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November 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.)

ВОПРОС—va-PROCE—question

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

The interesting thing about teaching pro-life seminars is that each seminar gives birth to the next. What I mean is that very often during the question and answer part of a seminar a question is raised that opens up such a discussion that it begs to be the topic of the next seminar. This keeps the topics current—as the seminars develop not from a pre-fabricated curriculum, but rather are based on the very real questions facing the people of the community (at least those in the community that attend seminars).

Often, however, our questions are freighted so that they beg certain answers. For instance, if I ask, “what problems is your parish having?” I am assuming problems exist. Such are many of the questions that come up in seminars—and often the questions are not really put properly. One of my favorites is, “just how far can we go physically before we are married before it is a sin?” The question assumes that God is a sort of heavenly traffic cop and if we break the speed limit, “Zap” we get struck by a heavenly speeding ticket and must repent. A better question is, “how can we a God’s children properly show our attraction and love for each other before marriage?”

Another question that often comes up is the one about using contraception, “what sorts of contraception can be used by Christians (if any)?” Again the question assumes God has a law and will judge if we get the answer wrong. Again a better question is, “why is it we want to prevent conception of a baby (if we truly understand that new life is God’s to give)?

These “better” questions do not start with the Law, are not looking at God as trying to control or limit our freedom, rather are questions which we can bring to God, questions which invite us into a prayerful discussion with our Lord. They are not questioning God nor testing Him, rather truly seeking His will. Properly put questions understand that we are in relationship with God, that God loves us and His will seeks to bless us, free us from limitations, and lead us to a life of joy now and into eternity.

The same is true of the question: if God is good, why does He allow all the bad things to happen in the World? This question again assumes God as far off, distant and cold. Again a better question is Why is it that God is so patient that even though the world is so evil—and mankind is often at the heart of that evil—that He still waits, calls, and does take care of us?

The answer to all properly phrased questions lead us back to God’s love, a love that seeks a relationship with us, a love that calls us to life in His eternal family as He truly is our loving Father. As we have enough trouble understanding and explaining human love, such divine love is beyond explanation, surpasses our understanding—yet just as human love exists, so does His love for us. He calls, He knocks, He waits, He offers His love—love which we do have the freedom to reject, but love which is already ours through Jesus Christ.

Moldovian Students in Nizhniy

John 3:34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

November has been cold, wet and unpredictable—cold and flu season. So late in the month, right before I was scheduled to travel to Nizhniy Novgorod to continue the pro-life seminar series there, a cold caught me (I would myself never catch a cold, so this one must have caught me). But I was not about to let a little virus keep me from keeping my word to the Pastor and Nizhniy congregation. I hopped on the train, sniffly and stuffy, hoping the trip would be worth it…

God knows. As it turned out the seminar in Nizhniy was scheduled for the same time as a scheduled visit by the youth from the Lutheran congregation in Saransk—a major city in the Russian Republic of Moldovia (Saransk is south of Nizhniy Novgorod). I arrived at 12 o’clock, and pastor Slava, his wife Larissa, a Finnish Missionary Mina (who formerly worked in Saransk) prepared for the students. At about 8pm Slava received a phone call—the students along with pastor Alexei Aloshkin were on the way but unsure of exactly how to reach the Nizhniy parish. Slava and I decided to walk to the major street and wait. After waiting for about half an hour, to vehicles pulled up to us on the curb—a minibus and a sedan—our guests had arrived. Our smiles of joy and welcome were real as we were overjoyed to see them (we were getting a bit cold). Slava hopped in the minivan while I walked back to the Church.

One of the students described the meeting this way—the trip was hard and long, crowded in the cars, and we were getting grumpy, wondering why we had come. Then suddenly the drivers pull over and stop and these two guys are all smiling and happy and full of energy at our arrival—our attitude immediately improved and we felt we had come home.

Anyway, we spent the evening getting acquainted with the students and the pastor. Pastor Alexei pulled me aside and explained that he had high hopes for my seminar (on the subject abstaining from sex before marriage) as his youth were really struggling with this issue and he was at his wits end (nothing like a little pressure). Although I had prepared, and had done seminars on this theme before, after what he shared with me, I spent more time in prayer.

The discussion was lively, the questions pointed and direct, my answers Biblical and from prayer (the Q and A times of seminars I spend a lot of time shooting up missile prayers—you know the kind, short, silent, and along the lines of “Lord, help my answer be your answer because I am clueless!”).

Pastor Aloshkin said afterwards the seminar was truly a God send—praise God for that. The youth also were complimentary, but all compliments aside—being a “God send” is affirming of our work here, but more so reminds me that we are here at His disposal, as His instruments. All Christians, after all, are “God sends”—if not to Nizhniy Novgorod, or Russia, or some foreign land, then to next door neighbor, our co-workers, those people we meet along the way during our lives. All those in whom we are called to plant seeds of the Gospel through our words, our deeds of love, and through our loving Christian example—being sent by God to be salt of the earth and lights in the darkness that ever seems to be growing around us (if it is, then this should be motivation for us to spread more light!).

Prayer Requests

A few urgent prayer requests—first, the Russian Ministry of Justice has decided to put pressure on the Ingrian Lutheran Church (Ingria appeared on the government website on a list of organizations targeted for closing). This has, of course, caused a lot of concern. The truth is that it is unlikely the Lutheran Church will be closed, but this does mean a legal battle, legal fees, gathering evidence, signatures and so forth—thus slowing down or paralyzing other work (as this takes precedence). Ingria, of course, does not have a legal defense fund, so that is another matter for prayer. This comes at a time when a new congregation is being founded in a traditional Lutheran area in VladikiKavkaz (along with other growth). Another urgent prayer request comes from Nizhniy Novgorod—just this last month Pastor Slava received a letter from the government requesting that he “re-register” the land given for the building of the church. Basically, if he is not going to build, under the guise of “re-registration” the land will be re-allocated. Slava needs some immediate funds to re-register and begin the construction process (the good news is that the LCMS World Mission has promised some funds, but only after Slava starts construction). Pray for the youth in Nizhniy and Moldovia (and all Christian youth) as they grow up in a world where sex, marriage, morality and so forth are becoming more and more confused—pray that they continue to grow in faith and hold on to God’s wisdom. Pray for the new organ in Nizhniy as well, that it can be used as an evangelism tool. Pray for my family as we continue ministry here—for Karl and Nastya as they continue to study and grow, for Zhanya as she continues to work and study, for me as I also try to be useful to the Lord and the Church here. Pray for the Bishop that God grant him wisdom, energy and strength as he faces with all the legal pressures and administrative pressures brought on by this new government pressure (along with all the financial pressure, need to build in Nizhniy and other places). As the leader of the 80 Ingrian Congregations and 100 preaching stations, he is sometimes overwhelmed by all the needs and often feels personally responsible in meeting them. He is a great man of faith, but he is still a fallible human being needing our prayers.

An Old Russian Joke

Back during the cold war this was a popular Russian joke (so remember the context and don’t take offense): both the USA and the USSR finally pushed the button sending a missile each toward the other. The two missiles met half way and the Russian, being ever hospitable, invited the American missile to have a drink—“it’s not our fight, why not be friendly.” The US missile agreed and they began to toast each other. Finally, after having quite a few, the American—not being able to hold his liquor as well is the Russian—was rather drunk and said he thought he had better get going. The Russian agreed but said, why not have one more for the road. So they did, which really put the American missile under. The Russian missile being ever so polite, said to his new friend, “you seem pretty drunk, let my drive you home….”

So many songs we sing about love, but their words all turn to empty sighs

Promises to me of all the stars above, so quickly turn to tears and lies

Troubadours always try to paint love, as candycanes, and soft moonbeams

But sincerity is simply not enough, and their pictures fade to empty dreams

Where is there love? I searched high and low,

this whole world over, filled with sin and woe.

Where is there love, forever love? Only in Christ my friend such love you’ll know.

My translation of the 1^st verse and chorus of “schto takoye lubov” by Finnish songwriter Pekka Simoyoki

Song 106 in the Ingrian Youth Songbook

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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