in the central part of the city. After two years of church in a bar it hardly seems like a ‘real church’ without lingering smells of cigarettes and beer, somehow we are managing to cope. Seriously, we are so thankful the Lord ‘lifted the cloud’ and moved us to a cleaner and cheaper place to declare His glory. We are continually having new people come. Pray that we will be effective in reaching and discipling English speakers from many nations who live in this growing city.





One of the bright spots in our ministry at International Christian Fellowship is the ‘Professionals.’ When they launched they called themselves the ‘Young Professionals’ but now some of them are pushing 25! There are a couple of foreigners but most are Kazakhstani. They meet weekly for sharing, prayer, and study of Scripture. Now there are about ten regulars. Recently, as I was walking out from their meeting for the bus home, one young man offered me a ride in his car – they ARE professional! As we drove I started with a simple question, “Tell me about your family.” Then B’s sad story poured out. He is a University graduate in his early 20’s with a good job in one of the biggest corporations in the country. He is a devout believer who has been a part of ICF for about a year. I had no idea he had such troubles at home.

The troubles stem from the one word that wreaks such havoc in so many hearts and homes here – alcohol. He and his sister have never known their father not to be a drunkard. In fact his parent’s entire married life has been marred by dad’s wild, drunken behavior. B shared that even his father’s father could never keep a job because he could not hold his liquor. Then he looked at me with firm resolve saying, “I will not touch alcohol.”

The sad details sound much the same in any home ravaged by this sin in any land. The whole family hurtles along on his drunken roller-coaster from his wild, terrifying, violence to his sobs of remorse and promises of ‘never again’ – and back ‘round again, and again. It just seems that there are so many tragic cases here. As we motored down one of Almaty’s newest modern roads, B shared his father is a highly educated road engineer. “Just look at all the jobs he could have with all the growth here!” he said. But alas, Dad just lost another job, again. Now Dad is sorry, sad, and yet starting to drink all over again!

Like most of our Professionals, B is the only follower of Jesus in his home. His mom is mildly sympathetic but thinks if B really wants to follow God, then he should be Orthodox like a good Russian. When he is sober his dad does not say very much. Once when his dad was drunk he stormed into B’s room and ripped a Christian poster off his wall and tore it into shreds. That was the only statement on religion B has heard his dad make. But B is praying faithfully, loving his family, living as a loyal son, and trusting that God can change even them. He mentions with hope that his mother has stayed with his father “all these years” despite his antics. Divorce is the norm here. B sees her endurance as a sign of God’s blessing and His better future for them all. Now I understand why when B was in our home for dinner not long ago he signed our Guest Book, “…Just being able to see the kind of family like yours is really inspiring…” ICF has become B’s real family. We are so thankful to be able to love and encourage him, and his Professional colleagues, they are the hope of Kazakhstan.

Cover Girl




One of our local friends who works for ‘Esquire’ magazine in Kazakhstan asked Dayna to share her favorite place in the city for one of their features. So Dayna stood in front of ‘Banya Arasan’ (the Turkish bath house) for a photo shoot which appeared in the magazine last summer. In the Russian text in the box she says the Banya is the next best thing to the beaches of Hawaii…

Going Postal
Mark, and our co-pastor at ICF, recently got a one year accreditation for ministry here in Kazakhstan. This is a procedure we go through every year, and each time it is a new excellent adventure! This time the biggest snag was in receiving the necessary documents from our American sending church. Despite the fact that they sent it properly, the regional Post Office where we have our box (Almaty 43) received no information about the vital letter. The on-line tracking info from USPS said the letter was in Almaty, but our branch workers knew nothing about it. So I went to the central Express Mail Service PO downtown. I gave them the tracking number of my letter and after 20 minutes of checking, in an office not much bigger than a phone booth, they said "It is not here, but we know where it is." It was accidently sent to another regional PO, Almaty 11. And if I came back tomorrow they would try to have it back at Central. Well, I did not relish spending another hour going to and fro across the congested city again. Besides, this day my co-pastor had loaned me his car and driver to collect this letter. (His accreditation has been waiting on mine as we did them together.) So as there were several PO workers who seemed to be just standing around the office idly, I announced that one of them needed to come in the car with us and go to region 11 PO. They looked at each other, and finally one stepped forward. Then I had to convince my colleague's driver to take her in the car. He was afraid he'd have to drive her back! After convincing him that I'd give her some taxi money to get back to Central, she came on board. Thirty minutes later we arrived at PO 11. She walked in and greeted the ladies at the counter like long lost friends, with kisses! Two minutes after walking into the back room, she appeared with the letter. Then when I offered her the taxi money, she said, "No thanks, I will stay here!" More fun in the outer regions maybe! So we even 'go postal' in Kazakhstan, they go with you! Thanks to God it all worked out.

Going South
This Saturday Mark heads to a city in the South of Kazakhstan. He will preach this Sunday in a local church there and then go with about 80 church members to be the Bible teacher for their summer camp. Dayna needs to remain in Almaty to continue the English class…and/or spa? We are grateful for your prayers.

Going Forward
It is our sincere desire to share the Lord Jesus in word and deed here. After ten years we have gained a good understanding of the people and place. We have great freedom and many open doors. And praise the Lord we are healthy and happy. But we are also severely financially challenged. For the last five months our monthly allowance has been finished by the middle or third week of the month. We are in additional debt from medical travel and care in April. We fully understand that we are not alone! We all face a global economic crisis. But we ask you to stand with us in prayer and giving as you are able. We do want to press on here.

Gratefully in Him,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Tien Shan School www.tienshanschool.org

Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

Summer is Starting

Aloha from Almaty!

We are enjoying warm days in this city of blossoming trees. We pray this letter finds you happy in the Lord. We are well, busy and enjoying our work here. We are so grateful for your continued prayers and support.

Bedouin Bazaar

This week Dayna culminated her years of teaching Central Asian History at Tien Shan School with a Bedouin Bazaar. Her eighth grade students were treated to dancers, musicians, and foods from this part of the world. They worked hard all term on ‘Caravan teams’ earning ‘Central Asian Bucks’ for excellence and participation. They ‘spent’ those bucks on this happy day. After ten years of teaching at TSS, Dayna will finish this month. She will, of course, be busy with other ministries. Pray for the Lord to guide her.

Marathon Man

In May our eldest son Nathan completed the Eugene, Oregon Marathon, his third. We’re proud to say he recorded his best time yet, 26 miles in 3 hours, 24 minutes. Nathan wrote: “I had a bunch of my friends at the finish line helping out…It was a great race... Heather and I memorized Isaiah 40.30-31 the night before and I recited it in my head when the going got tough. It was great to have scripture to push me along.” They’re news is good as they enjoy married life. Heather completed ‘Doula’ training (mid-wife assistant) and will be participating in her first birth any day now. They’re both working, very active in the College Ministry of their church, and seeking the Lord’s will for their future.

Prayer Update on Chinese Brother

In our last letter we asked prayer for Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti who was arrested for his faith in China. His trial was on May 27. He was allowed legal representation from two lawyers who were permitted to be present during the trial. But his wife, Gulnur, and the media were prohibited from entering the courtroom due to the Government’s claims of the sensitivity of the case. The verdict was that the case be sent back to the original prosecuters due to “insufficient evidence” against the accused. On Monday in Beijing a US delegation led by assistant Secretary of State, David Kramer reinstated human rights dialogue and raised Mr. Yimiti’s case with the Chinese Government. Mr. Yimiti’s wife, Gulnur, restated her husband’s innocence of separatist activities. She pleaded for the early release of her husband. She said her two year old son points to his father’s picture everyday and tells visitors that his dad is busy buying toy cars for him and will return soon. Gulnur thanked the many people around the world for their continual support and prayers which to strengthen her faith through this difficult time. From Website: http://www.chinaaid.org/ http://www.monitorchina.org/

KECS Graduation

Last week we attended the 15^th Graduation ceremony for Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary. It was a joy to see 19 students recognized for their accomplishments. This semester Mark taught Old Testament Survey to the first year students. As the Old Testament is not yet complete in Kazakh (about one third is published, two thirds is nearing final draft stages!), students here are usually not as familiar with its contents. Yet, their enthusiasm to learn these timeless Words was inspiring. One day we had spent time in concerned prayer about restrictive legislation the government is proposing against the church; then we began studying Ezra and Nehemiah. We saw the opposition the people of God faced several hundred years before Jesus birth was not unlike the very issues we are facing here. Yet, God heard their prayers and intervened for their protection and His glory. We trust Him for such in our day.

Summer Thoughts

From Mark’s recent pastoral letter to our International Christian Fellowship here in Almaty: For some churches and Christians ‘summer schedule’ means stop. Surely we need some time to refresh and get ready for autumn’s demands. But walking with Jesus knows no stopping. The Bible has much to say about ‘fruitfulness’ and being ready for ‘harvest.’ Summer is a time for growing. We pray you will grow this summer, closer to the Lord, your family, and your family of faith.

When I was a young Christian (way back when!) my pastor shared a verse with our church in California one summer. "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved" (Jeremiah 8.20). I remember thinking at the time how strange that verse seemed. Even more, my pastor had tears in his eyes, pleading that this verse would NOT be true for us! More than thirty years have passed, I understand those tears now.

Jeremiah knew those tears. He was called the ‘weeping prophet’ for his tender concern for his fellow citizens of Jerusalem. Despite the grim destruction of their northern brothers in Israel by Assyria, Jeremiah’s kinsmen in Judah were deaf to God’s Word. Jeremiah was the brunt of their anger, because he bluntly foretold the coming Babylonian conquest if they did not repent. By contrast, there were dozens of ‘popular prophets’ who told their complacent kinsmen to take it easy. God, they said, did not see their ethical corruption or religious hypocrisy - no worries! Yet Jeremiah worried so much he wept – for Judah and most of all for the honor of the Lion of Judah.

Hear his strong words from Jeremiah 8: "'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped…Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle… my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. "'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD, "when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious."Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush… "'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.'" … O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away:"… "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." from Jeremiah 8.1-20

Notice how they hurtle downward - trusting in men - worshipping the stars - clinging to deceit - refusing to repent - charging into sin - lies replace truth - loss of treasures - empty promises of peace - taken into exile - barren and fruitless! Do we see any of these dangerous trends in our nations? In our churches? In our families? In our hearts? May God help us!

I don’t know what God’s Word through Jeremiah says to your heart this summer. Perhaps He challenges you to renew your commitment to grow in Him. Perhaps you need to repent of some lingering sin. Perhaps you need to restore some broken relationship. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your ‘Daily Planner’ and put the Ancient of Days back in the center. Those are some of my thoughts for myself. May we each hear His voice and follow fruitfully.

Jeremiah’s antidote to tragedy has not yet expired. God still holds out His mercy. The Lion of Judah has come. ‘Repent and believe’ is the path of blessing. The summer is starting, may its end find us – and many we love and pray for – saved.

Gratefully in Him,

Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
www.pioneers.org

Our Blog
www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship www.icf.nursat.kz
Tien Shan School www.tienshanschool.org

Our Mailing Address
Blair – Almaty 43 – P.O. Box 13 – Kazakhstan 050043

Amazing Disco Easter

Greetings in the Name of our Risen Lord!

Once in a while someone will ask, ‘Why did you ever leave Hawaii to come here?’ That question can get us wondering, especially in winter. I am sure Paul also did his wondering. No doubt there were a few down-days in those prison cells when he’d think, ‘what am I doing here?’ But his questions led him back to the unshakeable truth of the empty tomb. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”

(1 Corinthians 15:14,19,20). The resurrection of Jesus was good medicine for his doubts.

“I will build my church….”

This season of Lent / Easter has given us new joy and confidence in the Lord as we see more of the good work He is doing in Central Asia. One promise of Jesus was, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Words of confidence and words of caution; the job will get done, but not without difficulty. I can hear the world snicker as we make this claim. “Christian church!?! Oh, do you mean those empty Cathedrals, or those disgraced Televangelists, or maybe that homosexual bishop?” Yes, there is much to be sorry and ashamed for – hypocrisy and heresies – beginning with us! Yet, sometimes despite us, the Risen Jesus is making good on His Word. In ways beyond our plans and imagination, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The building rises.

Earlier this month I had the privilege of teaching twelve pastors from around Kazakhstan. This is a new theological academy where I had never been. And this was the first time to spend a week with local pastors since our return. These are not easy days. The value of the dollar is sinking here too, and the intensity of government obstruction to the work of the Gospel is increasing. We know a number of pastors who have given up their calling, a couple who have given up their faith. I was curious to meet these twelve. We spent the week looking at Paul’s letters to leaders – Timothy (1 & 2) and Titus. It is always a great joy to teach the Bible, but there is a special joy when leaders who struggle in service gain fresh insight and encouragement from the Word and Spirit. God blessed us with such a week.

A., the young pastor in the yellow sweater, is married with one daughter. The church he serves near the Uzbekistan border is located in a poor area of his struggling city. A number of kids that come to their church are already alcoholics, several even pre-teen. Gifts their church sacrifices to give these kids are often taken by ‘parents’ and sold. There is a deep feeling of hopelessness in the city. Yet, their church has a good core of mature believer who generously provide financial support for ministry, they are eagerly working and praying to see God awaken the city. As a young pastor A. was especially glad to study 1 Timothy 4.12 and know that he has a ‘right’ to serve, especially as he strives to be a good example in life and ministry. He asks prayer for more confidence and courage in ministry.

Z. is a woman in her sixties. When her “M”/pastor and his wife arrived in this city in 1991, she was one of the first people they met. Before long she became a believer in Jesus and in time a leader in their newly planted church. She says many people who came in those early days remain faithful in their walk with Him, holding on to the Gospel. Z. now serves as a leader for their ‘Academy of the Grey Hairs’ - fellowship and Bible teaching for people over 60, plus a catered lunch! She appreciated Paul’s specific instruction about the care and ministry of widows in 1 Timothy 5. Z. asks for prayer that she will be more effective in this ministry, especially caring for new widows. There are ten other wonderful testimonies from that class which would warm your heart. Someday we’ll have the joy of celebrating all Jesus’ victories. He is building His Church. He is risen, indeed!

In addition to the on-going courses we are teaching here, I will have two weeks of intensive teaching for leaders in April - one in this city and another in the Olympic capital ‘east’ of here. That trip next door will be the first leg of a journey back to Singapore. One year ago we left there having passed through several surgeries for cancer. Now it is time for a check-up. We’d appreciate your prayers – for continued good health, but most of all that He will build His Church.

Resurrection Witnesses for the Next Generation

Dayna has been teaching at Tien Shan School since August 1998. Each year it has been a joy to impact the lives of these “M” young people. I have taught many subjects. I now thoroughly love the challenge of teaching 8^th grade History. We are on a week of Spring Break and I am preparing for my next course, Central Asian History. This past Term I taught Geography: Map Skills to 14 great international, multilingual, and competitive students. They’re from Korea, USA, and Singapore. I challenged the students at the beginning of the Term that if they wanted an “A” they had to work very hard because I required a lot of work. Well, after completing their grades there were 10 students that earned A’s, the rest got B’s or C’s. It is my passion to not just teach facts and locations, but to give them a vision of what God is doing in that nation. They have learned about more than 200 nations! A few years ago I discovered a compilation of ‘Geography Songs’ to help students learn facts through catchy tunes. They really help. As we ‘sing and learn’ in class, former students who pass by in the hallway join in the singing! A 10^th grader from America was recently in the States on Home Assignment with her family. She told me she “breezed” through Geography because she remembered the songs from 8^th grade! My prayer is that as they learn about a nation’s features, cultures, and peoples, they’ll gain a burden that many of these peoples have not heard the good news of the Risen Jesus. One former student, a class mate of our Nathan’s, is now sharing with Muslims in India, another is in China. May the Lord call more these students to peoples and places He created. (If you and your family want to pray for the nations, get a copy of Operation World.) The greatest joy in teaching is to see students love God and His world and realize they have a part in making Christ known to all peoples.

Amazing Disco Easter

Our Easter day was wonderful. We had a tremendous celebration at our International Christian Fellowship. As you may remember, we gather in a well known Dance club in the middle of Almaty. One crowd clears out about 5 a.m. on Sunday’s, and those who have something better to dance about arrive about 10!

We had people from every continent come to glorify Him who made every constellation. We had the privilege of baptizing two high school girls who have been faithful participants of our music team. Their testimonies of Him who died and rose again for us were a strong encouragement to us all. And, as you can see, we also remembered the Lord in communion.

Following our service, we shared lunch and fellowship together. Then we ended the day watching the film “Amazing Grace” on the life of William Wilberforce. (By all means watch it if you can.) What a great day. We worshipped the God-Man who saved the world, and then watched the story of one man who changed the world in His Name. It was a good reminder of our calling to be the earthly ‘hands and feet’ of Him who ascended to reign.

We are so grateful for your generous support and faithful prayers which keep us thriving here.

We pray that you too will know the joy of His Risen power in the coming days.

Gratefully in Him,

Mark and Dayna Blair

Even our Stuff - February 2008

Aloha from Arctic Almaty!

Back in 1990 Bishop Maseri Kauma asked Mark to preach in a Bible Conference at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala from what seemed at the time a rather strange text:

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:21-23

As we carried our suitcases up the dark stairwell and into our apartment here in Almaty early one morning a couple weeks ago we thought of God’s goodness. The God who long ago carried the Hebrews from Persia had brought us back to Central Asia. The suitcases we had fussed over --- get as much in there as you’re allowed! --- had winged their way with us across the Pacific, across China, and into Almaty airport. It is hard to say whether those God-fearing migrants carried any Starbuck’s Coffee, Hawaiian calendars, or Old Spice Deodorant (manly smell and easy on the armpits….aaargh!). But surely they looked to Him – the giver of every good gift – as they planned, packed, and pressed on across the miles. God is good…even in the details of our life journey.

Few American Evangelicals today even have a ‘Theology of Stuff’ – perhaps because most of us are convicted that we have too much of it. But surely we must know that He is our Giver and Keeper. (Maybe He is the one prompting us to get rid of some of what we don’t need and bless those in greater need. But hey, now I’m preaching….yikes!) So we give praise to Him who has kept us – and our maximum baggage allowance – in His gracious care!

Our Time ‘Next Door’

One thing that made our journey back to Kazakhstan more interesting was not having a visa to get into Kazakhstan. For reasons explained only as ‘that’s just the way it is here’ we got on board the plane with a promise but an empty space in our passports. We anticipated friends in the faith from the big country next door to be waiting for us at their Capital City Airport. After a warm reunion we were taken to an apartment in a new area of their sprawling Olympic city. Four years ago it was a big field, today 325,000 apartment dwellers are planted there. On Sunday we were privileged to meet with a group of brothers and sisters - gathered behind the locked doors of one apartment - worshipping Him who once transcended locked doors and said, ‘Shalom!’ It was a joy to bring a message from His Word to them.

First thing Monday morning we made our way to the Kazakhstan Embassy in that massive city and found friendly helpful people. By the end of that day we had one year multiple-entry visas to Kazakhstan stamped into our passports. About midnight that day we were in line for our four and half hour flight onward to Almaty. How true - "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him…and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23

New Tasks in the New Year

As we slip along the icy sidewalks of Almaty we look back with fondness on the sunny days of blessing and warm fellowship we enjoyed in California, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Oregon. Our local friends are saying this is the coldest winter they can ever remember in this city! Surely this is not the kind of history we want to make! We are certainly grateful for your prayer and support which keeps us serving Him here. We feel well and are excited to resume the work He has put before us.

Dayna hosted the Tien Shan 2007 Grads for a dinner in our apartment.

Dayna is teaching four days a week at Tien Shan School. She has greatly enjoyed many glad reunions with students and colleagues there. The Lord’s hand of blessing has been on the school. Now about 200 students pack into their crowded corridors; this year the teachers move from class to class to ease the kid crunch! By December 2008 they must vacate their now sold premises. So the push is on at their new construction site. Pray for favor with authorities (always lots of hoops to jump through) and blessing upon their building crew. They anticipate a big need for teachers for 08/09. Check out their web site listed below.

We have found the International Christian Fellowship in great shape. The colleague who served as an Interim Pastor in our absence has consented to join Mark as co-pastor. This is a great blessing. Both he and Mark are involved in teaching and mentoring national leaders. So together we will be able to serve the needs of the ICF and encourage the work of extending His Church across Central Asia.

Mark is preparing for teaching ‘Life of Christ’ and ‘Old Testament Survey’ at the Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary this term. He will also teach a class on ‘Ephesians’ at a newly formed Presbyterian school. As always, we ask you to join us in prayer for God to raise up leaders to plant and grow His Church in this part of the world.

Mountains and Pebbles

Someone once said it is not the mountain we have to climb that is difficult – it is the rock in our shoe along the trail! Even the work of ministry brings small but serious pebbles. While having a dinner with a couple of leaders in the big country to our east last month, we met a perplexing question. Boaz (not his real name), our host, is a second year seminary student, husband, father, businessman, and elder in his church. He eagerly anticipates the opportunity of being ordained to the ministry. But he knows the issue has become a firestorm. Most of the thousands of house-churches there are of the ‘Brethren’ tradition which opposes a rigid Clergy/Laity distinction. Indeed many forbid ordination, calling everyone ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister.’ A number of these precious ones suffered through their ‘Cultural Revolution.’ One ‘Brother,’ now almost 90, endured 22 years of harsh imprisonment. He emerged with a conviction that their churches needed more devoted and recognizable leaders so he travels the country ordaining those who manifest God’s call. This Elder Brother was in his second year of seminary back when he was wrenched from the classroom to the cell. Thus, he was never ‘properly ordained’ in the eyes of those who hold that stuff as important. Now Boaz is learning about a whole new tradition of ordination. The seminary he studies in was founded and still guided by workers from an East Asian nation with tremendous church growth. And the ordination from the seminary – and its churches - is still rigidly controlled by those from this neighbor nation. For Daniel to have any ‘street cred’ in their eyes he better bow down to those holy foreign hands! And yet, the church he now serves, and wants to remain in, has a whole different spin on the topic. Should anyone even be ordained!? Is this Elder Brother the God-appointed ‘ordainer’? What happens when he goes on to receive his heavenly-ordination? So as you pray for our brothers and sisters to build His Church in their lands here, ask God to grace them to scale the mountains and to endure the pebbles.

May God bless you in your Kingdom-trek. Press on!
Yours in Him who moves Mountains --- and pebbles,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Nathan marries Heather December 8, 2007

Nathan and Heather Blair surrounded by (clockwise) Dayna, Mark, Aaron, Josiah, Masha, and Maylee.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67.1,2

Twenty five years and eleven months ago a California guy with cool 'Afro' hair and a lovely Hawaiian girl heard their pastor read this Psalm during their wedding in Hilo, Hawaii. In the years following they dwelt in the smile of God's face as they shared His salvation among the nations. Three sons were born during their eight years in Africa - grew during their seven years in Hawaii - and matured during their nine years in Central Asia. Last weekend the guy – now with a diminishing amount of white hair – spoke these same words of blessing for their first born son and his bride.

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Psalm 67.3

We rejoice in the smile of our gracious King! What a joy to see Nathan and Heather proclaim their love for Jesus and one another. Family and friends gathered from far and wide – even Masha and Maylee from Kazakhstan – to support the happy couple. While we shiver in Oregon, we envy them in the sun and surf on their Hawaiian honeymoon.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Psalm 67.4.

In God's good providence we've seen Him praised among many nations in 2007. Central Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and the islands of the Pacific. Jesus rules and reigns and His Kingdom advances. We have so enjoyed your rich fellowship and warm hospitality. Several years passed since we'd been with many friends and churches. What a joy to know that through those years you have faithfully upheld us before Him who rules and guides with justice. Mahalo nui loa! (Thank you very much!) As we enter 2008 we affirm the promise of this Psalm. No matter what – He rules! The challenges we face within our world, our churches, our families, and even in our bodies are part of His Sovereign plan – working for our good, achieving His glory.

God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. Psalm 67.7

How could the Psalmist write with such confidence? Because in the fullness of time the blessing of God came in the babe of Bethlehem. The gracious face of God was revealed in Jesus our Emmanuel. Through Him we have received one blessing after another. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. So we wish you His blessing this 'Advent' (Latin for 'come'). Our wish comes in the strong confidence of Him who came, has come, and will come again!

After we share Christmas and the New Year with family, we leave for another term of Kingdom service in Kazakhstan on 10 January 2008. We ask for your prayers and continued support. The door of opportunity remains open for us in Central Asia. We have been given an unique privilege to help equip and encourage young Christian leaders to plant and grow His Church in lands where few know Him. It is always hard to leave the comfort of family and friends here. What a kick it's been to ride the waves in the Pacific, graze In & Out (over graze I'm afraid!), and cheer the University of Hawaii through their first undefeated football season! But what a greater kick to see ALL the nations rejoice and sing for joy in Him. Someday we'll gather with them all around His glorious throne...wow! That will be BIG Screen and HIGH DEFINITION big time.

Yours in our Advent King,
Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mobile
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http://blairstan.blogspot.com/

Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 - USA
http://www.pioneers.org/

Our Ministries
International Christian Fellowship http://www.icf.nursat.kz/
Tien Shan School http://www.tienshanschool.org

Our Mailing Address
Blair - 190 Ululani Street - Hilo, Hawaii 96720