Rudi and Kirsten Blümcke, 660001 Krasnojarsk, ul. Menschinskogo16a
kw.109, Russia;
tel+fax: 007 3912 440160; e-mail: rubl@online.ru
Krasnojarsk, 11 December 2001
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ." 1.Cor.3:11
Dear friends!
With these words we greet you after a long time again, but all the more cordially. Why did we select exactly this verse? On the one hand as greeting to the Advents and Christmas time - we celebrate the day on which Jesus was born and thus the foundation-stone for our faith and our life together God has laid, slawa Bogu (God be praised)! On the other hand this verse often reassured me, Kirsten, in recent weeks. Of that I will report in the course of the letter. But before I tell about us, I would like to thank you all with a full heart: for your faithful prayers, which more than everything else we need; for the many dear mails, letters, package, calls etc., which show us again and again that by our relatives and friends present we are given; and not least for the many financial contributions, which we do not at all take for granted. It sorrows me again and again that we often do not manage to answer personally; many thanks for your understanding.
Where shall I begin? The summer is so far past already, and I nevertheless remember gratefully the beautiful long vacation on Corsica, the short and beautiful motorcycle trip with Rudi, and the many beautiful and intense meetings with you all, particularly with the celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary. Shortly after our arrival "back in Russia", Rudi set off on his journey on the Jenissei, about which the attached report tells in detail. With me the everyday life went by quickly again, to school for Jonathan, youth group and children worship service waited for me and it needed some re-working, which had accumulated in the course of the summer. On 1 September then also Anna Maria started school, and all the "schooling" takes up my time more than I had expected. It is fun for the children, even if they do not always have naturally desire, and they do their things really well. They switch now completely without problems back and forth between the languages, and often laugh at Mama, who cannot speak Russian as well as they! We enjoy the two very much and are often astonished at our awakened children! So much teaching also makes fun for me; then I am unfortunately nevertheless also often stressed by the double challenge at home and in the congregation. I often think I should cut back somewhere and nevertheless I don't know where. Then again I see so much that still needs to be done, and I know That I simply can't manage all of it. Thus I try to deliver more to my coworkers, but they also have little time and often forget things. Do I have too high expectations to my coworkers? Can't I deliver? Do I try to play Jesus? I pray over these questions. If there are then additionally still conflicts, many dear and genuinely important people leave the congregation, then sometimes a great tiredness, doubt about our work, attacks me here. And in such phases then this verse rises quite deeply from the heart into my consciousness: "no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ." Jesus is the reason, the reason of my life, the reason of our being here, our work. Jesus is the foundation-stone, the rock that supports us, which also comes. He is the foundation-stone for the life of each person and we may help Him to enter the life of other people. In the moments, where I begin to analyze a lot, that is all that remains and has eternal significance. On this foundation we are, on this foundation build we our congregation; everything else, which methods we use, which projects we start, how much visible success we have, those are all secondary. If I remember that Jesus is the reason, that withstands ALL storms, fulfills me to composure, confidence and peace. Sometimes unfortunately in times of stress I forget, but I am grateful that God reminds me again and again of it by Bible reading and friends. Rudi and I have discovered praying together, simply placing everything before God again, letting go, trusting in God, and then are astonished, what He makes from it.
And it is so amazing what God works out of everything, even if (or even because?) we are tired or make mistakes. We are pleased about growing our congregation despite many departures, about possibilities of the structure of the congregation such as seminars, youth camps, advanced training, over new ideas, which concern new and very active church executive committee our diaconical work, about the prospect of our own premises for our congregation (has there even which very hot under development, if it soon develops further), about the new starts in Irkutsk (our friend Thomas, formerly wood dealer, hung his work on the nail and created a congregation, which consists at present particularly of 60 pathfinders of the lower layer and their families, a courageous step, particularly since he has a wife and child and still has no formal theological training, is a mad and important work, please pray for this also!), in Lessosibirsk and surroundings (that is in the north of our Probstei, there operates our Vikar Eugen for one year, who visits the rural congregations now, holds services, baptizing and doing Confirmation instruction and does everything that a minister does) and in Abakan (there Fendlers have now already celebrated their first Service and are fully motivated for the structure of a new congregation they recently visited and I rejoice with them over this exciting assignment. Now I will let Rudi write, who will surely complete this and thank you for your listening and prayers with us. God bless you richly, your Kirsten.
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I am grateful that Kirsten as so beautifully summarized everything, I am at present so far in the work that I can hardly lift my head to get the overview that must one for a newsletter. Particularly the new beginnings occupy me, of those Kirsten told, and naturally our building. That is probably a special wile of the devil to employ the ministers with the church buildings so that they cannot attend to the religious work. I often would gladly preach on the mountain or from the boat, as our Lord did, only He lived in warm Israel and not in Siberia. You cannot imagine, what it is called, such a business in a country to handle, where all and everyone distrusts everyone. The bank, the brokerage office, this the registration authority, and the buyers and salesman, everything together. There it is necessary to have witnesses with each discussion and check everything three times - I will be glad to be able to celebrate a service in a new building in the calm knowledge, that it is paid and everything is behind us. I wrote a report for our church newspaper about a journey of discovery on the Jennisey, which I will gladly send you. Blessings on you, and at Christmas be gifted by the birthday Child. He is kind; we experience here, what that means. Your Rudi!
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Discovery Journey on the Jennisey
September 2001
Propst Rudolf Blümcke from Krasnojarsk undertook together with Mrs. Irina Selesnjowa, representative of the ELKRAS, a trip on the river Jennisey from the high north until Krasnojarsk, in order to look for Lutherans in the localities along the river.
In the middle in the night shortly before 1:00 a taxi stands before the door and brings me to the airport. In the morning around 5:00 we land on the airport of Norilsk. It is day bright, in the summer becomes it here not quite dark. Already with the door from the airplane the passports are controlled - my more foreign one particularly. Norilsk is not still a closed city and I have a special permission. But no questions are asked, I expected obviously. I would like to go quickly to Dudinka, the port where the Anton Tschechow, our ship is situated, in order to still rest little, before we begin there on the search for Lutherans. Thus a taxi for the 70 kilometers of the airport, but first I must fetch my heavy suitcase, since many newspapers and music cassettes I carried along. There is even a luggage conveyor at this lonely airport in the middle in the tundra. But until this starts itself, there passes more than an hour. The taxi drivers are cheeky here particularly, and begin with demands from 1500 rubles to Dudinka for the 70 kilometers (in comparison: In Krasnojarsk I have paid for the 40 kilometers to the airport 350 rubles) I know, here in the north everything is expensive, above all gasoline and in such a way make my offer of 700 rubles. That is rejected, but when I go on the way to the bus, a taxi colleague runs after me and offers to me to drive me for 500 rubles. He asks me to take a seat in his car, as he waits for further passengers who are expected. 10 minutes pass, then a quarter of an hour and I suspect something, when the old bus goes groaning on its way. The driver comes immediately and says that the other passengers have probably left already and now he will not have a full car - therefore I would have to pay 1200 rubles, if he should drive profitably. I try to remain friendly and weigh my possibilities - the airport is far from the city, the bus has left, the taxi drivers are here under the canopy. Nevertheless I get out again, heave my suitcases from the auto, and go directly toward another auto, that just drove up, call to it. A native engineer from Dudinka, with whom I quickly become acquainted. He drives me for 700 roubles and we have a very interesting discussion over his life here in the far north. His name is Wassili and he has lived now for 18 years in Dudinka. He works there in a leading position in the port, is married and has two daughters. He complains about the recent time after the Perestroika - in Soviet times they would have earned much here in the north. That was the reason, why Wassili came here from Kazakhstan, where his parents live. For a monthly salary he could travel at that time the entire Soviet Union, from Wladivostok over Kazakhstan into the Ukraine to grandparents and back through Leningrad and Moscow. That could not be done any longer now. The prices rise inexorably and the salaries not evenly. Additionally people have changed so much. They count only the material, everything are only concerned with the cash. No, he does not want to go away from here, here has he at least still wild extensive nature around himself, he goes gladly to fish and hunt. For the children it is not simple, 4-5 months without sun in the polar winter, that would be not good for the health. In holidays he sends them regularly to Kazakhstan to the Babuschka. The only road in the high north between Norilsk and Dudinka follows the parallel railroad line here through a meager area without trees, does not look as if it would have been used in recent years. A quite unknown light is on the width of this rough landscape. Interesting for looking at, but to live over here? Wassili calls itself a Fanatic for the north - that he must probably be.
Shortly after 7.00 we are at the port and he brings me directly to the manager of the Tschechow. The people on board are not yet quite awake and above all not prepared for such an early guest. The other 150 passengers all come later, directly with the airplane from Europe. After a short rest Irina Selesnjowa, who already came the previous day from Petersburg to Dudinka, wakes me. After the breakfast we go immediately into the city. Irina had used her first day and had already learned something about the Germans in the city. Our first way led us to the post office, where we could also telephone. Dudinka is very compactly built, with up to -60 degrees in the winter can one can also afford long long-distance heating pipelines. The Germans seem to have all gone on a trip, at least none of the numbers that Irina found get anyone to the telephone. In the weather, we say, all mushrooms are to collect. In the urban museum we become acquainted with a historian, who is familiar with the history of the banished ones and above all also with the Germans employed here. Norilsk and Dudinka were built on the back by thousands of banished ones. Nobody came voluntarily at that time. That came only later, when one could really make cash here. In me many stories come to mind, told me by the old persons in the south in our congregations, from the time in the far north, times of cold weather, the hard work and hunger. In addition, times of special human proximity and shaping memories.
Toward evening it worked out for us to visit family Reichert. Walodja, late 40s I estimate, was born and even moved in Dudinka. He fetches us with the auto and shows us his new dwelling. To our questions about Lutherans and a possible meeting he cannot answer, he hardly knows, what that is. Thus he brings us to his mother, to Hilde, who continues to live a few houses away. As we arrive hears she listens to cassette with German folk songs, and swings with it through the dwelling. Tea is put on immediately and something to eat comes on the table. She tells of the hard times and she can no longer remember church and structured congregation life at the Volga, sh was clearly, also 12 years, when they were hunted away from there. In Dudinka a catholic collected the Germans for a choir. First she sang along there, but now she can hardly run any more and sings at home with the help of the cassettes. We also leave our cassette there and drive to Walodja first to his sister, from where we telephone and then to Swetlana Fedorowna, who receives us spontaneously, when we reach her finally. Nevertheless it already is after 10:00 PM. Swetlana is Russian-German and operates in the administration of the city. She is responsible for all public organizations. The administration in Dudinka concerned itself even with the question of the banished ones and entered all, since they get privileges now from the state at the pensionable age. Swetlana drives with us through the nocturnal Dudinka to her office and copies us the lists of the banished ones from Dudinka and from Potapowa, we must only pick out the German names. In the future she will become probably our main partner in Dudinka. With her in the kitchen she shows us proudly a cassette with religious songs in German and in Russian - our cassette, which we took up one year ago! She got it far away from relatives from Novosolowo, 2500 kilometers. Thus the Gospel takes its course.
On the next day the Tschechow starts out. A pleasant journey. The Jennisey is, shortly before the delta, many kilometers wide, and we travel first to the north until Ustport. In this port at the mouth of the river there was once a large fish collective and a fur farm. From many stories I know Ustport. Many family members of congregation members from Krasnojarsk died here. We find a German married couple. She Catholic and he Lutheran. They tell of how it was at that time, the work in the fish collective combine, and it is always both, the load of the hard times weigh still, but there is also nostalgia, oh, at that time...
Today everything is quiet in Ustport. Only if the Anton Tschechow with the tourists comes, then are the children on the bank queue and wait for candy and cash. The fish collective combine serves only for the keeping of fish - meter low is situated a large cooling store in the Permafrost. The fur farm fails. Apparently there was never a Lutheran congregation here, because when still many Germans were here, Bible reading and service were still strictly forbidden. Most Germans exerted at that time much to be Russian in order to get past their otherness. We meet a very old German woman. In the village one had said us - there you do not need to go, she is ill and will not open you. We meet her before her house, but she does not want to talk with us, she wants to talk with nobody - she is really ill, banished, alone and forgotten. A young man responds gladly. Yes, sometime preachers were in the village, probably Baptists, who sometimes distributed Bibles and preached. Otherwise here none knows anything about church. I have prayed much for these people in Ustport on our journey.
Down the river we go several hundred kilometers to Turuchansk. Beautifully situated because of the delta of the lower Tunguska in the Jennisey. With 2400 square kilometers the Turuchansker area is the largest in the Krasnojarsker Kray, but here altogether live only 12,500 people. We are expected already early in the morning by two German women. They read our introductions, which we distributed before our departure. Thus we are expected and even have a room to use in the culture palace. First however we still have time and visit some old persons, who lie ill and cannot come to a meeting. For the patients there are hardly aid or medicines. One of the women, who expected us, is called Olga. She is a physician and complains about her need. We promise to help. Because of the beautiful weather, the meeting with the Germans takes place on park benches in front of the culture palace. From stories from former times, some know that they are Lutherans, some go to the Orthodox. Rumors say, the German leaders of the Baptists were moved. We note addresses and distribute our newspapers and cassettes. All are quite interested to hear and see. The desire to meet is large. But all attempts to organize themselves got lost so far in the sand.
Then we visit Orthodox monastery; I have heard of a young priest, who is to do his service here. Unfortunately he is busy just now and reads the mass. A nun, who speaks a little German and who has the function to lead the tourists takes me aside. When she realizes the fact that I am a minister and look for Lutherans, she tells me rudely that I would have nothing to find. here. The two Russian-German women, who came along from curiosity, she reproaches, why she had not seen them yet at a service. But then at the conclusion in a somewhat more fogiving manner, she shows us the remains of the very old monastery. By the way Stalin was here in proximity in the banishing and always came to Turuchansk, in order to get his mail; the small house, in which he stayed overnight, is a museum. He is to have had a woman friend here, his illegitimate son from this relationship only recently died.
Our next stop is Jarzewo. An old Catholic priest, father Jan from Poland was murdered here a few months ago. We followed a path to the wood hut, which the Catholics use as chapel, in which he was found. He had again and again brought along valuable Lutheran addresses for me from his many travels on Jennisey and Angara. May the Lord be gracious to him.
The German old married couple Josef and Emma Garadezki often provided accommodations for the Father, if he came to Jarzewo. Now they have still contact with old people from Switzerland and from Germany, who came as tourists into the village and regularly send packages. On our question it turns out that they do not know, which denomination they or their parents belonged to. I notice how I, as a north German Lutheran, also after many years in Siberia have difficulties to imagine how someone can forget their denomination affiliation.
There is still another group of German in Jarzewo. We get a list of the German names and addresses also here from the administration without problems. We should send newspapers and other post office easily to the address of the administration, which would then distribute those to the people. One knows oneself easily in these villages. There are hardly addresses. Name and surname and family name are sufficient as address. Two years ago the meltwater of the Jennisey Jarzewo flooded. Almost all houses were up to 2 meters under water, many over 2 weeks long. Today most is again repaired, but the tracks of the tide are still everywhere visible
Also in Jenniseisk we are expected, the chief of the German community receives us and brings us immediately to the culture palace. There a group of approximately 20 people and in place of a service I tell, what the church has as functions, since with the German culture associations the danger is large that we are misunderstood. It becomes soon clear that Catholic, a daughter of Mennonites, some Lutherans and especially true Germans met here, who look for their roots, without knowing quite what church is actually. A very much alive and hopefully continuing contact, because Jenniseisk can be still reached from Krasnojarsk with the auto. Yes, people desire services for themselves, they also want contact with our Diakoniestation and to thank them cordially for the humanitarian assistance, which we have provided them in the last winter with the help of the Rheinisch regional church.
I was pleased very much that we had still time to visit father Gennadij almost a Orthodox chief priest in Jenniseisk. I visited him already several times and he is obviously pleased to see me again. He tells us of its concerns about the Christian school he constructed, and we speak on the topic of the Vissarion, a sect in the south of our region, with which we were both very much occupied.
So on this journey we had a multiplicity of meetings and impressions, but occasionally also much time journey to exchange and to give our thoughts free run with our calm gliding on the majestic current . Much I thought about the future of our Evangelical Lutheran Church. Not only in the localities along the Jennisey it becomes clear, how rapidly the number of the Germans and concomitantly the number of the Lutheran congregations and communities in Siberia decrease. That is, the congregations, which called us once, become extinct, but in the meantime new, quite differently shaped ones developed. In many places these new starts are in addition, in question or become wooed from other churches. In no case do I want to take part in a fight for territories, but which responsibility must we assume in relation to the congregations? What are we called here today in His Kingdom to build? For me we are called above all, always again analyze adjustments of our work What is the Proprium of our church work? We can and could not ever simply talk about a routine! Where should we concentrate our forces, and where should the committees, which have the overview, maintain and intelligently switch positions?
Often I have the impression that many think and operate for their small area, but don't see the large picture, perhaps also do not want to see. Can it there be such a thing as an ELKRAS, a total church of the Lutherans for the area of the former Soviet Union with so many different facets, cultures and local characteristics? I want to contribute my part to think with and pray with, that we find a way as Lutherans, to serve the people in our congregations, and in addition, all people in these large different lands, for the sake of the Gospel.