Grace Notes

Good morning to you.

Today is July 2 and I will be going to a village this evening called Logovik to do a Bible study with a group of people who are part of the Holy Trinity congregation here in Krasnoyarsk. They may start their own congregation in Logovik but right now most of them come to the services in town. Logovik is also where Pastor Sobolev wants to build the seminary. Land is cheaper in the villages than in the city. He also wants to buy a piece of land in town for the congregation to move into and build its own building. Right now they just rent a place. Next week I will be going to Souchanoy, another village near Krasnoyarsk. Here there is a congregation of people that wants to start a mission church. I guess Pastor Sobolev has only spent a few hours there each time he goes so I will be the first “resident” pastor they will have. There are many elderly so I will be taking communion to them and doing lots of praying with them. There may also be a baptism if I understood Pastor Sobolev correctly before he left me here.

The people are wonderful here, very similar to yourselves. This part of the world is very similar to Rochester. It is bigger though, 1 million people, but easy to get around when you know the bus routes to take.

One thing that has bothered me a bit since we came is that the projects we thought we were going to be involved in changed or did not develop into what we thought in the beginning. There are a lot of things to see but sight-seeing is not the purpose. There does seem a great desire to just have someone here to relate to the people and to try to win them by friendship.

So far there are several projects that could be very interesting. Before I leave here I will get as many details as possible and a time line if one is available. If not, the people can send me one online.

Speaking of online, this is a greater problem than at home. People have computers but not everyone has internet access. I am using access downtown at an internet cafe (which does not even serve coffee or tea). it takes an hour or so to get here on the bus and with walking since the bus I take from where I live does not stop directly in front of the place.

I know that you would like more updates and I would like to provide them, but for now I will send them as able. Also, since this is not the computer of a person that I trust I can’t send pictures. That takes up extra space and is difficult. I hope to send some by the end of the week however for church on Sunday.

There are only two Sundays yet until I will be home. I am looking forward to it as are you. This has been an eye-opening experience both good and not so.

More later,

In Christ,

Pastor Heidorn