CESIS: A year in the life of . . .: LATVIANS IN TEXAS

It has been our great pleasure to host three of our friends from Cesis, Latvia for the past 10 days. Pastor Olegs, Tarmo and Tabita have had a great time seeing the wonders of Texas. They often hear us talking about events in our church or town, but by experiencing these things in person they understand the uniqueness of small town USA.

We kept on a non-stop schedule while helping them to experience a variety of activities. Tarmo and Tabita participated in the ‘Christmas In The Park’ presentation as well as providing music for a Sunday School Christmas party. We made trips to Dallas, Waco, Georgetown, Tyler and a few points in-between. They rode four-wheelers, shot skeet, toured a working ranch, ate fajitas, shopped outlet malls, visited Baylor University, participated in church services, viewed a Christmas parade and enjoyed the hospitality of the greatest people in Texas.

The point of the visit was not to just brag on what we have in the USA. It was designed to further strengthen the relationship between Cesis Baptist Church and First Baptist Church-Athens. We know that was accomplished, and we look forward to continued cooperation between Athens and Cesis.

None of this could have been accomplished without the great support of First Baptist Church-Athens and the numerous people that shared their homes and lives with the Latvians. We send many, many thanks to those that allowed these three to stay in your homes. For those of you that provided meals, we were so glad they had an opportunity to experience home meals and not have to rely on restaurant food to experience the taste of Texas.

The Latvians will never forget your kindness and friendship during their visit. Thank you for helping to make their trip so rewarding.