I SEE MADONNA LIVE AND IN PERSON!

After planning for several months to travel to Madonna (actually it is spelled Madona), we finally made it yesterday. Steve, Laura, Olegs and I went to look at a church building that Madona Baptist Church is constructing.

They are currently in a two-story house and are erecting this building adjacent to the existing house. Most of the labor has been performed by the congregation themselves. They do not have electricity or restrooms operational but they are already meeting in this new building.

Cesis Baptist Church also has a dream to be in their own building (they currently meet in a Lutheran church). We have had many conversations with both Americans and Latvians on how this congregation can accomplish their dream. They have been meeting in the Lutheran church since 1973 so even though they do not own it, there is still a long tradition of worshipping there.

Can our small church financially support constructing their own building? Should they buy and remodel or build entirely new? How much should American Christians support them and in what way? (funding?; funding, labor and materials?; a combination of these?) The Latvians are seeking these answers as well as answering the biggest question: "Is this what God wants done at this time?" Secondly, which philosophy do they follow? Build it and they will come or they will come and then we build.

The trip to Madonna helped all of us better understand  the technical ideas that will have to be examined. It is going to be a big, big step for this church in which ever direction they choose. Please pray for our entire congregation to have inspired wisdom and to be of 'one mind' when the final decisions are made.

Here are a few pictures from the project at Madona. They still have to finish the interior walls, add flooring, lights, and stucco the exterior. Still they have made really good progress. Unless you have been here, It is hard to imagine how difficult even a project of this size is for a church in Latvia. They are to be commended and admired for their hard work.

Interior (pews can be moved and re-arranged).

This facing where the pulpit would be located.

 

Looking from the pulpit area towards the back.

There will be a double door where the scaffolding is located.

 

Windows only on one side of building because of view on other side(private home).

 

This will be stained glass. Will be behind the pulpit.

 

The youth of the church actually did most of the work installing the wood sheathing.

 

Exterior will be finished in stucco.

 

Back of the house where the Madona Church currently meets. It will eventually be connected

to the new building.

 

AMERICAN WEEK WRAP-UP

Here are a few more pictures from last week's activities. We are sad that the Americans are gone but glad that they came and contributed so much to the work here.

 

Warm-up in junior camp with Steve and Katie

 

Talking defense with older group

 

Daily devotional  at senior camp

 

Laura and her girls at Pizza Night

 

 

 

Man-hu...

 

Man-hu...

 

Santa and Sam ...

 

Drummer boy(s)

GOOD-BYE CESIS

SUNDAY'S GOOD-BYE FELLOWSHIP -

After a good church service, we were all invited to an outdoor fellowship. One of the church members has a beautiful outdoor area that we were able to use. While we ate snacks and sausages, many of the kids and adults got involved in games and sports activities.

For a few weeks, one of the members has been asking me if we have a game in American where "you get on each end of a string and pull". I didn't think we had that game but today I found out she was talking about 'tug-of-war'!

I'm sorry to say, the Americans got waxed pretty good in the pulling contests. It looked to me like the Latvians have played this a few times. As the men started to 'tug', two guys pulled out lifting belts and other equipment. We even had the women and little kids pulling against each other.

A final game of 'capture-the-flag' finished off the activities. Pastor Olegs closed with a few words and the Americans loaded up and headed to Riga. They will spend the night in St. Matthews' Church hostel and fly out at 5:55am on Monday morning.

It is amazing how fast the week went. Final tally of activities: Two sports camps (four days of each); three days of Youth Celebrations; one music concert; one day of prison visit; four days of VBS and numerous opportunities for our young people to share their faith. We are aware of at least three decisions that have been made and we will follow up on several more.

Laura and I would like to thank the Americans for coming and helping. We know they made many friends and we hope they will return next year. The seeds that have been planted will bear fruit one day, of that we are sure.

Below are various pictures from some of the good-bye fellowship:

 

Just a few snacks....

Laura surrounded by her friends....

 

The Americans getting ready for the big pull...

 

Aivars, the Latvian tug-of-war secret weapon

 

Gaida and Vija, the grand ladies of Cesis Baptist Draudze, checking out the action.

 

Women and children tug-of-war

 

Linda...has been to our basketball camps since she was eight years old. Was an instructor this year.

 

Pastor Olegs son, Patricks. One year old on Sunday.

WHAT A GREAT DAY

This has been a great week of activities in Cesis. God has really blessed us with such a good group of workers. We've had a great time and everyone has carried their load well. Today has been the cap on a week filled with activities and worship.

PRISON VISIT - For the first time, the entire group was allowed inside the prison on a Sunday. We had been granted the opportunity to visit the boys from 10-12:00. After passing through check-in (which can be kind of unnerving the first time), we were greeted by the top warden. This is highly unusual and probably only Laura and I understood that this was a big honor. Plus, he gave everyone a guided tour of the entire prison. The team viewed the living quarters, chapel and other areas before we went to the gym.

In the past, the Americans have only played the boys in basketball. This year they had been asking me to let them play the Americans in volleyball, basketball and football (soccer). It was a close finish but the Latvians won the volleyball contest. The Americans easily took the basketball contest with no problem.

We then went outside and had a few songs and testimonies before Pastor Olegs gave a brief devotional. Since this is the prisoner's free time they are not forced to come and listen but we had about 50 boys to come over. They were very respectful and I also had the opportunity to explain to the entire group about the work we do on Tuesdays inside the chapel. I really think it was a very positive situation and Olegs talked to a couple of young men about their spiritual life and what it means to be a Christian.

The soccer contest was the end of our time inside the prison. I wouldn't say that the contest was one-sided....it wasn't even close enough to be one-sided. Before I changed my team allegiance over to the Latvian side I think the mighty USA team was getting skunked 7-0! The advantage of having a foreign resident visa is that I get to choose which side I want to root for!  Actually it was great to see the prisoners take so much pride in something. They have been getting embarrassed in basketball for a few years so it was a good payback for them to humble us.

There were two major breakthroughs today. First, the warden cared enough to come and personally escort us on a Sunday morning. Laura and I had not met him but he knew about us and what we have been trying to accomplish. He encouraged us to continue to do God's work and let him know if we needed help. This will give us a friend in high places as we try to institute some new ideas.

Secondly, when we met the boys as they were lining up, one of the boys that has asked for prayer called my name. As I went over to him, I saw he was wearing a cheap plastic cross on a string as a necklace. For him to publicly declare his faith like that is such a positive sign. Wearing a cross doesn't make you Christian but wearing a cross in the situation that he is in takes some real courage. It made my entire week just to see him take that stand.

We think that God has provided some real opportunities for service inside the prison. We know for sure that some of the boys are at least listening more to their heart and trying to understand some of the ideas that have been presented to them. We are encouraged that the prison officials are happy with the work that is going on there. Keep praying for these young men. They face such seemingly insurmountable odds they will need God's help at every turn.

It was such a good day....Americans and Latvians playing ball in a decrepit old gym...just playing for the sheer pleasure of playing, not really worrying about winning or losing. Yet, when it is over, one group walks through the gates and will soon be on a plane to a world that the other group can't even imagine. What advantages our American young people have...what opportunities they have...what successes they have to look forward to.

What about the prison group? Will there be someone there to help them gain one advantage over a tough way of life? Will they have even one opportunity to overcome their past behavior? Will they have successes they can be proud of?

Can you say a prayer for the Cesis Boys' Prison?

 

Paldies,

Mark

MAN-HU CONCERT and MIS-COMMUNICATION

We have seen how much music is a part of Latvian culture, so this year we wanted to offer a concert along with the other activities.

It was our good fortune to be able to get the group 'Man-hu' to perform on Thursday night. They are a young Christian band from Riga and we have been to several of their playing engagements. They 'walk the walk' with their music and lives and we have enjoyed a great friendship with them.

Originally, we had reserved Castle Garden for the concert, mainly because we couldn't afford Castle Park. Castle Park is more centrally located at the bottom of the Castle and it uses a natural amphitheater. Castle Garden, while very nice, is a bit more secluded, using the 8-centuries old rock wall around the castle. Either would have been great for our purposes.

There was bit of mis-communication and the band began setting up at Castle Park. By the time we realized this, it would have set the concert back at least an hour or two to move everything. We appealed to the city and they allowed us to use Castle Park at the same price as Castle Garden. The reason for this story is that when the concert started we were able to bring in a lot more tourists, walkers and others that originally had not planned on being at the concert. It was great to see more and more people join in as the concert play on.

'Man-hu' performed for about an hour and then we had Samuels Thomas speak. Samuels is an Indian that is now living in Latvia. He has married a Latvian woman and has a great family, recently adding another child.

Some men exhibit 'something' that just causes you to know they are a man of God. I have seen this in a few people but never like what I see in Sams. He is always guided by God to say just what is needed, at just the right time. People can just sense, whether they are believers are not, how sincere, how honest, how believing, he is in his walk with God.

After he spoke, he encouraged anyone with questions to see him during or after the concert. Almost, continuously from that point, he was counseling, accepting decisions and helping us to encourage the young people to become a part of the weekly youth services we have in Cesis. It was amazing to see God work through him as he was able to talk to young and old alike.

We know of at least two life-changing decisions that were made and we believe many more will be lead by God in the coming times to make public their faith. We just thank God that we have been able to work with Janis Zabaks, his band 'Man-hu' and especially Pastor Sams and his interpreter Santa. These are such good people to whom God has led us.

After Sams' talk, Man-hu finished up the night and it was so great to see how much the crowd had grown. We had three of our soup kitchen people there, probably 20-30 tourists from different countries that had wandered down from the hotel, kids that were drawn by the music, sport camp athletes and curious bystanders that just happened to walk by.

Sam spoke with the last person seeking his counsel about 10:45pm. The concert had started at 7:45. What a great night!

God used the entire mis-communication problem to move the whole concert to where He wanted the concert to be held; to where the most people would be impacted. He moved it right to the location that people would have to be involved when they walked by. How many hearts did God touch tonight?  How many people see Christians in just a little better light tonight? How many doors will be opened for future conversations? How many lives have hope for today?

Thank you God for working in your powerful ways when we think our little, puny efforts are best. Please help us to quit relying on our efforts and just be ready to be amazed at what You can do if we will just let you.

What a great night!

 

Janis Zabaks and the band "Man-hu"...

 

 

Santa (the greatest translator) and Pastor Sams

 

Finishing up the concert ... excellent music!

CESIS VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

The first ever edition of the Cesis Vasaras Bibles Skolas has been a great hit with the youngsters of Cesis. Originally advertised for kids 6-12, we ended up with a much wider age group. Many of the kids here babysit younger siblings so in the end, we just enjoyed having all ages.

Laura did a great job in organizing the skola and getting her Latvian friends involved. This was one of our main goals; to be sure that they are learning alongside of us. They were not too eager to volunteer when the planning meetings first began but then it hit us: The people that we were asking to help lead the children had never been to any type of VBS  themselves. Once we were able to get the curriculum worked out and explain it better to them, they pitched in and made everything work.

Each day was divided into four stations: Bible stories, crafts, activities and snacks. We only had rain one day, so having things outside is a lot easier when you don't have to battle the Texas heat.

Our USA team (especially the ones not involved in Sports Days) really jumped in and helped out where needed daily. Many of the kids were from the earlier sports camps, so they were familiar with some of the Americans.

The over-riding goal of the VBS was to help the kids, parents and other adults get over their fear of church and what it sometimes represents to this culture. We were greatly encouraged as most of kids were not ones that regularly come to our church services.

I will add more photos later. These are mostly from the last day of craft's activities. They were recycling used CDs into picture frames and then decorating them.

We were so very thankful of how God worked through the Latvians and Americans to show the young people of Cesis a glimpse of Himself through the use of Bible stories and Christian love. We hope to continue to follow-up and encourage these young people and their families to seek a church home where they can regularly worship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPORTA DIENAS - YOUTH CELEBRATIONS (Day 1 & 2)

All of our team arrived on Saturday and spent the Sunday worshipping at Cesis Baptist Church and planning the week's activities.

Monday morning was an early start with the beginning of Junior Camp (ages 8-12, roughly). We had a fair number but the first days are always a little slower. Our coaches did a good job of learning their roles, adjusting and getting to know the kids.

From 2-4pm the entire group was with VBS. Everything had to be moved inside because of the rain but for a first time adventure, it was really good. Our helpers from Latvia have never attended a VBS before so it sometimes seems that teachers and students are both learning as we go.

Back to the Sports Halle for the afternoon basketball sessions with our older kids (13-19), our US kids were beginning to feel the jet lag, culture shock, and just physical tiredness. They did a good job and since these were kids their own age and quickly began to form some friendships.

Youth Celebration finished the first day's activities. From 7:00pm to 8:30, the Cesis youth and young adults had games, Blake provided the music and Pastor Olegs gave a short message. We treated the crowd to saldejums (ice cream) to wrap up the night's activities. Again, the rain slowed us down a little, but everything went well.

 

Day 2- Tuesday  - As usual, every activity increased in speed and number of participants. The younger camp almost doubled in number, with probably 60 kids there. As they begin to learn the drills and procedures, things run smoother and we can get more accomplished.

VBS went well as everyone now has a clear idea of what we are trying to accomplish.

The biggest increase was in our older camp. We sometimes lose them between the end of camp and waiting for the Youth Celebrations to begin. We really wanted them to stay to hear Pastor Samuels speak. The kids brainstormed some ideas on how to keep the teen-agers all there. It worked beautifully and we had almost 100% of the older kids to stay.

Sams did a great job of entertaining with some simple stories (the eagle and the chicken) and then relating that to the Christian life. Several of the students stayed around and talked with him and some of our other counselors. We feel that some life-changing decisions were made in that service.

Afterwards we invited the older teenagers to come eat pizza with us. By the time we had walked there, we had over 40 kids. It was great watching the two groups come together and began talking about their life as young people in two different cultures. It helped ease our U.S. group more into feeling like they are being accepted and it helped the Latvians to see that the other teenagers are just like them.

We thank God for a great day and we are looking forward to the last two days of camp and what will come out of those efforts. We will wrap the camp portion of the week on Thursday night with a big concert in Castle Park. Man-hu is the music group from Riga. You can hear some of their music here: www.manhu.lv

Labi cau!

[These pictures are from the pizza gathering.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COBBLESTONE STREETS; DOG JAIL; TRAIN RIDER; RIGA

Just a few shots from Cesis and Riga as I went about my daily business today:

 

 

 

They still use granite paving stones in some parts of Cesis, especially the older part. Here is a new surface being put down next to a park they are improving.

 

When I'm by myself, I never know who my train seat partner is going to be. Today I hit the jackpot! Beautiful Ieva!

 

"We are in dog jail ... and we can't see to get out!"

 

The Origio Clock in Riga ... a famous landmark near the train station.

WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD?

It was another humbling day at the Boys' Prison. We didn't have a translator and I was muddling through some thoughts about God's plans. One young guy that has never been with us before was asking several questions about why we were there. His English was slow but we were communicating pretty well and he was passing on my replies to the rest of the group.

When we got to the always inevitable question of "Why did you come to Latvia?", I could tell my answers did not satisfy him. He was searching for another question and finally, with no sarcasm at all, asked "Why are you so good"? Talk about being shell-shocked, speechless, not knowing what to say...I was all of those and more.

What do you tell someone that sees you as maybe the 'most' good person he knows? How do you tell him that you are just a common sinner that is worse than any boy in that prison? That, but for the grace of God, you should be punished just as he is? I don't think I did the answer justice but I tried to explain we couldn't claim the title of 'good'. We were just following God and He was the one that made it possible for us to be there. The 'goodness' that he was seeing was really not us at all, but God.

I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't completely sure of everything I said. Maybe one day in the near future I can come back to that question and explain my thoughts more clearly.

Have a good week!

-Mark-

[Also, today we were asked if the Indians in Texas still wore feathers on their heads. . .John Wayne movies have done a lot to advance the ideas of Cowboys and Indians.]

AMERICAN INVASION

The FBC team from Athens will be arriving on Saturday and we are anxious for them to be here. We will put them to work from morning to night on several projects. We have 2 basketball camps (4-days); Vacation Bible School (4-days); nightly Youth Celebrations (with music, games and Latvian pastors); at least one Boys' Prison visit and a big Youth Music concert featuring one of the better bands in Latvia. Here are a few of the posters publicizing the events: