Year 2014 can be called year of the change for us. Many things in our personal life have changed or going to.
Annual Mercy Ministry project did take place this year in Jelgava. In the big picture it did not differ from projects we have done in the past, but for our family it brought some changes. Usually this project take lot from me (Evelyn) and this year I was even thinking of not joining at all. Eventually I did decide to take part of it again and best ever administrative team for the project was formed. Kaspar was also part of the team this year, but found it much more challenging as to be regular member. I am very thankful for all the work admin team did, because in the middle of the outreach I got so sick that was not able to work at all. Team continued my work successfully. Maybe next year I will be just coordinator for the team and not joining full time myself. We will see it later. So for me personally this project was easier as usual (because sleeping in the bed is easier 🙂 ), but because the illness lasted two weeks it did push all my planned works forward – as sending out this newsletter.
Statistically speaking we had 349 people from 32 nations and 117 from them were teenagers. We unloaded 7 truckloads of food and humanitarian aid, gave out 1500 food bags, handed out clothing for 3157 people. We organized programs for children, youth; evangelical meetings. We visited orphanage, elderly home, psyche neurological hospital, prison. We hold special events for women and for people with mobile disabilities. We had three hairdressers among us who gave a free haircut for 54 people. Statistically speaking round number does not look good, but we did have 300 people who accepted Jesus as their personal savior. Wings for Wheels was organizing the event for people with mobile disabilities and 77 people joined it. Not all of them had mobile disability, but all of them were need of the God. Thanks for the program we got contacts in Jelgava and W4W has possibility to continue the work there. Comparing with past projects something was really different in Jelgava – the response from the local churches. We never have had so many different congregations opened to work together with us. Even most of the events we planned were held in different churches. Churches will continue the work what we started and October 2014 Latvian Evangelical Student organization will held evangelical week also in Jelgava. God is in move!
Wings for Wheels will start with a new camp this summer – “Morning Dew”. It will take place at June 26-29 in the beautiful guest house not far from Estonian border. This camp is for Christians with mobile disabilities who want to get to know God and spend long weekend in fellowship with other Christians. Interesting is this that there are more staff who would like to come to the camp as we have interest from potential participants. “Challenge” camp has grown too big and all participants have to choose between the two camps. “Morning Dew” will happen the first time and the concept of this is not yet tested. Also for many of participants shortness of the camp is not appealing. Same time if camp is short we can keep the cost small and do intensive program. At the moment we still have four places free for participants to join.
“Challenge 7” will be held July (18)19-27 at Raiskums boarding school as it have been past years. We received first applications already last autumn, but we still have some places free for new participants. We prefer people who will join us first time and them who are spending most of their life trapped at their own home. Comparing with the cost of this camp (10 000€), “Morning Dew” is very cheap (2000€), but we still do not have most of the finances needed for the camp. Please pray for financial situation that it would not hold back organizing the camps. God has been faithful last 7 years and we know He will provide again. But He works through the people. So, you also can be part of the camps donating with small (or big 🙂 ) sums of money (no sum is too small). We have started to fundraise and you can see how the thermometers are growing in our page. Here you can see how you can help us and where to send donations to.
Ruzanna – W4W Russian department leader – will come to the Latvia in the end of April. It was really long for her to receive resident permit. Now we hope she can stay longer and continue the work among Russians with mobile disabilities. Please pray that she would find place to stay here in Latvia.
Wings for Wheels have good news. At 2008 when Kaspar was writing bachelor thesis, he needed clients with whom to work with his physiotherapy skills. He met Santa who was ready to receive free therapy, but was not at all interested of God. Now, a bit longer as 5 years later, she is follower of Christ, visiting church regularly and got baptized at March 31, 2014. Praise the Lord!
In the last newsletter we did ask prayers, because our car needed fixing and it was not sure can we continue to drive with this car. Thank you for prayers! We repaired the car, but after that we got really good offer to buy a new car – Toyota Avensis year 2006. We understood that it is answer from God. We found buyer for the old car and our Opel Astra will continue to serve in mission field. 
We have paid a bit more then half of the car price already and will need to pay next half during the year. Please pray for the finances for the car or maybe you would like to be part of this project?
Our rent contract for the apartment will finish this year and we would need to move out the latest of September. At the moment we live in very center of Riga what is strategically very good. We got this apartment with good price when Rasmus was just born and we were forced to move out from previous apartment. It has served us well, but same time it has made us (especially me – Evelyn) sick and brought out allergies what did not exist before. Pollution does not make it better either. We also have no place close to the home where Rasmus can play outside. Only cars and concrete. We plan to put Rasmus to the Riga Estonian School after two years and we started to search living places in school area. It would not be hard to find the place if we would be able to change some letters in our profession (missionary=millionaire), but there were none we were able to afford. We went to look one place what was really nice and affordable, but we did not feel peace to live in so fancy looking apartment. Kaspar put out advertisement in internet: family is looking for house with affordable price in this area and for our surprise (yes, Christians – we believe in God, but when God does miracles, we are surprised 🙂 ) we got answer. It is 148m2, six room house, built in 1930-ies with big garden, 2km away from Rasmus future school. We have not yet signed the contract, but it is ready for being signed. Only challenge we have is that it is in need of fixing. Bathroom needs entirely redoing and also kitchen need a big work. Other rooms need mostly paint and wallpaper and are not so complicated. We also need to pay two month rent ahead in the moment we sign the contract and it is big money for us. Would you like to help us with prayers, money, hands in work,
material? Do you know people who are professional in bathroom fixing and renovating windows and old furniture? Would you like to know more of the house and to see photos? Please contact us! I am not going to speak here more details, because this letter is already long.
Rasmus also has been through changes. He is not going to day care anymore, but joined pre-school. He is in Christian day care/school where children usually joining pre-school at the age of 5 and this would mean he would change the group in September. Same time he was bored in day care (“we are only drawing and playing and learning nothing”) and for us was offered to go to the “school” earlier. Rasmus is now the youngest child, but he is not complaining of being bored anymore. One day they even “went” to the Moon as pre-school excursion. It will have some complications to come to the pre-school after we have moved (long distance), but it is worth to live outside of center and enjoy clean(er) air.
Thank you for prayers and support!
May God bless you,
Evelyn, Kaspars and Rasmus