Even though we saw a little sun today, it is still a long way from spring. It snowed most of the night so we have about 8-10 inches on top of a solid sheet of ice. Forecast is for a gradual warm-up this week but I'm not going to bet any money on it.
It was a great afternoon as the sun was adding its beauty to the snow.
Today Toms and Reinis celebrated their 18th and 19th birthdays. It was our pleasure to join in with the fun for a while.
For some reason, they had baked their own cake (which was very good by the way). Another Latvian tradition is pitching the birthday boy into the air for the number of years he is celebrating. Since we were inside they decided to let them sit in a chair before tossing in the air.
One thing about Latvian teenagers, they always find ways to entertain themselves. They don't sit around and act bored. Here are a few pictures of the party:
Novus - similar to pool
Some the celebrating group
Toms and his cake
In front of me I see the backs of 10 boys in their blue uniforms, sitting in the uncomfortable pews of the small chapel.
Why are they here? They could have made the choice to go to the gym for recreation, could have volunteered for some clean-up and snow shoveling duties, could have been picked for some more psychological testing but they decided to come here.
I spoke a few minutes earlier on having a relationship with God, using my lack of Latvian as an illustration of how to talk to God. Most of the boys were attentive but really, most were ready to see today's video.
As I closed my devotional I asked if there were any questions. One of the boys questioned, "Why do you come here to just speak a few words each week?" I just told him that we felt that was what God wanted us to do. Any more questions?
That was one of those moments that I wished I could turn back the clock. Why didn't I ask HIM "Why do you come here each week to hear my few words and watch a video"?
"Why do you come here instead of going to the gym? Why do you come to chapel rather than getting outside and sweeping snow for a few minutes? What are you looking for when you come here? What do you hope to find here?"
Why do I go? To do what God has led me to do. To share God's love. Is it doing any good? I really don't know.
Why does he come? He's trying to find God, he's trying to find if there really is a God, he's coming because he's seeking.
I pray that we will both successful.
So, there I was just walking along; not paying attention and talking to Laura and our friend Linda. Then WHAM! The next thing I know I am looking up at the sky and thinking: wow the sky is sure blue today. Then, I realize I am flat on my back and I can feel that creeping sensation of losing your air when the breath has been knocked out of you.
I've been walking the icy sidewalks of Cesis for two winters now and I've never fallen. Friday was the first. One second everything is do-da and the next thing my feet were in the air, my back was on the ground and my mind was clicking through my anatomy: legs-ok, arms-ok, hands-ok, hips-ok, skull-ok. After that quick check-up I scrambled to my feet and tried to act like it was no big deal. (After all, I was with my wife and a 16 year old girl ... I had to keep up appearances.)
I know that this whole event was my fault. I was walking too fast, talking too much and paying too little attention.
Later, as I was thanking God for landing me on the exact spot so that I wouldn't break any of the important body parts mentioned above, it occurred to me how often God provides me with a wake-up call. I start drifting in the wrong direction and He puts a certain scripture in front of me. I start feeling too self-important and He brings me down a notch or two. If I need to hear a certain encouraging message He sends a messenger who by word or deed explains to me exactly what I need to know.
At other times, He has to knock me completely off of my feet to get my attention. I know that it is in my best interest but it is not very enjoyable. So, my goal this week is to slow down on my walk with God; talk less and listen to Him more and pay a lot more attention to where He is trying to lead me.
He is a great carpenter, especially on interior projects. He has been working on the Davana for us, building shelves, counters and finishing out the trim work. I noticed a paperback notebook one day and picked it up to thumb through it. It was my friend's journal and on some of the pages he had written certain scriptures or questions he might have about what he had read that day in the Bible. I was so impressed with how devoted he was to his daily time with God and the Bible.
Last week at the Men's Bible Study, he shared with the group that he still struggles with his alcohol problem but that it was getting better. He felt that he was getting a better handle on the temptation but that it was a daily struggle. He then shared with the rest of the group about his little notebook. He told them about the things he wrote in it but also how it made him ashamed sometimes.
When he flips through the book and sees an empty page, he knows that was a day that he was drinking. He knows he wasn't able to beat the temptation that day, he wasn't able to spend the time with the One he needs for his strength in this battle.
I just sat there ashamed and humbled by this man's words. How many pages of my life-journal are blank? How many days does God not write a single word on my pages because I don't spend the time with Him like I should? How many wasted days have caused blank pages to appear in my journal?
My friend has drinking problem; I have a laziness and self-discipline problem. Would you pray for us both?
We usually go to Riga on Thursday for meetings, a little shopping and if lucky, we will catch a good movie. With the weather changing so quickly (meaning from no snow to snow) we usually ride the bus or train.
Today, the forecast was for light snow. It has snowed most of the day and with the temps well below freezing for a couple of weeks everything sticks. The roads crews were sanding the highways and streets as we caught the 7:30pm bus back to Cesis. We even had a couple of slick, sliding moments pulling away from some of the stops. I'm really glad I didn't drive today.
As we were headed to one of our meetings, we came across a big ceremony at the Latvian Freedom Monument. From the flags on the diplomatic cars, the VIPs were from Turkey. I will have to dig a little further to find out the rest of the significance.
Here are a few pictures from the ceremony and surrounding area. These guards are on one hour shifts. Notice how red his ears are. The mother in Laura made her comment that they should give the soldiers ear muffs before sending them out to stand guard.
We finally are getting a slight warm-up today (around 33 degrees) so we enjoyed getting out and about in Cesis. Most of the stores close no later than 3:00pm on Saturdays so shopping can't be postponed too late.
We heard motorcycles and a loudspeaker system towards the local running track and went over to investigate. I had heard about these snow races but had never seen one.
Basically, you have a motorcycle and driver pulling a skier on a rope for one, two or three trips around a quarter-mile jogging track. Of course, the track is covered in snow and ice. Each race can have between 2-4 teams competing against each other. It is very competitive racing and the skill of the driver is as important as the skill of the skier. Just as you might imagine, there are plenty of crashes, spills, and wrecks. It is amazing how fast these guys get going.
Here are a few pictures:
Of course, some people have more important things than to watch the races:
It is no secret that alcoholism is a huge problem in Latvia. Whether its roots are found in tradition, culture, hopelessness or dark winters, the fact remains that many people suffer from the grip of addiction.
Wednesday is our regular men's Bible study time. We are reading through "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Last night we had a couple of regular attendees gone but we picked up two new ones. One of them I knew from the Soup Kitchen but the other one was a new face (and he even spoke some English).
As we began discussing prayer requests I realized that all of the men at the table (except for me) had severe drinking problems at one time or still suffered from the effects of alcohol. Included in the group was one guy that has been to prison several times, another that was severely beaten up (and still shows the scars) by his drinking 'buddies', a former alcoholic that now counsels others and one guy that has turned his life around and now has a wife, family and is a steady Christian.
It was a neat experience to watch and hear (the words I could understand) as the men talked to each other about the problem and how with the help of Christ they had conquered their worst enemy. The two new guys are on the losing end of the battle right now. The others were trying to use their own history to show them that it could be done. One of the new guys has some strange ideas concerning God, the Bible and who Jesus is. The others did not back down at all and showed him in the Bible where his errors were. He finally turned to me and wanted my opinion. It was great to be able to say that what my Latvian brothers had told him was absolutely correct and I couldn't agree more with them.
Maybe this is a start for these two new guys. They are in their late 40's and if something doesn't change they will not survive much longer. Latvian winters, poor access to medical care, and easy access to cheap alcohol will cause them to become old men very quickly.
May God bless these two that are struggling and bless the men that have reached out to help them through their sickness.
Yesterday was our first Sunday back. I thought I'd compare my last Sunday (Jan. 18) in Athens with our first Sunday in Cesis.
In Athens, I checked the weather forecast to see how WARM it was going to be (I believe it was about 70 degrees for a high). In Cesis you check to see how COLD it is going to be. (Yesterday...about 29, which is actually a little warmer than usual.)
In Athens, you know that if you make it the few steps from the parking lot to the church, you will be plenty warm. In Cesis, there is no parking lot. You aren't going to be too much warmer in the church (usually it is about 55 degrees inside) unless you get a seat near the wood burning heater.
In Athens, the first smell is that of freshly brewed coffee (from the Global Cafe). In Cesis, the smell is of wood smoke. Depending on who built the fire and how good they are, the smell can be a pleasant reminder of the heating system or a smoky distraction.
In Athens, we have an excellent multi-piece praise band (guitars, drums, keyboard, piano), great sound system, multiple cameras and PowerPoint slides. In Cesis we have an outstanding musician, Tabita, that plays the keyboard.
In Athens, it requires six people to take up the offering. In Cesis, we have one young man that passes the collection box.
In Athens, we had many, many people express that they would be praying for us, God's work and the Cesis people. In Cesis, we had many, many people express that they would be praying for us, God's work and the Athens people.
Two cultures of worship, two completely different facilities, two distinctive climates but people of one mind, worshipping the same God. What a privilege for us to be able to be a part of both worlds. Thank you!
After a very l-o-n-g flight, we were picked up by Olegs for the final leg of our trip back to Cesis. I don't think either of us got much sleep on the planes so we weren't very good guests on the ride. We started out catching Olegs up on all the latest Athens news and he was updating on the Cesis activities. Before I knew it, I was drifting off and the last thing I heard was "Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to tell you the rest." I was hoping that Laura would be able to chime in from the back seat and pick up my slack but I'm afraid she was out also.
Thank you to all in both Latvia and the US that were praying for our safe return. Also, a special thanks for our drivers, Dwight and Olegs. You're the best!
While we have been in Texas the weather has been absolutely beautiful. Yesterday we had a high temp of around 74 degrees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky … lots of sunshine.
When we arrive in Riga it will be quite different. Highs in the upper 20’s and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of snow.
Different culture, different weather, different lifestyle BUT the ONE God is as much alive in Latvia as in Texas. We look forward to serving him.
See you soon, Cesis!
There is no way that I can list all of the blessings that have been showered on the two of us in Cesis, Latvia. But, these are just a few that have popped into my mind as I think back on the year. Thank you God…
We have been back in Texas for a couple of weeks. Christmas was celebrated with our family and we have enjoyed our time with friends and relatives.
A trip to Dallas and one to Austin has kept us on the road for a few days but we are now bringing in the New Year back at our home in Athens.
I have watched a lot of football and NBA basketball and next week will try to catch a few high school games.
Laura has been busy cooking, shopping and spending time with her family (and as far away from the football games as possible!).
Next week we will begin meeting to plan the 2009 activities, especially the summer work in Latvia.
It has been good to be home, to enjoy 70 degree temperatures, to visit with some of our family that we only get to see once a year and to tell people how God has blessed us this year.
Here are a few pictures from our celebrations:
Laura, Jordan and Jacob happy with their presents…
My three aunts (all over 90 years of age)…
Has Santa come yet?
Guess what the Princess got?
Davis is the son of two of our best friends, Inese and Peteris. They have always treated us as one of the family so we were invited to Davis' 16th birthday celebration. It was a big party with nearly all of the extended family there. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and the two Americans all had a great time.
Things are done a little differently at a Latvian party. Instead of a birthday 'spanking' you get tossed in the air for the number of years you are celebrating. (Good luck on them trying that for my next birthday!) We also had several songs, a cello special, quartet by some of the cousins and of course, enough food to feed an army.
Probably the most interesting part of the night was when they played the game 'charades'. Have you ever tried to play this in a foreign language? Talk about not translating....
We are ever so grateful when we are allowed glimpses into the culture and especially family traditions. Plus, we are now being treated more like family and less like guests. I certainly prefer to be family. Paldies jums!
Inese and her cakes...
Mother and son (Davis)...
Mom and Dad (Peteris)...
Maybe the light is finally coming on...
Cousins Emils and Rudolphs (Rudy)
Two excellent singers: cousins Emijia and Toms...
Most of the birthday celebration crew...
