June Foreign Mission Monthly News

Endeavoring to obey the Word of our Lord...Go ye into all the lands and preach the Gospel to every creature. Time for fellowship On July 12-15th, New Ipswich, NH will host the ALCA Convention. The Foreign Mission will have a table set up with information about who we are, what we do, past and future trips, and much more. Come and visit! On Saturday afternoon, there will also be a Foreign Mission presentation. Pastor Giovanni Sinay from Guatemala and Bishop Louis Mphahlele from South Africa will be sharing during this time. Look for signs or ask at the FM table for more information. We look forward to meeting you in person. If you have an interest in foreign mission work, please share your particular calling and desire with us! Let's pray that God through His Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus Christ to each of us during the convention and throughout the year. Word from the field [In Yoshkar Ola, Russia], we also visited the main Agricultural College and I spoke to a number of students (see class above). This was my first visit to this college, and though the teacher seemed a bit suspicious of us at first, by the time we left, we were being enthusiastically asked to return. "The next time you come," said the English teacher, "we will have many more students for you to talk with!" excerpt from blog entry by Gregory Greve; you can read the full article by clicking here; read the rest of the article Support options Email or click on the Donate link above for regular support options. Special projects Only funded with earmarked funds > Van for church in the Philippines $10000 > Widow and orphan support in Liberia any amount Pictures and other feedback supplied, if desired. Kids in Liberia Upcoming events > The ALCA convention is next month. We could really use some help at the FM table! If you are able to take care of the table and concession for a few hours during the convention, please respond to this email. > Lord willing, there will be mission trips going to several countries this fall. Please contact the FM administrator at foreignmission@comcast.net for information if you wish to join one of the trips. Prayer and praise > Pastor K from India in the midwest and on the east coast in May and early June. He is now safely back home. > Doctor Kumar and his wife Jean Mary were on the west coast in May as well. They have also safely arrived home. > Dennis Hilman has safely arrived back in Finland after a grueling but blessed five months in the mission field. Keep your eyes open for him in the USA and Canada this summer, Lord willing. > Leona Matson has recovered from her bout with malaria. She's at home in Canada now but will attend the Convention in July before heading back out to the field. > The money has been raised and we have registered our church in Kenya! > Missionaries who participated in the trips to Russia and the Philippines in May are all safely home. Click here to read updates posted in the blog. www.themissionsite.com | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Mailing address for DONATIONS: The Foreign Mission 1601 NW 4th Avenue Battle Ground, Washington98604 Add us to your address book Mailing address for CORRESPONDENCE: The Foreign Mission of the ALC 63 Poor Farm Road New Ipswich, NH 03071 Copyright © 2012 The Foreign Mission, All rights reserved.

Russia by Greg

It's a beautifully warm, sunny Russian day here in Moscow.  (I actually began this article yesterday, and it was sunny and hot, really.. but the wifi cafe I was in was too slow to send this article, so now it is tomorrow and it is raining.. ugh.. but warm:) I've finally found a bit of time to myself and so want to begin writing and editing some photos for you.  I have had literally no time for writing and the Internet has been rare or too slow to use since my last report, which was written from Ekaterinburg. 

Since that report, brother Misha Ustjuzhanin and I have traveled to 4 different Russian republics: Chuvashia, Mari El, Tatarstan and Udmurtia.  I contracted some kind of flu virus along the way and though it tried valiantly to put me down (I'm only just getting better now) I was able to slug may way through.  I have only a couple days left here in Russia and will spend them in Moscow visiting friends, Christians, and former students whom I have made contact with in past years.  I will also buy a toy or book and visit a young boy , Roma, whom I met in the orphange in Ekaterinburg.  He is in Moscow for some kind of operation with his kidney. 

Brother Misha Ustjuzhanin and I spent about a week in Chuvashia, in the capital city, Cheboksary, visiting different friends and Christian groups, but the main focus of my time in Chuvashia was spent each day with students in the Chuvash State University.  I don't remember just how many classes I visited, but each day was filled and I was always encouragingly exhausted by the end of each day. 

One of the many enthusiastic classes of students whom I met with at the Chuvash State University.  I truly enjoy visiting and interacting with these students.  They are very interested in both our culture and in what I have to say concerning faith and salvation.

As in most countries, it is a sensitive matter to bring religion into the classroom, but by our Father's grace, the gospel is always preached as the students and I interact and share one another's lives and cultures.

Yulia and Dasha: Re-connecting with many of the students whom I have met with in past visits to the Chuvash State University

Many of you know Esa and Natasha, university students from Cheboksary who, after coming to know us, spent the summer in South Carolina last year at Brian and Shana Niemitalo's home.  Esa and Natasha even attended our ALC summer convention last year!

Meetings in Cheboksary: Ludmila (in pink) is one of the first Christian persons I met in Cheboksary when I traveled there for the first time in 2004.  This trip we were hosted by Natalia Burak, the woman behind me in black blouse with white spots.  Natalia, though not yet a believer, offers us her home to stay in and attends some of our meetings, like this one, singing and praying with us..

Cheboksary Christian Group: Victor, far right, is the English professor who helps arrange visits for us in the Chuvash State University.  The young man beside me in the photo, Sergie, found grace to repent last year when I met him at an outdoor "Student Picnic" on the famous Volga River, which I organized together with Victor and his church.

From Cheboksary we traveled to Yoshkar Ola and the surrounding villages.We spent the first days at the village home of Pastor Alexander and his wife, Anna, who serve in a Mari village called, Shorsala. We joined in with their Sunday service and visited different village families.We also visited the main Agricultural College and I spoke to a number of students.This was my first visit to this college, and though the teacher seemed a bit suspicious of us at first, by the time we left we were being enthusiastically asked to return. "The next time you come, said the English teacher, we will have many more students for you to talk with!"

Pastor Alexander Mityakov and wife, Anna, serve in the Mari villages around Yoshkar Ola

My first meeting with English teacher, Lena (in green) and students in the Mari Agricultural College.

Only a few of these students really spoke any kind of English.  

Early morning walk in Shorsala, a Yoshkar Ola village. In the background you can see a Russian Orthodox church/monastery

Mari Villagers, Vadim and Nina, invite us for dinner at their village farm

The changing "modern" sky-line in Yoshkar Ola, the capital city of the Mari El Republic

Yoshkar Ola - Russian Orthodox Church

From Mari El we traveled to Kazan to participate in an outdoor evangelical Christian concert/gathering which was held by a number of different churches.

The 1000 year old city of Kazan lies on the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in the Tatarstan Republic

Here is our Mari El group in Kazan singing Christian songs in the Mari language. 

The Mari people are part of the Finno-Ugric group of peoples.

Connecting in Kazan with young people who attended our Udmurtian youth camp last summer.

From Kazan we took a train to Mushga, in Udmurtia, (Udmurts are also part of the Finno-Ugric group) where we were met by Pastor Marat of the Ingrian Lutheran Church.  Marat took us to meet with several different Christian groups in different Udmurtian villages and in each place I was able to speak and share the gospel.  Later we traveled into Izhevsk, the Udmurt capital, and spend a few days visiting and fellowshipping in that city.

From Mari El and Kazan we head to the beautiful rolling green of Udmurtia!

                                           Pastor Marat, a truly gentle soul...

We visited several Christian groups in Udmurita.  Here is Pastor Nickoki (Big, happy man in Red) and some of the members of his Mozhga congregation

                                                Early morning walk in Udmurtian village

                               Pastor Sergie and his wife, Lena, hosted us at their village home. 

Communion service in Gurez Pudga.  Pastor Marat does an exceptional job of uniting hearts around the gospel.

Last summer I attended sister Oksana and brother Maxim's wedding.  This year I visited Oksana in the hospital to see her beauytiful newborn daughter, Mikalina.

We were not allowed into the hospital, so visited Oksana and Mikalina through the window.  I was so happy to be able to hold this little one.

Visiting Udmurtian Christians - Grandmother Zhenya bakes us the famous Udmurtian Perishki

                                    Visiting Christian Grandmothers in Udmurtian village

                                                               Grandmothers in Faith!

Pastor Andrew's Lutheran Church in Izhevsk.  We attended this group's communion service and I was also invited to share the word