December 2002
Rudi and Kirsten Blümcke, 660001 Krasnojarsk, ul. Menschinskogo16a
kw.109, Russia;
tel/fax: (007) 3912 440160; e-mail: rubl@online.ru
Krasnojarsk, Russia
15 December 2002
Dear Friends!
For much too long a time already you have heard nothing more from us, and so we greet you today especially warmly with the following words from a song, which has accompanied me, Kirsten, in recent months:
"I trust in you, o Lord, I say you are my God, in your hand stands my time. Praised be the Lord, for He proved to me His love marvelously and showed me His goodness."
At the beginning of this year, we were at a small Christmas celebration of the German club. During a game we were to write on a note a wish for the new year. These were then mixed and distributed among those present. I received Rudi's note, on which stood simply "Trust" and which is still pinned to my bulletin board. Trust, always trust in God, and all the many things which occupy us release into His hands, this theme accompanies us increasingly in the years of our service here in Russia. We thank you all also for the confidence which you have for us in God, and pray, that He in this common confidence connect and strengthen us all.
It is also good to know that our time stands in the hands of Jesus. I think there of the time each individual day, which appears sometimes too short to me, but in addition of our time here in Krasnojarsk, which according to contract comes to an end in the summer of 2004. This topic has occupied us very busily in the summer, and even if for the moment we tend to want to return to Germany, then we will also trust and be open for God's further plans with us.
But now I want to tell a little of the highlights of the last year. After Anna Maria now also began school, in April we have begun with the remote school. Since I instruct both children in German now and also the requirements of the Russian school increase ( by the way the two do that really well, and we are again and again so grateful for our children), I am again more at home. On the one hand that is fun for me, on the other hand I notice that the work in the congregation suffers from it. I had to reduce both the commitment in the youth work, and personal contacts. How good that there are still different coworkers, who help in the youth group and in the children's worship service. Unfortunately sole responsible for activity and independence is still difficult for them; it is a learning process and a large prayer request
The fact that I am needed more at home again was confirmed also my pregnancy, which was confirmed in April. Sometimes during the first weeks I was often tired and troubled with nausea, and could not quite grasp it all, that we are now again given so small a creature. Meanwhile we all are very excited and look forward already in such a way to our little baby. As soon as it is born, we are sending this letter including the birth announcement. Naturally the forthcoming birth occupies me increasingly. Thereby I also become acquainted with a completely new area of life here in Russia, the medical. If I am honest, I would lovingly and gladly do without it. But one can really learn one thing thereby: Patience. And here again also it means trust and letting go.
Before Rudi continues the letter, I would like to still ask you to pray for the following things:
* for our church leadership and the entire ELKRAS, as well as the training of ministers and coworkers.
* that we reach new people in this city and the congregation grows in each respect..
*for the work with children and youth and the forthcoming winter camp, that the coworkers may be one and learn to take over responsibility before God and people.
* for our increasing family, that we continue to be protected and for the love and goodness of God, which we experience each day and can pass on to others.
Many thanks to you all for your taking part and your prayers with us, and we wish you all a blessed Christmas, your Kirsten
Now we wait daily for what might go wrong, to fetch the car from the garage at -30 degrees Celsius, to get to the hospital. But I think there is still enough time for completing this letter.
If I glance over our last letter, I determine - it is for a long time ago, and in the crucial questions we have not quite progressed directly forward. But as our friend Thomas (wood specialist) said recently, who meanwhile is active with us in the church in Irkutsk as congregation leader: if you look at the wood in Siberia, the annual rings are very small. That is, everything, really everything grows very slowly here, then the wood is also very much in demand, because it is particularly hard and steady. A beautiful picture for the congregation work here with us - yes, it is tough at present. In the spring we bought the long-longed for 200 square meters hall, but have not occupied it with the congregation yet, because it is located in the first floor of a former armament business, and the strict access principle yet is not waived, i.e. only people with special permission can enter. We wait now (mostly) patiently for the time that this strict principle is waived, or we can also buy space for the development of our own entrance. But at present everything stands still. That is a school of nerves. I already have the impression that there are also enormous forces in Krasnojarsk, which do not want the Lutherans to have our own premises - which is similar to the case of Catholic bishops having their visa removed and having to leave the country. You surely have followed this in the press. Often we now meet our Catholic brothers here in Krasnojarsk and show them our solidarity. We sit in the same boat and if the rumors are confirmed that the visa regulations change for foreigners, who are invited from church organizations, then for many of us it will become very difficult to work here.
But I want to report briefly, on highlights of what we could experience: Right at the beginning of the year our congregation youth went on a retreat and to my joy planned and studied Bonhoeffer's "Life Together". Shortly after that we have then gone also to a retreat of congregation leaders: Michael Fendler, Thomas Grote, Vicar Efgenij Lukinow, and I. A woman church leader from Krasnojarsk put her Dacha in the village at our disposal, which we then in bitter cold weather and driving snow, heated so comfortably with a Siberian wood furnace and also cooked for ourselves. There was much for us to exchange there from the different congregation situations in Irkutsk, with the many pathfinders from usually disturbed families with alcohol problems, from Abakan with the careful attempts of Fendlers, to get started there and invite people. We had sent our Vicar Efgenij at the time directly to the north of our Propstei, in order to experience a next step of independence there. The mutual Bible work and the many discussions remain unforgotten, until late in the evening in the Banja (Russian Sauna) or the nocturnal walk in the snowdrifts. Efgenij then went for May to Omsk to the assistance for bishop Sailer and it was for me an moving time, to assist with his Ordination in October. Our prayers will also accompany him further.
At the end of January I then went to Omsk, where we had a special meeting on the theme of Bible school in Siberia. This topic became more and more our main topic and it is also so urgently necessary, to prepare young people religiously and theologically for service in the congregations. I hope that we take concrete steps on this topic in the foreseeable future, and that the training can begin. The following meeting of our consistory was again quite demanding. I often suffer from the work in church leadership. Why it falls us on so heavily just to pull on a strand, particularly we pastors are willing folk!
On the way back from Omsk I then stopped in Atschinsk. Our Catholic brothers had me invited to a conference about family, and I had the honor to present a Bible study about family in the Bible. That was also very engrossing for me, on the one hand because in Russia for me this topic has become one of the most important in the congregation work here. In this country there are so few bases for healthy family life. And then we could naturally deepen our friendship of many years with the Catholics; these ecumenical connections are so important for us, so as not to feel that we are standing alone.
Occasionally I then always visit our congregations in the Propstei, which shrink very strongly (at present fourteen). Sometimes they already call me and say in their modest way: Pastor, you do not need to come, we are only three old sisters. I visit nevertheless, in order to give them Communion at least twice a year, so that they are not forgotten. In a few congregations there are new beginnings. My visit was particularly beautiful in Abakan with the Fendler family. We had quite a bit of time for the visit - and how often that is missing for one, if we live so far from each other. I was able to preach on Sunday in the congregation. They meet in the center of the city in a rented hall - we hope and pray that it soon becomes too small. With this attendance in Abakan we had also an audience with Alexei Lebed, the brother of our Krasnojarsk governor, who governs there in Abakan. In spring there was the shocking message of the tragic accident of Alexander Lebeds and a whole number of his coworkers. In dense fog they flew by the helicopter in the south of the region into a high voltage transmission line and crashed. At least up to the elections then his deputy led the Kray.. In the autumn the people of Krasnojarsk elected then, as the not completely undisputed choice, Alexander Chloponin as the new governor. He is one year younger than I and ranks among the so-called Oligarchs in Russia. There is much skepticism whether he as a Muscovite will help the Kray in its economic and social problems.
Then in March I was in Irkutsk and could baptize some young people there, whom Thomas had prepared for Baptism. I am always pleased at this small recent congregation, which is so engaged and goes its way in a spirit of mutual confidence. Thomas takes part now in theological courses in Novosaratovka and has then the prospect to take a theological exam and become a pastor of our church after intensive self-study. I am pleased that we found this way for him. In April we had our second seminar for church accountants in Novosibirsk. I hope that we can continue these seminars. They are so important for careful record keeping in our congregations. How quickly in this country one falls into the swamp of black market and fraud.
In May then there was great impact with the visit from director of mission Luedemann and Pastor Dieter Grimmsmann; both worked very rich blessings here, next in a second congregation leader ingathering, and Dieter then particularly with our congregation seminar on the topic "Responsibility and initiative." Here we offer both cordial thanks for the support now already for many years, and their large personal commitment for our work.
A real highlight then was still another seminar for church musicians with Mr. Grube, a church musician from Germany. We had invited musicians from the whole western Siberia, and enjoyed much common singing and study. Also to Mr. Grube here cordial thanks. Right after the seminar I had to leave for far away Jekaterinburg for the next meeting of our consistory. That was also the last journey before our well-deserved Germany stay, which we particularly enjoyed in this year. Above all the motorcycle ride with my friend Axel into the Austrian and Slovenian Alps on my new motorcycle was purely recovery. In addition, the three weeks in Corsica with our family did very well for us. Kirsten and I then enjoyed another few days of silence in the monastery Riechenberg - I recommend it. I had intensive meetings also at appointments in Munster, Bleckede and Otterstedt, meeting a circle of friends in Lingen with Grimmsmanns, and various visits with former congregation members from Krasnojarsk, who in the meanwhile have found a home in Germany.
First it was very annoying that the regional conference of the EKD took place in this year in Moscow - during our stay in Germany. It was understandably difficult for me to fly from Germany again over for one week to the Russian capital. The time however was nevertheless enjoyable, because it is good to meet and sit until late into the night and exchange with all the many colleagues from the other ranges of the ELKRAS. We all agreed that these conferences should take place regularly
We had hardly landed when the preparations for the youth camp in Krasnojarsk, again already ran on full speed. For 10 days we drove with 60 young people at the Krasnojarsk artificial lake. For me personally my first youth retreat in Russia. On the side I felt much reminded of my times in the youth work at Saint Johannes in Soltau; here there were so many possibilities of addressing young people, however to discuss with them individually is already rather special. At home they hardly talked, many watched television, parents nearly always both work all day long. The young people are in the school or hang around outside, with few opportunities - recently to computer game salons, to which many young people succumb. Many parents promote these still, because they mean to keep their children away from drugs. That these also in high measure make people dependent, comes here only very slowly into consciousness. In the retreat we had chosen the seven "I am" words of Jesus, and arranged for everyone a whole day with Bible work and related play. Wonderful to observe how young people slowly open like the flowers, in order to then flower marvelously. May the Lord bless each specially and smooth their ways.
In the summer we then furnished a visa acceptance place here with us in Krasnojarsk, on request of the German Consul General from Novosibirsk. That is, for a visa Russian citizens do not have to travel any more, as in former times, twice the long way to Novosibirsk, once in order to request the visa and a second time, in order to fetch the visa. Both can happen now with us in Krasnojarsk. In addition we established a donation and Walodja, the husband of my translator Dascha, took the thing very conscientiously in hand. The people are all very grateful, and it is not a problem for us either.
In addition before summer the funds for our employees of the Diakonia had been exhausted, and we were forced to close the Diakonia station for three months and dismiss all employees. Now we began again somewhat smaller, and hope to establish everything on firm ground. There is also the meeting of a circle of friends at Grimmsmanns. If someone is interested in becoming active there, and in engaging themselves regularly for the Diakonia in Krasnojarsk, he is to contact please Dieter Grimmsmann directly. He will coordinate that for us. Pastor Dieter Grimmsmann, Mathilde Vaertingstr. 15, 49809 Lingen, Tel: 0591/52819. E-Mail address: Grimmsmann@t-online.de The more Diakonia friends we find, the simpler it will be to secure the salaries.
Before our Consistory meeting and the Synod in Omsk, I still arranged a second visit to the congregations in the Propstei and also to visit the congregation in Novosibirsk, since a brother had to be prepared there for Confirmation. Yes, Omsk then was again like always a merry reunion with so many dear people, in addition, tough work on so many important topics, which are to further develop the church. But everywhere, in the Omsk congregation, in the Synod, and also with us in Krasnojarsk the exodus to Germany is still very strongly noticeable. It hurts particularly if people, who were basic pillars of the congregation, leave the country. Thus from Krasnojarsk in the summer whole waves of families left the country and left large gaps. It becomes ever clearer me, how difficult it is to develop a congregation if we have so strong a flux of people. There is little constant from the beginning. In November I led again a faith course with a small but faithful group, and in the concluding service we were richly blessed. We could celebrate a baptism and five Confirmations.
Now I have reduced my activities a little, to see the birth of our child, and now can I finally send this letter, because some hours ago he is born. - Samuel Elias Blümcke - long have we waited for him, and we now rejoice enormously and are grateful to the Lord that it a was relatively easy birth and that Kirsten and the child are well. He weighs 3700 grams [8 pounds 2 ounces] and is 54 centimeters [21 inches] long. The Russian physicians and nurses were super. Thanks also to all, who prayed and trembled along with us. Rudi
Rudi and Kirsten Blümcke, ul Menjinskogo 16a, kw.109, 660001 Krasnojarsk,
Russia, Tel/Fax:(007)3912 440160, email: rubl@online.ru
Letters with Latin characters arrive! Time difference with respect to Germany:
we are 6 hours ahead.