Regional Meeting in Khakasia

October 31 and November 1 were days filled with events in the congregations of Khakasia and the south of the Krasnoyarsk Krai.  There were many reasons for this - Reformation Day, the installation (after commissioning in Omsk) of Andrey Masiorov as a preacher, and meeting guests from the Hermannsburg Mission - Director Michael Thiel and Asia Secretary Helmut Grimmsmann - to discuss current issues and plans for the future. 

On Saturday morning the 31st there was a celebratory Reformation Day service in the congregation in Chernogorsk. At the beginning of the services guests from the city's music school had a small concert; afterwards there was a lengthy discussion of the possibility of buying property for the Chernogorsk congregation. After lunch the guests attended worship in the village of Bograd, where congregational members have finished a serious reconstruction of their prayer house. Not it has a wonderful exterior to match its interior. It is a happy thing that the congregation is filled with children; regular Sunday school is led by Viktoria Reva. 

Sunday worship in Abakan was attended by guests from all over the region - from Chernogorsk, Bograd, Shira and Kuragino. It has become a good tradition that once a year all the congregations of the region come together for common worship and fellowship, which is followed by a annual meeting to share problems and joys. This year a special event was the installation of Andrey Masiorov as preacher for the Abakan congregation. After worship there was a discussion of news from the synod assembly and plans for the future. The latter is particularly important in light of Pastor Dmitry Schwartz's upcoming return to Germany - plans need to be made for the time of pastoral vacancy.
Our guests from the Mission highly valued their time in our region. They took with them many impressions and much information. They spoke at our meetings and had a lot of personal interaction with our members. We were happy to hear from them that they desire to continue our cooperation. Small congregations need support. And such meeting show that we are not alone in our congregations - we have the support of our region, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Urals, Siberia and Far East, there is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, and our partner churches abroad. But most important - God is with us. 
The Lord has wonderfully made everything. And we give over our human concerns into God's hands. For that which is impossible for humans is possible for God. (Lk 18.27) 
Zoya Geintse. Preacher, Chernogorsk.