Greetings from springy Riga,
Evelyn, Kaspars and Rasmus are doing well. Rasmus is the hardest worker among them, because he is already learning to walk and knows how to sit, to crawl and to stand independently. We think it is a bit early, because he is just 8 month old, but Rasmus keeps up with his own exercise program. He also has learnt two words: mommy in Estonian and daddy in Latvian. At the moment he is exercising thank you in Estonian. Kaspar is doing well with his studies and after this spring he has only one year more to study for complete his studies. I (Evelyn) am mostly busy with Rasmus, but also helped in Latvia Mission Days with seminar about myths of mission and was in mercy project leadership team (more about it later).
Wings for Wheels – ministry among people with mobile disabilities
Wings for Wheels small group temporally stopped for winter, because of cold and lot of snow prevented people with wheelchairs to get out of their homes. We hope to start with small group soon again. In February happened first disability awareness trip to Christian rehabilitation centre for addicted. It went so well that Kaspars, Ailita and Baiba spent there 4 hours instead of 1.5 what was planned.
International Christian Social Project in Sabile 2010
There were humanitarian and social project takes place in small town of Sabile from 28th of February till 7th of March. Similar project organized by YWAM Stockholm and YWAM Latvia have been taken place already over ten years and always during 9th week of year. For me it was 5th time to take part and 4th one to be in this project leadership team. My task during preparation was to be registrar and communicator for Latvians. During project I was busy with making 46 teams out from 177 people from 15 nationalities and send them out for 7 different villages.
First days we spent for preparation – for prayers, making food bags and unloading humanitarian aid. During next days we divided into small teams to visit different villages and to organize different programs. With the help of local social offices we gave out for needy families over 1000 food bags and over 2300 people got clothing. 126 children took part from children programs and over 30 gave their heart to Jesus. Also during our evening evangelical events many people stood up to gave their lives to God. During this project we prayed “sinner prayer” with 111 people. There were free Christian concert organized on Saturday evening what packed small Sabile culture house – there were over 500 people together with us.
There was program for people with mobile disabilities organized by Wings for Wheels. Sadly there were only three locals taking part (deep snow was again an issue), but it was good to share and have fellowship with them. Same time I was with other team in ”Vegi” social care centre where lives over 160 mentally or/and physically challenged children and young people. Most of our team did program and played with people who are physically able bodied, but me with small team went to closed department where live people with complex disabilities. It was really sad to see that because of deep physical deformations made people to think that mind is affected also and it was never stimulated. Now this free mind is imprisoned into imperfect body and receiving only little or non attention. Because economical crisis in Latvia, government has hard time to provide even elementary needs for “Vegi”. We brought for them toilet papers, drawing materials, diapers, wheelchairs etc.
Rasmus handled his first mission project well thanks for my mom who traveled from Estonia to help with baby-sitting. He used this time to perfect his crawling skills and to learn to stand with support.
More photos from project are here
Thank you for you support and prayers!
Blessings,
Kaspars, Evelyn and Rasmus