Newsletter of Pastor Rudi and Kirsten Blümcke

Krasnojarsk, Russia

Dear friends!

With these words from Mary's song of praise we greet you quite heartily for the Advent and Christmas season. We have chosen these words, because we may see small and large new births here also again and again, that give cause for the joy and for the praise of our Lord. And all this only, because the Son of God became human and by His coming, life, death and resurrection, gave us health and new life. We wish for you and ourselves that astonishment and joy might fill us again and again this Advent season.

" My face feels, as if someone pushed my face into the snow," Jonathan said a few days ago, when we went to the kindergarten in the morning at minus 30 degrees Celsius [minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit]. Yes, now the winter has come finally and directly with most violent frosts. Today the trees are all covered with white hoar frost, in addition a matte winter sun looks out of the bluest possible sky, and the first few centimeters of snow, crunching under our feet. I love this weather, and can no longer imagine a winter without this "face in snow feeling."

I wish that you could have been here the day before yesterday, when we made a trip with the young people into the forest. First we went through the glistening winter forest to a beautiful small spot of earth, from which one can see the wonderful rock formations of our protected area, which spread rising mountains over the water and the broad, fast current of the Jenissej. Then first strong wood was collected and cut up, and then we talked about the meaning of the Advent season. While the fire sizzled merrily and we warmed ourselves in front of it, we sang songs, heard the story of fourth wise man, and prayed together. Meanwhile our wood had disintegrated to a wonderful glow and we unpacked paste and small sausage, in order to grill Siberian "hotdogs" and afterwards enjoy eating. Afterwards we used the plastic table cloth spread before the meal and rested ourselves beneath the snow-covered mountains. Out of breath and wet we returned again to our fire, still discussed our Christmas piece, which we want to perform on Christmas Eve, and turned homeward unwillingly, because we all had particularly enjoyed this time.

Yes, the youth group developed after the summer, after some our Kids had returned enthusiastically from a camp at Irkutsk. Now we have thus 2 children's worship groups and the youth group and we to notice again and again, how important the work with the children is, because they are not yet quite so bent, like many adults by the consequences of communism. The longer we are here, the more we get a view of the life of people here and sometimes one would almost like to despair to deal with the distrust and embarrassment, the deep violations and wounds of people, and at the helplessness that goes with it. And exactly those are then the new births, of which I spoke, if this distrust is overcome, if wounds may heal, if we together find ways to overcome our handicaps with the help of God, and at least in the congregation begin to be able to live differently. For that always many prayers and discussions are necessary, and I believe more than ever that only God's Spirit can change the foundations in all of our lives. I am very, very thankful, for all of the wonders that we have already been able to experience.

As you are perhaps already a little aware, I am very busy with the child and youth work, and also all the other activities of the congregation that are underway. But now I would like to tell you also a little about the family. Jonathan and Anna Maria now both go to kindergarten - particularly for Ria that is a big step and she is getting along very well. With Jonathan sometimes also bad influences become apparent. In the Kindergarten a group of young children and he do pretty much whatever they want, actually play almost only murder and homicide and there is a lot of influence of peer thinking. There again and again many discussions are necessary, and pointing out clear boundaries, at least at home. Precisely in such moments I am happy about our good relationships, and that we can talk so well together. And I am grateful that Rudi takes time, because his opinion and his authority are then particularly important.

When the Kids come home at noon, Jonathan continues after a small lunch time with school, 3-4 times a week with Mommy disguised as Mrs. Schmitt, and recently twice a week with a retired lady Russian elementary school teacher, who is preparing Jonathan a little for the Russian school. If he begins his first schooling next summer, he should already be able to read and write a little, a somewhat strange educational system. I am impressed, how well he handles the double load. German reading and writing already goes quite well, but from time to time Mrs. Schmitt must become very creative or strict, because Mr. Student sometimes has no desire. Sometimes the school is out of session, because Mrs. Schmitt is too busy. Again and again there is a challenge for me to find a good balance between family and congregation, but I am glad that they overlap also more frequently.

Now I would like to tell you briefly about our journey to Irkutsk, through which I again have realized how large and beautiful this country is. While Rudi was at the Synode in Omsk, we drove the Kiddies, Tanja (our babysitter), Gulja (a friend and our former babysitter, who works now in the Diakonia station and also in the youth group) and myself to Irkutsk, where we visited our friend Thomas and other acquaintances. On this journey we had several beautiful and typically Russian experiences. We traveled on the Trans-Siberian railway, but this time in the cheap class. There one knocked against oneself with each movement any part of the body, could say good night to the Kakerlaken in the evening, lived with many others in a compartment and thereby made many acquaintances. When we had a longer stay at a station, I stepped out with the Kids, and we barely managed to jump onto the departing train, as it simply started to go without any announcement. In Irkutsk Lake Baikal, with its size, depth, beauty and cold weather (I could not bring myself to take an ice-cold bath) impressed me and after an unforgettable day-long hike with Thomas and his future wife, on which we went 34 km and only met about 5 people, I had great desire to settle somewhere on a lonely shore of Lake Baikal. Who knows? Perhaps we will spend our old age there, smile?

Thus, if you ask me, I can recommend to you all just one visit to this beautiful country!!!!!!

Perhaps now you wonder, why I did not write anything at all about the summer, but the summer in Germany is again already so far away. However I have much reason to be grateful. I had unexpected surgery to remove my gall bladder, and I thank God and the physicians that I am getting along amazingly well. Overall we are very thankful for all protection from illness, particularly as one must experience repeatedly, how it goes here in an inhuman and technically doubtful way in the hospitals. We are also grateful again and again for you all, as you support us in such varied ways. Many thanks for your loyalty, even if we disappoint you, thanks for all your prayers, even if we sometimes forget to pray for you, thanks for all your letters and calls, even if we often do not reply, and thanks also for all the financial support, which is a blessing for so many people here.

You can surely imagine, that there would still be very much to tell, about the last faith course, about the large Christian music festival of our city, in which also our choir participated, about Stanja, who has an Internship since September in our congregation, about the large anticipated joy on Fendlers, who, if God wills and we live, now come to us surely in the next year, about the forthcoming elections and the indifference with which people here await the Third Millenium, and so I could still continue with catchwords for hours, but I also know, how little time you in the West have now in the Christmas season, grins. And so I greet you all also in the name of Rudi very cordially with the continuation of the Song of Praise of Mary:

Jesus regarded all our lowness and even became one of the lowest. So he comes quite near to us and to people in Russia, and through Him we can also be close to each other. In this sense,

Your Rudi, Jonathan, Anna Maria and Kirsten