November 2005—St. Petersburg, Russia   A GOOD WORD FROM CAMP from Leif & Zhanya Camp

(Click on St. Paul Photo Albums to see photos of the Camp’s work and life.  This month’s are here.  More info at the bottom of the page.)

 

Гора—ga-RA—Mountain

Matthew 21:21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.

November has seen more of the same—teaching stewardship in the parishes, pushing forward for pro-life, tending the English Worship service.  But then there are some new things—I have been assigned a “catechet” for the English service (which celebrated its first birthday on 1st Advent)—a seminary student—who I am to help train (in the LCMS he would be considered a “field worker”).  I also participated as both lecturer and student in a mission training seminar which focused on mission methods in big cities, and have taken the first steps in setting up a “pro-life” information corner in the Ingrian Lutheran Central offices. 

As always, there is much for which to be thankful (as we remember the American Thanksgiving holiday), there is much which for which to pray, and there is still much more to do.  I have come to realize that faith that moves mountains is faith that is willing to move that mountain one grain of sand at a time (and while we are doing that, the Holy Spirit moves the boulders!).  So, I covet your prayers.

Stewardship in Gubanitza

1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

I always enjoy the possibility of getting out to the villages—especially to teach.  Gubanitza is a Finnish-Russian village about an hour and a half outside of St. Petes (actually on the way to Volosovo where I was last month).  In comparison to other parishes in the villages, Gubanitza is in fairly good shape—they have their own Church building which survived the Communist destruction (having been used as a barn and store house for the local farms), and they occasionally collect enough money to pay their pastor and most of their monthly bills.  Some yearly bills, pay for other church workers, and for major repairs and so forth, well, they still have a way to go.

Someone did, however, ask this question—why should a missionary be concerned with a congregation’s stewardship? Of course, missionaries are first and foremost concerned with spreading the Gospel, but that includes establishing strong congregations who are equipped to help spread the Gospel as well.  This means that missionaries also work with local churches in four areas: first, that a church be self-governing.  This means that a Russian Lutheran Church should have Russian Lutheran leaders—bishops, pastors, teachers, and that a local congregation should have a local pastor, not a missionary.  Second, that a church should be self-growing.  This means that planting new congregations is not dependent on foreign missionaries, and that local congregations set up their own preaching stations.  Third that a church be self-theologizing.  For many so called non-denominational churches, this often leads to a propagation of sects, where each pastor interprets Holy Scripture according to his own understandings.  For Conservative Confessional Lutherans who hold to Scripture as confessed in the ancient creeds of the Church and the Lutheran Confessions, this means that the local Church apply Scripture and the confessions to the local situation—writing it’s own hymns, adapting liturgy to fit it’s own culture and language, and adapting local traditions to fit proper biblical understandings.  The fourth traditional concern for missionaries is that a church become self-financing.  As long as a church is dependent on foreign aid, it is a spiritual colony; as long as a congregation is dependent on the central Church organization or foreign sponsors for financial support, it is a child.  It is difficult for a colony or child to be self-leading, self-propagating, and self-thinking. 

The Stewardship seminars organized by the missionary committee are designed to move each congregation and the church of Ingria toward financial independence—which actually means to move from living on and using the gifts God has given to foreign sponsors to living and using what gifts God has given to the local Church, which then bears witness to its faith and the fruit that grows becomes its fruit, its heavenly treasure rather than the heavenly treasure of an American, Canadian, German, Swedish or Finnish Church or mission society.  And then, someday, Lutheran Missionaries from Russia can travel the World spreading the Gospel!

The latest Pro-life Statistics

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

The other day there was a televised special concerning the growing problem of teen pregnancy in Russia.  There were many heart rending stories, and some statistics:

Over 70% of 16 year olds in Russia are sexually active.  I am not sure any more what the statistics are in the west, but I suppose not a whole lot better.  What concerns me about this statistic, however, is that only 15 years ago when “the wall” came down in 1990, only 7% of 18 year olds were sexually active. 

Clinics report 75,000 pregnancies yearly among girls between 14 and 16.  The reporter admitted that for teens abortion was often even more life threatening than giving birth, but that still most of the reported pregnancies were aborted (and one must keep in mind that only pregnancies in that reach their 10th week are reported). 

Of course, the influx of Hollywood films, American and European television serials and so forth in the last 15 years, I am quite confident, could have had nothing to do with deforming the morality of the youth here—just as I am sure that all the sexual stimulus on USA and European TV has nothing to do with the immoral situation in the west (and just in case anyone gets the wrong idea—I am being sarcastic).  Unfortunately, the Russian TV report’s answer also echoes what is being pushed in the west: “so therefore, we need to teach birth control methods and distribute condoms in our schools.”

So, we of the Church, a chosen people—the priesthood of all believers—are faced with a mountain to move, a mountain of propaganda undercutting God’s understanding of the human sexuality which He created (and blessed both before and after man’s fall into sin).  We are faced with a mountain of worldly logic and worldly wisdom, and we are faced with a mountain of teens who would rather not listen.  Still, as Christians we know what to do when faced with mountains: move forward in faith and prayer to move them—then they will be moved, even if one grain of sand at a time.

Prayer Requests

Pray for the Sunday School at St. Michael’s.  Pray for the English service as we move into our second year.  Pray for our new field-worker Darren Johnson and his wife Ira as they begin their service.  Pray for family counseling center “Nadezhda” and director Oleg Rumin—the sponsors who have been financing their center in Pushkin have cut the center from the budget.  Pray for the Church in Viburg which has a vacancy (and again a big question in calling a pastor is where he and his family might live).  Pray for God’s help and preparation as we move forward on the pro-life front.  Pray for our documents—although I no longer need a visa, we need to now apply for our permanent living permits (we currently have “temporary” living permits which mean our children are still not eligible for medical care and so forth, and I can’t leave the country without special permission).  Pray for the Siberian Ingrian Congregations of Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Minuisinsk, Suatuk, Upper and Lower Bulanka, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude and Peterpavlovka—Buryatia snd their preaching stations.  Pray also for all the Ingrian pastors who are struggling financially—especially those who are facing the decision to leave the ministry in order to provide for their families the basics of life, a home, food, and clothes (this is part of our weekly prayers during our English Worship).  Pray for the youth all over the world as they grow up in a world that more and more seeks to undermine their morals and souls.

English Service 1st Anniversary

Last year on the first Sunday of Advent began I leading English Worship service at St. Michael’s Church.  An American student studying in St. Petersburg had heard that there were English services at St. Michael’s (which there were until the LCMS mission closed in 2003).  He asked the Russian head pastor when the English services where held, and then the head pastor asked me if I wouldn’t mind beginning them again.  This year has been good—leading Sunday English service has been the highlight of my week and I am most grateful for all those who have visited and who are “regulars.”  Of course, the odd thing is that the student who asked has never once showed up…

Things My Children Say

(hearing some Finns speak) Daddy, that English I don’t understand at all…  (separating the quarters, dimes and nickels from the kopeks in in their piggy banks)  Now this is English speaking money and it doesn’t work here, but this Russian speaking money is OK…  Daddy, how do you know English so good (its “know English well…”).  Don’t ask daddy, the Russian homework is for mommy to do.  Daddy, I don’t want any broccoli, I’m not hungry—can I have a piece of candy…  

.

 

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates! Behold the King of Glory waits;

The King of kings is drawing near, the Savior of the world is here.

Life and salvation He doth bring, wherefore rejoice and gladly sing;

We praise Thee, Father, now, Creator, wise art Thou.  Amen

 

TLH 73 verse 1

In Christ,

Leif & Zhanya Camp

_________________________________________________________________________

Click on St. Paul Photo Albums to see photos of the Camp’s work and life.  This month’s are here and descriptions are below:

 

Pictures:

  • I did a Stewardship seminar and left pro-life literature at the congregation in Gubanitza--a village outside of St. Petersburg. 
  • 3 pictures--one of the congregation, one of the Probst (district president) of the St. Petersburg Western Ingrian district, one of me and the congregational leadership with some representatives of congregations which are sponsoring the congregation in Gubanitza(the sponsors were very grateful for my presentation). 
  • I was also asked to teach along with several others at a seminar on "mission tactics for large cities." 
  • 2 pictures from that conference--it was interesting to listen to some of the conservative Finnish missionaries and learn from their mission experience.
  • A picture of those who attended the English language 1 year anniversary service on 1st Advent (Dr. Robert Weise was the guest preacher).
  • A before and after picture of the St. Michael's Sunday school room.  My wife has been working hard--we rehung the curtain rod, and my wife sewed new curtains, rearranged the furniture, bought some other necessities, etc.

 

 

CONTACT ADDRESSES Feedback, questions, whatever are most welcome.

Our Russian home address:

Leif and Zhanya Camp

18 line V. O. dom 43 Kv. 7

St. Petersburg, Russia, 199178

 

Stateside contact address:

Leif and Zhanya Camp,

C/O Marli Camp

902 N. 12th

Melrose Park, IL, 60160

Russian Lutheran Church Address:

Ev. Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia

Bolshaya Konyushennaya dom 8

St. Peterburg, Russia, 191186

 

Telephone: after getting an international line by dialing 011, dial 7- 812 (our area code) 321-1508(our phone number)

Note—Between St. Petersburg and central US time, the difference is 9 hours.  Stateside contact telephone: 708-344-4472

 

E-MAIL:  lzkcamp(at symbol)mail.ru & leif.camp(at symbol)elci.ru.  Prolife web site with Russian materials you can down load: prolife.elci.ru.  Other websites: Lisa Stapp has set up a website which has some of our last newsletters (with their cover letters and pictures):  http://www.worthywomanpage.com/camp/index.html.  Also my mother's home congregation has our newsletters--the latest can be downloaded from: http://www.stpaulmp.org/camp/  a second site archives our past newsletters since 2002 http://www.stpaulmp.org/archives/ .   Please feel free to share this newsletter with your Church, friends, or enemies if it might help (just please do not quote things out of context or edit my words in such a way as to change their intent).  If you would like to receive a copy via e-mail, simply email me directly and ask!

 

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