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February 2008—St. Petersburg, Russia A GOOD WORD FROM CAMP from Leif & Zhanya Camp

(Click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/stpaulmp/ to see photos of the Camp’s work and life. This month’s are here.)

ЧУДА—CHEW-dah—miracle

Exodus 4:9 "And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. And the water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land."

February has passed—for me, this is the new year as my Birthday was the 28^th. Birthdays are interesting as they can be milestones along the road of growing up. Spiritual milestones don’t always come at such regular intervals. Yes, we may baptize infants with in a week or two of their birth, confirm youth usually in the 8^th grade, but there are other milestones that are not so visible. I remember a milestone back when I was in 8^th grade when I first read Luther’s “On Christian Liberty.” I finally understood that the good works we do are a result of our first being made righteous in Christ. Good fruit I bear not to earn God’s pleasure, but because I already have His love in Christ and am already a good tree through His grace.

I could list other milestones, but that will suffice. This month we approached several other milestones—the Ingrian Synodical Committee approved pro-life as a separate Ingrian ministry with its own budget—specifics on that will have to wait until next month. Also, the missionary committee is initiating more direct evangelism, this month working with the parish in Luga. So as we look forward to Spring, let the love of God thaw our hearts and our lips so that we may openly and warmly proclaim that love to all those still in the chill of darkness and unbelief.

Going as Planned

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

This month the Missionary Committee planned to expand evangelism efforts in two parishes in the villages around St. Petersburg—Tuutari and Luga. The plan was to not only offer the parishes some parish training but also to actually hold some evangelism events. Luga was planned first for February 16^th with Tuutari planned for the 23^rd. So, Saturday morning I woke up early, grabbed my materials and left to meet Pastor Alexei at the metro at the edge of the city where he was going to pick me up for the 120 kilometer drive to Luga. On the way to Luga we passed Tuutari, so I decided to call the pastor who informed me that our plans for the 23^rd would not work out. “Bummer” I thought, but we had today’s ministry to do… and I know from experience God doesn’t close doors, He just opens the ones He wants open while we so often keep knocking on the ones we want opened. Since Tuutari was not opened for next week, something else would surely open up.

The plan for Luga was simple—as the pastor had already taught on evangelism, our task was to come and put on an evangelism “event” to which parish members could invite friends and relatives. We planned a short presentation on the Ingrian pro-life ministry with a literature distribution, a short concert of American Spirituals (some in English and some translated in Russia) as sort of a cross-cultural draw, and this followed by a showing of the Luther film. All in all about 30 people attended, but that was not the all God had in mind. The Luga parish does regular work at a local orphanage—usually on Saturdays—and since our event was “interrupting” the usual Saturday schedule, the church invited several of the older orphans to the Church.

As we were having tea after all the festivities, the lady in charge of working with the orphans asked me if we could return and do a pro-life talk at the orphanage focusing on abstinence since at least one young lady has already had an abortion (something which is a matter of policy). Since our plans for the 23^rd had been changed, we asked if next week would be fine. It was, and so we came the next week to Luga to talk to the youth at the orphanage. We have been invited back; God willing we will return—the door seems open, anyway.

Another Door-a miracle!

John 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Another door that opened for me this month was doing a little preaching at the International Christian Academy (formerly the International Christian School). One of the regular attendees of the English service teaches there with his wife and asked if I might come and help out with a couple of chapel services—so I agreed to one this month and one next month. As I was allowed to choose any topic I wanted, I chose to talk on miracles, first in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament. As I was studying this subject—going through Scripture, praying and meditating and struggling with some new ideas—some things struck me that I thought I would share (not to write all the sermon here, but a few central ideas go give you all food for thought).

In the Old Testament Miracles are tied most often to God as Creator, showing His power and might, showing He is the One true God (of the refrain after a miracle in the Old Testament reads something like, “so they will know there is a God in Israel”). Often miracles are tied to judgment, law—the plagues of Egypt for instance. But they are also signs of God’s deliverance—the parting of the Red Sea (which was grace to Israel but judgment to Pharoah). But in either case, God reveals Himself as powerful and mighty. In the New Testament Jesus comes and His miracles are Gospel—as well as showing that Jesus is God and the fulfillment of the prophesied Messiah, His miracles often suspend or supercede the punishment we received in the fall—raising the dead, healing the sick, feeding the 5000 (without toil or sweat), all show that Jesus has the power and authority to remove the curse we have earned through our sin.

In all cases, miracles are meant to bring those who do not believe to faith and to strengthen the faith of those who do believe. Miracles do not come when we demand them, but when we need them. Israel was delivered from Egypt and was often called on to remember that deliverance in difficult times—to reinforce their trust in God. We, also, should remember the miracles God has performed in our lives, calling them to mind when we doubt or when our faith seems to weaken, for the greatest miracle is yet to come—when Christ comes again and we shall be raised and live eternally!

Prayer Requests

The Russian presidential election is March 2^nd. Pray for the “official” pro-life ministry, there will now be a lot of details to work out, an office to set up, etc. Pray for the US economy—that may sound strange, but the dollar continues to fall against the Russian ruble, and that makes it very difficult for us financially (Moscow is by some reckonings the most expensive city to live in on the planet, and St. Petersburg is not too far behind). Pray for all the foreign missionaries working long term in Russia—new visa laws have been enacted that require that missionaries may only be in country 90 days out of every 180. Many missionaries are experiencing a lot of stress over this and need prayer. This law does not affect our staying here as I have a living permit, but it does affect English worship (if missionaries leave, we may not have enough people to continue). Also, since many Ingrian parishes are helped directly by Finnish Lutheran missionaries, losing that help will increase my work load. Pray for the upcoming continuing pro-life seminar in Nizhniy Novgorod, this month the theme is virginity and fornication/adultery (March 6-9). Pray for more faith for me, for Zhanya and for Karl and Nastya as we continue to live and work here and as we plan our visit to the USA this Summer. Also pray for us as we are hoping to apply for citizenship for Zhanya—this will be complicated because we have been out of the country a lot, but we are praying we can accomplish this (it will help in the long term).

A Joke—

Two men are on the street on a dark dreary day arguing, pointing to the sky. They grab a passerby and ask, “help us settle this argument—is that sphere up in the sky the sun or the moon?” The passerby answers, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you, I am not from around here, how would I know?”

Karl on Prayer

The kids and I have been talking a lot about prayer lately. Not long ago I told Karl, often you don’t need to get all formal with prayer, just talk to God like you talk to me—as your Father, simply, directly. He came up to me a few days later, and he told me, “dad, it works. I was getting nervous before a test, and so I just talked to God—I didn’t pray, just talked to Him, and He calmed me down!” I did remind him that he did pray, just not as he had thought was necessary…

Who trusts in God, a strong abode in heaven and earth possesses

Who looks in love to Christ above no fear his heart oppresses

In Thee alone, dear Lord, we own sweet hope and consolation

Our Shield from foes, our Balm for woes, our great and sure Salvation

TLH Hymn 437

In Christ,

Leif & Zhanya Camp

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Click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/stpaulmp/ to see photos of the Camp’s work and life. This month’s are here and descriptions are with them.

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!

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