Surely there will be Dancing in Heaven

      Today was the beloved pizza party for the sweet members of Berk 4 (the orphanage for the disabled). It was King and Queen themed.. We began the morning by party prepping and LOTS of decorations. We have spent the last 2 days working in our "tutu sweat shop" making eat little girl a tutu to wear for this party. We blew up balloons, put crepe paper on absolutely everything, decorated crowns, and made gift bags for each child. Bus by bus the children arrived and the room was overflowing with genunie happiness and excitement.

        Not only did we eat pizza and dress like royalty, we danced the afternoon away. Seeing the light brought to the lives of these dancing children we know that surely there will be dancing in heaven. It was absolutely heart warming to see the joy that we could bring just by singing Rocky Top and doing the chicken dance (a crowd favorite). Words cannot express to you how much of a difference human interaction and love makes in the lives of these children.  Once again we can say, surly The Lord is working in this place. 

        Not only did we have a wonderful pizza party with Berk 4 today, we were also able to share in some very special moments with some of the training center young men. 5 young men finished professional course work in cooking, carpentery, or care giving. We were able to celebrate their "graduation" and distribution of diplomas. The most touching part was that the young men asked Judy to wait to do graduation when "the Americans" came. Sharing in such a special event, one that most young people in Bulgaria NEVER experience, is such a blessing to us. We are so thankful for The Lord's work at the training center and the chance for us to be a part of it.. 

      Once again we ask for your continued prayers for safe travels, open hearts and minds, and the people of Bulgaria.

God is Love. 

Tuesday in Beautiful Bulgaria

Talk about a day filled with adventures. We started off the morning heading to the training center in Borovtsi to prepare for the day. We then headed to the preschool just down the road (maybe 3 American blocks). It is amazing the difference in the children of an orphanage and preschool. These precious children at the kindergarten taught us how to count to 10 in Bulgarian. Ten sounds like "That's it" to us! Two of the workers from the training center have children in this preschool, one of which is Steven. It was Steven's birthday and they have a wonderful celebration for him including a cake and candy!
At the preschool we set up stations to work on fine motor skills. We had stencils, puzzles, blocks, paper folding, and coloring. The children were absolutely marvelous; we were all very impressed. Special  children stole each of our hearts there. Once again, Dr. B did physicals with Katie (an Australian missionary Doctor who lives in Bulgaria) and Dr. Tom performed eye exams. We taught the children Slava Na Boga (Hallelujah, Praise The Lord), performed Daniel in the Lion's Den, and sang a multitude of  Christian songs. The children each picked out a stuffed animal and were given gift boxes. We were all so touched when they presented us each with a hand made construction paper flower. Those are the moments when we realize that maybe God brought us here to be changed and blessed.
After the preschool, we ate lunch at the training center and finished up work in our "tutu sweat shop". We then headed to Rakovitsa, the gypsy village. With over 4000 people, Rakovitsa village is a huge opportunity to spread the word of God. We traveled up to the school and were able to tour a classroom full of children. Then we walked through the village like the pied piper, gathering children all the way to the church. We put together a mini Vacation Bible School for these sweet children including Daniel in the Lion's Den, songs, the incredible enlarging maching, and crafts. We set up 3 tables of visor decorating, hand tracing and butterfly making to engage the children. It is so apparent how very little praise or validation they receive for their good works.

Words cannot described how touched our hearts were today. We ask for your prayers for change in Rakovitsa, acceptance of God's love and our giving spirits, compassionate workers at the schools and orphanages, and most of all that these incredible people come to know The Lord.

Ciao again from Borovtsi!

Finally up and Running!

The blog is finally up and running! Sorry for the delay we have had some technical issues logging in.

 Over the last few days we have had such an amazing and blessed
ttime in Bulgaria- we can tell that The Lord is working in this place.

Sunday May 26th-
        We were able to worship with a church in Vurshets. Skip preached, Lee Allen played piano and sang a solo, we sang English & Bulgarian songs  and were able to have some meaningful interaction with the church members. We gave away the crosses we wore to members of the church. They gave us homemade food and cookies. The church windows face the gorgeous back drop of Bulgarian mountains (who needs Stained glass when your scenery is so picturesque).
       We ate lunch at Klisurski monastery and toured there. We then spent the afternoon working at the training center with the boys preparing for the days ahead. Dr. Tom did eye exams and now one of the sweet boys is called "Harry Potter's brother". These boys are all over the age of 18, either homeless or from orphanages. Most are gypsies, which is seen as negative and lowly here in Bulgaria. They are so hardworking and absolutely hilarious. Ivan the Curly (because of his curly hair) renamed everyone- Mark is now Justin Beiber! Judy is doing such amazing things with them there; we are so thankful to be able to interact with them and pray for them. Lee Allen led the devotion; the boys loved singing and playing instruments together with us.

Monday May 27th-
      What a touching day filled with so much love. Our morning started out at  the orphanage for the disabled. It is amazing to see what joy and life it brings them just to interact with people. We sang Jesus Loves Me in Bulgarian, Father Abraham, Hokey Pokey, This Little Light of mine--all while they played instruments and danced along. We acted out the  story of Daniel in the Lions Den and then they did (costumes and all). It is amazing how they remember the returning trip members-such an instant connection. We each fell in love with different kids, all of whom now hold a special place in our heart. Upon leaving, we took the time to pray for these special children and those that care for them. They are so deprived of human contact and love; we ask your prayers for them, the director, and the workers there.
    After lunch at the training center we went to the preschool orphanage. We brought gifts, played, danced, sang and acted out bible stories. Daniel and the Lions' Den is a crowd favorite. Mark is Daniel, Reagan and Kay are Lions, Tom/Lee Allen alternate being king, Cindy is the angel, and Midge, Jane or Phyllis tell the story. Dr. Tom checked every child's eyes and Dr. B did all the children's physicals.  Again we ask for you continued prayers for these precious children of God. Good news-- three brothers are being adopted by an American Family!!
    The orphanage staff are continually amazed that "professional" Americans would lower themselves to the level of a child and play on the floor. Pray for these workers that their hearts may be softened and changed by the love of Christ.

Ciao from Borovtsi

Safely Home

We made it back it back home safely.  Thanks for following along.  We'll try to get some pictures up later this week.

A Visit to Plovdiv

Well, we're at the end of our trip, so today we took an excursion over to the city of Plovdiv, which is just under a 2-hour drive.  It's the second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia (the capital) and is an old Roman city.  There are three Roman amphitheaters in town that are still in use today.  Paul gave us a walking tour of old town, and we also took a walk down the main pedestrian shopping street in the new town.  It's a sophisticated city and much more like a western European city than Sofia.  We had an enjoyable lunch in an outdoor restaurant in old town along the city wall.

We came back to Sofia for dinner with Paul and Judy here at the hotel restaurant.  We ended the day with a debrief of our trip, our evening devotional, and a time for prayer.  We got all the suitcases sorted and packed for what stays in Bulgaria and what goes back to the States with us.

We leave bright and early in the morning for a 7:15 flight.  Hopefully we'll have better success at getting home than we had getting here!  Our intended route is Sofia - Munich - Charlotte - Knoxville.

It's been another great trip to Bulgaria and the orphanages, and we hate to leave.  We'll look forward to coming again next year.

Thanks for following us via this blog and for praying for us.  You're very much part of our team in doing so.

Shalom,
Team Bulgaria

A Great Program in Vidrare

We woke up to this morning in Vratsa to the beautiful mountain in front of the hotel.  It's a wonderful part of God's creation.  We drove a little more than an hour to the town of Vidrare, where there is another handicap orphanage.  The Morristown team has been there in years past, although they didn't spend much time there and didn't know too many of the children.  It is a very different home than Berk 4.  It's in the middle of town and is colorful and well kept.  They have a very engaged director (who speaks English quite well) and also a music and arts director.

And what a treat we were in for!  June 1 is the International Day of the Child, so in celebration, they put on a music program.  It was a big production, and we weren't the only guests.  There were many folks in from the community, and the mayor sent greetings.  There was also a mission group from Trevecca University in Nashville and a group of nursing students from Shorter University in Georgia.  Upon arrival, we were greeted with piping hot, fresh baked bread with Bulgarian spices, and everyone was given a small bouquet of flowers cut from the garden.

All the children were in their best clothes -- the boys all had black pants, white shirts, and red bow ties, and the girls had on their best dresses.  There were songs sung, poems recited, and dances performed.  It was an impressive show!  They actually take shows on the road sometimes and recently even entered a talent show of area schools.  They shot fireworks for the grand finale.  The whole program was outside, and it was perfect weather.

Afterwards, we got to spent time playing with children, rubbing backs, and holding them.  It is such a joy to be with such special children.  In addition to the children who performed (who were the ones able to do so), there were many more children outside with us.  We were also able to spend some time with the director, and we prayed with him as a group before we left.

This is a great home, and Paul and Judy have a great relationship with the director.  They have also hired someone through Bulgarian Child who lives there and works there.

In the afternoon, we headed back to Sofia and went into the city for some touring.  We ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then arrived at Hotel Jasmine, where we have stayed in the past.  We debriefed and had our devotional and decided to work tomorrow on packing logistics -- everything that came over that needs to get to orphanages and the manger scenes that the Berk 4 residents make that need to get to the U.S. to be sold.  We were just too tired to do it tonight!  We were excited that our eleventh bag finally arrived today from the airport.

Tomorrow we take an excursion over to the city of Plovdiv.  It is the second largest city in Bulgaria and was once a Roman city, so there are lots of Roman relics still there, including a large amphitheater still in use.

Signing off from Sofia,
Team Bulgaria

Berk 4 and the Gypsy Village

Yet another great day with special friends in Bulgaria.  We started this morning in the Berk 4 orphanage, which is a home for the physically and mentally handicapped with an age range of 5 to probably 40.  It is the best handicap orphanage in the country, with workers who care and residents who help take care of each other.  It is one big family and community.  We spent time in five different rooms, which are divided largely based on care needs.  We were able to tell Bible stories as we acted them out and then invited them to act out the story as well.  We sang, played musical instruments (a bit loud and chaotic!), colored with crayons, held, rubbed backs, loved, and prayed.

You definitely realize that each resident has a unique personality and is an individual, intentional creation of God.  We don't know why they were made with minds and bodies that they have, and the world discounts them because of that, but they are wonderful individuals with lots of personality in many cases.

We were also able to meet with the new director that just started last week.  He doesn't have a background in social work, orphanages, or the handicapped, so he has lots to learn.  However, he received us and said he appreciated our work.  He asked our impression of the home, and we gave lots of positive feedback and left him with gifts.  We told him we were praying for him, and we prayed for him after we left his office.

We spent the afternoon in the gypsy village on the outskirts of Berkovitsa.  We parked at the Baptist Church, which is at the entrance to the village, and walked up through the village and back gathering children.  There was lots of excitement as they saw us walking through the streets!  We wound up with over 100 children back at the church where we had a fun afternoon of 'Sunday school' with them.

We sang, told Bible stories, acted them out, colored, decorated sun visors that they got to keep, and loved on them.  Jane and Debbie together led a great event with nothing but clapping -- totally impromptu --  which transcended language and engaged the whole group!  This type of outreach helps the church to reach out to the children and their families throughout the year.  Gypsies are looked down upon by society, usually are isolated in separate villages, typically have rundown houses, and are very poor.  However, once this church was established there, it really helped bring spiritual transformation to the village.  The crime rate even improved.  The pastor wasn't there today, but it was a joy to pray with his wife and several other women in the church.  They are truly sisters in Christ.

We went back by the Borovtsi Learning Center and spent some time praying there, as it's only a little more than a week from when the first residents arrive.  We prayed in all the dorm rooms, the cafeteria, the meeting rooms, and the offices.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to stop by the baby home again this afternoon to drop off the baby blankets that had arrived in our lost luggage.  The director had to leave early today, and she said another day would probably be better.  Paul and Judy will get them to her after we leave.

We drove to the town of Vratsa for dinner and to spend the night at the Hotel Chaika, which is in a beautiful setting in the mountains.  In fact, the hotel is at the base of a 1500-foot rock face, and the view from the front is spectacular.

After a wonderful dinner, debrief of the day, and our evening devotional, we're all tired and ready for bed.  Good night from Vratsa.

Our hearts have been stolen...

Another great day in Bulgaria.  We started the day at the preschool home where we had been on Monday as well.  We had a long time with them this morning, and they were singing for us as we arrived.  After joining them for more singing, we told the story of David and Goliath -- Tom was David, and Skip was Goliath, complete with a great crash to the ground as he was killed!  Two other sets of children also acted out the story.  We told them that God gives us each tasks to do, and He will give us the strength to accomplish them.

Each child there is so precious.  A few of them really stole our hearts today.  Several of us have particular children we felt called to pray for.

While we were there, Katya and Asya (our translators) spoke with a teacher, and they said she was impressed that professional, educated people from America would choose to come to Bulgaria and play with the children on the floor.  Apparently, that would be very unusual for a Bulgarian professional to do.  She also commented that she could tell our love for doing that came from our hearts.  Katya offered a more full explanation -- that our love of Christ was the reason we did that.  It reminded us to pray for the workers.  Think what a difference it would make in an orphanage if the workers knew and followed Jesus!

We headed to the Borovtsi Learning Center for lunch, and we stayed there to work the rest of the afternoon.  The Learning Center is for orphans who have aged out of the orphanage system.  They typically have no skills, no money, and no place to go and often wind up on the street.  The Center will give them a place to live for 12-18 months, teach them life skills and vocational skills, and provide spiritual teaching too.  There is nothing like this in Bulgaria.  The first twelve residents arrive on June 10, and there is still much to do.  We fixed, cleaned, hung curtains, and moved furniture to get ready.  Staff training is going on this week, with Daniel and Katie (the missionaries from Australia) doing much of the teaching.  Skip taught a session this afternoon on ethics.

After a quick trip to the lake a mile or two down the road from the Center, we headed back to Berkovitsa, where the ladies at the hotel cooked a lamb dinner for us.  Yum.  We had a debrief of the day, which Ian led and tied into Matthew 16:24, where Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

On the logistics front, four more of our suitcases arrived today, which only leaves one of the eleven still not here.  Most of the baby blankets were in the bags that came, so we'll be able to stop by the baby home again (where we were on Monday) on our way out of Berkovitsa tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for following along with us.  Tomorrow we'll be at Berk 4 (the handicap home) in the morning, Rockavitsa (the gypsy village) in the afternoon, and then up to a hotel in the mountain town of Vratsa tomorrow night, to get us closer to the orphanage where we'll be on Friday for another Hawaiian luau party.

Good night from Berkovitsa.

Terrific Tuesday!

What a fun day!! Started off with a pizza party and ended with playing with kids...

We began the day getting ready for a pizza party at the local pizza hall for the handicap kids at one of the orphanages. We had prepared for a Luau theme... so we had Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, games, and gift bags. At the pizza hall we placed visors at each place for the kids to decorate while they waited for their friends to be bused down to the party (it took several van loads to get a little over 50 kids there). We gave them leis when they walked in, as well as pineapple shaped sunglasses, stickers, and a banana (a fruit they really like). When everyone had arrived, we cranked up the music and danced our feet off... the Chicken Dance (which was requested again later), Cupid Shuffle, Surfin' USA, and some other great classic American music that made us jump, twirl, and sweat, provided by the DJ. We then ate about 50 pizzas and the kids got juice. They sang some songs and we gave them treat bags that included an apple, a pen, and a mini beach ball. OH MY!!! We had sooo much fun!!! It was good to reunite with these kids and to have a fun time... putting a smile on each of their faces. It was a highlight to see how excited these kids got. I (Rachel) traced a cross on one of the girl's stickers on her hand and she smiled and pointed to the cross around my neck - recognizing that they were the same symbol and that we were there for that. Leanne and Ian broke it down on the dance floor with the kids - especially noted was the song that goes "jump, jump around" and the kids knew the words (at least how to say them and not what they meant). Haley and Debbie spent some time with a special friend of our group who cannot stand without help and who cannot see very well - Haley helped him make a visor and they both danced with him. Skip spent some time with one of the young men who is blind - he also helped him with his visor and danced with him. Jane, Midge and Jim danced all around and loved on the kids... and Tom stood on the chairs doing the chicken dance! I'm sure we were a sight!

After this we drove to a city in the north on the Danube River. We saw the river and Ian, Haley, and Tom skipped rocks. It was fun. Then, in that city, we went to an orphanage for school-aged children (ranging from first grade to high school). We put shoes on these kids feet and then played and played with them - jumping rope, braiding hair, talking, laughing, and just spending quality time. The kids had a choice to be there or not - it was a time they could go out and do their own thing, but they ALL chose to stay and wait for our group and to get new shoes. There were about 50 kids at this home (not including the younger kids who were in a different building). Especially noted were the older young men - about 15, 16, 17, & 18 years old - who stuck around and wanted interaction with our group. They talked and showed off and were a joy to have around.

Please pray for the children we reunited with today and those that we met for the first time. Oh how our Father cares! May they see His joy and His delight in each of them - they are each so unique and special in His heart. And they are so special and such a joy to us. Pray for their protection and for their health... and that they know they are not fatherless - oh how HE loves them!

Love to you all at home!

We Are Really Here!!!

What a journey! We are finally glad to say we are in Bulgaria!! Lol! The last we wrote was in New York. We got a three-hour tour of the city... it was a lovely fun time. Then after the exciting day we again went to the airport Saturday evening for our second attempt to fly out of the country (with the first one missed because of a delayed flight from Knox). We finally caught a fight to London... although it wasn't without a delay leaving Newark. So yes, we were late arriving in London and missed our next flight to Sofia (the capital city of Bulgaria). Then the majority of the team was redirected through Brussels, Belgium to Sofia... but the flight was two seats short. Jim and Rachel took an Athens to Sofia route instead. The majority group arrive in Sofia late Sunday night then drove over 2.5 hours to get to their hotel... finally making it to bed by 2am. Jim & Rach arrived later than the other group and spent the night in the missionaries' home (Judy and Paul) in Sofia.

The team reunited early Monday morning (today) for a great day! We were very relieved to finally be in Bulgaria and begin the work. We began the day at the Training Center (where we did construction work last year) and how good it looks!! It has come a long way and is ready to house residents the week after we leave. After touring there we headed to a preschool-aged orphanage to tell a Bible story and color and play and sing with the kids. The hokey-pokey was again a big hit. After this we went to a beautiful Orthodox monastery near the preschool home. There we learned from the local priest about that church.

In the afternoon we went to a baby orphanage (ages birth to 2) to put shoes on their feet. We loved on the kids and held them and gave them new shoes. There were touching moments as we all held these precious little children - some of which are months old. Knowing that they are made in God's image, it made it all the more special knowing that God sees and loves these little ones. Our hearts were changed. It has been a long journey to get a good nights sleep now, so we are signing off for bed. :) We will write again tomorrow.

We Made It!! ... to New Jersey

Greetings! Welcome to the Bulgaria Team's blog. Once again we are blessed to go to Bulgaria (and other 'slight' detours); it's our 5th year going. We left yesterday on our journey... and it hasn't been without its challenges. :) Before we left there were circumstances in Bulgaria that might prevent us from going into some of our favorite orphanages. We realized early on that this was to be a prayer trip as much as (if not more than) a trip to go "do stuff". God has opened doors and we will get to go into the places we didn't think possible. We also expect surprises on the way... and not always in the way we expect. Which leads to the 'slight detour' that we are on now. :) Let's just say that if our first pictures look like New York City... it probably is. We made it from Knoxville into Newark 3 hours late yesterday and Newark was a mad house (late flights were the fashion)... they couldn't get us out last night. It wasn't without trying. We set the new record of standing at the customer service desk: 4 hours & some change. We made good friends though with the ticket agents (several of them) and a pigeon (roaming freely in the airport), and by the end of it they (the ticket agents, not the pigeon) gave food vouchers and free hotel (though they weren't handing those out freely). The 4 hours didn't pass without entertainment - besides the pigeon, discussins of probably losing luggage for several days came up... but have no fear, the team came up with 'plan B': to use the things in our carry on for the entertainment and mission work. Tom created sock puppets and ideas of a puppet song and dance team emerged. Characters in the airport helped keep the juices flowing. We will visit in New York today and fly out tonight for London... then on to Sofia, Bulgaria. We would very much appreciate your prayers. :) We may be the ones going, but our prayer warriors are doing the hardest work. Thank you!!! Ciao!

Tallinn in the Rain Smiling

It's sad for us that this was our last day in Estonia.  We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel this morning and then took about a 30 minute walk to the Baltic Mission Center.  We met with Taavi Hollman for about an hour and had a very helpful discussion about the Methodist Church in Estonia and about the partnership between the Morristown and Aseri Churches.  We also got a tour of the seminary, spoke with Meeli the seminary director, and saw the sanctuary used by both the Estonian and Russian speaking congregations.

We said our goodbyes to our team member Susan (the American from Atlanta who is in Estonia for a year), and we already missed her throughout the day and evening.  Taavi drove the rest of us to the outdoor historical museum, which has old buildings, houses, barns, and windmills that have been moved from all over Estonia.  Many of these are original buildings from the 1800 and 1900s.  Workers are in period costumes, and we ate lunch at the "tavern."

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in Old Town Tallinn shopping and eating.  Unfortunately, it was windy and rainy most of the day, so we arrived back at the hotel tonight quite wet but all in good spirits.

Tomorrow morning we take a ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, Finland to catch our flight from there (the flight schedules worked out better that way).  It's a 2-hour ride by boat on a large ferry, as big as many cruise liners.  Then home via Chicago and Knoxville.

We look forward to seeing everybody soon on the home-side of the pond!

Much love,
Team Estonia

Greetings from Tallinn

Hello from rainy Tallinn.  We started out from Voru this morning after another visit with the Kants who stopped by our hotel.  The drive north to Tallinn took about three and a half hours, with rain off and on along the way.  We met Viktor's son Andre, who helped us to our hotel and then gave him the van we have been using all week.  Kristina, from Aseri, has been with us all week, and we said our goodbyes to her this afternoon.  She was a tremendous help.

We had a late lunch and spent the late afternoon and evening wandering around the streets of Old Tallinn.  It is a beautiful, colorful, and old city.  Town Hall was built in 1404.  We got a bird's eye view of the city by climbing one of the church's bell tours, went in the Russian Orthodox church, stopped in some shops, and ate dinner at a medieval restaurant.

We ended the evening at the hotel with a time of prayer for Estonia and for those we've met this week.

Tomorrow we head to the Baltic Mission Center at 10:30 to meet with Taavi Hollman, the District Superintendent of Estonia.  We will also tour the church and seminary located within the Center.

It's late and we're off to bed....

Another Great Day

Each day here seems to be led by God.  Today's theme was prayer. We left Camp Gideon in the bright sunshine. We prayed before we left that we might be open to what God brings our way.  We drove south past lake Pepsi (not the spelling but sounds like it) on our way to Voru to see Kaupo and Thea Kant.  We stopped in Tartu for lunch. Tartu was a large university city, Estonian for sure and very hip and trendy.  Cafes all around.  We visited the UMC there. It was beautifully constructed only 9 years ago. Pastor Priit happened to be at the church and he gave us a tour.  We prayed for him and the ministry there in Tartu. 

Next we drove south and met Kaupo and Thea Kant.  Scott and Kate were in small group with them in Asbury Seminary.  It was soooo good to see them.  We ate with them for lunch (awesome as usual) then gave a tour of their church under construction.  They are people of faith and deeply value prayer.  We prayed for Voru church on the building site.  We saw all the work of FBSUMC on their mission trip a month ago and how much progress has been made. After Kaupo picked up Tea, pastor of Viitka church south of Voru. This church in Viitka has great God stories that time does not permit me to write. Bottom line, God provided this small rural town with a church, a building, and a ministry to youth. The pastor has so much faith and pastors while still looking for a full time job.  We prayed for Viitka church.

We then drove to Russian Border, saw it and prayed. We drove to Latvian border (15min away) and took pictures.  We drove to another church south west of voru and heard great stories of how God is working in rural areas.  We saw another UMC there and prayed for it. We then went to highest mountain (hill) in Estonia and Baltic Region and prayed for the whole country of Estonia.  We closed our evening with Dinner at the Kants.  Once again, great stories of how God is working and providing.  Thea's father is very ill and we had to leave.  Please pray for Rein right now in Tallinn. 

We left our extra supplies from Aseri with Kaupo and Thea and their ministry to children and outreach.  We closed as a team debriefing the day and in prayer.  God has shown me a couple things. First, what we are seeing here is apostolic Christianity.  one believer bringing in someone to faith, discipling them, training them and moving out.  Kaupo led both people who are serving as pastors in Viitka and other church in southwest to the Lord and later discipled them for ministry.  This kind of ministry is slow and does not have large numbers at first, but shows fruit over the years. 

Second, I see the value of staying in one area for time.  Pastors here don't move, much, they are called to regions.  Pastor Viktor in Aseri for 9 years, Pastor Priit in Tartu for 16 yrs (he is only 42), Kaupo in Voru since 1996 (15 yrs).  Imagine all leaders of Estonian Methodist church were the size of crusaders sunday school class (40 ish).  Imagine them covering a whole country. Their job to advance the church is to grow it by conversions, not to move up the ladder.  Many of the pastors are bivocational and have it extremely hard.  I realize I have to do a better job in prayer.

Third, seeing five different church locations today including camp Gideon, helps me place Aseri building and ministry needs in larger context.  There will be more discussions when coming home on how to best partner with Aseri Church. 

Tomorrow off to Tallinn for two days.  God Bless you.

Scott for Team

Happy Thanksgiving!

It was a great day at Aseri.  We started the morning with a relaxed timetable at Camp Gideon, where several of us sat out by the Baltic Sea.  It was a good time of personal worship.  We left to head to Aseri Church for the worship service starting at noon.  This was a special day for the church because it was to celebrate the fall harvest.  This is an annual event for churches and families in Estonia to give thanks for the food that God provides.  There's no designated day for this celebration, so it's a blessing for us to be here when Aseri Church celebrated.  They made a beautiful display of vegetables, fruits, and flowers grown by church members and offered as a thanks offering.

Church is normally two hours in Aseri, and today was no exception; however, we kept going for many hours with a fellowship time.  It was a joyous time of worship together.  There were many elements to our time there, including singing led by both the church and us and a solo by Scott.  Pastor Viktor led a prayer time, including prayer for America because of  9/11.  Kate, Rachel, and Jim shared their testimonies, and Jim gave a message from Colossians 2.  Scott and Pastor Viktor together led in giving the Lord's supper.  It was a great worship service.  Even though separated by language and country, we have everything in common in Christ.

Then, following the 2-hour service, we started in on the time for fellowship.  The women of the church prepared a feast for us, including lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.  There was plenty of delicious food, and no one left hungry.  A church from a neighboring town joined us for the meal and began the singing.  We sang for the next few hours!  It was fantastic and included an accordion, tambourine, guitars, and keyboard at various times.  The children got up an recited thanksgiving poems, and several adults read poems and writings.  We were sorry we couldn't join in singing the Russian songs with everyone else.  Things finally began to wrap up around 6:30 pm, and it was about 7:30 when we left.  How often can you say you were at a Sunday church event for 7 hours and loved every minute of it?

Even though we had feasted in the afternoon, we decided we should have a light supper.  We went to a hotel and restaurant on the Baltic Sea not far from Camp Gideon.  Wow -- it was a nice place with great food and a great location.

We're tired and ready for bed.  Tomorrow we're off to the south of the country to the city of Voru.

Day Three from Aseri

Welcome back.  It is at the end of a good day.  We had a day camp with the children of the church and community. 10 kids came to join us for a day of fun.  Rachel did a great job leading the whole day. Kate led the games with kids and we learned one another's names.  Leigh did an awesome job with crafts. The bubble tools Leigh developed were a big hit. Jim and Scott did whatever else was needed and helped with everything else.  It was great the Lord blessed us with sunshine and good weather.

Rachel shared throughout the day about how God created the world, sin separated us from God, and Jesus came to restore us to that relationship. Susan shared well how we need to respond to God's gift. We made salvation bracelets to make sure we understand the message and share it.

Kristina and Victoria did a great job leading the kids in song and doing what is necessary.  They are great examples of Estonian youth committed to Christ. 

We closed the day by going to Ira and Dimitri's house where they have a garden and they cooked out for us and shared their fresh vegetables.  Their hospitality has been truly exceptional.

We will share pictures when we get back. It is really hard to do that here.  Tomorrow we worship together.  Jim will preach and we will share communion celebration.  Tomorrow is also their harvest festival.  This is the time of year for us like thanksgiving. After church we will have a large eating time and fellowship together.  While the Aseri Community has hardships, this church is doing well with their commitment to Christ and reaching out.

We closed the night by going outside and looking at the stars over the Baltic sea. It is a full moon and you can see the stars well from here, even with the full moon.  If you read this blog, pray for us as we follow Christ this week.

A Full Day in Aseri

Good evening from Estonia!  We arrived yesterday with no problems -- sorry we weren't able to get on the internet last night to let you know we made it.  We were greeted at the airport by Kristina (from Aseri), Andre (Viktor's son), and Julia (Maksim's wife).  We headed out from Tallinn and drove to Aseri, stopping for a late lunch along the way.  We got a small tour of the town, had dinner at the church (cooked by Tatiana), and stayed for a nice evening of fellowship.  We stayed at a new guesthouse/hotel just out from town along the main road.

Also, last night we gained another team member, an American from Georgia who is living in Estonia for a year.  Her name is Susan, and we're glad to have her with us.

This morning began a day full of surprises and adventures!  We didn't know what we had in store.

We began by going to Aseri School, the public school in town that is grades 1-12 with 156 total students.  As a group, we spoke to three different classes for 45 minutes each about life in America and Tennessee.  All the students are studying English and were excited to have Americans to speak with.  The school told us we were the first Americans to ever teach classes.  It was a treat for us and for them to be there.  We were truly their guests and were welcomed graciously with love, lunch in the cafeteria, coffee/tea, and a tour.  The school was started in 1905 and maintains a museum about the school and Aseri.  It was nice for us to see the heritage of the area and hear stories from two teachers, one of whom had attended Aseri School as a child.  An interesting piece of the history is that the original school building is now the Aseri Methodist Church!  We were at the school from 9:00am to 1:30pm and had a great exchange with students and teachers.

We then headed to Camp Gideon, about a 30 minute drive from Aseri, where we will be spending the next three nights.  This is an amazing place with an amazing story.  It is a camp built on the shore of the Baltic Sea, originally built by the Russians in the 1920s or 30s after Russian occupation of Estonia.  After the Germans occupied around WWII, it became a retreat for German officers.  Then once the Soviets occupied at the end of the war, it became a Red Pioneer camp, a communist indoctrination camp for children.  Wow, what a history already!  The Methodist Church was able to purchase this abandoned property in the 1990s, and it is now a Christian camp for children and youth from all over the world.  Just this summer, we know there were Estonians, Russians, Americans, Brazilians, Israelis, and Australians here.  What a transformation from the past history of the camp.  God can do amazing things.

Late afternoon, we were due back at the Aseri Church for snacks and to prepare for an evening worship service since we are in town.  However, today was a special 'sports day' for the town of Aseri, an annual event where the whole town comes out for a walk/run.  They told us to bring shoes and clothes with us for it.  Not really knowing what to expect, we asked a few questions beforehand and found out that the run was more than we thought.  And in fact, it seemed to keep getting longer the more questions we asked.  It turns out it was a 6k race (3.6 miles)!  We had already volunteered and gotten our race numbers.   Hmmm....  Scott, Rachel, and Jim ran the 6k, and Kate, Leigh, Susan, and our Estonian friends walked a 4k walk.  Did I mention it rained on us after we started?  Apparently, only serious runners run the 6k, because we Americans were left in the dust (or rather, the clay mud).  At home, we would be middle-of-the-pack runners, but here we weren't.  Oh well; we were pleased with our times.  The walkers had an amazing narrated tour of Aseri as they walked and really enjoyed it.

We came back to the church after the big athletic event for an evening service.  It was a joy to see Pastor Viktor again.  He had been in Finland for work this week and was just able to join us for the first time this evening.  We sang together with the church, and several of us spoke -- Susan and Leigh gave their testimonies, and Scott preached.  We fellowshipped and ate dinner at the church afterwards.  It was a good evening.

We are now back at Camp Gideon and settled in for the night.  It is cool and raining, so the covers will feel good tonight.  Tomorrow we are doing a kids day at the church for the children of Aseri.  Please pray for our day.

Good night from Estonia.
Jim and Rachel, for the team

Finland

We have arrived safely in Helsinki, Finland. :) We have a 3 hour layover and then will head to Tallinn (arriving about 12:15pm -- that's 5:15am EST).

We're a little sleep deprived.

Not sure about internet in Estonia once we arrive, but we'll post pictures when possible.

Peace.

Tallinn Ho!

What a joy to head to Estonia! The team of 5 - Scott, Kate, Leigh, Jim, and Rachel are on their way!

We are sitting in the Knoxville airport currently ready for our journey. Kate almost had the peanut butter she was bringing as a gift (American PB was requested by some) conficated through the security - but they let her go back and recheck it. She is back with us now and all is well.

We are eating Cinnabon. :)

Peace to all. We'll continue to post as possible - here are a few prayer requests for now:

(1) safe travel
(2) the Estonians' hearts are prepared and there are no 'walls' to break down between the two cultures
(3) our preparation - spiritually, mentally, and physically
(4) great relationships established
(5) God's work to be done

Blessings,
Team Estonia

Pictures of Learning Center and Ceremony

The Learning Center - ready for the Opening

Jim and the NEW doors - installed the evening before the opening

The front entrance hall

 

People at the ceremony - in one of the large classrooms

The other classroom

The mock hotel room that the residents will learn how to host people

A hall that we saw from brick to this... it's nice!

The dorm hallway (notice there are doors!!)

Inside one of the dorm rooms

Workers who have been working hard cleaned up and came to the ceremony

Jim eating the AMAZING strawberries - why can't we grow them like this in the US??

Jim, Stancho, and Stani - posing for the picture

The house parents for the Learning Center. From L to R - Hristo, Marianna, Katie, and Daniel.

Katie and Rachel modeling in front of the stair rail (bars) they painted

Rachel in the country side of Borovtsi (where the learning center is located)

Jim in front of the lake near the learning center