Inside this issue:
Family redeemed to serve in CIS Field
Music brings life to Romania
Bristol, U.K. church hosts stay-at-home retreat
LEBANON CHURCH PARTNERS WITH GROUPS FOR CLINIC TO REFUGEES by NCM Staff, Eastern Mediterranean Field
The Sin il Fil Church of the Nazarene in Beirut, Lebanon, recently opened a clinic to provide care for Syrian refugee
families and Lebanese families in need of low-cost health care. The Nazarene school has made space for the clinic, which is open four hours, three days weekly, and provides 100 patient visits.
The Sin il Fil church is reaching out to 300 Syrian families in the immediate neighborhood with food and household assistance. Now the services of the clinic are available for any medical needs of the Syrian families in their care, as well as Lebanese families in need. The clinic is a partnership between the
Nazarene church and school, H.O.M.E. (Health Outreach to the Middle East), the Korean Embassy, and the American University of Beirut (AUB) Medical School. H.O.M.E. and the Korean government are providing the equipment, AUB is providing the doctors, and
the Nazarene church is providing the facilities in a neighborhood crowded with Syrian families seeking refuge. “Our outreach with Syrian families just added an important component,” said Rev. Andrew Salameh, Lebanese district superintendent. “We are already providing spiritual support, food, a Christian-based education for 50 Syrian children, and friendship support. Now we
can play a part in bringing much needed health care services to Syrian refugees in the neighborhood.” The war in Syria continues to destroy the lives of tens of millions of people.
The death toll has reached 150,000, and two million refugees have fled to Jordan and Lebanon. Nazarene churches in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon are reaching out to nearly 6,000 families with love, care and support. As one pastor recently said, “The situation is difficult, dangerous and heart-breaking but God is with us and our faith is at the top.”
NMI ANNIVERSARY PROJECT REHABS RUSSIA ORPHANAGE by Heidi Bowes
Regional NMI Coordinator
Moscow First Church of the Nazarene ministers at a Neznaika
house, a facility for people who are going through extremely difficult situations, often single mothers with children or immigrants. Sometimes the church people offer free hands and time; other times it is with some small donations. Last summer, the church brought three of the young people from Neznaika to youth camp, with one accepting Christ as Savior. As the organization does not receive government funds, financial needs are met only through outside donors. The building was in need
of renovations. In order to help, Moscow First Church proposed an NMI 100th Anniversary project, to be completed in three phases.
They hoped for three districts to each adopt a phase of renovations, knowing that it was likely for the adopting district to raise and send the money by the anniversary date of October 2015. The projects would not meet all of the financial needs for the renovations, but it would help with some things. Recently, the Neznaika house was informed by the government that the
building would be temporarily closed for 80 days. In order to be reopened, renovations were required. This heightened the need to an extremely urgent level. At the same time, pastor and project
coordinator Tanya Cantarella was notified that two of the renovation phases had been adopted by two American districts. The urgency of the situation was shared with the district NMI presidents of the districts, and they were asked if they would send whatever money was raised as soon as it came in, rather than waiting until the full amount of the project was given and send it in October 2015. Over the weekend, the Philadelphia District NMI Council met and responded saying the full amount of their project phase had been given and they were sending it that week. Along with it was the amount for the second phase given from an individual donor. Clearly God had worked and provided the
communications, resources and willing hearts to come together in this way and timing. But the story continued. The next week, the Georgia District, which had originally adopted one of the projects responded. They wanted to share the need with their district NMI convention in the coming weeks. The district
convention met and responded beyond the adopted project amount. The district NMI president wrote that they had given four times the project goal! More of the orphanage renovation needs could now be addressed. Only God’s hand could have brought all of these needs, people and resources together at just the right time.
Contact your district NMI president to find out how your church can be part of the NMI 100th Anniversary celebration, too.
YOUR STORY. OUR STORY. GOD's STORY. Rehabilitation ministry changes lives - ‘Jumping with joy’ by Zee Gimon
A little town called Chaltyr is located in Rostov district, Russia. Due to close proximity of Armenia, 90% of the population of this town are ethnic Armenians. This is the place where
“Grace” Church of the Nazarene is located. It is a small church, yet God is doing great things among the people there. This is a story of one of them - Tamara Khatlamadzhiyan, one of the NCM Kids’ Club* workers. Since she was a little girl, Tamara knew the meaning of the word “drugs.” Her dad, Hacheres, was abusing the
substances for over 18 years and his family carried the brunt of it, struggling to survive. Not a single day passed by without tears of her mother and grandparents and the word “hope” didn’t
enter the lexicon because it seemed that hoping for a way out, hoping for anything good was useless. One day, when Tamara was just 6 years old, her dad disappeared and came back only two months later – dirty, red-eyed and clearly sick. Her grandparents – after the many sufferings he brought to them and all the tears they have shed - did not want to let him into the house, however, Tamara always loved her dad. She begged to let her father inside. The grandparents gave in and Tamara ran to hug her dad. “Say thanks to your daughter because she is the only reason we let you come home.”
Back in those days, Tamara’s family wasn’t Christian yet, but that was about to change. One day, they got a call that Hacheres – the father – was dying. He was in a crack house with the other
addicts, but asked to call home so he could at least die at home.
“I still remember his face,” shares Tamara. “Those blank, red eyes. Horrible smell, because he already began to rot due to drug abuse. He was extremely thin, and as much as I wanted to be close to him, I physically couldn’t.”
The doctors’ promises weren’t filled with hope either. “A couple of days, that’s it.” Seemed like the story of Hacheres was coming to its end. Instead, it was just beginning. A few Christians visited their house to talk about God and to pray with the family. They prayed for Tamara’s dad and for the strength for the rest of the family. “For some reason, we felt we could trust
them, even though we understood that those believers haven’t promised us anything,” says Tamara. “There was something special about them.” That’s when the miracle happened. Tamara’s family started noticing that her father started to get better. When he
could move and slowly walk, the entire family went to the church where these believers and their pastor invited them. Something has changed in them all that day. After a short while, Hacheres went to a local rehab center, Tamara started attending Sunday School and kids’ club, and her grandmother went to church. “My dad was changing in front of my eyes. No one in the whole world
could be happier than me. It took us some time to trust him, especially for my mom, but slowly she was getting used to the fact that the worst is behind,” says Tamara, smiling. “She
accepted Christ as her Savior a few years later and dad was jumping with joy because he has prayed for her.” Tamara now has an 11-year-old sister, who was born shortly after their family
reunited. Their family is involved in the local church’s life. Tamara used to work with the Chaltyr’s kids’ club, but now she is leading children’s ministry at a children’s club in Chkalov, a nearby town. It is not an easy ministry since many have been labeled “tough kids” – some have been rejected by their own families, some have smoked and drank alcohol. “It is incredible to see the changes in them, however. They are not the kids I started to work with and I am happy that God gave me this love
for them and the desire to serve them,” shares Tamara. It is incredible how God changes the lives of His people. *In former Soviet Union known today as CIS (Commonwealth of Independent
States) NCM Child Development Ministries are known as Kids’ Clubs.
Volunteers bring music to Romania by Jonathan Phillips, Special to Eurasia Region Communications
Music has the ability to bring people together in unique ways. That’s been the case for Jay and Sheri Hartzler, who are spending a year as Nazarene Mission Corps volunteers in Romania. They have brought the joy of music to children, youth, and adults, and have led both experienced musicians and beginners in worshipping God through song. Music played a vital role in bringing the Hartzlers to Sighisoara. Five years ago, the Hartzlers, who are active members in the Mennonite Church, were leading the Eastern Mennonite High School choir’s tour through Eastern Europe. While in Sighisoara, Romania, they met Nazarene missionaries who arranged for the choir to sing in Tigmandru, a predominantly Roma village where the Church of the Nazarene ministers. After seeing how the people, especially the children, in Tigmandru had few opportunities to learn music, they began to consider the possibility of returning to Romania to teach music. There is not participatory music teaching in the public schools, so people growing up in Romania have little opportunity to learn how to sing or play instruments. “They wanted to teach music to young people,” said Roberta Bustin, Nazarene missionary who ministers
in Sighisoara and Tigmandru. “They recognized the needs for music in the church, and working with young people would benefit the church for many years to come.” After leading a second choir trip to Romania in 2012, the Hartzlers decided to return to Romania for a year as Nazarene Mission Corps volunteers, but with the added blessing of the Mennonite Church. Since their arrival last August, the Hartzlers have found many opportunities to use their musical gifts in both the Sighisoara and Tigmandru Nazarene
congregations. Every week, the Hartzlers go to the Tigmandru church to teach music to children. They have formed a choir of
nearly 50 children who have sung in special children’s programs as well as Sunday services. “When we started, there were as many notes being sung as there were children present,” Jay said. “But
eventually they were not only able to sing on pitch, but to change pitches….
The group sang songs in Romanian, English and Swahili, with great enthusiasm. It was rewarding to hear bits and pieces of songs being hummed or sung during craft time and parents reported the children singing the songs at home.” Jay has been able to use his experience as choir director to develop the worship leaders in the churches and to introduce the congregations to new songs. He formed and led youth and women’s choirs in Tigmandru. He has also taught guitar classes, preparing musicians for both the Sighisoara and Tigmandru churches. Similarly, Sheri has been teaching private piano lessons to students who will soon be able to accompany congregational singing in the churches. “Teaching piano here is one concrete way I see to leave behind a skill that can be used for personal enjoyment as well as in the churches.” Sheri said. The Hartzlers have been active in teaching music outside the context of Nazarene congregations, too, mainly through Veritas, a Nazarene Compassionate Ministries partner
organization in Sighisoara that serves the community through social and educational programs.
Each week, Jay directs the Veritas Gospel Choir, made up of about 20 people from various church backgrounds and ethnicities. In addition to the choir’s normal Christmas and spring concerts,
many from the Gospel Choir joined members of other choirs in the town in a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in May. Accompanied by Sheri on the electronic organ and professional musicians from neighboring towns, the concert was attended by over 300 people. It is believed to be the first time in 50 years that the “Messiah” has been performed in Sighisoara. One exceptional opportunity to work in the community came when Jay was asked to teach English-language music to two English classes at one of the largest high schools in Sighisoara. Even though the students had little experience with music (it was English – not music – class, after all), they successfully sang as part of the school’s 90-year celebration talent show in April. Summing up the year, Sheri said, “We came to Romania, expecting to do some work with music, but we did not expect the amount of opportunities we would have to lead in a wide variety of settings with various age groups. We also did not expect the enthusiasm for music – for singing, playing and listening. We have been truly blessed in the relationships and the musical experiences we have had this year.”
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WATCH
• Handel’s Messiah “Worthy is the Lamb”/“Hallelujah”:
http://tiny.cc/hwy9hx
• Tigmandru children & teens “Children Go Where I Send Thee”: http://tiny.cc/9wy9hx
• Tigmandru guitar students “This is the Day”: http://tiny.
cc/tyy9hx
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Bristol, U.K. church retreats ‘Away@Home’ by Matthew Norris. Special to Eurasia Region Communications
Away@Home is a retreat weekend with an added bonus: “You sleep in your own bed at night.” Last year the Church of the Nazarene in Bristol, U.K., realised that the cost of a full weekend church family retreat at a remote location was a prohibitive factor to many of our congregation. Wanting to dedicate a full weekend to worship, mission, word, prayer and fellowship, the church decided to instigate a retreat weekend at home. This brought the cost
down to a tenth of the normal price. From Friday to Sunday, Away@Home 2013 was a saturated time of God’s love and presence. There were so many good stories from 2013 that this year we did it again. This year’s theme was “Lets Fly!” from Isaiah 40: 28-31. Rev Dr Musa Kunene was our guest teacher for the weekend. On Friday the retreat began with food and fellowship and then moved
into a time of celebration. Musa began to challenge the church to be “High Flyers” and not be satisfied with where we may be now with God, but to reach our full potential in Christ. He taught that God wants us to not be “chickens pecking in the dirt but people of faith soaring on wings of eagles.” Saturday morning began with a prayer breakfast. Those present used the external church walls to write and draw our prayers in chalk for our church, our community and our world. The middle of the day took 60 people by double-decker bus to a park in Bristol where we gathered to enjoy each other’s company in God’s creation. The evening ended with a Scottish Ceilidh: A time of joy, pure joy, with God in the middle. Sunday began with croissants and coffee,
worship and Musa finishing his teaching on Isaiah. He called the church, like the eagle, to renew themselves in God’s presence, that they might live and soar. The weekend finished with food and fellowship. It is wonderful to break into our normal rhythms and weekly traditions. It is wonderful to dedicate new spaces of time to the Lord. It is wonderful to gather as a church family in new and God-focused ways. These new dynamics really help to focus our hearts and minds on the God that we find our hope in and
who wants us to fly. At Bristol we cannot wait for Away@Home2015.
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“...the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...”(Isaiah 61:1”)
www.eurasiaregion.org
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All content in Where Worlds Meet is permissible to be epublished
within the Church of the Nazarene. Simply include this statement:
“Reprinted with permission from Where Worlds Meet, July 2014 issue, available at eurasiaregion.org.”
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Prayer Requests
- Please pray for the ministry of the Moscow First Church of the Nazarene as its members reach out to the people of Neznaika, who need to receive the love of Christ. Pray also for the renovations to be completed quickly and efficiently, to better serve the residents. Praise God for the churches who stepped up to meet this need.
- Please pray for the Hartzlers and their music ministry in Romania. Ask God to bless their efforts, and for the light of God’s love to become even more transformative in the lives of those who are learning music.
- Pray for the new clinic which is serving refugee and poor families in Beirut. Ask God to provide all the needed resources, as well as volunteers and personnel to run the clinic. Pray for the individuals and families who seek help there, that they will meet Jesus Christ personally, as well as find healing for their needs.
- Christ commands us to pray for more workers for the harvest in Luke 10:2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (NIV). Pray that God would raise up and equip new workers across the region.
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Where Worlds Meet is the monthly newsletter for the Eurasia Region of the Church of the Nazarene. To subscribe, e-mail communications@eurasiaregion.org or visit www.eurasiaregion.org.
We welcome stories, photos and prayer requests. E-mail submissions to communications@eurasiaregion.org
Brad Firestone, Comm. Coordinator bfirestone@eurasiaregion.org
Gina Pottenger, Editor in Chief gpottenger@eurasiaregion.org
Zarah Miller, Video Producer zmiller@eurasiaregion.org
Arthur Snijders, Regional Director awsnijders@eurasiaregion.org
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Transforming Our World:
In Christ • Like Christ • For Christ
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Eurasia Regional Office • Postfach 1217 • 8207 Schaffhausen , Switzerland
Phone (+49) 7734 93050 • Fax (+49) 7734 930550 • E-mail whereworldsmeet@eurasiaregion.org
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