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| Hello again from Latvia, | ||||||||
| Time is sure flying by in a hurry. It's been nine weeks since I left home. I leave Latvia on the 29th of September and will be back in Windsor the 15th of October. At least that is what I'm planning at this time. If God has other plans He will let me know in His time. I think the one thing I've learned through all these months, since I stared thinking about Latvia, is to leave the future with Him and to just follow where He leads. It sure is more fun and much more exciting than when I try to plan. | ||||||||
| I am enjoying every day and finding that each day is different. I think I should just tell you what I've done rather than what is planned as I've discovered that our plans change every day. I thought I was going to be at the Youth Camp at Kulka this weekend, but I'm here alone in Riga. The Young people from the Corps are running a fresh air camp for inner city kids from Riga about 200 km from here. When I heard that we would all be sleeping together in school rooms on mattresses on the floor and that the facilities were very primitive I wasn't too excited but didn't let on. I would have gone along but as it turned out I was needed here to help with the meeting Sunday morning. | ||||||||
| Also, I was supposed to be at another camp 60 km from here with the children from the Children's home for a week, but again those plans fell through. I did spend one day there this past week and will be spending another day there this week. | ||||||||
| On Monday I told the leaders from the camp I was coming out on Tuesday. So about 3:30 in the afternoon I was asked to do a Bible Study for the teenagers for about 45 minutes, and to include some activity. I agreed but was very concerned as I had nothing prepared for that age group. I spent the evening adapting some material I had and with the help of my notes, thought I would manage. | ||||||||
| When we got to the camp I discovered that they were waiting for us and immediately I was to do this Bible Study but it was for the whole Camp from ages 6 through to the leaders. They were all sitting around the sides of the room in a large square with the translator and I in the middle with no room for any notes. "O.K. Lord", I prayed. "you take over. I'm here, I'm available but I need inspiration." | ||||||||
| And of course He never fails. It was one of the most enjoyable hours I've spent. We laughed and had a lot of fun and I even managed to get the points across that I had prepared. And everyone paid attention, from the little kids, to the teenagers and the leaders. Praise the Lord! | ||||||||
| And I learned a good lesson too. When we do our best He will always use us, far beyond our own capabilities. | ||||||||
| This week I am better prepared and I pray that once again the Lord will use me and the children will gain from the Bible study. I was able to get out to the store and buy some materials to use to make the hour different from last week. | ||||||||
| Last week I had an excellent translator but thought I would be just with the staff this week and none of them really translate all that well and I was fearful of how well it would go, but Aivis says he will go again with me this week so I'm really happy about that. The translator is very important. Some will translate from the English to the Latvian but don't translate back and you are left not knowing how it's being received. | ||||||||
| After the Bible study we ate and then all went to the beach. They say it is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and I agree it is wonderful. Thirty miles long, very wide with sand dunes and behind that the forest. The water is great for kids as you have to go out a long way before it gets very deep. The Baltic Sea is very far north and the water is bitter cold. I tried twice to get in for a swim but before the water was deep enough my legs were numb with the cold and I had to come back in, so I spent the afternoon on a blanket either visiting or reading. It was so pleasant. I did get sunburned but it wasn't too painful. | ||||||||
| This past two weeks since I wrote have been quite quiet. I've spent a lot of time in the office. The new binders came for Lisbeth's files and I completed the work on them. The cadet wasn't the help I hoped for as she wanted to read every word on every letter and we would never have finished the task. I realized she didn't change anything I had done so after the one morning, I just went ahead and completed the job myself and gave her other jobs to do. | ||||||||
| Sunday the 8th was really a very quiet day. There was no one in the building and there was no meeting. Everyone was away for holidays and there was no translator to work with me. I woke feeling uncomfortable about no place to worship. One of the women had planned to come and get me to go to an Anglican Church that conducts English services and she discovered that it too was closed because of vacation time. | ||||||||
| We don't really appreciate what we have until we don't have it. Never in my life have I been in the position where I couldn't worship on a Sunday. | ||||||||
| So I thought, yes I can worship, even if it is alone. So I dressed and went to the Sanctuary for 11.00 a.m. I sat and played the piano and sang, then sat in the front pew for a time of prayer, but felt urged to kneel at the altar. I spent over a half an hour there praying for me, and also praying for you. For the work of the Lord in this country and also back home in Canada. Then I read the book of Ephesians through, sang a couple more songs and came out of there feeling completely refreshed. God is so good. What a wonderful blessed time I enjoyed in His presence. | ||||||||
| I've had some free time to rest and to read. I've read several books since I've been here and one that I could recommend to you is " Women as Risk Takers for God" by Lorrie Lutz. What an interesting and encouraging book. Truly amazing stories of what women are doing today in the name of Christ. | ||||||||
| I've had most of my evenings to myself and have enjoyed sitting working on some needlepoint and listening to the audio tapes. Kevin Oliver has been so good at taping some of the South Windsor Citadel meetings and Vicki has sent them over and I listen to them over and over again. | ||||||||
| Also I brought a band tape of Henrik Andersen's up from the office. It's a Corps band from Denmark. The Scandinavian music is wonderful. Large top quality brass bands and the voices are so strong and beautiful.. The Band tape starts out on one side with the selection 'Vanguard' and the other side ' The Liberator' (That's for you bandsmen.) By the time Henrik gets back I will have worn this tape out. The men sing several numbers as well, but all in Danish.. | ||||||||
| I have been preparing for an Adult Fellowship Group. This Friday I have 3 women coming to the flat for a planning meeting and we will have the first meeting on the 10th of August. Please pray about this. | ||||||||
| Riga # 1 Corps here in the Headquarters building was a very large Corps a few years ago but now there are very few adults left and other than Sunday morning there is nothing for them. There is no C.O. The Andersen's do the morning meeting but that's all that happens. There is a good youth work and lots of teenagers. They have activities. So I have planned this Adult Fellowship and want it organized so that it will continue when I go home. | ||||||||
| I've met such wonderful people since I left home. One of the teachers from the Salvation Army 'High School' ( college level ) in Sweden was here one day interviewing some Latvian Students. They had 5 scholarships for all expenses at the school for one year. She was finished with the students and had come to the office and everything was wild there. A real crisis ( we have them every week, over something or other ) and she hadn't anything to eat, so , you know how much I like to eat out. I volunteered and the two of us went up street together to find food. What a treat to talk freely with her. Although she is Swedish, her English is excellent. That day I ate out three times. At noon one of the young women took me to get my hair cut. I said cut it short. Never again. It is so short it feels like the bristles of a brush. (I looked in the mirror and thought it was my brother.. So I said, " Hello, Bill".) Oh, well.... it will grow. So after I took her for lunch and that evening I took Sarah and Aivis and Inetta and Guna back to the Lido for dinner. I will really miss that place when I come home. It is without doubt the nicest place I've ever eaten. Inetta was one of the students who had applied and she was accepted, so we were celebrating. | ||||||||
| We are going to lose both girls from the office. Ilona the other young woman stayed behind in Sweden after the Congress to improve her Swedish as they really need that as well as English and Russian. We had word last week she was staying a couple of weeks longer but would be home the end of July. She has fallen in love and plans to return to Sweden at some future date. This is quite a loss as they are both extremely capable as Secretaries. and have other responsible duties as well as very competent translators. Inetta will be gone around the 27th of August. So one of the first things for Henrik when he returns is to hire a new secretary.. | ||||||||
| I have been into the Old Town of Riga in the center of Riga to do some sightseeing as well as dining. I am fascinated by the wonderful old buildings. This area has been occupied for the past 800 years. Most of the buildings date from the mid 1600's. I have taken lots of pictures. This is a place for souvenirs, so I usually come back from there broke. The Canadian Embassy is there so finally I went and registered and signed the guest book. Lots of Canadians but I was the first one I saw from Windsor. They were lovely with me but the offices are not very impressive. Two rather small rooms, a waiting room and an office. I missed out on Canada Day celebrations. They had a boat cruise in the Daugva River that was quite nice. There are about 100 Canadians in the country, but most are Latvian Canadians. | ||||||||
| We had a very interesting meeting yesterday with three business men from Germany. Our contractor who does any work for the Army heard about this group who are arranging financing here in the Country and a meeting was arranged for them when they were to be here. Unfortunately Henrik is in Denmark on vacation so it was left with Sarah and I. I went down early and dusted the offices and made them presentable and then made a tray of cookies and coffee etc. Sarah and I got into uniform and were ready for them. They were just to be with us a few minutes to make an initial contact with the S.A. They stayed for 40 minutes and we had a great time. The contractors had the plans for a couple of large projects and Sarah gave them a brief outline of the work being done in the country. | ||||||||
| If they agree to back us we must have 10% of the cost of the project, up front then, of the balance, they will give a 25% grant and the 75% will be as a low interest loan. | ||||||||
| One of the projects that we must get involved with is Corps property in Bouska. They have grown out of the building they are using. Everyone can't come at the same time as there is just no room. They have a very active Corps program. A large Home League, great youth work, a large Dance Troup (48 young people ) Scouts, Guides and so on. We have brought the land and the plans are drawn for the building but now we need financing. | ||||||||
| Fortunately with my banking experience I was comfortable talking with them at that level and Sarah could tell them about the work of the Army, so it worked. One of the German team was an Australian who went to Germany to University and stayed there. He recognized my Canadian accent. Yes we do have one.. strange eh !!!!!. So we had a real good casual conversation. | ||||||||
| I could go on and on. I know.... I do... I am just loving my life here and everything about it. When I wrote two weeks ago I said I was planning to come back but didn't explain. If the Work of the Community Care Ministries (L O M) takes off as I think it will I will plan to come back next May to do some training courses. Then in the office on Thursday out of the blue Edvins, the finance officer said, next summer when you're here I want you to have signing authority at the bank with me because you stay in the office. Sarah has it this year but is busy with the young people. I didn't say anything. I think I gulped. I want to enjoy the cottage next year but perhaps I could do the training in May and June and be here for July and at the cottage for August. I won't make any plans, I'll wait and see how the Lord leads. | ||||||||
| I do know that His way is best.... | ||||||||
| Love to each one of you, | ||||||||
| Wilma | ||||||||
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