General « Grace Notes

December 5, 2011

Notes from the Edge of the World (October 2011)

Filed under: General,World Missions — arleyp @ 7:19 am

October 2011

Darkhan, Mongoli

Lutheran Bible School students and teachers-I’m in the back row

I finally had the opportunity this past month to return to Darkhan to continue my course on the Pentateuch (First five books of the Old Testament). It had been almost a year since the opening of the first Lutheran Bible School in Mongolia, but other duties had kept me from returning to finish the course. The phenomenon of a Bible school is actually a traditional means for educating laypeople in the Scandinavian countries. In Norway, students will often take one year after high school to study somewhere, at a cooking, sports or dancing school, whatever your fancy. But others will explore their faith more seriously and thus Lutheran Bible schools have become a means for strengthening the faith of young Christians. Oddly enough, out of its education budget, the state will give the taxpayer money for this! (One of the pluses of having a state church that I had never considered before).

In Mongolia, our friends from the Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) and the Finnish Lutheran Overseas Mission (FLOM) have utilized this Scandinavian tradition to elevate the biblical knowledge of new believers in Mongolia. In addition, this is an excellent opportunity for Mongolians to understand a little more clearly what it is that makes Lutheran theology so special.

Buddhist shrine in the center of Darkhan

The students are primarily but not exclusively young. Some are working in the church as deacons or deaconesses. Most, though, have completed university and are now looking for work. Still, they take their Christian faith very seriously and want to learn more. It doesn’t often occur that I have a class respond negatively to my request to take a break. But they frequently asked to keep going when I was ready for a break! If I can keep myself from taking breaks J, I plan on concluding my course when I return to Darkhan in November.

A Milestone for Christianity in Mongolia

While walking to the city center in Darkhan, I noticed that a Buddhist statue was still the main attraction in the city. But even here in northern Mongolia, one couldn’t miss the fact that Mongolians were celebrating 20 years of Christianity this past month. In the capital of Ulaanbaatar, a major civic center was rented as a large number of Christians reflected with joy upon the explosive growth of the faith in this predominantly Buddhist country. When the communist system fell near the end of 1990, it was said that there were all of four Christians in the entire country. As Christian leaders came together during the weekend of September 16-18, estimates of the current number of Christians ranged anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000. All of this in just twenty years! The uncertainty surrounding the number of Christians reflects the fact that many Buddhist fathers in this patriarchal society answer census takers on behalf of the entire family. Highlighting a developing conflict between generations, a father will often claim that his whole family is Buddhist when in fact many of them are Christian, especially the young. Whatever the actual number of Christians in Mongolia today, I am reminded of Luke’s account of the Early Church in Acts 2:48 “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

At a cemetery on the outskirts of Darkhan and a Christian Gravesite

Changing of the Culture

On a free Saturday afternoon, Norwegian professor Knut Kirkholm and I wandered off to the outskirts of Darkhan. There we spied a sprawling cemetery in the distance, encompassing what my Western mind would conceive as quite a few football fields. As I inspected the tombstones, I noticed that virtually all of them seemed to have emblems of little flames. Others were wrapped with blue ribbons, symbolizing the blue sky. As I calculated the birth and death dates, I also observed that people died quite young. The life expectancy rate in Mongolia is 68 (compared to 78 in the U.S.), but it seemed that the overwhelming majority of those buried here were in their forties. Alcoholism is one of the reasons, a scourge in Mongolia that cuts short potentially productive lives and depletes the male population.

Nevertheless the culture of Mongolia is changing as this isolated country, now freed from an oppressive communist system, makes its way into the 21^st century. Most importantly, though, Mongolians are coming to faith as the Holy Spirit fills their hearts with joy to lead lives worth living and confess that Jesus is Lord. Just before we left the cemetery, I found the gravesite of one named Zh. Enkbayer. I assume from the first letter that this was most likely a woman, but whoever it was, the cross on her tombstone proclaimed a believer now resting with our Lord. Our prayer is that the Lord will use the witness of these new believers to add to the number of saints in Mongolia. Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory to God alone!).

Sunset adds color to the hills of Darkhan

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

Thank the Lord with me for safe travels and pray for continued safety and blessings in teaching as I travel to Russia (October 12), Kyrgyzstan (October 25) and Mongolia in early November.

Please pray for the students at the Mongolian Lutheran Bible School. Pray that the Lord will bless them with deeper spiritual understanding, courage to witness to their faith, and suitable employment for those seeking work.

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 may God bless you!

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A Good Word From Camp (Oct. 2011)

Filed under: General — arleyp @ 7:05 am

: October 2011

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

our organist's son had a fever so she called Sunday morning saying she couldn't make services. My mother filled in and did a credible job.

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

my car with a load of books. If you look close you can see the bomber is made from duct-tape. This was the load of books I brought for the Syndical gathering.

a local pastor received a copy of LHF's Commentary on the New and Old Testament.

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…

one of the ongoing ministries in Nizhniy Novgorod (one we started back in 1996) is a Christian lending library. This month when I visited Nizhniy to lead a mission seminar I also brought several LHF books for this ministry.

On Friday the 29th there was a special seminar at the Ingrian Lutheran seminary, during a break I gave the participants a copy of Chemnitz' Enchiridion which LHF has translated into Russian. I caught these three pastors reading it enthusiastically.

October 21-23 I was in Nizhniy Novgorod holding a mission seminar. The question I was invited to answer was how to listen to God's voice. At the end of the seminar I handed out the Good News JOurnal on prayer. This picture was taken at tea time after the seminar.

Here I am with Alexander Hlynov with a book table we set up before a classical music concert presented at the Church. Over 100 non-congregation members attended, everyone received a Good News Journal and many received an LHF book (one on the History of Lutherans in

While in Nizhniy I also helped install ladders on the roof--OK, sometimes the nuts and bolts of mission work are just that, using nuts and bolts. The ladders will help with safe snow removal.

while I was in Nizhniy I got to preach. There are a lot of pictures of me preaching at English service, thought you might want to see one of me at a Russian service (and also one this month where I am not handing out books or journals!). Russia, another on the Augsburg Confession). After the concert several people expressed interest in attending Worship services or finding out more about the parish.

Lutherans for Life Foreign Liaison Pastor Don Richman was in town teaching at the Ingrian seminary and asked if we could meet and strategize on his visit next spring.

all the attendees of the reformation seminar at Koltushe

Nastya and Karl at a scout meeting. Again, I am pushing to do more Bible study type things with scouts. I do have the opportunity to witness and there have been some good opportunities to teach the faith, but they are fewer than I would like.

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

My mother and the family at a restaurant her last evening in Russia.

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. 12^th

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!

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August 21, 2011

Matt Heise July 2011 Newsletter

Filed under: General,Missions,World Missions — arleyp @ 11:49 am

July 2011

This 18th century cross is all that remains from the first Ingrian Lutheran church in Lembolovo, Russia

Russia’s Time of Troubles

Reflecting the changing times and ever-fluctuating interpretations of history in modern Russia, the internationally recognized celebration of the Bolshevik Revolution (November 7) was officially replaced a few years ago by the remembrance of an even more distant historical event. Now on November 4 Russians get a day off and memorialize the defeat of the Polish forces who invaded their country in the early 1600s. The so-called “Smutnoye Vremya” (Time of Troubles) was a catastrophic time in Russia’s past. Not only were the Poles invading the country from the west, the Swedes were also launching their own attacks upon Russia’s northern frontier. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, Russia had been undergoing a succession crisis ever since the death of Czar Ivan the Terrible’s son Fyodor in 1598.

In that year an influential yet controversial figure in the Kremlin by name of Boris Godunov took the reigns of power and was declared czar. His short rule, while not popular with Russians, actually proved to be quite hospitable to Lutherans. Some historians even claim that he allowed the construction of a Lutheran church inside the Kremlin! Unfortunately for Lutherans, Godunov was perceived as being far too chummy with foreigners, a veritable no-no in Orthodox Russia. So after Boris’ death in 1605, followed by a protracted civil war and several imposter czars (known as False Dmitrys I and II), Russia and the Orthodox Church finally regained control of the land in 1613 with Mikhail Romanov being crowned czar. (See the book “O Luteranakh v Rossii”- “About Lutherans in Russia” by Pastor Slava Boychenko).

A New Lutheran Church is Born in Russia- 1611 As you can imagine, these troubles forced a religious people to wonder whether God was punishing the nation because of its sins. Amidst all this turmoil, in the northwestern border village of Lembolovo, a Finnish-speaking people known as the Ingrians founded a small Lutheran congregation in 1611. Before that time, the message of the Reformation had minimal influence on Russia even though Ivan the Terrible had invited German and Scandinavian Lutherans into the land. He allowed them to form Lutheran congregations but sternly forbade Russians from joining what he considered a “heretical” church. (He soon reneged even on this permission, calling for the destruction of all Lutheran cathedrals. Alas, he didn’t earn that moniker “The Terrible” for kindness to strangers).

St. George’s Lutheran Church in the Ingrian region of Russia

A peace treaty with Sweden in 1617, though, gave new life

My visit with longtime Ingrian Lutheran and Gulag survivor, Lena Saakonen

to the Lutheran Church as the Ingrian region came under Swedish sovereignty. By the time Russia regained this territory one century later, the Lutheran heritage of the Ingrians had been firmly established. Today that Reformation proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues through the bold witness of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia, church partners of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod since 1998. I continue to teach a course every semester at the Ingrian Lutheran Seminary in Koltushi, about 10 kilometers east of St. Petersburg. This year as the Ingrians reflect upon and celebrate 400 years of God’s faithfulness, Russia’s Time of Troubles and Communist experiment in the 20^thcentury are reminders that trials and tribulations do not negate but rather accentuate God’s sure promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. His church continues to witness to that certainty amid all of life’s difficulties in Russia today.

Future Travel

Confirmed upcoming visits: After classes in Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in July, I will be at…

July 26-August 3: Bethel Bible Course Training in Madison, WI
July 31: Living Christ Lutheran in Madison, WI
August 6-7: Grace Lutheran in Rochester, MN
August 9: Trinity Lutheran in Shenandoah, IA (7 PM)
August 10- Mission Central, Mapleton, IA (at 1 and 7 PM)
August 11- Peace Lutheran in Grand Island, NE
August 12: Beautiful Savior Lutheran in North Platte, NE
August 14, 10 A.M.- Trinity Lutheran in Des Moines, IA
August 14, 5 P.M.- Grace Lutheran Mission Festival in Le Mars, IA
August 21: St. John’s Lutheran in Midland, MI
August 27-28: St. Lorenz Lutheran in Frankenmuth, MI (Mission Festival on the 28^th)
Then in late August/early September, I will be meeting Pastor Sainaa from Mongolia and getting him set up for classes in St. Louis at Concordia Seminary- then, I head off to Mongolia to teach at the Lutheran Bible School in Darhan, Mongolia.

DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED TRAVEL, THERE WILL BE NO NEWSLETTER FOR AUGUST- I WILL WRITE TO YOU AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER.

Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray for our Eurasian mission accountant, Karen Roemer, and my cousin Shawn Nunnink, battling cancer.

Please pray for safe travel in the States and then on to Mongolia in September.

E-mail: matveih@yahoo.com—mailing address- 26650 Woodshire, Dearborn Hgts., 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.”

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Vacation Bible School 2011

Filed under: Education,General,VBS — arleyp @ 11:41 am

Vacation Bible School 2011 was a wonderful time of learning about the Fruit of the Spirit. The fruits we studied this week were love, joy, peace and patience. The children learned Galatians 5:22-23.

We had 120 children attend from Grace Lutheran Church and the Camp RCLS program. VBS was held at RCLS. We had over 40 volunteers and had a great week with the theme ‘County Fair’. All the kids got blue ribbons for having fun and learning God’s word with music, skits, games, crafts, snacks, and bible stories.

Thank you to all who volunteered and who donated items or money towards the VBS program.

The kids had a goal to collect 400 items for Channel One (between food items and dollars) and they exceeded it with 410 items! This is really great as Channel One is such an important mission project. When the food was delivered to Channel One it was weighed and VBS donated a total of 240 pounds of food and $175.14. Thanks to all the kids who donated towards this important mission!!

Thanks everyone! It was a great Vacation Bible School!

Opening with Pastor Heidorn teaching the kids about the Fruit of the Spirit.

Crafts were a lot of fun. We did many projects including a wood bookshelf, potted flower, hand prints, animal magnets and more.

The decorations were great! We were at a “County Fair”, here are the cool cows that were part of the decorations.

Games were a lot of fun! We played most of them outside and included some water games as well as used memory verses in the games to help us remember the Fruit of the Spirit.

Bible Study was held with age groups and we learned how to take an apple and twist the stem and say the Fruit of the Spirit while we did it. Each day was a different bible story to help teach us about the fruits that we have from the Spirit.

Music was amazing! We learned new songs and also learned how to line dance. Cool!

We learned how to milk a cow and also make butter from cream!

The skits were great!

Closing program was held each day at the end and we sang the songs from VBS program and learned about the mission project “Channel One”.

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August 4, 2011

Meet Pastor Matthew Heise

Filed under: General,Missions,World Missions — arleyp @ 8:41 pm

Pastor Matthew Heise

Grace Lutheran Church helps support Pastor Heise, one of two LCMS missionaries serving in Russia. Pastor Heise assists Russian churches with church planting and mission outreach programs. He also assists Jonathan Muhly, the area facilitator of LCMS work in Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia who resides in Warsaw, Poland with his wife Julie.

Rev. Matthew Heise also serves as a theological educator to Russia and other former Soviet republics, such as Georgia, where he resides. Matthew teaches seminary students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. He also conducts theological seminars throughout Russia, identifying future students for the ministry. In Georgia, he supports the work of Georgian evangelists as they reach out with the Gospel to others around them, leads Bible studies, and works toward planting churches. He has long had a fascination with Russia, being the grandson of Russian-German immigrants. Before studying for the pastoral ministry, Matthew served as a missionary in Moscow from 1994 to 1996, where he taught English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes and was the ESL coordinator.

Born in Dearborn, Mich., he is a lifelong member of Guardian Lutheran Church in Dearborn, MI. Matthew holds a bachelors degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a masters degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI., and a masters degree in divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. His hobbies include sports, traveling, and reading.

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