Late February 2003, A GOOD WORD FROM CAMP

Êîðîòêèé—“kah-rote-key” short

Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

February is the shortest month, but for us it has been long on travel. At the beginning of the month my family and I flew to St. Petersburg for visa work—we needed our visas registered and Zhanya needed to get a new visa. Then I was off to Moscow for a meeting with the other missionaries in Russia—it is the first time we have been able to get together since last October. I then went back to St. Petersburg to meet up with two of our volunteers to take them to Finland so they could get new visas—the law is such that every time a visa expires, a person has to cross the border in order to get a new one. When I returned from Finland, my family and I all caught the plain back to Novosibirsk. A week after we arrived back here, I was off to Krasnayarsk to teach at the seminary, and have returned just in time to write this newsletter and celebrate my birthday with my family!

Krasnayarsk Seminary 2^nd Semester

Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

This month 14 students gathered in Krasnayarsk for the second semester of the first theological course—or the beginning seminary course as designed by our partner church in Russia, the Lutheran Church of Ingria. Along with the nine students who had attended the first semester, five students came from Mongolia. This needs a little explanation.

I am sorry to say that I don’t have all the details. But what I know I will relate to you. The Russian province of Buratia is on the Russian-Mongolian border. The Buratian language and culture is very close to the Mongolian, and there is often much smuggling across the border, so there is much contact between the cultures. Our mission is supporting the work of a Lutheran deacon and pastor, Yuri Peddelskii in that area. Of course, we are not alone. A Finnish Lutheran missionary has been living in Ulan Ude—the closest Urban center closest to the Buratian province (Just south of lake Baikal if you wish to search a map), and she has been a great help to us in our work there.

Somehow a small Lutheran congregation got planted in Mongolia, or in any case a group of Mongolian Christians became interested in Lutheranism, made contact with the Finnish Lutheran missionary. I believe it is through that contact that the Mongolians heard about the new seminary course offered in Krasnayarsk and were asked to come. During the first semester, only one Mongolian student was able to attend with his translator. This semester this first student along with three additional students were able to attend.

Needless to say, it is a bit chaotic at the seminary during lectures—when I have to speak in English (for instance when I haven’t been able to translate my lecture completely into Russian or when a question requires some complicated vocabulary that I still have not mastered in Russian), I need a translator to translate for the Russians, then the Mongolian translator translates this into Mongolian.

Even while I am lecturing in Russian, it is hard to get used to students “talking” in class. I caught my self several times out of habit “shushing” the Mongolian translator. He did a marvelous job of translating and his presence allowed the five Mongolians the opportunity to participate more fully. For the Russians it has been a great experience, and a great step for our partner church. It speaks volumes for their desire to spread the Gospel to be reaching out in a missionary way to their Mongolian neighbors while they are themselves working with our mission. In effect, they have in a missionary effort, invited their Mongolian neighbors to participate in the seminary program they have set up with the support of our mission.

The next semester is at the end of April, so I am hoping to have some time for some interviews so I can introduce you personally to some of the students.

Trains, Atheists and After Thoughts

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

On the train ride back to Novosibirsk from Krasnayarsk, I shared the compartment with three lost souls—. Before the train even left the station in Krasnayarsk, the three who shared my compartment on the trip to Novosibirsk –Yuri, the atheist metallurgist, and Sasha and his brother from Ajerberjan—both nominal muslims— had discerned that I was a foreigner. More importantly, I had admitted to them my reason for being—I was a missionary pastor. The Sasha and his brother proceeded to down two bottles of vodka, chewed on pork sausage, claimed to be muslim, but saw no need for religion in their lives. Sasha was more vocal that his bother—“I believe only in myself and what I can do with my own two hands” he was fond of repeating.

Yuri was more sober. He had been to the Orthodox Church several times on holidays, but was certainly not baptized. We talked, and I answered questions about Lutheranism, about America, about my opinions on life. The whole time I prayed for openings to plant seeds of the Gospel. Yuri is from Krasnayarsk and did invite me to call on him the next time I was in town—I most likely will try. Sasha and his brother staggered off the train in the morning without a word.

At such times I am left wondering if they heard what their souls so desperately needed to hear, and am reminded that so much is beyond my power and control. Will the seeds grow? God knows—I know that God loves those three souls, souls who time and again in my conversation with them denied His existence, denied their need for Him, and turned their back on the life He has so graciously offered.

Prayer Requests

First a prayer of thanks for the Thormodson’s safe return to the field as well as a prayer of thanks for improved health for Nastya (we finally were able to receive an accurate diagnosis while we were in St. Petersburg for what has been ailing her and have begun to treat it). Please pray for the health of several of our workers—for Gennadi’s wife Lydia (he is our church council president and seminary student), she has had a minor stroke. Pray for Gennadi who has been suffering high blood pressure. Also pray for Ludmila Ivanovna, our mission bookkeeper, who will be having surgery on her knee soon. Pray for the continued work at the seminary in Krasnayarsk—that the students learn what they need so as to be better equipped to spread the Gospel. Pray for Yuri and Sasha and his brother—that the seeds take root and grow. Also pray for Gregory Savchenko, the Russian pastor from Minusinsk, who is preparing to take the TOEFEL, the GRE and other exams so he can attend Seminary in St. Louis in preparation to return to Russia and teach at the Krasnayarsk Seminary. Pray also for the group coming in mid March—a group from MOST ministries—they are coming to help remodel an old wooden church in the village of Suatuk just outside of Minusinsk.

New Visa—New Headache

This month, after overcoming visa hurdles caused by a new visa law in Russia, missionary Pastor Jeff Thormodson and his family returned to work here at the Novosibirsk Mission. He and his family were in the states for 6 months on furlough, and for that 6 months I have been running the mission in Novo and overseeing the work in Siberia by myself. It is great to have Jeff and his family back on the field—Siberia is a big place and there is too much work to handle for one person—it can even be overwhelming for two.

The new visa law seems to be aimed at curbing missionary work. It basically requires missionaries to get visas every three months rather than every year as previously was the case—which means leaving the country every three months as obtaining a new visa necessitates crossing the border. Missionaries do have the option of applying for work permits, but this then requires fulfilling a host of other requirements and paying the additional 38 percent Russian income tax (on top of the 13 percent we now pay here in Russia).

Nastya Does not Speak Russian—just ask her in English or Russian

While in St. Petersburg we took Nastya to the American Medical Clinic for some tests to see if we could not get an accurate diagnosis for what has been ailing her—something we have not been able to obtain from the doctors here in Novosibirsk. While at the clinic one of the doctors—who is Russian—asked Nastya if she spoke Russian. She answered in all seriousness, “Nyet, Ya ne goveroo parooski” –which translates, “no, I do not speak Russian.” She did not understand why daddy laughed.

Hymn verse

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and Righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

In Christ,

Leif & Zhanya Camp

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

NEW ADDRESSES--Feedback, questions, whatever are most welcome.

Home Address:

Leif & Zhanya Camp

Ulitza Lenina 13 Kv 1

Novosibirsk, Russia, 630099

Leif & Zhanya Camp LCMS World Mission/Russia

1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63122

Mission Address for packages:

Evangelical Lutheran Mission

Leif R. Camp

Ulitsa Novogodniya 20/2

Novosibirsk, Russia, 630064

The first address is our home address—for letters and packages we understand that for regular ground mail it takes about 2 months, the second letters are sent via courier through the State side mission office (airmail takes less time but is more expensive). The third address in the mission address here in Novosibirsk. If and when we are ever in the States, our stateside address is 902 N. 12^th, Melrose Park, IL, 60160 (my mother’s address).

Telephone: after getting an international line by dialing 011-7 then 3832 (our area code) 17-92-55 (our phone number)

Note—Between Novosibirsk and central US time, the difference is 12 hours.

E-MAIL: lzkcamp@online.nsk.su Please feel free to share this newsletter with your Church, friends, or enemies if it might help! If you would like to receive a copy via e-mail, simply email me directly and ask!

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