latvia2

June 21/01

Dear Friends and Family, as promised after Congress another long letter.

But before I get to the Congress I will fill you in on the days since the last news letter.

Routine days but busy and happy days. It's been 19 years since I quit work and now I find myself up before 7 and out of here early each day.( Most days finish around 5.p.m.) Most days I go up to Henry and Lisbeth's flat at 8:20 for a time of prayer for the day; prayers for our people, the leaders and soldiers and those working within this building and for special concerns on our hearts and minds. Many of you have been remembered and lifted up in prayer at these early morning prayer times.

At 9 a.m. we make our way down to the staff area 'the Cafe' where everyone gathers for a time of devotions and prayer. Most of the employees take their turn at leading this time together, I've had one turn at this and this Monday the 25th of June is my turn again.

Then by 9:30 most are busy back at their desks, or wherever. I spend time in different areas each day. The older women who are working in the Corps building have become special to me so I do try to spend time each day with them but this isn't easy as they have a very limited grasp of English, mind you their English is better than my Latvian. There are a number of younger people employed at keeping the building clean and running. Each one is a story I could tell you. I get lots of hugs and kisses an big smiles from them and they really do try to communicate. Even without a common language we can communicate the Love of Jesus.

Let me just tell you about some of them;

Vasylys lives next door to me. He is a young Russian man, probably late 30's to early 40's. He is the driver for us and general handyman for light things that need to be done. He goes to the post office for me to pick up mail. Anything bigger than a letter has to be picked up and he has special authorization to pick up the mail for Bruninieku iela 10A.

In this country, everything needs special authorization, often in triplicate and stamped with a special stamp and signed, in several places by as many people you can find to sign it. ( Well maybe not quite that bad but it does seem so at times. )

Vasylys won't try to speak English and pretends not to understand but.... he helps get me out of tricky spots at times so I think He does know what I'm saying. He is a really pleasant fellow whom I quite enjoy. I have been warned not to trust him alone in my flat as he has a problem with booze and they think when the urge to drink comes it wouldn't be beyond him to help himself to something he could sell to buy drink. I think that my trusting him, and him knowing that, I won't have a problem. He has been so good to me. One of my problems has been to carry the heavy bottles of water and he now buys them and carries them up stairs for me as I need them.

Another young man, Dzinters, is 29 and he cleans the stairways and the offices. His English is limited and he asked me to help him to improve. Again... this is a line he uses to make himself liked, he does it with each new leader who arrives. He knew how very cold I've been since coming here. At times I have had to get into the bathtub to soak in hot water to get warmed up for a while. So knowing that, he came to me and told me he had a heater and would come and hang it in my flat. I was very pleased, but because it was going to be screwed onto the wall I told Henrik and Lisbeth about it before I would let him install it. They got a rather strange look on their faces and when I asked why they said that the heater in the kitchen had just been stolen. ????? Lisbeth questioned Dzinters about this and he said Maud, the administrator at the Children's Home, had given it to him for me. Nothing more was said about it until the next day when he came to me and said he needed to talk to me. He didn't want me to think he was bad because he lied to Lisbeth but he said the heater was one he had in his own room. I let him of the hook, because he knew he had been found out, and I said to him, " I guess you want it back then before I go home " Yes, he said..... and we left it there. But I don't think he will be getting the heater back... I am concerned about this young man and have been praying that I may be able to make a difference in his life. He always comes to devotions but I realized this morning he has a walkman under his shirt and he listens to his music and this morning he slept through the devotions.

I could tell you about each one of them but that would take so long. A young woman who does the floors downstairs , Enarra, lives with her husband who does nothing but drink, 3 children, cats, dogs, and rats in a little one room shack. I love Enarra, she is a sweet woman. I am going to use her to do my floors and will pay her for that and that will be a help to her as well as to me.

So many of the women are supporting families because their husbands are alcoholics. Liquor and beer are sold everywhere, even at the gas stations.

Urzula is a woman around 55 who does the family services. I spend quite a bit of time with her. She has a husband and 2 daughters and 2 sons and lovely grandchildren. She has fun trying to speak English and frequently deliberately mispronounces the words to get a laugh. She calls the closet a cabbage.

Rasma is the cook. She makes the most wonderful salads and cooks things I've never heard of. Most of it is very good but the day I ate the pink fish WOW... never again. The fish was marinated in oil and vinegar and cut up quite small and mixed in some kind of sauce with finely chopped beets, cucumbers, onions , dill and I don't know what else. This is served cold and everyone liked it but I tasted it for two days and felt so ill from it. I love Rasma she is such a warm nice woman, but we just can smile and hug each other unless there is a translator near by. She isn't well, has back problems and also suffers from high blood pressure, please pray for her.

The two girls in the office are so beautiful. Inetta is a very tall slim brunette. 19 years old and so bright and happy. She translates into Latvian. Ilona, is just as tall and slim and is blonde. About the same age. She translates into Russian. ( both girls speak both languages as well as English, very well.) These are the secretaries in the office and are such clever girls. Both very shy until they get to know you but are truly delightful. Inetta is the girl who I communicated with before coming over here and we have become great friends. Ilona was a little slower coming around but now will sit and chat with me every chance she gets. She stayed in Sweden after the Congress until the end of June. She is staying with a Swedish family to become fluent in Swedish. Inetta is crazy about chocolate and is always eating it and tempting me with it. (I fall prey to that temptation all too easily.)

There are so many others I wish I could tell you about each one of them.

Evita is in charge of the youth work at the Riga 1 Corps. She is a qualified Pediatrician but in order to get her license has to pass a written exam that costs so much money that she can't afford to get it. She is very fluent in the languages and will be going with me to Daugavpils, The Russian City near the border where I will be spending a week the end of August. She will be my translator and companion.

In the building is a thriving Medical Clinic , for obstetrics, gynecology and pediatrics. It surprises me to see large prams ( baby carriages ) on the 2nd floor, up 44 steep stairs, If they left them downstairs they would likely be stolen. The woman Doctor, Gunna is a lovely woman. She went to Sweden with us and I spent quite a bit of time with her, at meals etc, as she speaks very good English.

I prayed before I came here and am still praying daily that I will make a difference in the lives of the people. They are wonderful warm loving people who have endured much hardship and life is still not easy for them, but they accept it and make nothing of it. They are always smiling and laughing and enjoying what they have. What a lesson for all of us. To accept gratefully all that we have.

We laughed this morning at coffee break because I realized not only am I the oldest person living in the building, I'm also older than the building. We find lots to laugh about.

This old building is very interesting. I was given a tour of it the first day I was here and since then have been trying to figure out how I got to different places. Finally I asked how do we get to the new offices which are being renovated. I knew we went down a different staircase than the 2 stairways that I knew of, but couldn't figure out where there could possibly be another one. I was beginning to think I had dreamt about it. But no, there is a 3rd staircase that goes down into another part of the building from the back of the Sanctuary. The outside is now looking much better than when I arrived. There was scaffolding up and they were painting the exterior. You have never seen such scaffolding.. 4 stories high and held together with little wires. The boards they were walking on just laid wherever. No safety measures at all. And one day I had to walk away from the window. A man had a kitchen chair up at about the 4th floor level, sitting on it and painting. The new offices are in a wing of the building which once was the boys home. They are going to be very nice. Completely modern and spacious. Offices for everyone plus a lovely big board room. This project is being financed from one of the American Territories.

At the first finance board meeting we talked about the building project. One major concern was the parking lot at the entrance of the building. When it rains it floods quite deep. Up past your ankles. And it is so dirty and ugly. The plans called for it to be paved, but the project money didn't cover the cost to do it. I added this to my prayer list. After one heavy rain when I had to crawl over the scaffolding to save ruining a good pair of shoes, I started to earnestly pray about this parking lot. Then the answer started to come. The project was coming in under budget. We had some extra money, then we looked at places to save, instead of paving the whole area we would put grass from the parking area up to the door with a walk way. This also cut the cost. Eventually we had enough with about 278 Lats left over. ( 1 lat is approximately $2.50 Can ) I told Henrik we would need some of that to buy a lawn mower to cut the grass. One of the ways we cut costs isn't really good, so please add your prayers that in some way we will have more money. We are not going to fence one area that really should be fenced for security reasons.

Money is always a big problem in Missionary Countries. People are good and we do receive money to keep going, but there is always a great need for more. 2 things I see everyday that I wish we could do something about and these are just a small priority here in the building. In our staff kitchen the cups are so badly chipped that I hate drinking from them. I know that this isn't sanitary. But again money stops us from buying more.

In the sanctuary there is a real safety hazard. I don't know who designed the hall or why they did what they did, but the centre of the sanctuary is about 18 inches deeper than the surrounding pews. The walk around is very narrow and there is no railing. It amazes me that no one has fallen and been hurt. They really need a railing of some kind around. Again... money... There are more important needs.

I have discovered that there are lots of beautiful young people in the Riga 1 Corps, and they have lots of workers, good qualified workers, But the seniors are pretty much on their own. They come to meeting on Sunday morning but there is nothing else for them through the week. This has bothered me. I feel I must do something for them. But again the language difficulties. So many BUT'S... The Lord does provide. A lovely woman, Nina, around my own age who was a brilliant scientist under the Soviet Government has come to me and said she would like to work with me and will go anywhere I want to go and translate and just be a companion. I have asked her to help me, along with Urzula and Rasma to start an Adult Fellowship Group. We will meet the second and fourth Fridays of the month from 3:00 p.m. for a couple of hours. Please pray about this as I want to get it organized so they will keep it going when I go home. The 27th of July I will have the three women together for a planning meeting and will start the 10th of August.

The translation is difficult as everything I say needs to be translated into Latvian and Russian, and then what they say has to be translated back into English.

Also once a month the Leaders in the country get together for a business meeting. I want to speak to Henrik about the possibility of a public meeting in the evening of that day each month where they could all get together. Each Corps and group seem to be isolated from each other. There is no unity and I think this getting together as a group would help to unite them. Again I ask for your prayers about this. Henrik and Lisbeth have been away for the past couple of weeks. Now Lisbeth is in Sri Lanka for a SA Conference. Please pray for Lisbeth, These are not easy days for her, 23 hours of traveling and with strangers and again many different languages to contend with. Henrik said at noon she is starting to feel a little more comfortable. (We laughed when he told us she had been to visit an elephant orphanage. ???? ). They will only be home a week before leaving for the month of July on holidays. The week they are home will be very busy, so I'm hoping to get a few moments to discuss several things with them.

I had a few interesting ?? days. When the heater was finally installed in my flat I turned it on delighted that finally I could get warm, but instead it blew the fuses. Vasylys came and worked for over an hour trying to get the fuses working, coins behind them and wires etc... the Latvian way.. They have learned to be very resourceful. Finally I had hydro ( no heater though ) until the next morning when I plugged in the kettle and blew them again. So I showered by candlelight, and made do for a couple of days until the electricians came. I am very careful now not to plug two things in at the same time. I thanked God for long days. It's only dark from 11:30p.m. until around 4. a.m.

It's interesting preparing for the meetings. They now have a Latvian Song Book and are working on the tune book. Major Maud Fennvik did the meeting a couple of weeks back and I was at the piano. We got together Saturday evening to pick out the songs. She is a Swedish officer. She found the song she wanted from the Swedish book and would try and find it in the Latvian Book, then I would try and find it in our song book in order to find the tune. But as the songs do not translate word for word this is not as easy as it sounds. So Maud would sing the song to me and I would try and bring it to memory so that I could find it. Finally we were ready for the meeting and we went to the piano where I then had to adjust the music to fit the Latvian words to the tunes.

The meeting on Sunday was a challenge as everything was in Latvian and I was at the piano with no translator, so I just followed the order of service and watched as closely as I could for the number of verses to play etc.. But it all worked out okay.

It's strange but even when they sing a familiar song or chorus often I can't sing along because hearing it in Latvian seems to make me forget the English.

I had quite a time with a strange bug in my flat. I was finding and killing 2 or 3 or even 4 each day and no one seemed to know what they were. They said try and capture one, so I wish you could have seen me with a little match box trying to lure this bug into the box. Finally success. I trapped one, then wrapped the box in paper towel and sealed it in a plastic bag. Still no one knew what it was so they took it to some kind of Science Centre who said it was a bug that lived in the fur of a deer and was foreign to Riga. ???? This really frightened me as I had been warned by our Deptartment of Foreign affairs that Deer Tics carry encephalitis. But they assured me this isn't a Deer Tic. I don't know if they are right or just trying to reassure me. Dzinter came and we cleared the closet I think they were coming from and we sprayed it a couple of times and I haven't seen one since.

The Congress was wonderful. It brought back so many happy memories of Congresses in Toronto many years ago when we would gather at the Massey Hall, enjoying good meetings and good fellowship with those we hadn't seen in many years.

We were to leave Riga 1, at 11:30 but the bus was late and we finally got away at 12:30. 48 of us on the bus. 24 members of the Bouska Dance Troop, beautiful young people, and 24 leaders. Beautiful clear blue skies, a wonderful day. We stopped around 3:30 and had a picnic at the side of the road. The biggest Salad I've ever seen, made with rice, crab meat, cucumbers, onions, corn, etc.. very good.. Cold meat and bread, tea and coffee. Lots of fun. We stayed about an hour for a break. Later on we had another break by the side of a lake, a beautiful spot but the mosquitos were thick all around us.

We had to go through Customs from Latvia into Estonia and again at the border before getting the ferry to Sweden. No problem but terrible lineups, over an hour standing in long line-ups and only one person checking the passports. Over a thousand people lining up for the ferry, that took well over 1 1/2 hours. The people I was with were wonderful to me. One took my suitcase, another my brief case and finally another my coat. I wondered if I would make it. But I did.. I kept praying, " Father, you said your grace would be sufficient, please more grace."

In Sweden we were billeted in a wonderful Conference Centre that the Army just purchased. We had private rooms, each with it's own bathroom and shower. This was situated on a lovely lake. It was very comfortable. We brought food in each day to make our own breakfast and late lunch together. Breads, meats and cheeses, tea and coffee etc.

The first meeting was Friday afternoon Officers Councils. I attended my first Officers Councils. They started with the Founder's Song, 'O Boundless Salvation'. At home I can sing this through without my Song Book, but with everyone singing in Swedish I had a problem. I was able to sing the first and last verses and lines of the others, but wasn't sure which order they came in. But it was thrilling just the same. What a wonderful privilege it is to belong to this God Raised Organization. No matter where in the world we are we are part of it and feel completely at home.

The General and Mrs. Commissioner Gowans were wonderful. I enjoyed each of their messages and found them so uplifting.

The singing was awesome. Such powerful wonderful voices. It was great just to listen. The bands were thrilling. A different band at each of the 7 meetings and each one as good as the other. Large bands of excellent quality. The tone was superb. These are good bands. Jude Gottrich was the guest soloist. Need I say more.. To those of you have heard her you will know what I mean. She sang at least twice in all but 2 meetings. To those of you who haven't heard her it is worth the effort to travel to hear her. I spoke with her twice and she is a lovely woman to talk with. We talked about mutual friends we share.

Sunday afternoon was in a large park. There was a stage set up and around the perimeter of the park many booths and displays of the Army's work. Hundreds of people were in the park. The General and his party arrived in an old open touring car, similar to the one the Founder used. There were many different things taking place all afternoon on the stage. It was a dreadful day weather wise. Rained off and on all day. We had a long walk to the park and when we got there the benches were of course soaked, but I had to sit down, so I wiped off the puddles with my hand and just sat in the rain and ignored it and enjoyed what was happening on the stage. I met and talked with a couple of Americans, one a retired officer, Major Audrey Holm. They were leaving the next day to go to the Training college in Finland so I gave her Donna's name but said I didn't know if she was still there or not. It was pleasant to be able to talk freely.

I also met Anders Ostman, my Computer Pal, who asked me to come to Latvia. He is the Public Relations Sectretary for Sweden/Latvia Territory. He and his wife are wonderful people and it was great to be able to put a face to the names.

Sunday Night I sat with a Swedish Major , Gunvor Paulsson. She was with Betty Barnum on the mission field and I told her I would try and contact Betty for her. Does anyone know Betty's address so I can contact her... Please..

I did so much walking in Stockholm. It is a magnificent city, but every inch is built up and there doesn't seem to be any parking so the bus often was parked blocks from where we were going and it is a hilly city so I found this difficult. Then when we got to where we were going there were often long flights of stairs. Oh. well I'm home now and none the worse for it. Stockholm is a beautiful city. I took pictures out of the bus window and am hoping I have something worthwhile, but I couldn't do the sightseeing. On the Monday those that had to went to more Officers Councils, the others went sightseeing or shopping. I stayed at the Conference Centre and rested. I enjoyed a quiet day, sleeping and reading. In the afternoon I walked down to the lake and watched some young people fishing off the dock.

Tuesday we were up at 4. a.m. to get the bus at 5.a.m. and start out journey back to Latvia. I dreaded this trip and asked for your prayers and the Lord answered them so graciously. When we got to the ferry I found they had rented 2 rooms. One for the bus driver and one for me. I said no I wouldn't do that, but I would take one key and the other women could share the other key and use the 2nd bed as well as the bathroom. I was able to lie down and doze throughout the day. The girls from the dance troop took turns coming and showering and then finally 2 of them crawled into the top bunk and fell fast asleep. These are all teen agers and I don't think they wasted much time sleeping while they were away. We had a good day but it was raining and stormy all day. However the boat seemed to be very well stabilized and wasn't too bad.

I ran into trouble with the customs back in Estonia. When we were leaving Sweden the stamp in my passport wasn't clear and didn't show the date I left there. The Customs officer didn't speak English and I didn't know what he was saying. Finally word got passed back through the line to one of the translators who came and sorted it out for me, otherwise I might still be in Estonia.

We finally arrived back in Riga at 3: 30 A.M. I came right upstairs and got ready for bed and heard a knock at the door, could 2 of the leaders stay the night. So we had to make up the beds then and settle down for the night.

I was up again at 7 a.m and down to the office as one of the workers had to be in as there was a truck load of humanitarian aid arriving that morning.

And now its back to work again. I spent a lot of yesterday and today catching up on the laundry. I carry the clothes down 44 stairs to wash them then bring it up wet and hang it on racks here in the flat to dry. I've had company overnight twice which meant 3 beds to change plus all the towels, etc and my clothes for the past week, but it's all washed now and hanging drying. Next comes the ironing. The practical stuff still has to be looked after.

Tomorrow I will be at the Children's Home for the day. The Administrator is now on vacation so until the end of June when the children go to Camp I will be there most days. Saturday I will be going to Bouska for a celebration of midsummer days. I don't really know what that is all about. The officer there is a Norwegian who speaks limited English and she has invited me and tried to explain what it is all about. I'm hoping Henrik or someone will be going to do the driving. I still haven't found the courage to go out on my own driving. Tomorrow Vasylys will be taking me back and forth to the Children's Home. Sunday we are going to Liepa Corps. The leader there is being made an Envoy so it is a special service.

Monday after the devotions I will be going back to the Children's Home then on the 1st of July will be preaching at Riga 1 Corps but after that the month of July will be easy. Headquarters closes down and everyone goes away on vacation. I will be doing a couple of projects in the office plus going out a day at a time to the different camps. The week of July 15th to 21st I will stay at a camp with the children.

The youth worker, ( She is laughingly called the Youth Department) is a young woman from England. She was planning on going into the Training College but met a young Latvian man and fell in love and was married almost 3 weeks ago. He is a wonderful young Christian who works with the Navigators. If I was her age I'm sure I would have fallen in love with him too. So Sara and Avries are now living downstairs from me and they will be in the building throughout July. I already love this young couple. They are so happy and are just bubbly young Christians. He is a Baptist and she is a Salvationist. Her grandfather was one of the pioneers of the Army work here in Latvia during the 30's. He was with us through the Congress and seemed to really enjoy ' us Salvationists'. I will be going with Sara as she visits the camps. They will be a great help to me in the days ahead.

I really must stop here. This is already much too long, but there are so many things I wish I could tell you.

I am happy. I feel great.. And God is blessing me every moment.

What a great thing to be Obedient to God. If I had said no I couldn't possibly do this which humanly I wanted to say, just think what I would be missing. How Great God is and how greatly He is to be praised!!! I feel the infilling of His Holy Spirit in my life in such a wonderful way. Truly the song writer penned it well ' When we walk with the Lord, in the light of his word, What a Glory He sheds on our Way. Trust and Obey for there's no other way to be happy' Truly happy and fulfilled.

I hope and pray that each one of you are 'Trusting and Obeying Him.'

Please continue to keep the work of the Lord in Latvia in your prayers. We covet your prayers that His Kingdom will grow. That people will come to know the Lord and will grow and develop and be strong vital Christians.

Thank you, because I know you are already praying.

Love Wilma

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