Greetings from the colourful autumnal Riga!
„Everything is new in September…“ said once my first-grade primer. Everything is new for us, too, as Rasmus started the first grade of Riga Estonian School. I would never have thought that starting school could be such a complicated and time-consuming endeavour. The fact that my child did this in a country where I’ve never went to school myself probably adds to the complexity. The requirements are very different from those of the schools in Estonia and understanding them takes time. The most important thing is that Rasmus enjoys going to school and over time he will get used to having to study at home as well. Before school, Rasmus used to say he was a Latvian, from the first week at school he is an Estonian, because he was born on Hiiumaa (this is his own explanation, but in reality he just discovered a bit less is required of him as an Estonian in Latvian lessons 🙂 ). 
Since Rasmus’ class teacher is Estonian, he is learning most of the subjects in Estonian (he is spoken to in Estonian while Latvian is spoken to others), Estonian as a second language is not a difficult subject for him and he even corrected the teacher while talking about a classic in Estonian children’s literature 🙂 . He’s having difficulties with Latvian and with reading and writing in all three languages (Estonian, Latvian, English). But this also will get better with time and practice. We are happy that there is a school in Riga where a bilingual (or in our case almost trilingual) child’s individuality is understood and supported and that in the future, it will be possible to continue studies in other languages as well. In September, our main focus was Rasmus’ school and trying to settle the routine of school, home and hip-hop dance class. October is already more relaxed and soon there will be school holidays that we are going to spend in Hiiumaa.
Starting this autumn, Kaspar is officially the leader of YWAM Riga (before that he was a substitute leader) and has committed to this position for the next two years. He continues to work in the YWAM Latvia coordinating team and of course we both lead Wings for Wheels together.
We have had several good communication specialists working with YWAM Latvia who move on after a while, leaving their work to the next person. As I stay in YWAM steadily, many jobs tend to end up as my duty. However, I have minimal knowledge of web design and communication. After already the fifth webpage (all five demanding different levels of skill) became my responsibility, I understood I need more training. There is a hope that I could go to London for a week in November or early December to learn a bit with the YWAM communication specialists there. This is a prayer point, as this time, the problem is not (only) the lack of finances, but also the fact that at that time, Kaspar and Rasmus would have to manage school, dance lessons, housework and studying. I would not mind studying in Estonia for a week – it would be less expensive and closer to home, but so far, no one has made me an offer. Time-wise I am considering only November or December, because we are hoping for the arrival of our daughter sometime in the winter or the spring (though the line is moving on very slowly…).
For Wings for Wheels, autumn marks the start of a new year. We are planning out the next year, so we have not been as busy as in spring and summer. 
There will be a charity concert held on Advent Sunday, raising funds for a wheelchair lift van for Wings for Wheels. We do have most of the money and we could buy a smaller, older kind of van already, but we actually need a van that has room for several people in wheelchairs and that would not fall apart during the first ride. Therefore, if you cannot make it to the concert in Riga, but would like to support our buying of the van, here is our bank information:
Jaunatne ar Misiju Riga
SEB banka: LV83UNLA0050023418649
SWIFT: UNLALV2X
reg.nr. 99500003828
Antonijas iela 4-1, Rīga, LV-1010
Explanation: Donation for van
Here you can watch a video in Latvian (with English subtitles) explaining why we need a van in the first place. 😉
The other bigger project this year will be a banquet dedicated to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 5 in the Latvian National Library. We already have the first sponsors for that.
W4W has entered its first year of jubilee – we are turning 10 years old on August 31 2017. Also turning ten is the Challenge camp, taking place from June 30 to July 8 according to the current plans. The birthday celebration will be held from August 4 to 6. 
This summer we had a mini-DTS, Challenge 9 camp and a camp for people with mobile disabilities in Armenia. By clicking the links you can read more about them. The story about the Armenian camp can be read in English as well as in Russian.
In summer we also presented a poetry collection in Russian. If you would like to support the author by buying it, please let us know. More photos can be found here
Do you like the work we are doing? Would you like to be a part of it? There are many opportunities for that:
1) You can become a Wings for Wheels intercessor and have prayer needs sent to you monthly. Please let me know and I will add you to the mailing list.
2) You can give regular financial support to W4W or our family.
3) Come and help. We have always had some English speakers at our camps and they have managed very well.
4) Invite us for a visit 🙂 Would you like us to come and speak about our work or explain how to open your church to people with disabilities? If you are in or near Latvia, let us know and we can figure out a suitable time.
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (a person with and without a disability)—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:12-15)
Wishing you blessings,
Evelyn, Kaspars and Rasmus
Wings for Wheels
YWAM Riga