An important starting point for our next school, kindergarten and ZfA office in the first few weeks become especially the evangelical community in Novosibirsk. The German pastor couple with three children, has been for nine years in Siberia-employed, we have already had at our first visit in March met - in fact apart from us the only German family here with somewhat older children! After a Year language course and quite a long time in Abakan (Khakassia Republic) they have served for one and a half years now, the evangelical community in Novosibirsk, which is also not easy. The community consists mainly of older people who have commented for decades as a parish without a pastor brothers had, of course, lived in the diaspora and so well defined strong. Traditions that have been revised in Germany long been respected here and all new, the pastors tried to bring the caution, it is very critical. Every Sunday to take the remaining 30 church members to worship in a small German-blue wooden house on the outskirts of Novosibirsk, which belonged formerly a community elder who bequeathed it to the community for use as a church building. Now that the community because of the still more advanced age of most members threatened with extinction simply gradually and not because the younger generation of Protestants, the German is usually dominated have the pastors for some time to have certain resistances of the core community endeavor, a service also be offered in Russian. And this service we have now visited several times and make some good contacts here and find something like a "spiritual home" can.
You have to imagine it this way: The church attendance is at least a half-day program. Around noon, we walk to the subway and get off at the last stop on the opposite left-hand bank of the Ob, in a district that falls significantly more attractive compared to a more or less send center. Then we continue by bus or taxi (true match, no?) To "stop the tank driver" in the suburbs. There are on the right side of the road still plenty of prefabricated buildings, left side, however, already covers a so-called "private sector", by which is, however, present a collection of crumbling wooden houses must countless free and unchecked roaming dogs, an unpaved, extremely rough clay road, various huts and shacks.
foot it goes on through the village until you come to a house that stands out clearly because of his care condition with fresh blue paint and neat vegetable garden from the environment. This is the evangelical church as a simple sign on the fence the visitor who has lost his way here, not hard information in Russian and German. When we arrive, it's so soon after two, and there is still time, with the handful of people who gather to worship, to drink tea and eat some cookies. Your table is always plentiful and you're forced to eat almost. In the majority very friendly old ladies, a couple of young ladies and gentlemen, all predominantly Russian-speaking, but somehow with German roots, occasionally a few stray German, as we are - that are then so the congregation. No more than 15, mostly less so. Before the start of the service we all need briefly to the "thunder box" in the yard (which, however, are more inviting than many other toiletries otherwise), then the portable keyboard, which here replaces the organ, connected to the electricity that you sing a few - I think, very beautiful - songs, drifting past during which the participants may have. In the living room, which was converted into a church hall, only the first number is busy, for all sessions with liturgy and songs designed for not only we are not familiar with the texts and the process in the Russian evangelical church service. It is generally a very friendly, very open atmosphere, sometimes takes the Sermon on features of a conversation. You feel very well, the whole atmosphere is very personal.
As a farewell, it is not uncommon to get all of the vegetable garden a few flowers pressed into the hand, and it is very much encouraged, but must come back next Sunday. And because we know that it is at this event, they are kept alive to every individual is, you can call this hardly escape!
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