Although we are getting somewhat better with the language we have a long, long, long way to go before we could even be considered at the kindgergarten level.
Case in point:
At Laura's Bible Study on Tuesday night, she wanted to propose to the group that the next meeting could be at a local restuarant. She thought a change of scenery would be nice and the ladies here don't have many opportunities to just be by themselves and enjoy fellowship.
So, she asks "What would you think if we maybe went out to eat next week?" ... nothing but silence! Again, she says "You know, we could all meet here and then go somewhere in Cesis and have a meal out." Nothing but silence and quizzical looks. Finally, she says "I just thought you might want to eat out together since we all have families to take care of. It would just be this group eating and having our lesson."
Eventually, one brave soul said "Do you mean we are going to meet and eat OUTSIDE?" Remember it is still below freezing here most days! They didn't want to tell Laura she was crazy but it just did not translate that they were going OUT to eat.
We run into those grammtical problems often...the best we can do is to laugh and start over.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cesis, Riga, McDonalds, Concert, Uh oh!
"I Thought You Knew What Time The Bus Left!"
or another "Cesis Big Adventure"
We have made a goal of trying to do something (concert, movie night, youth service, etc.) special each month with our Youth Group. Certainly we still have our weekly Wednesday night meetings at our flat but we want to expand what the kids experience.
So, this past Saturday night we decided to take a group to a concert at St. Matejas Church in Riga (the capitol city of Latvia). They were having several Christian contemporary music groups to perform. The highlight was supposed to be the first group (I have no idea what their name is) as they were going to record their music live for a CD.
We had a group of 11 kids show up at the train station for the 2 hour trip to Riga. All of these are really good kids and we enjoy being around them. Once we got into Riga, the first stop was McDonald's (strategically located across from the Central Station). We went from offering to pay for anyone's meal that needed help to amazement at what these kids ordered. They had all eaten at a McDonald's before but it is still a big treat for them. The record was 5 hamburgers eaten by Eduards. Several of our slim, no fat anywhere girls, ate a burger, fries, large cola, McFlurry (malt) and anything else that could get their hands on. American kids might have to take a backseat to these Latvian teen-age eaters.
Next it was off to St. Matejas. The decision came down to walking 30 minutes through downtown Riga in 34 degree weather or spending .50 apiece on the tram. We were outvoted so it was a cool, brisk 30 minute walk (fueled by massive amounts of American hamburgers and fries).
The concert was great. The first band was very professional and the CD was recorded both in audio and video. Everybody had to turn off their phones (a big sacrifice for Latvians). Luckily for us they had the lyrics projected on a screen so Laura and I could practice our language skills. The only problem was when the guy running the computer got mixed up on the lyrics and put up the wrong slide. Then you have two Americans singing words they don't know at the wrong place in the song.
After the first group, we had several more bands that played a few songs each. Latvians are great singers and musicians. Most of the groups have the usual drums, bass, and guitars but some also added horns, sax, and other stringed instruments. All of it was done very nicely and we even were able to see a couple of the guys that came to Cesis for our Youth Concert back in November.
Now the fun started. Eduards had left to take his sister to the bus station as she does not live in Cesis. The plan was to leave St. Matejas about 9:45 for the walk (!) back to the Central Station, meet Eduards and catch the last bus back to Cesis. The bus was to leave at 10:30...no problem. After we had walked just a few blocks, Eduards came running up the sidewalk, completely out of breath (remember, we had to turn our phones off!). Once we got him calmed down, he informed us that the last bus leaves at 10:00 not 10:30! We had maybe 5 minutes to make it. Nope, we're NOT going to make it.
After a couple of minutes of thinking, we decided we could go over about 3 streets, catch a city bus out to Teika where we could beat the Cesis bus to the last bus stop on the edge of Riga. That sounded like a good plan but when you've got a bunch of teenagers running down the streets at 10:00 with two old codgers trying to keep up with them, I could see either a heart attack or a car-pedestrian accident just waiting to happen.
The next plan was a stroke of genius. Why not just hail a cab (or two or three) and take us to Teika? So just like in the movies, we got a cab and told him where to go and we had to get there FAST before the bus. We went tearing through Riga and I was praying we would make it, we would all make it since we'd split up, and that I would have enough money to pay for all the cabs and the bus tickets.
No worries! We made it with a couple of minutes to spare ... I had enough money for the cabs (but I still think that the old guy jacked up the price as soon as he heard my Texas-Latvian!) and the bus arrived, right on time.
The next problem was the size of the bus. We all lined up, ready to buy our ticket from the driver. There were also others waiting for this same bus at this stop. We could see this was not the usual big bus but one of the smaller ones. Eduards kind of says under his breath "I don't think all of us will make it...the driver doesn't have to let people on if they have to stand up." So, Anete was upfront buying the tickets for all of us and somehow she sweet talked the driver into letting us all on. A few of us found seats, others sat in laps but we were all on-board and headed home to Cesis. We were even entertained by two drunk guys heading back to Sigulda after a Saturday of partying in Riga. Sometimes it is a blessing to not know much of the Latvian language.
We arrived in Cesis about 12:00. Laura and I breathed a big sigh of relief, I didn't have to worry about trying to call parents that don't speak English and tell them their child was going to have to stay in Riga overnight because I couldn't read a bus schedule. The kids just laughed about it all (when it was over!) because I think this kind of stuff happens all the time.
Great concert, great kids, great adventure and a great God that helps us daily to find our way ... even when we are lost and foolish!
We hope you have a great week!
or another "Cesis Big Adventure"
We have made a goal of trying to do something (concert, movie night, youth service, etc.) special each month with our Youth Group. Certainly we still have our weekly Wednesday night meetings at our flat but we want to expand what the kids experience.
So, this past Saturday night we decided to take a group to a concert at St. Matejas Church in Riga (the capitol city of Latvia). They were having several Christian contemporary music groups to perform. The highlight was supposed to be the first group (I have no idea what their name is) as they were going to record their music live for a CD.
We had a group of 11 kids show up at the train station for the 2 hour trip to Riga. All of these are really good kids and we enjoy being around them. Once we got into Riga, the first stop was McDonald's (strategically located across from the Central Station). We went from offering to pay for anyone's meal that needed help to amazement at what these kids ordered. They had all eaten at a McDonald's before but it is still a big treat for them. The record was 5 hamburgers eaten by Eduards. Several of our slim, no fat anywhere girls, ate a burger, fries, large cola, McFlurry (malt) and anything else that could get their hands on. American kids might have to take a backseat to these Latvian teen-age eaters.
Next it was off to St. Matejas. The decision came down to walking 30 minutes through downtown Riga in 34 degree weather or spending .50 apiece on the tram. We were outvoted so it was a cool, brisk 30 minute walk (fueled by massive amounts of American hamburgers and fries).
The concert was great. The first band was very professional and the CD was recorded both in audio and video. Everybody had to turn off their phones (a big sacrifice for Latvians). Luckily for us they had the lyrics projected on a screen so Laura and I could practice our language skills. The only problem was when the guy running the computer got mixed up on the lyrics and put up the wrong slide. Then you have two Americans singing words they don't know at the wrong place in the song.
After the first group, we had several more bands that played a few songs each. Latvians are great singers and musicians. Most of the groups have the usual drums, bass, and guitars but some also added horns, sax, and other stringed instruments. All of it was done very nicely and we even were able to see a couple of the guys that came to Cesis for our Youth Concert back in November.
Now the fun started. Eduards had left to take his sister to the bus station as she does not live in Cesis. The plan was to leave St. Matejas about 9:45 for the walk (!) back to the Central Station, meet Eduards and catch the last bus back to Cesis. The bus was to leave at 10:30...no problem. After we had walked just a few blocks, Eduards came running up the sidewalk, completely out of breath (remember, we had to turn our phones off!). Once we got him calmed down, he informed us that the last bus leaves at 10:00 not 10:30! We had maybe 5 minutes to make it. Nope, we're NOT going to make it.
After a couple of minutes of thinking, we decided we could go over about 3 streets, catch a city bus out to Teika where we could beat the Cesis bus to the last bus stop on the edge of Riga. That sounded like a good plan but when you've got a bunch of teenagers running down the streets at 10:00 with two old codgers trying to keep up with them, I could see either a heart attack or a car-pedestrian accident just waiting to happen.
The next plan was a stroke of genius. Why not just hail a cab (or two or three) and take us to Teika? So just like in the movies, we got a cab and told him where to go and we had to get there FAST before the bus. We went tearing through Riga and I was praying we would make it, we would all make it since we'd split up, and that I would have enough money to pay for all the cabs and the bus tickets.
No worries! We made it with a couple of minutes to spare ... I had enough money for the cabs (but I still think that the old guy jacked up the price as soon as he heard my Texas-Latvian!) and the bus arrived, right on time.
The next problem was the size of the bus. We all lined up, ready to buy our ticket from the driver. There were also others waiting for this same bus at this stop. We could see this was not the usual big bus but one of the smaller ones. Eduards kind of says under his breath "I don't think all of us will make it...the driver doesn't have to let people on if they have to stand up." So, Anete was upfront buying the tickets for all of us and somehow she sweet talked the driver into letting us all on. A few of us found seats, others sat in laps but we were all on-board and headed home to Cesis. We were even entertained by two drunk guys heading back to Sigulda after a Saturday of partying in Riga. Sometimes it is a blessing to not know much of the Latvian language.
We arrived in Cesis about 12:00. Laura and I breathed a big sigh of relief, I didn't have to worry about trying to call parents that don't speak English and tell them their child was going to have to stay in Riga overnight because I couldn't read a bus schedule. The kids just laughed about it all (when it was over!) because I think this kind of stuff happens all the time.
Great concert, great kids, great adventure and a great God that helps us daily to find our way ... even when we are lost and foolish!
We hope you have a great week!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
THE LATVIAN CULTURE
We are often asked about the culture of Latvia. Some the most obvious differences to us are the ones that probably came about because of Communism and Soviet domination. Now this is strictly unscientific and obviously there are exceptions.
Secrecy is still very much a part of the Latvian daily life. The younger you are the less likely you would do all of the following but it is pretty much the norm regardless of age:
1) Most people do not introduce themselves by their first and last name ... usually only their first names. You may get to know them by their last names after you have established a frienship.
2) Most people are not open about where they work, where they live, etc. For example, your landlord will probably come by and receive the rent money directly from you. He probably will not ask you to bring it by his place of work or his home. (That would allow you to possibly know too much.)
3) Until you are well known to the person, you will not be invited to their home. It is not because they don't like you, it just goes back to the idea of secrecy.
4) You have to be careful about greeting people too warmly that you don't know. Example: in church, a visitor may not feel comfortable with the members asking their name, are they new in the community, etc. We certainly do not have any visitor cards to use for follow-up because that would be too intrusive in their society.
5) In stores, you are almost never asked "May I help you?" by the sales clerk. Sometimes it will not even be acknowledged that you are there. Again, they aren't being rude but they don't want to invade your space by asking questions.
For two Americans that are pretty open, it is hard to understand their way of thinking. But, when you study their history and some of the hardships they encountered you can defintely see how these attitudes inside of their culture have developed.
Sometimes we shake our heads and wonder why they do certain things. Then, someone will patiently explain the background and it doesn't seem as strange anymore. Altough we understand, it does make it difficult for us to move into their culture, develop new friendships and conduct business. It is never easy but at least we are beginning to understand a little more clearly.
Secrecy is still very much a part of the Latvian daily life. The younger you are the less likely you would do all of the following but it is pretty much the norm regardless of age:
1) Most people do not introduce themselves by their first and last name ... usually only their first names. You may get to know them by their last names after you have established a frienship.
2) Most people are not open about where they work, where they live, etc. For example, your landlord will probably come by and receive the rent money directly from you. He probably will not ask you to bring it by his place of work or his home. (That would allow you to possibly know too much.)
3) Until you are well known to the person, you will not be invited to their home. It is not because they don't like you, it just goes back to the idea of secrecy.
4) You have to be careful about greeting people too warmly that you don't know. Example: in church, a visitor may not feel comfortable with the members asking their name, are they new in the community, etc. We certainly do not have any visitor cards to use for follow-up because that would be too intrusive in their society.
5) In stores, you are almost never asked "May I help you?" by the sales clerk. Sometimes it will not even be acknowledged that you are there. Again, they aren't being rude but they don't want to invade your space by asking questions.
For two Americans that are pretty open, it is hard to understand their way of thinking. But, when you study their history and some of the hardships they encountered you can defintely see how these attitudes inside of their culture have developed.
Sometimes we shake our heads and wonder why they do certain things. Then, someone will patiently explain the background and it doesn't seem as strange anymore. Altough we understand, it does make it difficult for us to move into their culture, develop new friendships and conduct business. It is never easy but at least we are beginning to understand a little more clearly.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
YOUTH CONCERT - CESIS BAPTIST CHURCH
This slide show is from the Youth Concert that was held at Cesis Baptist Church. The band is from St. Matejs (Mattew's) Church in Riga. They did a great job and as you can see there was almost a church full of young people and parents. We are hopeful this will become a regular activity. We hosted youth from Cesis, Valmiera and Madona. I wish we had audio as well but that will have to wait until we can purchase a video camera.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
FALL ACTIVITIES
Here are a few odds and ends from the fall activities in Cesis. We are in full swing for 2008 and will have some pictures to post soon. Thanks for dropping by!
Laura welcoming guests at the fall "Harvest Festival".
Tabita and Laura at a missions conference
Ladies of Cesis Baptist Church at conference in Valmeira
Laura and Mark enjoying a Latvian meal . . .
Laura welcoming guests at the fall "Harvest Festival".
Tabita and Laura at a missions conference
Ladies of Cesis Baptist Church at conference in Valmeira
Laura and Mark enjoying a Latvian meal . . .
ACTIVITIES FROM THE FALL (2)
More shots from the fall activities:
Laura, Mark and Christopher getting ready for Youth Servant evangelism night.
Laura, Mark and Christopher getting ready for Youth Servant evangelism night.
Laura: "Will he ever SHUT UP!!"
Mark, Reinus and Martins at Inese's house
Trying to fake that I can read the words of the Latvian songs.
Latvian Birthday Party
I will try and do a better job of posting on this blog!
Last Saturday was a big day as we were invited to our friend Peteris' birthday party. Latvians celebrate much like we do except they sing more songs. There are several traditional songs that they sing and then they had us lead in the American version of "Happy Birthday To You".
As you can see, the cakes are really good. The biggest difference is that they also serve a vegetable salad at the same time as the cake.
Peteris is a big kick-boxing guy so his present was a boxing bag so he could keep up his workouts. He learned karate at an early age along with his brothers. If I ever need any bodyguard help, he's going to MY MAN!
Last Saturday was a big day as we were invited to our friend Peteris' birthday party. Latvians celebrate much like we do except they sing more songs. There are several traditional songs that they sing and then they had us lead in the American version of "Happy Birthday To You".
As you can see, the cakes are really good. The biggest difference is that they also serve a vegetable salad at the same time as the cake.
Peteris is a big kick-boxing guy so his present was a boxing bag so he could keep up his workouts. He learned karate at an early age along with his brothers. If I ever need any bodyguard help, he's going to MY MAN!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
WE ARE BAAACCCKKKK
Here we are again! Back in Cesis after a few weeks visiting friends and relatives in Texas. We had a great Christmas and New Year's.
We are deeply indebted to all of the many good people of First Baptist-Athens. They have been so patient with us as we have explained our vision and needs for Cesis and Cesis Baptist Church.
They have done such a great job of supporting us in so many ways, both financially and spiritually. We are so encouraged by the support and interest they have shown.
We had several big adjustments as we returned to Texas after six months of living Latvian style. Obviously, the weather was a big difference. As we were leaving Cesis, it was snowing and below freezing. Landing at DFW airport the next day, we found ourselves sweating in 80 degree heat. The sun doesn't shine much in Latvia during the winter so it was good to see the sun almost every day during the holidays.
The other big adjustment that hits you very quickly is the affluence of the United States. After being in Latvia for a while, walk into any Wal-Mart in the US and you are just overwhelmed by the choices, the products and the availability of the goods. From the new cars in the parking lot to the kids crying for more and more toys, it caused us to really look at what is important and what we really need to live.
As always, the time change (8-hours difference) kept us off-schedule for most of the time. It is especially hard for me to adjust and I found myself waking up every day at 3:00am. Of course, I wanted to crash and go to bed every night about 6:00.
So, here we are, ready to go for 2008. We have a lot of ideas and strategies to help reach out to the people of Cesis. We will be sharing them on this blog soon. First, we must be sure we have the support of Cesis Baptist Church and that they are comfortable with what we feel that God has put on our hearts. Secondly, we will meet with the Latvians to determine how to accomplish these things inside of their culture. Stay tuned for details soon.
Just as we had a big adjustment heading back to the States, we are facing the same thing now in Cesis. The time change is just as difficult, if not more. To get over jet lag the experts suggest that you get plenty of time outdoors everyday and especially lots of sun. We have been here for 5 days and it has not been above freezing during the entire time. The sun was out for about 2 hours for one day and that was it. So, we have been mostly inside and our internal clocks are totally messed up. Let me say it now: Jet lag is brutal!!! There is nothing like being awake at 2:30 in the morning ... no TV to put you to sleep, too cold to go out and walk, you can't drive out to Wal-Mart and walk around. Today, however, we slept until about 7:00am so maybe we are getting back on track.
We ask for special prayer as we head into uncharted territory. We have some big decisions to make and we will need God's guidance to know the way. For us, as well as the Cesis Church, we will be trying to do things that have not been done before. We look forward to seeing God's hand in all of it.
Until later, ata!
We are deeply indebted to all of the many good people of First Baptist-Athens. They have been so patient with us as we have explained our vision and needs for Cesis and Cesis Baptist Church.
They have done such a great job of supporting us in so many ways, both financially and spiritually. We are so encouraged by the support and interest they have shown.
We had several big adjustments as we returned to Texas after six months of living Latvian style. Obviously, the weather was a big difference. As we were leaving Cesis, it was snowing and below freezing. Landing at DFW airport the next day, we found ourselves sweating in 80 degree heat. The sun doesn't shine much in Latvia during the winter so it was good to see the sun almost every day during the holidays.
The other big adjustment that hits you very quickly is the affluence of the United States. After being in Latvia for a while, walk into any Wal-Mart in the US and you are just overwhelmed by the choices, the products and the availability of the goods. From the new cars in the parking lot to the kids crying for more and more toys, it caused us to really look at what is important and what we really need to live.
As always, the time change (8-hours difference) kept us off-schedule for most of the time. It is especially hard for me to adjust and I found myself waking up every day at 3:00am. Of course, I wanted to crash and go to bed every night about 6:00.
So, here we are, ready to go for 2008. We have a lot of ideas and strategies to help reach out to the people of Cesis. We will be sharing them on this blog soon. First, we must be sure we have the support of Cesis Baptist Church and that they are comfortable with what we feel that God has put on our hearts. Secondly, we will meet with the Latvians to determine how to accomplish these things inside of their culture. Stay tuned for details soon.
Just as we had a big adjustment heading back to the States, we are facing the same thing now in Cesis. The time change is just as difficult, if not more. To get over jet lag the experts suggest that you get plenty of time outdoors everyday and especially lots of sun. We have been here for 5 days and it has not been above freezing during the entire time. The sun was out for about 2 hours for one day and that was it. So, we have been mostly inside and our internal clocks are totally messed up. Let me say it now: Jet lag is brutal!!! There is nothing like being awake at 2:30 in the morning ... no TV to put you to sleep, too cold to go out and walk, you can't drive out to Wal-Mart and walk around. Today, however, we slept until about 7:00am so maybe we are getting back on track.
We ask for special prayer as we head into uncharted territory. We have some big decisions to make and we will need God's guidance to know the way. For us, as well as the Cesis Church, we will be trying to do things that have not been done before. We look forward to seeing God's hand in all of it.
Until later, ata!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
First Heavy Snow - Cesis
Winter arrived on Monday! With temperatures falling the last few weeks and a few flurries of snow on Saturday, we knew that the real stuff wouldn't be too long in making an appearance. It started snowing Monday morning and was still snowing into the night. These are some pictures from a nearby park and the area right around our flat. The people look at me a little funny when I am out in the snow taking pictures ... for them it is just a way of life.
Stay warm!
Monday, November 12, 2007
"What do they live on?"
Laura and I have been volunteering at the local soup-kitchen. Cesis Baptist Church and St. John's Lutheran Church share the opportunity of providing a noon meal for those that would otherwise go without.
This is truly a soup-kitchen as that is all that is served. Most of the diners are elderly but a few are just down on their luck. None on them can speak any English but they always want us to sit down, eat and talk with them. We try to hold a conversation but with our Latvian skills it is mainly just nodding our heads in agreement with whatever they are saying. They seem so appreciative and we wish we could communicate with them better.
The first day we were there the soup-of-the-day was 'sour' cabbage. It seems that they take cabbage, leave it outside for a few days to ferment and then bring it inside. Inside, you cover it up and let it ferment a while longer. I can pretty much eat anything (and I usually do!) but I just couldn't go with the sour cabbage soup.
The other people working there started laughing and they told us one of the very old ladies saw we weren't eating the soup or the bread. She turned around and asked one of our Latvian friends "They don't eat sour cabbage soup or black bread -- what in the world do they live on?". It seems this is a national soup and everyone but picky Americans love it.
It is starting to get much colder here and some snow flurries. Maybe tomorrow we will have some pictures of a fresh snow-fall.
Keep safe!
This is truly a soup-kitchen as that is all that is served. Most of the diners are elderly but a few are just down on their luck. None on them can speak any English but they always want us to sit down, eat and talk with them. We try to hold a conversation but with our Latvian skills it is mainly just nodding our heads in agreement with whatever they are saying. They seem so appreciative and we wish we could communicate with them better.
The first day we were there the soup-of-the-day was 'sour' cabbage. It seems that they take cabbage, leave it outside for a few days to ferment and then bring it inside. Inside, you cover it up and let it ferment a while longer. I can pretty much eat anything (and I usually do!) but I just couldn't go with the sour cabbage soup.
The other people working there started laughing and they told us one of the very old ladies saw we weren't eating the soup or the bread. She turned around and asked one of our Latvian friends "They don't eat sour cabbage soup or black bread -- what in the world do they live on?". It seems this is a national soup and everyone but picky Americans love it.
It is starting to get much colder here and some snow flurries. Maybe tomorrow we will have some pictures of a fresh snow-fall.
Keep safe!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Day of the Dead
In Latvia, one of the most beautiful places you will see are the cemeteries. They are usually on the edge of town in a pine forest. The Latvians show great reverence for the grave sites. They plant small bushes and flowers as borders of the plots. The headstones can range from a simple stone marker to elaborate black granite. Most families visit the graves quite often, polishing the markers, weeding and of course, adding fresh flowers. They use small wooden rakes to draw designs into the sand and surrounding dirt.
We were invited to go with our friend Inese to visit her father's and grandparent's graves last night. We really didn't know what was meant by the 'Day of the Dead' but it was quite interesting. As we got to the cemetery and started to enter we could see maybe 20-30 acres of white, blue, green and red flickering candles. Most are in special containers so they can continue to be burn even when it is windy. This cemetery is actually kind of hilly so as we got to the top it was almost like looking down onto a city with Christmas decorations. There were many people walking to their loved ones graves and placing the candles, flowers and other items onto the graves. It was a beautiful sight unlike anything we have seen before.
It was also interesting to hear Inese speak about her relatives. Her father was a taxi driver and a nationalist (didn't want the Soviets to control them). One night he was singing the Latvian national anthem in public. Evidently, he had been warned before about doing this (it was illegal) and he has not been heard of or seen since. Several days later his taxi was found in the Gauja River (burned). A body was found down-river several months later and the authorities asked Inese's mother to come identify the body. She wouldn't go but his sister did. The sister was positive it was not her brother as she said the teeth were not his. However, the Soviets said yes, it is him and he will be taken back to Cesis and buried. They looked at it as someone that drove into the Gauja, was a missing person for a while, a body was found so the case was closed. Someone is buried at that grave that has Inese's father's name on the marker but she is positive her father's body is not there.
It is amazing what some of these people lived through. Maybe next time I'll share her grandparent's stories.
Have a good week!
We were invited to go with our friend Inese to visit her father's and grandparent's graves last night. We really didn't know what was meant by the 'Day of the Dead' but it was quite interesting. As we got to the cemetery and started to enter we could see maybe 20-30 acres of white, blue, green and red flickering candles. Most are in special containers so they can continue to be burn even when it is windy. This cemetery is actually kind of hilly so as we got to the top it was almost like looking down onto a city with Christmas decorations. There were many people walking to their loved ones graves and placing the candles, flowers and other items onto the graves. It was a beautiful sight unlike anything we have seen before.
It was also interesting to hear Inese speak about her relatives. Her father was a taxi driver and a nationalist (didn't want the Soviets to control them). One night he was singing the Latvian national anthem in public. Evidently, he had been warned before about doing this (it was illegal) and he has not been heard of or seen since. Several days later his taxi was found in the Gauja River (burned). A body was found down-river several months later and the authorities asked Inese's mother to come identify the body. She wouldn't go but his sister did. The sister was positive it was not her brother as she said the teeth were not his. However, the Soviets said yes, it is him and he will be taken back to Cesis and buried. They looked at it as someone that drove into the Gauja, was a missing person for a while, a body was found so the case was closed. Someone is buried at that grave that has Inese's father's name on the marker but she is positive her father's body is not there.
It is amazing what some of these people lived through. Maybe next time I'll share her grandparent's stories.
Have a good week!
Youth Night -- Servant Evangelism
This week's youth meeting was designed around the concept of 'servant-evangelism'. This is the second time we have done this activity and the students really seem to like it.
Basically, we ask each student to take a long-stemmed flower, attach a note that contains a scripture and anything else they want to write on it. They then go through-out the town and find someone they want to give the flower to. The only rule we have is that it cannot be given to someone that they already know. Of course, the first question the students get is "Why do you want to give this to me?" followed by "What's the catch?". We have tried to prepare them for the occasional rude response or belligerence but it has really gone great. After establishing a dialogue with the person they then ask if it would be ok if they (the student) prayed for them in the coming week? If they get a 'yes', then they ask if there is anything specific they can pray for them about. Our kids have been surprised how open some of the people have been in their requests.
Our purpose in this is two-fold: to get the students used to doing something without the promise of a tangible reward and secondly, to get them to become bolder as they approach people they don't know. If they are ever going to present their own testimony they are going to have to become a lot more open to other people. This culture is one that can be sometimes intimidating if you don't know the person and strangers are not always welcome to just begin a conversation.
We hope this type of servant-evangelism will help these students in the future as they go out into the world to witness and live a Christian life.
For some reason I only have pictures of the girls but we had about 15 boys and girls participating on Wednesday night.
Basically, we ask each student to take a long-stemmed flower, attach a note that contains a scripture and anything else they want to write on it. They then go through-out the town and find someone they want to give the flower to. The only rule we have is that it cannot be given to someone that they already know. Of course, the first question the students get is "Why do you want to give this to me?" followed by "What's the catch?". We have tried to prepare them for the occasional rude response or belligerence but it has really gone great. After establishing a dialogue with the person they then ask if it would be ok if they (the student) prayed for them in the coming week? If they get a 'yes', then they ask if there is anything specific they can pray for them about. Our kids have been surprised how open some of the people have been in their requests.
Our purpose in this is two-fold: to get the students used to doing something without the promise of a tangible reward and secondly, to get them to become bolder as they approach people they don't know. If they are ever going to present their own testimony they are going to have to become a lot more open to other people. This culture is one that can be sometimes intimidating if you don't know the person and strangers are not always welcome to just begin a conversation.
We hope this type of servant-evangelism will help these students in the future as they go out into the world to witness and live a Christian life.
For some reason I only have pictures of the girls but we had about 15 boys and girls participating on Wednesday night.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Things You Won't See in Latvia . . .
- A carton with a dozen eggs . . . they only sell 10 in a carton.
- Free water at a cafe or restaurant
- Air conditioned buses
- Dr. Pepper
- Basketball games on any nights except Friday, Saturday or Sunday
- A free second cup of coffee
- A change of plans because it is raining or snowing
- Water fountains ... you just will not see a public water fountain (even in a gym)
- Regulations on fireworks ... they are bought and sold in stores year-round
- Yellow school buses (school's don't own buses or have student routes)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Fall Festival & Thanksgiving
Cesis Baptist Church celebrated their Fall Festive and Thanksgiving this past Sunday. Laura and her Ladies' Bible Study group did a good job of planning and decorating for it. We held the festivities at another church because we do not have adequate facilities for something like this.
We hope the people had a good time because we have been stressing the idea of more church fellowships and enjoying just being with each other. A lot of our members do not see each other except for the time they are together on Sundays.
We had singing, games and of course, food. It was quite different from what a church fellowship would be in the USA but everyone seemed to have a good time. One of the neat things was that two of the games that were enjoyed the most were 'musical chairs' and 'charades'. I could get right with them on the musical chairs but trying to compete at charades with a foreign language you don't really know . . . well, let's just say I didn't win.
I hope you enjoy the pictures:
We hope the people had a good time because we have been stressing the idea of more church fellowships and enjoying just being with each other. A lot of our members do not see each other except for the time they are together on Sundays.
We had singing, games and of course, food. It was quite different from what a church fellowship would be in the USA but everyone seemed to have a good time. One of the neat things was that two of the games that were enjoyed the most were 'musical chairs' and 'charades'. I could get right with them on the musical chairs but trying to compete at charades with a foreign language you don't really know . . . well, let's just say I didn't win.
I hope you enjoy the pictures:
Monday, September 24, 2007
Some fall pictures . . .
The best time of the year in Latvia is fall! Here are a few shots. The first is some of the great vegetables that our friends keep us supplied with from their gardens. The next one is of the castle grounds, close to our flat. The third is Rigas Iela, one of the old, beautiful streets that lead down to the original gate when Cesis was a walled city. The last is a shot of an oak tree with St. John's Church (Lutheran) in the background.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Trash truck tie-up
If you remember from one of my previous posts, 'Trash Etiquette', the simple act of taking out the trash is really not too simple in Cesis. Yesterday was another example of that humorous difficulty.
About 4:55 we (all the people with trash) start gathering at our spot on the corner. You have to get in line early or you will have to stand and smell the trash truck as everybody else pitches their garbage in before you. So, we're all waiting for the truck and we can see him down the hill a little ways ... but he's kind of halfway turning across the street and isn't moving. We keep looking and finally somebody says that they think the truck has been in a wreck. We keep peering down the street and sure enough, that's what has happened.
Now, this is an busy street but it's just big enough for 2-lanes. Traffic is beginning to pile up because he has both lanes blocked. We're just standing and looking until one elderly lady says something (I don't know the language but I picked up the nuance!) and everybody grabs their trash and starts walking down the hill. So what do I do? I grab my trash and I follow along ... there we go like a bunch ants, marching single file down the sidewalk with loads of trash. I'm fifty-two and I am the youngest person there by about 20 years.
By the time we get to the crashed trash truck site, traffic is tied completely up. Latvian drivers are very impatient and they evidently dislike the trash trucks anyway. Drivers are jumping the curb, going up on the grass, honking...making new roads. There we are, the ant line, throwing our trash in the back of the truck while complete chaos is going around us. The trash truck driver is on his cell phone, yelling at his boss or somebody. A bunch of kids that had been on a field trip to the castle are now coming over to see what the mess is about and they are all in the way. In the midst of all that, people are coming from all of the other trash stops up ahead on the route and throwing their garbage in. I couldn't do anything but just find a safe spot to stand and laugh. It was one of those times I truly wished I had my camera.
I can't wait until Monday .... it's trash day again!
About 4:55 we (all the people with trash) start gathering at our spot on the corner. You have to get in line early or you will have to stand and smell the trash truck as everybody else pitches their garbage in before you. So, we're all waiting for the truck and we can see him down the hill a little ways ... but he's kind of halfway turning across the street and isn't moving. We keep looking and finally somebody says that they think the truck has been in a wreck. We keep peering down the street and sure enough, that's what has happened.
Now, this is an busy street but it's just big enough for 2-lanes. Traffic is beginning to pile up because he has both lanes blocked. We're just standing and looking until one elderly lady says something (I don't know the language but I picked up the nuance!) and everybody grabs their trash and starts walking down the hill. So what do I do? I grab my trash and I follow along ... there we go like a bunch ants, marching single file down the sidewalk with loads of trash. I'm fifty-two and I am the youngest person there by about 20 years.
By the time we get to the crashed trash truck site, traffic is tied completely up. Latvian drivers are very impatient and they evidently dislike the trash trucks anyway. Drivers are jumping the curb, going up on the grass, honking...making new roads. There we are, the ant line, throwing our trash in the back of the truck while complete chaos is going around us. The trash truck driver is on his cell phone, yelling at his boss or somebody. A bunch of kids that had been on a field trip to the castle are now coming over to see what the mess is about and they are all in the way. In the midst of all that, people are coming from all of the other trash stops up ahead on the route and throwing their garbage in. I couldn't do anything but just find a safe spot to stand and laugh. It was one of those times I truly wished I had my camera.
I can't wait until Monday .... it's trash day again!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Scenes from Cesis
We had the pleasure of a visit from a group of Americans from Washington State today. They are here for some mission work in another region of Latvia but wanted to see some of the sights in Cesis. Laura and I played tour guide to some really nice people. As you can see from the next to last picture, we have become friends with the Sean Connery of Latvia! Here a few other random pics.
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