Grace Notes

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” John 8:12

It has been twenty years since the USSR ceased to exist. At times I have to pinch myself when I recognize that LCMS World Mission has been evangelizing in Russia for about eighteen years, primarily working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. In Advent, we in the Church focus our meditation upon Christ’s first coming, our Lord Jesus powerfully symbolized as The Light in a dark world. Throughout the year 2011 I have been reflecting upon the trials and blessings which the Ingrians have experienced as they mark their 400-year anniversary. In keeping with the tradition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, I’d like to conclude the year with one more reflection upon the past, a picture of the present and a glimpse into the future.

 

 

 

 

As Ingrian Lutherans celebrated their 400^th anniversary this year, perhaps none of the remembrances conjured up a more striking image than the service that took place in the open-air cathedral in the village of Moloskovitsa. Built in 1632 with white stone and thus bearing the moniker “the white church”, this congregation had through Word and Sacrament ministry strengthened the faith of Ingrian Lutherans for centuries.

On the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 Moloskovitsa still had 2537 members, almost all of them of Estonian heritage. But as the communists continued to strengthen their power base over the next decade, it was perhaps only a matter of time before they would turn their attention from the state Orthodox Church to the Lutheran Church. As the persecution of Lutherans intensified throughout the 1930s, Pastor Lev Schultz was shot (1935) and the church in Moloskovitsa was finally and forcibly closed in October of 1938. Since the communist government by law owned all of the church property, the building was eventually given over to a club.

In the succeeding years the roof collapsed and the Moloskovitsa church was reduced to a jumble of crumbling walls and beams, joining a host of ruined churches across the Soviet landscape. When members of the Ingrian Lutheran Church gathered this summer to reflect

upon their past struggles, they simultaneously praised God for His many blessings and decided that it was appropriate to place a wooden memorial cross on the spot where the altar once stood. The stones used to fortify the cross were taken from the almost 400 year old walls, accentuating the fact that no matter what difficulties may come into our lives, Jesus Christ continues to reign in His Church until the end of time.

 THE PRESENT AND FUTURE-Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria

 

 

Moving forward into the present, teaching a class each semester at the seminary in the village of Koltushi has been one of the greatest blessings of my missionary service. The seminary has grown since its resurrection in the 1990s after being officially closed by the communist government in 1934. It now offers courses for those working with youth, Sunday schools, music, diaconal work, as well as those studying in the Beginner’s Course and the regular courses for the Bachelor of Divinity (B. Div.) degree.

LCMS World Mission has been part of the staff since Missionary Douglas Reinders began courses here in the late 1990s. I took over for Doug when he returned to the U.S. with his family in 2003. I teach the courses in Russian and thus have a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with students.

There are now 16 full-time students in the B.Div. course, 30 students in the Beginner’s Course and 15 students in the Cantors’ (musicians’”) course, not to mention the many other part-time courses which put the number of students closer to 150-200 throughout the year. Dr. Alexander Prilutsky was recently named the new rector of the seminary (November 2011). The previous rector, Rev. Fyodor Tulinin, decided that he needed to spend more time with his family and his parish in the city of Pushkin, just south of St. Petersburg. We wish Fyodor God’s blessings and pray for Dr. Prilutsky in his service to the church in the future.

As we close out the old year, I am grateful to you for your support of my missionary work as well as support for our church partners in Ingria. I have witnessed a church rise from the ashes and grow to be a sound biblical presence in the country of my grandparents. While Russians search for hope in an increasingly complex and confusing world, we are honored to share in strengthening the Christian witness of our Ingrian Lutheran partners. The Lord who has kept His Church alive despite all obstacles will in no wise abandon it. His promise is to accompany us until the end of time. May our Lord Jesus Christ fill you with His joy and peace this Christmas!

 Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray for my cousin Shawn Nunnink, battling cancer.

Thank the Lord with me for safe travels throughout this year and now as I head to Michigan for Christmas and St. Louis for study in January.

Please pray for the students and staff at the Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. Pray that their commitment to our Lord will remain strong and firmly rooted in His Word.

Please pray for those families who have lost someone in the past year. In particular remember the Roemers and Blokers after our missionaries Karen and Jim passed away this summer. I had the chance to meet Karen’s husband after church in Frankfurt, Germany last week. Dr. Albrecht Roemer and I remembered Karen’s humility and strong faith. Dr. Roemer spoke of how she comforted her own family when she knew that she was going to die. Karen knew her Lord and knew where she was going. Please pray for the comfort of the resurrection to the families that will have an empty place at the dinner table this Christmas.

E-mail: matveih@yahoo.com—mailing address- 26650 Woodshire, Dearborn Heights, MI., 48127.

To support my work financially, you can send a tax-deductible gift to:

LCMS World Mission; Missionary Support; PO Box 790089; St. Louis, MO 63179-0089

—–Make checks payable to LCMS World Mission. Mark checks “Support of Matthew Heise.”

If you would like to partner with me in my ministry with ongoing support as an individual or congregation, please contact Debra Feenstra for information on Together in Mission or Mission Senders at 1-800-248-1930 Ext. 1651 or Debra.Feenstra@lcms.org Thank you, and merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

 

 

 

 

 May we along with the Shepherds of old, continue to marvel at the wonder that God, out of His great love and mercy decided to come and dwell among us for our salvation–that He might reconcile us to Himself.

 

Blessings,
Leif & Zhanya Camp

PS.  My monthly prayer letter will follow in a few days… 

 

OK, I am a day late–all Saints instead of Reformation day.  But if I made it yesterday,

I would have to wonder if my letter would be received as a trick or a treat!  The big blessing from God this month is that my mom visited–this is her 7th time in Russia.  She is still 29 for the last 52 years!  But that may not
interest you all so much as it interested my wife, me and the kids.

Attached are some pictures and my prayer letter (which is after all the pictures).  God gave me a lot to do this month, the pictures below cover some of them, but since we just received such a great gift of books and
journals, I seem to have focused on that.  So it goes.

One prayer request that I forgot to add is that next month I will be teaching at the Youth Worker course at the Ingrian Theological institute.  This is the first time I will be teaching in that particular course, so pray
for that.  Otherwise, enjoy the attached pictures and prayer letters, and respond if you have questions and comments.

Blessings,
Leif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Car

By the grace of God my old Ford is still running, but I really think the next thing to go will be the transmission—it is the only thing that has not broken yet.  Buying a car is a major thing in Russia and since credit is not so readily available, and since the whole market is buyer beware, I am struggling more than I should I suppose.  To buy a car, however, is a great financial outlay.  On one hand I see the need for a mini-van type vehicle that seats more than just my family since I see it would help in ministry and service, but such are more expensive than I can afford.  I have, however, given up on a new car, since the only new cars I can afford are Russian or Chinese built, and as one Russian told me about one of the Russian 8 passenger jeeps I was interested in—“you spend one day in them and two days under them…”  I logged about 5000 kilometers this month going to villages, distributing books and so forth—my car is holding together on prayer and bailing wire (yes, they still have that here).  So pray for me, I hope to buy somethingthis month…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Requests

Please say a prayer of thanks for my mother’s visit and safe travel.  Pray for the  Confessional Lutherans in Finland who are struggling with the liberalization of their Church.  Pray for our Bishop, Arri Kugappi, for strength and insight as he faces challenges of leading this small Bible believing Church in the face of a lot of res

istance.  Pray for the possibility of building in Nizhniy Novgorod; for Alexander Prilutsky who has been named rector of the seminary, for Fedor Tulinin who has stepped down from being rector of the seminary; pray for Alexander Hlynov and me as we seek to use the great gift of literature we have received properly for the planting and strengthening of the Christian faith, pray for my family, for Zhanya as she continues to study and work, for Karl and Nastya as they grow in faith, and for me—as I am still struggling with what car to buy and so forth.   Pray for my work with the scouts—with the new laws and so forth, it is becoming more complicated, but the idea is that I begin a class on “biblical ethics.”   Pray that God grant me more faith, wisdom and strength to trust, know and do His will.  Remember as well that you can send us your prayer requests, and we will pray for them here.

Mother’s visit

My mother came this month for a visit—actually came at the end of last month and stayed until the end of this month.  When my siblings and I were children, she would leave notes in our lunches, sometimes between the slices of bread so we would be sure to read them.  By the second bite, we always did.  She would sign them M for mother and then OX for hugs and kisses.  So now my mother is affectionately called MOX by all her children and grandchildren.  She has been a great support in my work here, and it was great to have her visit.  My children just had a great time with her and we miss her already.

 

In Christ,         

                                                                                                                                     Leif & Zhanya Camp

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 8a 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@mail.ru & leif.camp@elci.ru.  Please feel free to share this prayerletter 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!