Caroline H
Member
- Jul 9, 2008
- 5,830
- 7
Well, It's been two weeks since I've been back...time enough for me to rest up and get back to normal. I figured it's also high-time I shared some of our trip with you, and give you some points to pray over should you feel the desire.
This first one was taken while sitting in the church service the first day we arrived (Sunday). We got there at 5:30 am, after having been up almost 48 hours straight, so we were quite exhausted. But the service was incredible: 40 mins of worship (including poetry and specials, but with no clapping or anything), three separate sermons by three different bretheren, and at the very end people stood up and gave "greetings" from churches and people from other cities and countries who had friends and family there.....it reminded me of the sweet way Paul closed his letters
Notice all the married women cover their hair ;) This church is a Russian Baptist church that used to meet in secret house groups during the Russian occupation, and their building is only a few years old. Pray that they will continue to grow and reach their community.
This next one is of the largest mosque in the capital city of Astana. The population of Kazakhstan is about 50% Muslim.
I ate horse meat!
Most people are poor, either living in homes like these having to pump water from a well at the street corner in sub-zero weather...
or living in apartments like these
This is the Steppe, it spans hundreds of miles in all directions through the interior of the country and is the flattest thing I've ever seen. It was beautiful, and I imagined what it must have been like for the native Kazakhs to survive here just a few centuries ago.
This is a house church in the city of Temirtau. It is the only church in the entire city, and probably holds no more than 15 people. Notice the smokestacks in the next picture...they blow smut over the whole town, and it is the dirtiest place I've ever seen. Pray that these believers will grow in number and strength to witness to the emptyness around them, that they will be a light in such a dark place.
This next one is of members of a new church plant in Karaganda, with some of our team (I think I'm the only one not in it). The woman in blue is called Svyetta, which means "light". Her husband is not saved and she is struggling to live for Christ and be obedient to her husband. We a couple of us stayed at her house that night and although we couldn't speak each other's language, we still shared a common bond in Christ. Pray that she will be a "light" to her family and that the Lord will continue to give her strength.
This is us eating our evening meal in her kitchen, probably no more than 10 sq ft.
And finally, here's one of me advertising a bag of shashlik (lamb shish-kebab, sort of) flavoured crisps (chips), haha...
There was so much more I wish I could share, but I've taken up too much space already
This first one was taken while sitting in the church service the first day we arrived (Sunday). We got there at 5:30 am, after having been up almost 48 hours straight, so we were quite exhausted. But the service was incredible: 40 mins of worship (including poetry and specials, but with no clapping or anything), three separate sermons by three different bretheren, and at the very end people stood up and gave "greetings" from churches and people from other cities and countries who had friends and family there.....it reminded me of the sweet way Paul closed his letters
Notice all the married women cover their hair ;) This church is a Russian Baptist church that used to meet in secret house groups during the Russian occupation, and their building is only a few years old. Pray that they will continue to grow and reach their community.
This next one is of the largest mosque in the capital city of Astana. The population of Kazakhstan is about 50% Muslim.
I ate horse meat!
Most people are poor, either living in homes like these having to pump water from a well at the street corner in sub-zero weather...
or living in apartments like these
This is the Steppe, it spans hundreds of miles in all directions through the interior of the country and is the flattest thing I've ever seen. It was beautiful, and I imagined what it must have been like for the native Kazakhs to survive here just a few centuries ago.
This is a house church in the city of Temirtau. It is the only church in the entire city, and probably holds no more than 15 people. Notice the smokestacks in the next picture...they blow smut over the whole town, and it is the dirtiest place I've ever seen. Pray that these believers will grow in number and strength to witness to the emptyness around them, that they will be a light in such a dark place.
This next one is of members of a new church plant in Karaganda, with some of our team (I think I'm the only one not in it). The woman in blue is called Svyetta, which means "light". Her husband is not saved and she is struggling to live for Christ and be obedient to her husband. We a couple of us stayed at her house that night and although we couldn't speak each other's language, we still shared a common bond in Christ. Pray that she will be a "light" to her family and that the Lord will continue to give her strength.
This is us eating our evening meal in her kitchen, probably no more than 10 sq ft.
And finally, here's one of me advertising a bag of shashlik (lamb shish-kebab, sort of) flavoured crisps (chips), haha...
There was so much more I wish I could share, but I've taken up too much space already
