MAIN PAGE, página principal en Español, THE CHIMES, SCHOOL NEWSLETTER, SCHOOL REGISTRATION INFORMATION, Alumni, LWML, Scouting, Drama Ministry team, online map, A Good Word from CAMP, MISSION TO AFRICA, MISSION TO SWEDEN, links, Archives, Tuition Crediting Program, St. Paul Photo Albums, VBS, SERMONS
	Get ready for an exciting celebration of Jesus’ love filled with amazing Bible adventures, unforgettable songs, memory-making crafts, and life-changing missions. Welcome to Avalanche Ranch, a wild ride through God’s word! Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 16^th – 20^th 6:00 – 8:45 p.m. Click on VBS for more information.

June 2006—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.)

ВЫДАН—VIE-den--Issued

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I wonder what would happen if I started one of these prayer letters with “this month nothing happened.” I remember back in 2003 after I accepted the call to work directly under the LCMS Partner Church in Russia a pastor and missionary I respect warned me—if I might paraphrase—that although I had a specific call, I would be expected to basically do everything. His warning was that I would be in danger of getting buried in ministry and loose effectiveness. After three years, I must admit that lately I feel that I am getting overstretched. This has been especially true the last few months because of the additional work load of applying and obtaining our living permits from the Russian Government—since this has sometimes required 10 to 20 hours a week of additional “work.” Still, it is hard to say “no” in the face of true need, even when I know that if I say “yes” this will mean that I am not as effective as if I focused only on one thing (but then some of the other things would be done even less effectively or not at all).

Praise God we did finally obtain our documents—June 26 I received back my passport with all the appropriate stamps good for 5 years (and which can be extended indefinitely). Such a permit allows me much more freedom for doing ministry (the only right these documents do not give me in Russia is the right to vote).

This month was especially intensive with the paper chase, but ministry went forward: helped lead a district conference for the pastors in the Western Ingermanland district (the Leningrad county district); helped with a group that came through Eastern European Mission Network to do language camps in Karelia and St. Petersburg; as well as my usual English ministry and so forth.

Summer English Language Outreach

Luke 6:30 "Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.

For several years now the Eastern European Mission Network (EEMN for short) has been bringing over volunteers to do English Language Outreach in Petrozavodsk. EEMN was founded by AFLC Pastor Don Richman (also the foreign liaison for Lutherans for Life), and through that work and our acquaintance with Don, my wife and I have volunteered to help with logistics and so forth when we can (when we were in the States last Summer, my “fieldworker” Darren Johnson and his wife Irina helped). This is just something to which I cannot say “no.” Don has since retired as director, and Pastor Bill Moberly or the AALC has taken over.

This year God used some lost luggage to extend Bill’s stay at our house, which gave us a chance to get better acquainted and to talk. EEMN is interested in expanding their English outreach ministry—possibly with some long term volunteers, but also possibly doing some English Language Camps directly through Ingrian Congregations.

One might think that after all these years, English language outreach would be “old hat” in Russia and not so interesting. That is far from the case. The interest in English language (especially practice) is still very high in Russia especially among the youth. I have been often asked to teach classes or lead discussion groups, but do not have the time (one of the possibilities I have had to say “no” to several times this last year).

As I myself first became interested in missions through the LCMS Volunteer mission program, I am very encouraged by the possibility of getting more volunteer missionaries to come over and work with the Ingrian Lutheran Church (better with us than simply with a local school or with some other denomination whose confession—to quote F. Pieper—has felicitous inconsistencies).

The Bishop’s Documents

John 13:20 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

A bit of news—Ingrian Bishop Dr. Arri Kugappi has received a two year multi-entry visa for the USA which will free up his ability to participate more with his partners in the USA. For those who are interested, he will be at the LCMS national convention in July along with Pastor Oleg Poncho (from Saratov who will function as his translator—Oleg studied at the Ft. Wayne Russian project). For those of you at the convention, look him up!

Prayer Requests

Give thanks that we have our documents; that the ministry here is growing and possibilities seem to be opening up. Pray for that God guide these possibilities, especially the possibility of more Lutheran missionaries, both volunteer and long term, coming to help spread the Gospel here; for my involvement with that (whatever that will be); for the discussions between EEMN and Ingria and the AFLC and Ingria in this regard; for the creation and filling the vacancy for a Ingrian “pro-life” ministry coordinator who can expand the ministry there; for the Bishop’s time in the USA; for Darren and Irina Johnson for their time in the states; for the possibility of forming closer partnerships between Ingria, Orphan Grain Train, Lutheran Hour and other organizations; for my wife and family (and me) as we hope to find some time to take a vacation for some much needed rest—and for Nastya and Zhanya who celebrate birthdays in July; in all this pray that God grant me wisdom, faith and strength to know when to say “yes” or “no,” to trust in Him in either case, and that with however much work there is to do, that it is done effectively God’s Glory and calling lost souls into His Kingdom.

Requests to which I have had to say “no”

All request by Ingrian pastors to do direct fundraising for their congregations (even though the need is there); English Language lessons and tutoring; to participate my self in English language camp (again no time); guitar lesson outreach (the idea was that I might teach guitar to youth as a means of outreach—good idea, no time); several requests to do weddings for foreigners (the Ingrian policy is that for an Ingrian pastor to perform a wedding, at least one of the couple must be Lutheran—so far none of these foreign couples has had the time to go through confirmation, they all want the wedding in a week or two). Many invitations to do seminars and travel to different parishes (I can’t do them all), although we will be going to Siberia at the end of August (I said yes to that one). The almost daily requests by those poor thirsty souls on the street for a bottle of something to drink (although I usually offer to buy them some bread and cold cuts—and a small can of juice to quench their thirst, but they usually say “no” to that).

Oh Bless the Lord, my soul!

Let all within me join

And aid my tongue to bless His Name

Whose favors are divine

Hymn 27 TLH vrs 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:

This letter will be short--I am preparing for a father and son retreat in Karelia but want to get this to you before the end of the month. These deadlines are self-imposed--Ingria does not require me to send out a monthly prayerletter. But I do like to keep in touch and do desire your prayers. Please feel free to write me as well if you have prayer requests—besides our own "home" prayers, I can include them in the prayers during English service.

About the pictures--

e06Englishservice.jpg With the EEMN group in town, our usual worship space was too small, so St. Mary's Church graciously agreed to rent me their chapel (in the basement in the building next door to their main sanctuary).

In addition to those who usually attend English service (about 17 people), we had 35 from the EEMN group and an unexpected visit from a group of volunteers with Orphan Grain train (I didn't count them, but about 10 people). It was a bit of culture shock to some of our regular Russian attendees...

e06gatchinachurch.jpg This is a picture of the Gatchina Church building where we held the district conference. The stone building was built in the latter half of the 1800s, but the congregation dates from the mid 1700s.

e06gatchinaprobst.jpg Western Ingermanland Probst (district president) Pavel Krilov (pastor at Scvoritza) leading opening devotions for the district conference. Ingria is in the process of giving more leadership and more organizational responsibility to the its districts as far as mission work, parish development and strategic planning.

e06groupreturns.jpg Meeting the group of EEMN volunteer missionaries at the train station after their service in Karelia.

e06IngDistteaching.jpg Teaching and leading a discussion on parish development for the district conference

e06literature.jpg Pro-life literature distributed at the district conference, also as someone in California had given me several sets of back issues of "Goodnews" journals in Russian, I brought some of those for the pastors--they always go over well (I am still trying to get copies direct from the Goodnews people).

e06IngrianDistrictPastors.jpg The Pastor's of the western Ingrian District (along with the Bishop)for a group photo in front of the Gatchina Church.

e06meetingtheBishop.jpg I was asked to translate at a meeting between the Bishop, Pastor Bill Moberly of EEMN and Pastor Del Palmer (Director of Missions for the AFLC). The AFLC has a pastor who is hoping to serve as a missionary in Russia with the Ingrian Church, so questions of duties, answerabitity, and doctrinal questions were discussed.

e06PastorJohnRheel.jpg Unexpected but welcome guests from Orphan Grain train at English Worship service--Pastor John Rheel has been working in Russia and some with Ingria now for several years with Orphan Grain train doing prison ministry and ministry in orphanages around St. Petersburg.

We are hoping that with some cooperative effort, we can find an Ingrian pastor to take on visiting 30 orphanages which Orphan Grain Train has been helping.

e06Pastorsread.jpg A pastor from the Western Ingrian district reading a Goodnews Journal.

Blessings,

Leif

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. 12^th 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!

St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, 1025 Lake Street, Melrose Park, Illinois 60160; Church: 708‑343‑1000, School: 708‑343‑5000

Links to sources outside this site are provided for the convenience of members and visitors who may find them helpful or informative, but do not imply any kind of endorsement by St. Paul Lutheran Church, and of course we are not responsible for their content.

While we strive for accuracy, we assume no responsibility for errors on this site.

Please contact the church or school to verify information

If you see an error on the site please email the website administrator at: lynette*

*Email addresses all have the extension @stpaulmp.org unless noted otherwise. Where an email address that does not have our extension is used “(at symbol)” will replace the “@”. Unfortunately, it is now necessary to put email addresses in a format that cannot be read by automated programs that search the web looking for email addresses to spam. We apologize for the inconvenience.