Calendar is saying that we have spring here, but spring has been really slow this year. The same has happened with our spring newsletter what is late for many different reasons. It is a bit longer as usually and contains lot of exciting information.
International Christian Mercy Project Liepaja 2013
This year the project took place February 23 – March 3 in Liepaja, and we had 436 people from 34 countries. It was a bit different, because Liepaja is the biggest place we have ever been, and we had the biggest amount of people to reach and to organize different programs. It was the most challenging outreach for Evelyn, who was coordinating the people and leading the administration team.
Wings for Wheels led two programs for people with disabilities – we had program for 
people with sight disabilities and our usual program for people with mobile disabilities. For us, both programs where highlight of the outreach. Kaspars felt that he had to be the one to share the message in both programs, and he did prepare for it, but was not ready for the world best sermon. In the end of our first program he went to the front, opened mouth and spoke the best he has ever done, and it reached the people. It was clearly God speaking through his mouth. We knew it was possible, but never had actually experienced this. During the program for mobile disabilities we were 47 people packed into really small room. People were a bit skeptic in the beginning, but when testimony was shared it was possible to feel how it touched peoples hearts and atmosphere changed so much that Evelyn being very illustrative wanted to “cut the peace of it and eat it”. It was one of the few times when you really do not want to finish it and would like to enjoy it forever.
During the home visits Kaspars met a man who had cancer and lived in apartment that was in really bad condition without heat and electricity. After giving a food bag and sharing the Gospel, he wanted to accept Christ. After the prayer he asked once more can he be sure that he gets to the heaven after his death. We did give the list of new believers for local church pastors, but Kaspars wanted to be sure somebody will go to visit this man. He spoke with one local man who went to visit him soon after the outreach. Seeing the condition this man was living, he organized, with help of a local social worker, a new place in social house. It seems that after while he will get the place to stay with all the proper medical care he needs. This person’s life really changed after becoming a Christian.
Bellow are some numbers combined with the Matthew 25:35-36. 
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat” – during the outreach we made 1890 food bags.
“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink” – we offered tea and coffee for people stating on line to receive clothing
„I was a stranger and you invited me in”
– We had 252 people visiting open evening meetings
– We had children programs with 274 children
– We had youth programs with 723 teenagers
– We had program in orphanage with 72 children
– We had programs for elderly people in 5 social houses and in 2 day centers with 196 people
– We had program in day centre for mentally challenged with 28 people
– We had program in night shelter with 15 people
– We had program for people with sight disabilities with 40 people
– We had Love Feast with 901 people.
– We had women program with 253 women
– We had program for people with mobile disabilities with 47 people
“I needed clothes and you clothed me” – we gave clothing to 2683 people
“I was sick and you looked after me” – our medical team visited 10 homes and treated 34 patients
During the week, 401 people accepted Christ
We had follow-up meeting with 108 new believers
We worked together with 6 local churches from Liepaja
After we had left, one of the pastors wrote: “Thank you one more time for being a tremendous blessing here in Liepaja. It was also one of the greatest experiences for me in my Christian life. After the outreach week, instead of a usual 30 people we had 100 people who came to church on Sunday. Now we need to think how to take care of them! Praise the Lord for what He is doing.”
European Leaders Gathering (ELG)
Two weeks before the Mercy outreach YWAM Latvia took part in organizing an event for YWAM Europe leaders in February 4-8, 2013. We were both fully involved – Kaspars more in YWAM Riga leader point of view, and Evelyn with her administration skills. We had 150 people taking part in the gathering, and it was good time to network, but, at the same time, it was hard for Evelyn to share the focus between the two projects.
Wings for Wheels
We have exciting news to share. Our first handbook for churches “How to help people with disabilities” is ready and we are distributing it for churches. It contains information about people with disabilities situation, a short explanation of different disabilities and how to behave in contact with a person having a particular disability, as well as some practical advice how to promote people with disability and introduction in church. W4W is also in process for making a booklet.
“Challenge 6” – summer camp for people with mobile disabilities will be held again in Raiskums boarding school July 6-13. We already have 30 participants and some people are waiting on line in hope we will accept some more. It looks we would need to start to make two camps in a year to be able to accept more people, but fundraising for one camp is already really challenging. This year we do have 2000 euros to start with, but in the big picture it is only a seed of money. Would you like to help us with your fundraising skills? We have official ad made for this.
Personal news
5th of April 2013 we will have 10 year marriage anniversary. During this time we do celebrate it, but our dream is to have a proper holiday/honeymoon week in the end of October. During our 10 years of marriage we have traveled, but never were able to afford to have holiday trip for a dream country. It is not sure yet, but we hope to spend one week in South of Korea, and we are really looking forward for this.