Jen Blackburn
23rd April 2007, 08:24 AM (08:24)
began last night, and the business section continues today. Tonite's an ordination service (11 candidates! And 25 candidates for NEW local liscenses!), and district assembly is tomorrow.
I was blessed to be able to attend last night's service and hear the guest speaker, Nikolaj Sawatzky, who was born in the former Soviet Union and emigrated to Germany with his parents in 1978. He's been instrumental in expanding the Church of the Nazarene into Russia, and is a journalism teacher at EuNC.
His talk last night, a history lesson of sorts, was wonderful to hear. Sometimes we grow up and live our lives just as comfortable as possible. We (and I mean *I* here) tend not to think about what others around us have gone through, what history and circumstances others have lived through. Mr. Sawatzky's grandmother wrote a biography at the age of 92, so he has a written history of several generations of his family. His grandfather was deported to the Gulag camps in Siberia and died there, leaving his grandmother with 6 young children to raise. But through all of it, the truth of Jesus stayed strong in the lives of his family, and Nikolaj carries it on still.
I can't be at the rest of the conference today. I wish I could. I'd love to hear more from him, and from the presiding GS, Dr. Nina Gunter, who also spoke last night. Wow, was I blessed to hear her preach for the first time as well!
I'm not sure how many EMD Naznetters were there last night. Loraine Stanton and myself were there from our church, and Loraine believes she saw Virgina Stimer from across the sanctuary. Not sure if Joanne Vergin or Teresa St. John were there or not. Would've been fun to get a Naznet picture ;) Maybe another time!
I was blessed to be able to attend last night's service and hear the guest speaker, Nikolaj Sawatzky, who was born in the former Soviet Union and emigrated to Germany with his parents in 1978. He's been instrumental in expanding the Church of the Nazarene into Russia, and is a journalism teacher at EuNC.
His talk last night, a history lesson of sorts, was wonderful to hear. Sometimes we grow up and live our lives just as comfortable as possible. We (and I mean *I* here) tend not to think about what others around us have gone through, what history and circumstances others have lived through. Mr. Sawatzky's grandmother wrote a biography at the age of 92, so he has a written history of several generations of his family. His grandfather was deported to the Gulag camps in Siberia and died there, leaving his grandmother with 6 young children to raise. But through all of it, the truth of Jesus stayed strong in the lives of his family, and Nikolaj carries it on still.
I can't be at the rest of the conference today. I wish I could. I'd love to hear more from him, and from the presiding GS, Dr. Nina Gunter, who also spoke last night. Wow, was I blessed to hear her preach for the first time as well!
I'm not sure how many EMD Naznetters were there last night. Loraine Stanton and myself were there from our church, and Loraine believes she saw Virgina Stimer from across the sanctuary. Not sure if Joanne Vergin or Teresa St. John were there or not. Would've been fun to get a Naznet picture ;) Maybe another time!