The Church in Belarus has continuously operated since the early 1990s. Today, the Minsk Branch numbers among the most self-sufficient congregations in the Baltic Mission with approximately one hundred active members and many families and children. However, the Church in Belarus operates an official branch in only two cities at present, and the Vitebsk Branch has only a few active members. There are 469 members in Belarus.
The Church in Kazakhstan reports only approximately 200 members nationwide. Most members live in the most populous city of Almaty. Current government restrictions prevent the Church from expanding to additional cities outside of Almaty and Astana. Nevertheless, the Church has achieved good progress with the establishment of a self-sufficient Latter-day Saint community in Almaty.
The Church in Israel and Palestine also reports an extremely limited presence. Altogether, there are approximately 300 members in both nations. Most members in Palestine are native Palestinians who have joined the Church abroad, whereas most members in Israel are foreigners. The Church is reliant on foreign members to meet most of its leadership needs in Israel and Palestine.
Back in 1995 I was able to visit and study in Israel/Palestine.
ReplyDeleteMy views and hopes for Chile, Israel, and Palestine were so much rosier then, in regards to Church of Jesus Christ growth and politics.
Chile was going on 100 stakes and numbers of converts were dynamic like few places in the world. I as well as many believed Chile was becoming a Zion place.
I met a Chilean couple from Punta Arenas that immigrated to Jerusalem because they felt "called" to do so. I thought Israel was attracting these types, and the new millenium looked imminent.
Jericho was newly flying the Palestinian flag; the new Arab state looked like a real thing, Rabin was alive and the Oslo Peace Process was marching along.
2018 finds different realities. But, Christ's peoples are still moving about the earth.
Happy to still be a part of it.
The groundbreaking for the Bangkok Thailand Temple has been scheduled for January 26, 2019. This is 10 days after the groundbreaking for the Urdaneta Philippines Temple.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/groundbreaking-scheduled-for-the-bangkok-thailand-temple
Eric, I love you brother, but this is not about Belarus, Kazakhstan, Israel/Palestine.
ReplyDeleteEduardo, the work moves on in different ways. I worked most recently in 2019-20 for an Israeli-based global technology company. I traveled a lot in this work, but based at headquarters in Tel Aviv. I found there to be few local members in the Tel Aviv branch: a few Jewish and Arab Christian converts, but most were from the Philippines and the United States, there were usually 70 people when I attended. The work is very slow with few converts. I think in my 15 months there I remember one convert baptism of a Filipino.
ReplyDeleteI gave Book of Mormons to about 9 families while I was there. A few from there came to church with me when jointly on business in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Moscow, Johannesburg, San Jose and Istanbul.
Eduardo, the work moves on in different ways. I worked most recently in 2019-20 for an Israeli-based global technology company. I traveled a lot in this work, but based at headquarters in Tel Aviv. I found there to be few local members in the Tel Aviv branch: a few Jewish and Arab Christian converts, but most were from the Philippines and the United States, there were usually 70 people when I attended. The work is very slow with few converts. I think in my 15 months there I remember one convert baptism of a Filipino.
ReplyDeleteI gave Book of Mormons to about 9 families while I was there. A few from there came to church with me when jointly on business in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Moscow, Johannesburg, San Jose and Istanbul.