Tate Springs on Mission

Eastern Samar Prayer Walk

2011-09-11T18:06:00.001-05:00

This week, September 12-16, we will travel with 13 national partners to Eastern Samar to prayer walk three river systems, praying for God to move in the lives of the people in the villages and open doors for the gospel.

Please pray as we travel:

Monday: Tacloban City to Oras, prayerwalking the villages of Agsam and Naga near the mouth of the Oras River.

Tuesday: Traveling by boat to Balingasag, the last village of Oras Municipality, then coming back down river to Cagtu-og, Cag-dine, Manap-os, Cadi-an, and Binalayan.

Wednesday: Driving to Can-Avid, then traveling by boat up the Ulot River to 3 different villages where a local evangelical church would like to target for Bible studies.

Wednesday afternoon, we will travel by boat to Aroganga, to the training center where Pastor S and L, and Pastor J and D work.

Thursday: The group will travel by pumpboat and prayerwalk two villages, Santa Cruz, and Jicontol.

Friday: We will drive to Dampigan and prayerwalk before returning to Tacloban city.

Saturday: The women will travel back to their homes on Mindanao and Luzon.

As you pray for us, pray for:

o Good weather

o Safe travel

o Unity among the prayerwalking team

o Open doors and opportunities to share the gospel

o Good health for the women as they travel to different places.

o Carl as he keeps his regular schedule of Bible studies at the villages on the Oras River as we prayerwalk.

Serving Him together,
Suzie & Carl

Observations on the River

2011-08-22T21:10:00.002-05:00

As we traveled to seven villages last week following up Bible Study contacts, we rode numerous boats, and hiked in and out of villages to visit contacts from the Nehemiah Teams and from our partners. Over the course of the week, I made several observations:

1. The heaviest person becomes the ballast for the boat - GUESS WHO?

2. "Tevas" are great for walking in mud or water(thanks for the recommendation, Kim!) - just make sure there are no rough edges on the seams - BLISTERS HURT!

3. Bedtime comes early on the river - so does MORNING!

4. The mosquito net is your friend. It keeps out more than just mosquitoes!

5. Death is no respecter of persons - this week we saw that it comes to infants, children, mothers, and grandfathers.

6. Thousand of people in hundreds of villages in Eastern Samar are lost and headed for an eternity without Christ because they have not heard the true Gospel.

7. The harvest is plentiful - the laborers are very few.

Pray for us and with us for the Estehanon people (Waray-Waray speaking people of Eastern Samar) that the Holy Spirit would convict of sin, righteousness, and the judgement to come.
Pray for faithful witnesses to share the true Gospel with them, that it is by grace they are saved, through faith, not by any works.
Pray for seed to be planted in good soil.

Serving Him,
Suzie and Carl

Back in the Swing of Things...

2011-08-13T04:20:00.012-05:00

Greetings from Tacloban City, Philippines!

After almost 1 year away from our work, we are back and attempting to get back into the swing of things. We're so grateful for Tate Springs family who helped us get through those difficult months.

In our absence, God has been at work

Praise the Lord for our Journeyman, Naomi, the Youth Hostel Missions Volunteer Team, the 2 Nehemiah Teams we had the whole summer, and the ISF sports volunteer team who were here for a week.

Praise God for how he has blessed the work here and for the team he has given us;

Naomi, our journeyman for the last 2 years has finished her term and returned home. We miss her greatly. She was a God-send to be here to take over this last year when emergencies in Carl’s family called him back to the US for an extended time.
The 2 Nehemiah Teams that served this summer have returned to the US and are now in debriefing. The result of these 2 teams in our area are: Dolores River – 44 decisions and 9 baptized. Oras River – 142 decisions to accept Christ as their personal savior. Praise the Lord!!!
The Youth Hostel Missions team spent 2 weeks on the Dolores River working in 2 barangays (villages) and as a result, there are believers being followed up with Bible studies by members from the Aroganga Community church.
The International Sports Federation volunteers spent a week in Ormoc working in 2 elementary schools and 1 high school, building bridges and strengthening relationships for Ormoc Lighthouse Christian Ministries Church to follow-up through Pastor Vince.
Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of Silas and Lorie, and Jun and Daisy, living in Arroganga, E. Samar. They will be the ones to follow-up the results on the Dolores River.
A special thanks to the Lord for his watch-care over the believers in Denigpi`-an, where Carl had worked so much last year, following-up the work and training the leaders. During November last year, news reached us that the husband of one of our strongest leaders, Sister Monica, died after being bitten by a cobra. Praise the Lord she is still standing strong in her faith, even in spite of persecution from others in the village. Many people have been telling her that her husband died because of their involvement in this “new religion” and their reading the Bible all the time now. But, praise the Lord, she has consistently refuted their accusations and is continuing to “stand her ground” and remain strong in her faith. She helped lead this year’s Nehemiah team to others in her village who needed to hear the Gospel.

Now that we’re back

As we get settled back in to the work that God has for us to do here, we desperately need your prayer support:

For our Ministry

PRAY for Pastors Silas and Jun as they follow-up results on the Dolores River.
PRAY for Carl as he sets up a schedule to go back up the Oras River to follow-up the results there in 4 different villages. PRAY for a “Timothy” to go with Carl as he travels.
PRAY for the new believers who were baptized and those who have not been baptized to continue to study and to be obedient to God’s Word. Pray specifically for those living in Minap-os, Balingasag, Cag-tuog, Cag-dine, Jicontol, Sta. Cruz, Osmena, Denigpi-an, and Dampigan.
PRAY for clear direction for our ministry that we will be intentional and hear God speaking.
PRAY for God to send forth workers for His harvest field. Specifically PRAY for 2 journeyman to take Naomi’s place working on the Oras River. PRAY for more volunteers to join us in short term projects in prayer, evangelism, and discipleship.

For our Family:

PRAY for Sean. He is returning to boarding school for his Junior year. After the great experience in the US, making friends (especially one “special” girlfriend) and being with family, it will be difficult for him to get settled back into the dorm with 16 other guys and at school at FAITH Academy.
PRAY for Melody as she transfers to Liberty University to pursue a degree in Graphic design. Pray for close friends & good relationships as she enters a new school.
PRAY for Carl & Claire as they continue to teach at Faith Academy and raise adequate support to stay on the field.
PRAY for Steven & Rachel as they begin their married life and look for jobs.
PRAY for John & Gleynnda as Gleynnda seeks to be accepted into SC Highway Patrol training and John continues a Masters of Ministry at Anderson University.
PRAY for Sam & Bekah as they continue to serve God where they live and work and seek ways to be involved in building the kingdom.
PRAY for continuing settlement of business matters related to Carl’s mom & brother’s death..

You are all our partners as we work together to see His Kingdom come among the Waray-Waray of Leyte and Samar and the Cebuanos of Leyte. Thank you for your continued prayer for us and our people groups.

In His Service,

Carl & Suzie & family

No Other Name

2011-08-03T19:57:00.001-05:00

Jesus. That’s what happened today. We woke up, began our devotional, and headed to the mission house to bag food. We sorted several weeks of food for over two hundred families, and crammed into the vehicles to hand it out. When we got there, people were still arriving so we played ~~soccer~~ futbol with some schoolchildren…and got our keisters kicked. Then the families began to arrive. Through the help of our translator, Ricky(a major Godsend!), Kim proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus to a crowd of hungry people. We then laid hands on them and prayed specifically for their needs amidst tears of joy from both sides. We told them of food that satisfies eternally, and of living water that quenches all thirst.

By your generous gifts we were able to proclaim Jesus to those who need Him as we gave them food ‘from God’. Several prayed with us and for us. As Proverbs 11:25 says, “…he who waters will himself be watered.” We definitely saw that today. For every person we prayed for and handed food to, Jesus prayed through us, and handed them His life. We were blessed tremendously. Through our translators we met, in Christ’s strength, both their physical and eternal needs. I’m out of my head with joy right now, just ‘cause He’s soooo good! Praise Jesus! I’m not quite sure how to spell ‘Jesus loves you’ in Spanish, but I know how to say it! ‘Hay-soose teh ahm-mah.’ It was amazing to me the sheer number of people asking for special prayers from a bunch of gringos, but the Lord is Good!

After we returned for lunch, we practiced our skit that (of course!) tells about Jesus. We prayed, and headed out to a church service in the local village. (This is the same church mentioned in the previous post). Three of us shared our testimonies, Toby taught about Jesus, and amidst a jubilant and noisy crowd we lifted up His name. ‘Hallelujah!’ and ‘Amen!’ need no translation. Praise Him!

After the service, we prayed over several more people by name, and they in turn blessed us with the joy that only Christ can provide. Several shared their testimonies amidst tears of joy. Different part of the world, same Jesus. He is using us in Honduras! Thank you for your continual prayers!

Tomorrow we’re feeding and praying over another group of people, so please pray for us. Thursday we’ll be back at a church proclaiming Christ, so please pray for us then as well! Jesus is all!

Honduras, Boots on the Ground.

2011-07-31T17:19:00.002-05:00

Howdy Tate Springs! It’s Saturday afternoon of our first day on the job. Yesterday, we survived the world’s shortest commercial runway and managed to arrive at the orphanage safely. Thanks Jesus! Today we split up into various groups and set to work improving the facility. Some of us played with the children, some of us worked on improvement projects with the older ones, and all of us had a great time!

This place was founded a little over a decade ago, with the original workers possessing nothing except a call from the Lord. He’s provided ever since through volunteers, sponsors (yes, you can sponsor a child here for $35 a month), and generous church donations.

I think I speak for all of us when I say we’ve already fallen in love with this place. Between the incredible people, incredible scenery, and the obvious presence of Jesus Christ in the workers at the orphanage, this place inspires us in a mighty way to leave everything at the altar and to follow Christ. The workers here did, and He’s provided in incredible ways. This is a no-fat ministry, placed in the heart of a town and nation that needs the love of Jesus in a real and practical way. Volunteers have built several of the buildings and wired the electrical equipment and plumbing (we try not to get shocked when we take a shower!). They’ve drilled a 300ft deep well to provide clean water to everyone in the area, and their church ‘building’ (more like a covered patio) is being used to distribute food, clothes, and Jesus to the surrounding villagers. The orphans are well-fed, cared for, and protected.

The orphans are some of the most joyful, friendly, and affectionate children I’ve ever met. The orphans themselves astound me, especially when I continue to hear more about their backgrounds. They’ve been through the mouth of hell, some of them. Yet, the Lord is doing a mighty work even in those children. You would never guess some of their pasts from how they run up and hug you.

It’s amazing what He has raised up here in just over a decade! This small group of people knows how to love sacrificially and share Jesus with everyone they meet.

As far as what we’re doing over the next week, well, we’re still not sure. We want to serve and love as best we can. I know we’ll be participated in several church services, as well as handing out food to local villages. We’ll be filling up the rest of the time with projects around the orphanage and loving on the children.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek opportunities to show Jesus, through words and actions, to the surrounding community. Our strength won’t cut it, but His always does.

***Several Hours Later***
We walked to Jalaca’s church in the middle of the city and unfortunately had to wait a short while in the local jail. It likes to rain on a whim in Honduras, and generally the clouds have two settings: ‘off’ and ‘Noah’s Flood’. We experienced the latter and took shelter amidst helpful and friendly state police. Once the rain cleared up, we headed on to church. The church here is about the size of the Fellowship Hall cut in half, and is little more than a concrete structure with several naked lightbulbs hanging overhead. Nevertheless, by the time we got there the room was packed. The seating was full up, many were standing, and we managed to get a view of the service through the window. For around $10,000 that church was built in the heart of the city, and now serves as a focal point for the community, from church services to funerals to weddings to Bible studies. The folks we’re working with at the orphanage want you all to know that if you’re feeling called to plant a church or to help raise $10,000, they can plant a church in the heart of another town in the area.

The service itself was amazing. We had no idea what the pastor was preaching, aside from the occasional ‘hallelujah!’ from both him and the congregation. During worship, everyone got into the music, from small children to white-haired adults. Enthusiastic clapping, hand raising, and boisterous singing to the King filled that room, and because the windows have no glass, the entire town as well. That church is, in the literal sense, a city on a hill, shining the light of Christ to the town around it. Same Jesus, different country.

Jose (an adorable 4-year-old) is looking over my shoulder as I type and and he wants to tell you all ‘hi!’.

Here are a few words from several of us on the trip:

From Toby: Church, thank you for all your donations over the last several weeks for Honduras. The items donated are used to bless the children of the orphanage, but also to families in the community of Jalaca. The orphanage we are working at is a Christ based ministry. The goal of the orphanage ministry is to train up young men and women of God to impact the country for Christ.

Penny, Thank you so much for all you did in preparation for our trip this year. I know your heart is here and that you are praying constantly for us. We have heard more than once how much you are loved and respected here because of your continued support and service of the ministry. These are warm and beautiful people!

From LeAnn: Honduras is beautiful! It seems like it rains every 10 minutes! The land is so green and the people are very open and friendly. The kids swarmed us with hugs and loved to touch our light skin and hair. It’s amazing how peaceful and stress-free the environment is compared to the States. Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It’s only day one and God is already working in miraculous ways.

From Aaron: I can’t get over the chickens everywhere! I just had to chase a few!

From Kim: Another day of runaway chickens, mad cows, muddy roads and beautiful children. Danno is busy taking pictures with the lens cap still on- eventually we’ll tell him. Other breaking news, Danno is also sporting the fanny pack. Another reason we love him. It has been truly amazing to see more of God’s beautiful creation. I can’t help but stand in awe of the One Who has made all things, is in all things, and through all things. I am always in awe of how Great and Powerful our God is- no matter where I go! Praise Him. Continue to lift up our team as we work around the area and begin our Feeding Programs tomorrow!!!!

Back in the Philippines

2011-07-20T06:25:00.002-05:00

Hello y'all! Just thought we'd give a quick update and let you know what's going on with us so you can pray more intelligently.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us as we traveled. We made all our connections smoothly, and enjoyed a few hours in London. What a treat it was to just "happen" to be there on the day and at the exact time to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Isn't God good to just love on us a little bit by providing special things just for us? We enjoyed lunch in a little English cafe and I had fish & chips, of course. Our walking tour took us to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, past 10 Downing Street and on to Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus before catching the underground train back to London Heathrow Airport.

After a stop in Hong Kong, we arrived in Manila & were met by our son Carl & his wife Claire and the kids, who were just barely getting over jet lag themselves. Now, we're back in Tacloban and in full swing with a sports volunteer team on the west side of the island, and 2 Nehemiah Teams we'll be visiting on the island to the east. Meanwhile, Sean arrives next week, then leaves soon after for boarding school in Manila. Life has definitely picked up the pace!

As you think of us, please pray for clear direction as we get back into the work here and try to follow-up what has been done in our absence. Pray for workers to join us in the harvest field, especially a journeyman (for 2 of them, really) for Samar. Pray for the ISF sports team in Ormoc City as they teach health and sports basics in 2 elementary schools and in 1 high school. Pray for the children to see Jesus in them and for them to be ready to give an answer for the hope that they have.

I hope to post some pictures soon of London, and of the sports team in Ormoc.

We're praying for all of you back there at Tate Springs as you seek to carry the gospel to all the world. We love you!

Suzie & Carl

Packing!

2011-07-11T17:39:00.002-05:00

Three checked bags each!!! Great news - until you begin to put all your belongings into 3 bags each! Please pray as we continue to sort & pack our things. Pray for us and our kids as we leave most of them behind, as well as 2 grandkids.

Our flight leaves Tuesday afternoon, 5:50 p.m. We should arrive in the Philippines Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.

Tommy's Memoirs, Latvia 2011.

2011-06-19T15:12:00.004-05:00

[This was taken from Tommy Dorgan's facebook page.]

It is impossible to put into a few words how magnificent God worked in and through the mission team as we went to Lejasstrazdi, Latvija to work in the orphanage there. Therefore, I have decided to write down all that I witnessed during that week on the mission field so God may be glorified.

The team lifted off from DFW airport on Saturday afternoon around 5:15 p.m. for a long journey to the mission field. The trip included the flight from DFW to Atlanta, GA for a two hour layover. From there we flew to Amsterdam to a 6 hour layover and finally a trip to Riga, Latvia where we arrived on Sunday night around 11pm. After spending the night in Riga at our hotel, we were transported to the orphanage in Lejasstrazdi to begin our week there.

The God part began as soon as we landed in Riga. As I cleared the tunnel I see a couple holding a sign with Suzie Miller’s name on it. She was one of our team members. She had sent an email to an organization to be left unnamed about needing Latvian language bibles but never heard back from anyone. Yet, we get off the plane and there stands a couple we had never met before and may never meet again this side of heaven with a sack of hard back bibles in the Latvian language. They did not introduce themselves but merely handed Suzie the bibles and drifted off.

When we arrived on Monday at the orphanage, (after a stop at Remi, which is the Latvian version of a Wal-Mart ), we hit the ground running, getting our luggage stowed into our sleeping quarters and almost immediately sitting down to a delicious lunch of soup and breads. Just a side note: I loved everything they served at the orphanage. Now, I know they feed little better and most likely larger amounts of food while we are there but it is pretty much the same foods the orphans eat. I even liked the cold beet soup, and I HATE beets!!! Shortly after lunch, we began Vacation Bible School in an abbreviated format for the first day with just a time of recreation and getting to know the kids. We mostly spent time with the kids. Those who had been before became reacquainted with the ones that had been there in the past and catching up on those who had left the orphanage. The team ended the day with a trip to the lake and swimming with the kids and having our late night devotional together.

Tuesday morning began with a team meeting and prayer time followed by a wonderful breakfast. We began day two of VBS shortly afterward followed by recreation time. Again we made a trip to the lake for a swim with the kids that evening after dinner. Just a note, it is about 2.5 miles to the lake, walking on a gravel road and the kids either wear flip flops or are barefooted. They have the toughest feet imaginable!!! One evening on the way back from the lake I saw one of the older boy’s running back on the gravel barefooted!!! Not to leave out important details, during the non VBS times we also made repeated trips to the Viekels which is Latvian for store. The store is a very small place not much bigger than a room in a house filled with all kinds of things in a very small space. Most importantly, they sell ice cream, chips and cokes which all of us repeatedly purchased for the kids. Yes, we do spoil them somewhat while we are there. It is also important to note that we are the only church group going to the orphanage at Lejasstrazdi. Some of the orphanages are visited by several groups per year but we are the Light of the Gospel to this orphanage.

On Wednesday morning during my morning quiet time, God led me to speak to 2 of the kid’s one on one with the interpreters. One, Kaspars, has been worked on for four years. He has constantly said no to the gospel. He is a very disturbed little boy. He again said no but I left the door open to a later encounter. Then, I saw the other child God spoke to me about. Her name is Laura. Her mom died in childbirth with twins. Shortly afterward in grief and despair her father committed suicide. She had been in a foster home for a while but for some reason requested to go back to the orphanage, maybe as a divine intervention that we might meet her and share Christ with her. Upon sharing the plan of salvation with her via the interpreter, she accepted Jesus as her Savior and wanted to be baptized. We got permission from the director of the orphanage and made plans to baptize her the following evening at the lake.

On Thursday, we were led to divide the children into four groups by age and gender to better allow us to share with them on their level. Aaron and I ended up with Kaspars, Nakita and Olegs. Nakita disappears looking for a book about Jesus he remembered having. Kaspars and Olegs set about to be good hosts in their living quarters we were in by making us hot drinks from fruit paste. Well, Olegs was being a good host, I think Kaspars was just trying to distract from listening to the Holy Spirit. Olegs was being very receptive but then Kaspars kept insisting to him and us that God was stupid. We tried to explain that God was not stupid but He was all knowing, even knowing our hearts and thoughts. Upon his convincing Olegs to agree with him, we decided to wait for another opportunity to work with him.

There are some of the residents of the orphanage that come and go at different times due to outside activities and jobs. One of these was Anna. We had not seen her before Wednesday and then she shows up Thursday at dinner time. We ended up across the table from each other. Now, this is not the typical person I am drawn to but most of us in our normal church situations would think twice about it. She is a very nice looking young lady but with several piercings and a steely look about her. I keep feeling God’s prodding to speak to her and I kept resisting. She starts to get up to leave and I can fight it no longer. I reach my hand across the table and introduce myself. By the way, Tommy in Latvian becomes Tōms. So I say mani sauc Tōms. Which is to say….. My name is Tommy. She introduces herself to me and goes her way. As another divine appointment, on our way walking to the lake that evening for the baptism she is walking beside me. I notice the Riga Marathon jersey she is wearing and ask her about running and transition into the reason we come to the orphanage. We care about them and desire to share with them the reason we care is Jesus cared enough for us to die for our sins. I present the basic plan of salvation and then tell her I will stop rambling on about it so she can think about what I have said. She makes a reply and I ask the interpreter what she said. She said she would like me to keep talking about it. Far be it from me and my big mouth to stay quiet, especially when invited to do so. After arriving at the lake, getting adjusted to the cool water, we begin the baptism service with a short sermonette with our interpreter Elina translating for me. This was done for the benefit of the other people from the area who gathers at the public lake. It amazed me how some of these big tough guys kept inching closer and closer to hear what was being said. I baptize Laura and then question the others from the orphanage if anyone else would like to accept Christ and be baptized. Maris, one of the older boys says he would because he had been saved 2 years ago and wanted to be baptized. When I ask him to come on in he proceeds to cannon ball into the lake beside me!!! Or in their terminology bombuska!!! The kids then swim a while and enjoy their time at the lake. While they were swimming I saw Kaspars and wanted to talk to him again. He was not able to swim because he had a slight fever. He had again tried to be disruptive during the baptism but God was victorious once again. I shared with him that I apologize for disagreeing with him earlier in the day when he told us God is stupid. He got the strangest look on his face. I informed him that God was indeed stupid…..stupid crazy in love with him and wanted him to know how much God did love him. At that, I simply walked away. Anna and I chatted some more about her becoming a Christian on the way back from the lake. We were a little more than halfway back when I hear one of the other interpreters, Lauma. She is only 13 years old but a very mature, Godly young lady who did a marvelous job along with Elina and Aija. Lauma is Aija’s younger sister. As I look in the direction her voice came from, I see her walking towards us from a strange direction with Kaspars. She walks up to us looking for Rick because after we left the lake, Kaspars came looking for her and wanted to know how to accept Jesus as his Savior and now wanted to tell Rick about it. You see, Rick has worked on, witnessed to, and prayed fervently for Kaspars salvation for the past four years. I was sure in my mind that I would be quite capable of holding it together and holding back the tears in Latvia. I was quite fine until I saw the joy in Rick’s face as Kaspars told him about accepting Jesus and pretty much lost my composure. I have always said the only thing that even comes close to the joy of your own salvation experience is the joy of leading someone else to salvation. Another young man Rick had worked with along with several others on our teams from Tate Springs over the past few years was Agnis. Rick and I both had an opportunity to share with Agnis about the need for Salvation in his life but he was hesitant. Even though he is a lean, very strong, muscular young man, he is very shy. He just wanted to make sure if he was going to do it he wanted to truly understand and be able to follow through with his commitment. He stayed behind when we went to the lake for the baptism to think about the things we had said off and on all day. When we returned to the orphanage from the lake, he found Rick and had Rick lead him to salvation, followed by Dace loading the two of them in her car and driving them back to the lake so Rick could baptize Agnis. As I arrived back at the orphanage and went to prepare for our nightly devotion time, I saw Anna coming down the stairs and asked her if she had thought about our discussion anymore and when would she like to discuss it some more? She looks up and says why not right now. She comes back to where I was standing on the second floor and we sit on a pine bench on the landing area of the staircase. As Lauma begins to interpret for me, one of the smaller girls is tugging on her. She told her she would speak with her in a minute. I asked Lauma if she wanted to just talk or talk about Jesus. She said the little girl wanted to know about Jesus and I immediately sent her on her way. Agnis had just walked up from his baptism and I asked him to interpret for a bit until another interpreter showed up. The irony of this brand new Christian standing there helps me share how to be saved with another person just personifies what Christ wanted us to do. Get saved and get busy!!! Elina, then shows up to help with the translation which was quite helpful since Agnis could understand Anna and talk to her and understand some of what I was saying, he could not tell me for certain what she was asking and saying. Anna’s biggest concern was what she can do to serve God. Oh that we might all have that concern always. God what can I do to serve you Lord? As Elina and I continued to depend on the Holy Spirit and prayerfully answer her many many questions we began to get concerned that we were not getting through to her. Finally, upon being asked WHY NOT accept Christ and be saved she said nothing and asked that I pray the words for her to repeat in Latvian, which of course she did. As you have discerned by now, the Holy Spirit was blowing us away on Thursday with His magnificent changing of lives. Along with all the others that accepted Christ, the new orphanage director, Solvita had been bringing her daughter to work with her to play with the other children. Sonija accepted Christ on Thursday also and received her mother’s blessing to do so. We were concerned going into the orphanage this year. We missed a year, the sweet spirited Helena who was the director had retired and there was this new director that none of us knew or knew anything about. Upon arriving, Solvita made us all feel welcome and interacted constantly with us and the residents of the orphanage. Some of the older girls especially told some of us they could really open up and talk to her. Our last night at dinner, through an interpreter, proceeded to tell us how much she had enjoyed us being there and wished we could stay longer. She is looking forward to us coming again and if we would let her know when and for how long we were coming she would arrange the children’s schedules for the summer around our trip.

On Friday morning we had to leave earlier than they had been serving breakfast. To our surprise, Solvita modified the morning schedule so we would have breakfast once more with the kids. On top of that, Rick had told Agnis that anytime he needed to talk to someone or needed help he could call on Rick and I for help. Little did I know this would include wanting me to get him up at 5:30 a.m. the day we had to leave by 8 a.m. and go running with him. I had gotten to run one morning during the week and it is a beautiful countryside to take in while on a long run. I was just not planning on making another run and having to rush through the shower and finish packing, eat etc. on the day we were leaving. But…to stay true to our commitment I went to his room and got him up for a short run that morning. He showed me some roads I had not even noticed all week and allowed me to see even more of the countryside. After breakfast, we began to load up on the bus as it arrived to take us back to Riga. The kids were most helpful in helping us load our luggage. Then the tears began to flow. It is so hard to see 13-17 year old boys with tears running down their faces because they are so sad we are leaving. Even the director, Solvita was crying as we loaded up to leave. She told us if we would commit to returning next year, she would work on learning English and I told her if she could do that then I would work on learning Latvian as well. I have a strong desire to be able to share with the Latvian people in their own language. Something I have never cared about before is learning any other language. Before leaving, we made sure the older kids that accepted Christ received one of the Latvian language bibles which we signed with a word of encouragement and had translated for them. We also gave one to Solvita the director and left the rest for the use of all the others. On Friday morning we return to Riga, dropping our luggage off at the hotel and take the rest of the day to explore Old Riga and learn about the city and do some souvenir shopping. After spending the night, we arise very early in order to leave the hotel at around 4:30 a.m. to begin the 25 hour trip home. God showed off in an awesome way and I am so thankful He allowed us to witness it. GOd Praise be to Jesus forever more!!! In closing, please keep in mind that this is the trip from my viewpoint. I hope the writing does not show me to be anymore than a vessel for God to pour Himself into. This was a team effort between all of the team members and God Almighty and only God deserves the Glory. I encourage anyone with a desire to make a difference in peoples lives to pray, give and go. You can make a difference.

In Jesus Name

Tommy Dorgan

The Harvest is Plentiful

2011-06-10T01:23:00.001-05:00

Latvia Team Update: Our Final Day

Well, we just got back from the lake. It’s 9:00 PM and it looks like six in the afternoon, since we’re so far north of the equator.

Yesterday morning (Wednesday), we all woke up with a strong spirit of purpose. We knew that God had prepared good works in advance for us to do, and we just knew He was going to show off that day. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, for the Gospel lay restless on all our hearts. We couldn’t wait to let it out. As we woke up and spent time in our morning devotionals, the Lord placed particular children in each of our hearts and laid several plans on each of our minds. We were not a disorganized rabble that came halfway around the world to merely play with children, but by the strength of Christ alone we became more than conquerors. We were mouthpieces for the living God who desires to adopt each and every person on this planet into His family. We played, certainly. We bought ice cream, painted fingernails, gave piggyback rides, and even introduced square dancing. However, at every single opportunity the Lord gave us we talked about Jesus. In Christ’s strength, seeds were sown and lives were changed.

Today(Thursday), we decided on something a bit different for our morning routine. One of the older children mentioned to one of our interpreters that all the Bible stories we were sharing didn’t have anything to do with her. “They are just stories” she said. We decided to connect the dots. We split the children up by gender and by age: older boys, older girls, younger boys, and younger girls. We took our four interpreters (two more than we thought we’d have, by the way) and shared our testimonies with the children. I (Aaron) was with the younger boys so I can’t tell you what went on in every group since we haven’t debriefed yet. However, between ‘Uncle Toms’ and myself, we delivered the whole Gospel to two pairs of willing ears. All I know about the other groups is that tears were shed, lots of people prayed, and several were introduced to Christ for the first time.

As I mentioned before, we just got back from the lake where Uncle Toms baptized Laura and Maurice. As a bonus, we kinda made a scene for Jesus. Crazy Christians.

************

I was in the middle of typing this up when Lauma (one of our interpreters and sister in Christ) burst in exclaiming that Kaspars told her that he wanted Jesus in his heart. I immediately went down and gave him a giant hug, praised Jesus, and cried for several minutes. Let me pause to tell you a bit about Kaspars. We love him a whole, whole lot. He’s a child that can be a happy, loving friend one minute, and an utter demon the next. One of his more memorable exploits was when he took a baseball bat and swung as hard as he could at the legs of a girl on rollerblades. She hit the ground face first. He laughed. Yeah, he’s that type of kid. The thing is, Jesus in us couldn’t help but love him. Every day we loved him, spent time with him, prayed with him, mourned for him, and talked to him about Jesus. He frequently responded with violence, Russian cursing, or ‘God is stupid’. We would offer him something kind, like an invitation to play soccer with us, play a game with us, or anything else, and he would say ‘no’. Give him five minutes though, and he would join in the play. He longed to be invited to the fun and really, really wanted to belong. Andrew started rubbing his back once and Kaspars told him ‘no!’ However, Andrew just kept on rubbing. Kaspars let him rub for a good fifteen minutes. You could see a child that longed for love but had trouble trusting and didn’t know how to ask. We spoke the Gospel to him over and over again, told him our testimonies, and prayed for him repeatedly. We had pretty much resigned ourselves to long-distance praying for several years for his soul, when I heard the surprising (but not shocking) news. God had already blown our expectations to smithereens several times today, so we weren’t completely caught flat-footed.

The change that washed over Kaspars was nothing short of miraculous. Traci furiously snapped pictures of him after his profession, because she ‘really wanted to remember him like this’. His face shone with joy; it was nothing like the brooding malice that hid there only hours before. It’s really hard to explain, but if you’ve seen Jesus in someone before, you can have a good idea of what he looked like to us.

Even after Kaspars, Yolanda professed Christ as well. Kim spent a good while making sure she understood the full Gospel, and in the end, she decided to accept Christ. This was after we considered the day over, yet God had different plans. After witnessing the baptism of Laura and Maurice, Jesus really started to get in the heads of the other orphans.

While Yolanda was talking with Kim, Agnis, one of the older boys, returned dripping wet with a testimony of rededication and baptism. Praise Jesus.

There were so many incredibly miraculous conversations that took place the last two days; there’s no way to list them all without writing a short novel and interviewing everyone. Let’s just say that Jesus wins, and everyone who went on the trip this year was supposed to be here.

After talking with the rest of the group tonight we had a total of 10 new professions of faith and 1 rededication. This is ridiculous. This is impossible. Missionaries go their whole lives without seeing any fruit at all…and half the orphanage just got saved in just four days. Impossible is God’s stock and trade; He likes to show off. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The Lord knew what He was doing when He assembled this team. By His direction and power we did all that scripture commands. We spoke the truth in love, we stepped out in faith and shared the Gospel with all- even those who we doubted would understand or respond. We chunked a lot of seeds out there and we didn’t shy away from declaring the whole story of Jesus. We didn’t do it dogmatically or judgmentally, nor did we neglect the physical needs of the orphans (hugs, one-on-one time, piggyback rides, etc.). Instead, we dumped our plans and let Him take control. He’s smarter than us, you know.

If I could summarize how I feel tonight I would say this:

I am awed, humbled, honored, and just plain happy to be a part of this body of Christians of one mind and purpose. I am more than content to praise Jesus for everything He did in these four days, and I’m extra-joyful that He let us see the fruits of our seed-sowing. I am determined to pray for these orphans and I have a real, solid hope that God will continue to refine these children. For crying out loud, we saw brand-new Christians witnessing to their friends only a few hours after they were saved! God is ridiculously good.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying! Praise Jesus!

Tuesday: VBS Begins

2011-06-07T04:11:00.003-05:00

Latvia Mission Team Update: We barely made it off the bus before we were swarmed by loving children. We're enjoying our time here and the opportunites we have to share Christ with everyone. Our plan is to be very deliberate with Gospel conversations, so please continue to pray for us as we pray for those who might hear Christ when He calls.

We're all learning a bit more Latvian as we spend time with the children, and we are finding time throughout the day to talk about God in various ways. We've been praying together every evening and several individuals have been placed on our hearts. We're waiting for His timing.

We don't have WiFi where we're at, and we don't want to bother the director in her office more than necessary, so updates may not be as regular and we probably won't be able to post photos until we return... nevertheless, we'll will let you know if anything major happens, be it good or bad.

Thank you for praying for us, and please don't stop. There are many Jesus-talks to be had, and many questions to answer.

Until He Comes,

-Latvia 2011 Misson Team

God's Timing is Awesome.

2011-06-05T16:40:00.003-05:00

Okay, we're checked into our hotel and all we want to do is crash. It's almost 1am here and after the no-sleep-jet-lag-plane-jump dance, we're done. However, we just have to let you know about how Jesus is already taking our feeble expectations and showing us just how big He is. Okay, two things. Pardon the non-sentence sentences, as I said, we're wiped.

Okay, Jesus miracle #1:

We met up with the rest of our crew and flew out of Atlanta. For some reason, one of our team members, Leslie Troyer, had her bags dumped off the plane in Amsterdam. That means she had to leave the secure area of the airport to retrieve her bags, and she could not return until two hours before her flight. Annoying right? Someone messed up. Anyways, Suzie Miller (being the good friend she is) volunteered to stay with Leslie and hang out outside the secure area of the airport.

To make a very long story short, they met a blind man and his wife and told them about Jesus. Multiple times. The man, being a Buddist, was convinced he did some very bad things in his past life to be stricken with blindness. The amazing part of it all is, he had read a whole lot of the Bible throughout his life. He grew up with Christian influences, and had eventually rejected Christ. Suzie gave him several chances to change his mind. "I didn't want to be pushy", she said, "but I knew it was really important to make sure he had every opportunity to trust Jesus."
After several long moments of tense silence, where both Suzie and Leslie could see the battle raging on his face, he decided to reject the truth in favor of what he knew and was comfortable with. During the conversation, he mentioned to Suzie, "I'll probably never see you again."
She didn't miss a beat, but responded with, "I want to see you again with me in heaven because you trusted Jesus, since He is the only way you can get there."

In the end, Leslie and Suzie knew that that bag handler had messed up for a reason: So they could be the vessels by which Jesus could love on and reach out to this man. Please pray for him and what the Spirit is pressing on his heart.

And here we go, Jesus Miracle #2:

There was one big flaw with this Latvia trip: We had no Bibles! Suzie sent an email to the Gideons International about a week and a half before our departure, but we never received any sort of reply. I(Aaron) was kicking myself the last four days for not overnighting a few Bibles from Amazon since we didn't receive word from the Gideons. As many of you know, we've been upgrading to new servers at Tate and unfortunately we've been down for about a week. They might have sent a reply, but regardless we didn't see one.

Guess who was waiting for us at the airport? A pair of Gideons with a large bag of Latvian Bibles! Thank You Jesus! Kim told me several hours before this happened, "Aaron, He's just doing it this way so He gets all the glory and gets to show us just how big He is. Those Bibles will be there. There are tons of people praying. He's going to take care of it. Don't worry!"

I don't know about you, but believing that a random email shot halfway around the world was received, read, and taken care of by someone who didn't even reply back really stretched my faith thin.

Turns out, she was right and I get to (happily) repent for not trusting Him with all the details of this trip.

As David says in Psalm 25:3, "Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame"

Okay, I'm getting all teary-eyed. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers!

We haven't even reached the orphanage yet. We're all in high spirits waiting expectantly for Jesus to stretch our faith even further and to do the impossible.

As we all know, impossible is His stock and trade.

Thank you for praying, and please keep on praying!

-Latvia 2011 Mission Team

Lock and Load: First Flight

2011-06-04T15:49:00.005-05:00

We're waiting in DFW International for our first flight to Atlanta. After Atlanta, we'll fly to Amsterdam and hop from Amsterdam to Riga, Latvia. Everything is going smoothly so far. Traci was even able to see her daughter graduate, give her a hug goodbye, and still make our check-in line with literally seconds to spare. All our bags made it past the check-in station, everyone made it through TSA with no issues, and now we're waiting for our plane to show up so we can board.

"I know people are praying for me because I'm not worried, stressed, or anxious. I normally would be with all this rushing around!"

-Traci

So far so good, people. We're all in high spirits and can't wait to get there and start loving on the children and the new director.

Thanks for praying!

-Latvia 2011 Team

Latvia Trip 2011: T Minus Twenty-One Hours

2011-06-03T16:27:00.002-05:00

It's the last few hours before we leave the country, and we're running around Arlington cramming in last-minute shopping. In about an hour we'll meet up at Tate Springs and pack all the donated items from our church family into Kim's flamboyantly pink travel bags. Pink travel bags. Well, at least we won't lose 'em.

Please be in prayer for us as we hit the mission field. Pray that He would tune our hearts to His, and that those already there will be prepared by the Spirit to receive the good news of Jesus.

Jesus says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." We're holding to that promise. We're going to follow Him with every ounce of strength that Jesus gives us. Pray that we listen to His leadership. As with so many statements of Jesus, this promise convicts as well as soothes. If we're not fishing for men, then what else are we not doing?

Following Jesus.

We want to follow Jesus. In the words of Peter, "Where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life!" We want to fish for people. Please pray for us, that we would trust Jesus with every aspect of this trip!

Thank you for your prayers, monetary support, item donations, and warm encouragement. Your faithfulness has enabled us to go again this year.

Your representatives this year are:

Rick Autrey, Kim Ball, Cindy Dorgan, Tommy Dorgan, Nancy Gafford, Traci Hinshaw, Ramie Mason, Andrew Mason, Aaron McNabb, Suzie Miller, Lindsey Roderick, Hannah Sosebee, and Leslie Troyer

Look for more updates throughout the week!

- Latvia 2011 Team

Saturday

2010-06-13T00:45:00.002-05:00

Man, what a long and emotional day for all of us. It's hard saying goodbye to all those wonderful children. Especially those that you really fall head over heels in love with. Saying goodbye to Jim, Georgia, Lawrence, Mike and Marta is hard but different from the children, because the adults don't show the same emotion that the children do. When we were getting ready to leave, Jim had all the children gather around the team and Loyda and Bella prayed for our safe trip home as well as our health and all of our families. There is nothing that can compare to the love and innocence of a child when they pray to their father in heaven. We left at 8:30am and had one more experience of driving through Honduras, where stop lights and signs are just suggestions. We were so blessed to have Lawrence drive us around, because none of us could have survived without him. Silva and Rosa left today also but they were on a different airline than us. Kelly left Honduras for DFW on Friday and Dena talked to her while we were in Atlanta. She arrived home safe. Marc and Ana and their family will be in Honduras for 18 more days. Please keep them in your prayers as they minister to the children in the orphanage and the people of Honduras. We saw GOD work in awesome ways this week and we can't wait to share our pictures and experiences with all of ya'll. If you see or talk to anyone on the team, just ask about Honduras and expect to hear an earful. We are sure glad to be home we are getting ready to go to sleep in our own beds. I don't know about the rest of the team but my bed is a whole lot more comfortable than the hand made beds with thin foam mattresses at the orphanage. It is really 1:00am Sunday morning so Penny and I are going to bed now. Bye and love to everyone.

Friday

2010-06-11T22:05:00.005-05:00

Today, our last day here. We all are ready to return home, but sad to be leaving. Each one of us have been touched in so many ways by this place and Gods love. The pictures are, Branden, Cory, Me (Jackie) in front of the fence around the new Girls home.Ladies waiting in line to receive the bags of food this morning at the feeding program, Tom working in the play ground where he has hauled in dirt to fill the low areas, The girls bagging the food for the feeding program. Today we went and handed out the food bags and it was great. We had a lot of people there to get the bags and after handing them out there was so many that came up and thanked us for being there and doing this. Many lives were touched and helped. A love offering was taken up to help the church where we had the feeding program. So many needy people but so many blessed people also. We then went over to the valley of the angels to shop and rest. We had a great Honduran meal and John almost had a heart attack because he saw a stick bug crawling on Cory. I will admit that it was a large bug but it wasn't even on him. He jumped back so fast and hard that he knocked over the tray of food behind him and broke some of the dishes. Then tonight we had a meeting with Jim and Georgia and they thanked us for all the work and help we have been here. They also said that we had set the bar high for all the teams to come this year. We each took time one by one to say what we had learned from this trip and what we we taking back. Everyone has so much to bring home and each one is leaving so much here. Lives have been touched and changed, not only the people here but our lives as well. God is great. All the time. We will do one more blog tomorrow and then we will see everyone on Sunday. We can't wait to get back and share all our stories and pictures with all of ya'll. Thanks for the support, this trip and all of ya'll's prayers. We are already looking forward to coming back.

Thursday

2010-06-10T19:52:00.002-05:00

Today Cory, Brandon, Tom, and I stayed here and continued our work trying to finish all we could. We all worked hard from early morning till dinner time. The girls and John went to Talanga for the medical brigade. There were 203 patients treated and prescriptions filled. Silva and Rosa from Ft Worth and Mark, Anna, and their children went with them. The girls were really glad to have them along since they are all bilingual. They were also able to give away the rest of the blanket packs to needy women. One patient was a 90 year old man, who told Penny that he felt better after he had drank his medicine. Of course Loyda had to translate for her, but what a blessing to see immediately the rewards of their labor. Dena, Kelly, Loyda, and Bella performed the puppet show for all of the children waiting with their parents. John got to preach another message to all the waiting patients and Pastor Jorge from "Sinai Church" in Talanga also preached and several people accepted Christ as their Savior. The medical brigade was in a small church in Talanga, and the name was "The Church of God in New Jerusalem". It was hard work from 9am till 4:30pm, but well worth the effort.

Wednesday

2010-06-09T21:46:00.003-05:00

Hi from Honduras. Today was another hot beautiful day here. The pictures above are of (top left)Penny at the hospital today in the maternity ward where they gave out lots of blanket packs and prayed with a lot of new mothers. One young woman had lost her baby on Saturday just four hours after birth, she also needs a blood transfusion but they don't have her blood type. So please keep her in your prayers. The other one is of me being shown how to mix concrete the Honduras way :) 40 shovels full of sand and rock and 100 pounds of cement, add water then shovel to the right then back to the left, and add water then repeat again. Then its ready. Man what a work out. Cory and I are great at it now (anyone need concrete mixed?) We are almost done with our fence and Tom moved a lot of dirt today. John preached another great sermon tonight at the same church as last night.

The girls were really blessed today by going to the hospital. It was remodeled about six months ago and it was nothing like it had been in the past. They now have elevators that everyone can use, in the past only handicapped people could use them. Unfortunately they were broke down and everyone had to climb four flights of stairs. It was slow going for Penny, but Anna stayed behind and helped her. She said it was definitely worth the climb because she said that the hospital had improved so much and was a lot cleaner and healthier. They gave away approx 40 blanket packs and will have 22 to give away at the medical brigade tomorrow.

We had a talk with Jim about what this mission needs as far as people and money, let's pray God will show us all the way to do his work. God bless all.

Tuesday

2010-06-08T21:12:00.002-05:00

We have just returned from church in Jalaca where John preached tonight and did a awesome job. There was a church full and everyone made us feel welcome. You could feel the Lord working all around us. Dena sang two songs and Penny gave testimony before John preached his sermon.
Today was another beautiful day here. Cory, Brandon and I worked on our fencing job, Tom worked on repairing the tractor after it broke a hydraulic hose. The girls spent the morning bagging the food for our feeding program. They made 101 bags of food to be given to the needy women and children on Friday morning. Then they spent the afternoon treating the girls here in the orphanage for lice and cutting their hair, making them very happy in the process. A new family arrived today from El Paso, Texas. Mark and Anna and their three children went with us to the church service in Jalaca. Mark is French Canadian and Anna is from Old Mexico, Anna was gracious enough to act as our interpreter for the service. She will also go with the woman tomorrow to the hospital in the capital, where they will give the new mothers gifts.
Last night I was so tired that after I cleaned up I layed down to rest a few minutes and woke up this morning at ten to five. We have been working as hard as we can and trying to do all we can. Jim and Georgia tell us they are so impressed with how hard we work and all we are getting done.

Monday

2010-06-07T19:32:00.002-05:00

What a day here in Honduras. The weather was hot with lots of sun shine. Cory and I finished digging the post holes for the fence and managed to get half of them concreted in, Tom and Branden worked on the lawn and filling in areas that were in need of filling and mowing. John helped out all over the place where he was needed, he and Penny took beds apart and reassembled them in another room for a pastor and her sister from Ft Worth, that came in the same day we did, and then he was helping with the fence, and mowing, he also him ministered to the kids. The girls went into the bigger boys home and cleaned out their old clothes and threw them away and then they had to find them new clothes from the store room of donated items. They then did the same thing for the girls home. Everyone but Penny and myself have gone with brother Jim to take the kids to Jalaca to get chips and sodas. Each night we all sit together and talk about what we have learned that day. It is something to hear what we learn each day. We all say thanks to God each day for this trip, and this mission.

Sunday

2010-06-06T17:57:00.002-05:00

Hi! This is Dena, and this trip has been so amazing so far and there are so many blessings awaiting us this week! I feel so blessed and thankful to be able to be here to see the wonderful things that God has in store for us, and I am so blessed to be on a team with such wonderful people. Our mission team is so amazing. we had such an awesome day today. The children here are so full of love and have so much love to give. The week has just begun and I eagerly wait to see the great things that are going to happen on this trip. Thank you for your prayers and support.. God Bless You! Dena

Jackie's blog
Today our mission team worked hard. The men worked on lawn mowers that were in need of repair. We laid out the fence for the new girls home and dug post holes. Tom was on the tractor all day mowing and moving dirt. The girls emptied sixteen suitcases that we brought with items full of ministry needs. They ended up with 62 blanket packets that included clothes, diapers, wipes, and the blankets for our hospital visit on Wednesday. The men had the boys from the orphage helping with the digging of the holes and as we worked we talked to them and got to know them. God is working here with each us and everyone that works and lives here. As for me today was a beautiful day. Working on things and getting to know these kids and how they live everyday. I thank God for this trip. Penny has taken lots of picture to show on our return. The internet connection is real slow today so we were unable to download any pictures for todays blog. I will try again tomorrow night when I next post a blog.

Saturday travel day

2010-06-05T22:04:00.003-05:00

Saturday June 5th. we were at the church at 2 A.M. and loaded up and off we went to the airport, only to hurry up and wait. What a blessing Alvie was to get up and take us all to the airport. It was a very long day for us all, but we were all happy to arrive safly in Honduras. We all found that our life back home is a blessing compared to the poor conditions here in Honduras. We fininlly made it to the orphange and had a wonderful time getting settled in and now it is almost ten P.M. and we are all headed to bed for a great day with the kids tomorrow and work to be done here. God has touched each one of us today with so much that we can't imagine what will tomorrow bring. God is great. All the time.

Getting ready to go

2010-06-04T19:47:00.003-05:00

Thursday night at the Church packing bags to take to the hospital on Saturday. From left to right are John Schultz, Dena Duncan, Me (Jackie), Tom Handzlik, and Cory Stahl. We had a lot of baby blankets given for the new mothers there at the hospital. We know they all will be very happy to receive these and to hear about Jesus.

Tate Springs on Mission - Latvia 2009

2009-07-31T23:14:00.007-05:00

For all those that have requested to see this video again. If you wish to have your own personal disc of the video, send me an e-mail at lowthorp@mac.com I'll be glad to make you a copy.

For Steve Hardy: here's the picture you've been waiting for

2009-06-19T13:58:00.001-05:00

saying good bye

2009-06-19T13:45:00.006-05:00

the last day

2009-06-19T13:16:00.003-05:00

welcome from Latvia

Its our last day and we just got back to our hotel. What an amazing trip we have had and God certainly has blessed our team. We have had such unity and focus for Jesus and it was so evident our whole time here. It was very difficult saying goodbye to the children this morning and tears were flowing not only from the children but from our team. There are children here at the point of aging out of the orphanage that were very upset not knowing if they would ever see any of us again. For myself, the relationships formed over the two years I have been here are so special to me. To feel the love from them and their need for love was overwhelming. To have one of them smile when you get off the bus the first day and grab your hand, to have them put their arms around you and bury their face in your shoulder and cry...tell you how much they love you on the last day is something none of us will ever forget. To witness how God has changed many here over the past year, how he changed them in the past 9 days shows all how powerful God can truly be. It was evident not only to us but to the working staff, the director and all those around these kids. I have been blessed to be surrounded by inspiring Christian team that was an amazing example to everyone here.

It will be a short night, we have to be downstairs at 3:45 a.m. and will arrive back in Texas about 1:20 p.m. Cant wait to see everyone and tell about this amazing trip. God Bless everyone for their support and prayers while we were gone and see you soon.

Rick

Carnival pictures

2009-06-19T03:36:00.003-05:00

We had a caranival

God of the rain

2009-06-19T03:35:00.001-05:00

BRRRRRR!!!!

We woke to a cold and rainy Sunday morning in Latvia. After breakfast we walked down the road to get on the bus that would take us to church in Jelgava. Wish I had thought to bring an umbrella… or closed toed shoes…or a warmer suit of clothes…hmmm…

No matter. We were able to take twelve kids from Lejasstrazdi with us, and the church service was great despite the language difference. The pastor’s sermon was about the power of Jesus, which is exactly what we have been learning about in VBS. The kids were so attentive, and it was a blessing to be able to worship with them in an actual church setting. Hearts are being softened, and the Holy Spirit is definitely here and moving.

When we left the church, we could see our breath in front of us. Cold! Really missing those close-toed shoes…and the umbrella. Lunch was at Silva and the food was wonderful. Again, we experienced such a peace among our group as the children enjoyed a nice meal away from the orphanage.

Back at Lejasstrazdi we held our third day of VBS. Today’s lesson was about the power of Jesus to take away our sins and give us eternal life. The focus was on the cross and the price paid there for our forgiveness. Once again, the kids were very attentive during the Bible lesson. Two of the workers from the orphanage even listened in. During Cora’s closing prayer three kids indicated that they wanted Jesus to forgive their sins. Praise God! Please pray that God will help us to have the right words to say, and that these kids will make commitments to Jesus Christ.

It was too wet to have our regular recreation time, but Rick and Terri were brave enough to try the Coke and Mentos activity anyway. The Coke did not shoot into the air as high as we would have liked, but Rick was sufficiently surprised—and the kids were entertained.

The time of sharing that followed was amazing! As we stood shivering in the cold under the open-air shed and team members shared about times in which God has sustained us, the kids were so receptive. We want these kids to know that no matter what trials life might bring their way, Jesus is the only One who can give true peace, and He is the only Friend that will never let them down. Our hearts were warmed by the exchange and the eagerness of the kids to listen.

Then the interns performed a skit to the song “Come to Jesus,” with each of the actors in the skit finding their way to Jesus and the foot of the cross. Oh, how great is the love of our Savior that He calls to us in our time of need, and that His love kept Him on the cross in our stead. The children of Lejasstrazdi are being provided with many opportunities to learn these truths.

Team devotion time was an awesome worship experience. Wow! Today, we have truly witnessed the moving of the Spirit.

A pastor once said that nineteen drops of rain would keep twenty Baptists away from church. I don’t know about that, but I thank God today for the rain in Latvia. It is because of the rain that we have had a captive, attentive, receptive audience.

Continue to pray for the Spirit’s moving as hearts are softened and lives are changed.

Love and hugs,
Cindy

We're alive and well

2009-06-15T14:43:00.003-05:00

Didn't have any Internet connectivity the last day and a half. When we do get it, it's VERY slow. We've all been taking turns "waiting" to blog but don't have much patience for it because we are here for other reasons.

We definitely want you all to know everything is going Wonderful! We had an awesome time today taking the kids bowling - that was a very big adventure for them and they were all just laughing and smiling the entire day.

We luv you all... we'll keep trying to post...

----Terri

Friends at Lejasstrazdi

2009-06-13T09:09:00.004-05:00

Gatis: "...and I'm the creamy chocolate filling!" Ramie, Gatis, Annie

what an awesome place

2009-06-13T05:33:00.004-05:00

This trip has been every bit as exciting as last year. The kids here have been so amazing. God has been working this past 12 months and its just such a blessing to watch his work. This place is so much better with in attitude and environment. The administrator told us that last year was a turning point with the boys here, that after we left God continued to work on hearts and everything was just so much better. The downer for me was Kaspars left for two months on a trip but I got to spend two days with him which was great, but we have really had to pray for his older brother Maris. The separation was really tough. Please pray for both of them. Continue to pray for the people here, the economy is just so bad.

Rick

Get in the boat

2009-06-13T04:39:00.003-05:00

Good morning from Latvia. VBS was terrific this morning. Christine, our friend/translator from years past, joined us today. What a blessing to see her.

As Professor Cora once again tried to explain the power of Jesus to Professor Wilma during Power Lab, the children were amused and taught a valuable truth. The Bible story was about Jesus asking Peter to take step of faith by walking to him on the water. We were reminded that we have the power to be brave because of Jesus in our lives. The kids were asked to get in the "boat," and as the waves crashed and the winds howled, they were told that with the power of Jesus there is no need to fear anything. What a tremendous lesson for these kids--for all of us.

Continue to pray for lives to be changed as we love on these children with the arms of Jesus. The time is passing much too quickly, but we have adopted the motto "carpe diem" as we don't want to lose a moment.

Pray for the leadership of the regions around each of the orphanages in Latvia. There are many government changes possible that would effect how these kids are cared for, and ultimately, what their futures in Latvia will be. These kids are so precious, and they must have hope. We will leave them with the truth that they can have hope in Jesus.

Love and hugs,
Cindy

More Random Pictures

2009-06-12T14:35:00.020-05:00

Boys Night Out...of the closet!

Hey--we're Twinkies!

Helena and Madara--our Latvian hostesses

Singing about The Power

Whose the chick with horns?Oh, that's Jess!

" And then I did a karate chop like this...AYAH!!"

Just call me Cutie

Aivars sporting the latest in manly pink accessories

Random Pictures

2009-06-12T09:56:00.009-05:00

More pictures

2009-06-12T09:42:00.003-05:00

The kids are not just teenagers as we expected, there are approx 6 under the age of 10. The youngest is 3, his sister is 5 and they are all SO precious! Today in VBS the kids made a bouncey ball, experiemented with static electicity (static from your hair on a balloon will pick up pepper from a plate). Ater that we made friendship beads, colored and played musical chairs. It's amazing how they have so much fun with such little things!

Today did start off very emotional, as Kaspers (7 yrs old) left to go to France for the summer. Even though this is a tremendous opportunity for him, he left behind his brother Maris. Neither wanted to be separated, and Maris fears he will never see his brother again. We all cried with him and prayed for him. Fortunately Maris came on into VBS and eventually had a smile on his face. I know that those that have been to Latvia before and know these two are probably crying reading this because these two kids are very special!

Again, Internet access comes and goes - so we're very happy that we are able to post at all. Hope the rain has stopped there! Thanks for all your comments!

Luv,
Terri

Pictures from Vacation Bible School

2009-06-12T09:28:00.008-05:00

Greetings from Latvia

2009-06-12T05:49:00.003-05:00

Our time in Latvia has been great so far. We have been able to work with some of the same kids with whom we have formed relationships, and we have made some new friends. Tender moments abound, and being able to pass along the love of Jesus is such a privilege.

Several team members were able to attend graduation last night. This was a momentous occassion, and being able to share the experience with these young people was so sweet. Three of the boys, Arturs, Alexandars, and Laurus, are kids we have known for a while. Their faces beamed with pride, and our hearts were filled with joy for them. There is a custom here of giving flowers for EVEYRTHING, and these kids received as many flowers (if not more) as the others whose families were present. What a blessing for them!

This event was followed by a graduation party and all of the kids from the school were invited along with their families. Helena, our hostess here at Lejasstrazdi, is so gracious! She put on quite a spread for the graduates, and we were very blessed to be in attendance. A great time was had by all.

One of the newer kids here is Gatis. He is such a polite and delightful young man. He was looking at all the materials we had spread out for our VBS time this morning. He looked at me very thougthfully, and through the interpreter commented that all of these things must have cost a lot of money. His beautiful eyes met mine and I responded that our church family had collected money and materials for this trip because they love the kids in Latvia so much. His smile told me that he understood, and he said to tell our church "Paldies" which is thank you in Latvian.

So, "Thank you" from Gatis, the other children at Lejasstrazdi, and the mission team. We could never do this without your support, and your prayers. Continue to be in prayer as God moves and softens hearts.

Sveiki from Lejasstrazdi

2009-06-12T05:32:00.003-05:00

Good afternoon!
It is a chilly, cloudy day at Lejasstrazdi. VBS is going great. The kids love it and we are having so much fun. Thank you Halley and Tonya for suggesting Power Lab. They love Professor Kora and Professor Wilma!!

The atmosphere here is so different from last year. There is such a peace that did not exist when we were here before. The director, Helena, told one of our interpreters that our coming last year was the turning point for the children who had come here from Tervete. God is so good to have allowed us to be used by Him.

I cannot believe this is my fifth year. It is such a blessing to get to see the same kids each year. We were told that some of the children were to go to a Foster Home for the summer but when they found out we were coming they asked to wait!! Isn't that amazing!

Thank each one of you for your prayers. We can feel them. There is such an amazing spirit of unity in our team. We have four of the greatest interns and our whole team has fit together so well.

Let us hear from you as it encourages us to know you are following us.

Love in Jesus,
"Professor Kora"

God is Great!!

2009-06-11T07:55:00.004-05:00

He is totally surrounding us on this trip and giving us one blessing after another. The weather is terrific, no rain yesterday or today. This allowed us to be outside to run & play, play Candy Land, Uno, badmitton and a water balloon fight - all outdoors. The kids appreciate everything - when was the last time you saw teenagers playing Candy Land and having a lot of fun?

Before I lose internet connectivity again - here are some pictures.

Thank you all for your comments!!

Luv, Terri

Day 1 at the orphanage

2009-06-11T05:41:00.002-05:00

Hello from Latvia! We did not have internet last night so was not able to post anything. It's almost 2pm here and we are about to start sports camp. We'll try posting again later tonight but wanted to let everyone know that all is well here!

The kids were all waiting outside for us when our van pulled up (17 of us in a 16 pax van, plus luggage in the aisle). It was very exciting.

The first day of VBS went very well; the wx is beautiful right now and yes - we do have all of our luggage.

_______
luv, Terri

We are safe and sound in Riga, Latvia

2009-06-09T07:58:00.001-05:00

It is close to 4pm here, we just finished up lunch and have the rest of the day and night to catch up on some much needed sleep. We are missing 1 Buckner bag and 1 of our bags; rumor has it they will be in around midnight.

We have met the additional members of our Team from Buckner, and are ready to head to the orphanage at 1100 tomorrow. To our Families....everyone here is healthy & happy and we pray for all of you to stay that way while we are gone!

_________
Terri

Preparation for a Mission Trip

2009-06-01T10:46:00.010-05:00

These are just some of the donations that we received from our Sunday School class and from Southwest Airlines!

Thank you so much; Luv, Terri & Rick

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 01

2008-12-19T02:54:00.002-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 02

2008-12-19T02:50:00.002-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 03

2008-12-19T02:46:00.002-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 04

2008-12-19T02:36:00.003-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 05

2008-12-19T02:30:00.002-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 06

2008-12-19T02:12:00.003-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 07

2008-12-19T01:55:00.003-06:00

Dr. Marc's Sunday School Class Christmas Party - Pt. 08

2008-12-16T02:37:00.003-06:00

2008-08-20T17:02:00.001-05:00

Well, we made it! And are having a wonderful week. When we arrived Saturday, we were met at the airport by Jim LaMont, the missionary here. As we were rounding up our luggage, we were short 2 suitcases. We gave that situation to God and came on to the orphanage, and got situated. We settled in, and got ready for the next day. Sunday morning we had Sunday School with the kiddos at the orphanage. My brother, Dru, preached and Sandy, Christy and Kathy performed an interpretative dance. 2 of the kids, Loyda and Bella, helped me with a puppet show. It was a great time of fellowship. The next day we went to visit 2 schools in the village. Kathy, Christy and Sandy did a drama, I sang "Love in Any Language" and Penny shared the Word. At the first school, 8 children accepted Christ! Awesome! At the 2nd school we went to, 3 more children accepted Christ. God is at work here. It is such a blessing to be a part of it. That night we went to church in the village and my brother preached and I sang. This culture is so different yet we all worship and praise such an amazing God. THe next day, we loaded food for the feeding brigade. that night we went to church, and my brother preached I sang Via Dolorosa, in spanish. Wow, GOd is amazing! Today we had the feeding brigade, and now we are fixing to go to church. Thank you all for your suipporet and prayers. We will keep you up t o date on the awesome work being done here. God bless you! Dena

Latvia - Riga - Children's Orphanage - Pt. 03

2008-06-22T15:48:00.002-05:00

Latvia - Riga - Children's Orphanage - Pt. 02

2008-06-22T15:33:00.002-05:00

Latvia - Riga - Children's Orphanage - Pt. 01

2008-06-22T15:20:00.003-05:00

How Great is God?

2008-06-20T18:38:00.002-05:00

If you would have asked me last year if my experience in Latvia last year could ever be topped, I would have said with absolute conviction, No Way! Well, I was wrong. This year has been amazing. I now understand what Cora and my father mean when they say, it just gets better and better every year they go. Not only was I able to maintain and grow my relationships with the kids from last year, I made new and strong relations with several new ones.

As most of you know Kathy and I have raised five children, four of which are young women. As difficult as life seemed at times, we knew that if we commited our lives and children to the Lord that He would be faithful to see us through. My life has been full of one blessing after another. As undeserved as each blessing has been, God has been faithful to fulfill his promises. What a wonderful and mighty God we serve.

With all my faults and shortcomings, Christ through his shed blood, has blinded the the eyes of our heavenly Father. He has bestowed his grace on me and my family. Short of the love for my wife and the birth of all my children, I can honestly say the opportunity to minister to the orphans in Latvia has been the greatest blessing in my life.

Our team has witnessed the mighty hand of God at work. The lives of these kids have been changed forever. No one can ever say that they (the kids) have not heard and understood the Gospel. We witnessed five children accepting Christ and saw first hand the change He made in their lives.

How great is our God? That Great!

Michael Lowthorp

2008-06-20T17:13:00.003-05:00

Well this trip has been so exciting. Our last day there was really tough,at least on me. The boys were sort of drawing away knowing we were leaving and some had been upset since wednesday. After breakfast I took a walk with Maris and Kaspars and really had a great time. They seemed so close, Kaspars wouldnt let go of my hand. We got back and there wasnt much going on, we had to pack and get ready to go. Kaspars came up and wanted to play so we went outside to play with a ball.... he was yelling something when Tiffany came to me and asked if I knew what he was saying, I said no and she told me he was calling me Dad. Thats when you know what kind of impact we have on these kids. What an amazing feeling.I guess you can guess how hard it was to drive off and see thier sad faces. This trip has meant so much to me personally and I know it effects our whole team,these kids are so precious and want love so much and have so little.I have been blessed to have come here and will start planning for next year as soon as we get back. If you have never been on a mission trip you should pray and ask God if thats where he wants you. It will leave you with such a feeling of satisfaction and it means so much to these children. You can make a difference. Latvia is so beautiful and I have a years worth of memories to last me till I come back. Thanks Tate Springs for this oppurtunity and praise God for what he is doing here in LATVIA. Rick A

Don't wanna be a duck ??? Huh !!!

2008-06-18T17:43:00.006-05:00

Storytime with Ms. Cindi

2008-06-18T16:43:00.003-05:00

Tervete Kids

Girl's Night 05

2008-06-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

Girl's Night 04

2008-06-18T15:59:00.003-05:00

Girl's Night 03

2008-06-18T15:48:00.002-05:00

Girl's Night 02

2008-06-18T15:39:00.002-05:00

Girl's Night 01

2008-06-18T15:15:00.006-05:00

Intern's Slide

2008-06-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

Kid's Slide

2008-06-18T14:15:00.002-05:00

The Story of Job - Pt. 03

2008-06-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

The Story of Job - Pt. 02

2008-06-18T12:43:00.002-05:00

The Story of Job - Pt. 01

2008-06-18T12:19:00.003-05:00

"How Great Thou Art" - Jelgava Baptist Church

2008-06-17T14:47:00.003-05:00

Ms. Cora and Buddy the Buckner Buccaneer.

2008-06-17T10:21:00.003-05:00

Kasper teaches Rick the fine art of Crafts

2008-06-16T16:22:00.002-05:00

Latvian Sing-a-long.

2008-06-16T15:48:00.003-05:00

Cindi Explains Next Project

2008-06-16T15:27:00.003-05:00

2008-06-16T15:03:00.001-05:00

Rick doing his thing.

2008-06-16T12:51:00.002-05:00

The Wheels on The Bus...

2008-06-16T12:06:00.002-05:00

Sveiki!We got up early for breakfast today and prepared for spending the next three hours on the bus headed to the northern most part of Latvia on the Baltic Sea, Kolka Kroags. Several of the kids from Tervete (with whom TSBC team members have already formed relationships)joined us for the journey. Along the way we stopped to stretch our legs a bit. "A bit" turned out to be a long walk through the woods on a boardwalk that went up and down and all around. The nature was beautiful.

Back on the bus...We continued on to the beach where it was very cold. We climbed on a few rocks and took a few photos. Another lovely part of the country of Latvia.

Back on the bus...When we reached the destination for our picnic, we ate quickly as the rains clouds gathered. A few folks were brave enough to venture into the water. Brrrr!

Back on the bus...We stopped to have a look at the camp where several of the kids just spent a few days. We opted to have our dessert here, and a few more brave people ventured into the water. Double BRRRR!!!!

Back on the bus...We finally began our journey home. It was a great day, though maybe we are a bit weary from the bus ride. The kids had a blast--they are so easy to please,and it was nice to spend time with them away from Lejasstrazdi.

God continues to work in the lives of the kids. Please pray that decisions that are being made are for real, and that those professing Christ will take the lead in helping there fellow residents to know the Father as well.

Happy belated Father's Day to all you dads who are reading. And for all of those who are reading, please respond to our blogs so that we know you are reading. It is really encouraging to hear from our family and friends.

In Christ's love,
Cindy Dorgan

Sand burn and smelly feet

2008-06-16T11:32:00.002-05:00

Today we arose early to drive to the BEACH!!!! We made one quick stop at the most northern tip of Latvia to see the ocean. We took many pictures and had a blast with the kids. It's not too often that you can go to the beach with sweatshirts and pants and still be cold! BRRR!!! After that, we continued on to another part of the Baltic Sea to eat lunch and go swimming. That did not last long though, because just like every other day here, it rained! We got back in the bus to head back and made a stop along the way at a camp some of the children attend during the summer time. We were able to run out into the sea and play some sand volleyball and just have a great time of fellowship with the kids and each other. It was a great day filled with lots of fun, driving, wet kids, sandy shoes, and smelly feet! Praise God for allowing us the opportunity to spend a day away from the orphanage with the kids! He is the one and only Almighty God!
Continue to pray for us as many have sore throats and runny noses. Pray specifially for Armands, Alexandars, Kaspars, Maris, and Tania. Thanks for all your prayers and support! God is doing amazing work here in Latvia and we are so blessed to be a part of it!
In His Grasp,
Kim Ball

Cows and Pigs and Owls! Oh My!

2008-06-14T06:53:00.003-05:00

It is a rainy chilly day here in Latvia but we are having fun with the kids. We just did a skit about the troubles of Job and the fact that he never quit believing in God no matter how bad things got. Some of us "more mature" team members played the part of Job's animals. I (Cora) am too old to be crawling around the floor pretending to be a cow!!!

The children are blossoming. It is so wonderful to have them just walk up to you and wrap their arms around you and hold you. God is surely working in this place. There is so much happening each day. Every time we do a story or a skit, the children really pay attention. We know they are soaking in everything and we pray for a harvest of more souls for Jesus.

Steve, you asked for a list of the kids at Lejasstrazdi that were once at Tervete so here goes: Maris, Agnis, Rita, Aivers, little Janis, and Kaspars. Viktors, Janis, Anjatoles, Lena, Oskars and Zenna are still at Tervete. We will see the kids from Tervete next Monday as they travel with us to the Baltic Sea. We will also travel to Tervete on Tuesday to spend some time with the kids there.

Thank each one of you for your prayers. They really are making a difference.

Let us here from you as it encourages us to know that you are keeping up with what is going on here.

Love from Latvia,
Cora

It's Guuud!

2008-06-14T05:14:00.003-05:00

Good morning from rainy Latvia. It is a beautiful but wet day here at Lejasstrazdi. The kids will soon gather for another opportunity to hear the gospel. That is one thing that has been a certainty each day--the kids will hear the good news of Jesus Christ and His power to save. Whether in a skit, through creating a craft project, learning the Scripture, or one on one evangelism during the afternoon free time, the Word is being presented and children are responding.

In the words of my new friend Kim Ball (who, by the way, is quite intelligent), it's guuud!

In Christ's love,
Cindy Dorgan

We Finally See Rita

2008-06-13T14:34:00.003-05:00

Another beautiful morning before the clouds moved in. I was blessed today to see Rita had returned from Girls' Camp. She is back to her black hair, and she looks good. Gita, I asked her to pose for a picture for you, so here it is. This was taken about an hour ago. The smile is for you. Hope you are doing well. My best to all of you at TSBC. For those of you that do not know Rita, she is Gita's sister.

Keep praying for all of us, especially for Halie who lost her grandma. She is staying on to continue her work here. She is a real inspiration to all of us.

Dr. Marc

another great day

2008-06-13T11:44:00.002-05:00

This morning was the last day of vbs and it was so much fun. All week the kids were making thier own treasure box. We took them up last nite and filled them with goodies. We hid the boxes and this morning the pirate came in and led them on a treasure hunt. To see thier faces when they found them was awsome. It just doesnt take much to see so much fun in those eyes. They have so little. It was raining so we couldnt stay out long and then I got to cut some hair. hahahahaha The boys seem to injoy that. Please continue to pray for good health and for God to continue to work on these precious hearts. There are a couple of them graduating from school tonite so activities are alittle different. We dont eat until 8:00 and then some activities with them. It should be a great fellowship time. Rick A

Rain and God in Latvia

2008-06-13T08:26:00.006-05:00

It rained today, yesterday, and the day before. I like it. The food is pretty good.It's differnt here. The language is pretty hard. I know a couple of words. I sleep in the same room as Kim Ball, who is very intelligent. I love my team, Cora, Cindy, Mike, Marc, Rick, and last but certainly not least Dr. Mark. Oh, and Kim.
These kids are very hard to talk to sometimes, they put up a wall so they protect themselves from getting hurt. This week we saw those walls come down. Today was our last day of VBS. We made this week fun so the kids would be intersted, but serious so the kids would know that this is the biggest decision they can make in their lives. This week four kids acccepted Jesus into their hearts. We need to make sure they know that you have to continue to follow God's calling. Their lives should be different than before. We just pray that the rest of our time here the kids will become more and more curious into God's word.

Prayer Request- One of our intern's grandmother past away yesterday. Her gradma just accepted Christ last week. God is in control and has the perfect timing for every situation. I would just like to ask you to pray for her and her family during this loss. She will be staying on the trip, they came on week before us and will stay one week after us.Her name is Halie Hall(the intern).

Taylor A. Partain

Daniel in the Lion's Den

2008-06-13T07:24:00.003-05:00

2008-06-12T19:41:00.001-05:00

2008-06-12T19:36:00.000-05:00

2008-06-12T19:30:00.001-05:00

2008-06-12T19:24:00.000-05:00

2008-06-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

Several photos to share.

2008-06-12T19:06:00.003-05:00

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST !!!

2008-06-12T18:37:00.007-05:00

This evening while having devotions, one of our interns (Halie) shared with us that earlier this afternoon she was told her Grandmother had passed away. She said that she had accepted Christ a week earlier. Halie is very strong in her faith and knows that she will one day be reunited. I don't know weather she intends to stay or go home. But please keep Halie and her family in your prayers as she goes through this difficult time.

Halie is third from the right in the photo.

David and Goliath

2008-06-12T13:10:00.003-05:00

Joshua and Jericho

2008-06-12T12:58:00.003-05:00

what a trip it has been

2008-06-12T11:38:00.003-05:00

hello again from chilly Latvia. Vbs is going great the weather has turned off alittle chilly during the day and down right cold at nite. It has rained some but now so much that we had to stay in for long. The bad part is several of our team has sore throats and not feeling great. Pray for us to all recover quickly and stay in good health. I lost my voice today and was disappointed because I was going to lead the devotional tonight but I will have to switch to another nite. We havent had any more convertions but I feel there are a couple of boys maybe close. Some are just so hard to get close to. The oldest one is Armon (that isnt the right way to spell that im sure) and he has such influence over so many. He is a very good athlete and I was so excited to finally find something I could do better than him, throw a football. That gave me credibility with him(although very little) but I am able to talk to him some. Please pray for him, he is leaving here in about 9 more days because he is 18 and he is not yet a Christian. It would have such an impact if we can reach him. He has a younger brother here and he is also very hard to reach his name is Lauris. One more story before I sign off,last nite I had gone upstairs (by the way we are on the third floor and no there are not elevators)to get ready for devotional and as I walked in I turned to Cora and was looking out the window, Cora looked at me and I said "Turn around right now " when she did she saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. The colors were brilliant,so clear and was a complete half circle. Cora turned back to me and said "How great is our God" Amen to that. On that incredible note I will sign off for now,we miss everyone there but I feel we are making such a difference here. Keep us in you're prayers and please pray for the children here,they are so precious. Sorry one more thing, the youngest one here is Kaspars and he is 6,pray very hard for him. He is so special but so in need of Christ,the next one to his age is probably 14 so you can imagine the things he is exposed to. Rick A.

Noah's Ark

2008-06-12T10:59:00.003-05:00

ARGH!!!!!

2008-06-12T10:29:00.002-05:00

The old pirate finally met his match! Today the pretend pirate met the master of the seas and all the universe. His map led him to Jesus and a good guide led him in the sinners' prayer. The pretend pirate accepted Jesus into his life and others have come to Christ since our arrival here. At least three young men (boys, really) have made a serious committment to the Lord. If no one else is effected by the Gospel, it has all been worth it. Today, during our skit, we had 14 young people, our team, the interpreters, and two staff of the orphanage. We don't know how it affected the staff, but they were hanging on every word. They stayed to watch the memorization of Scripture by the kids. I wonder if they were doing the same? Only time will tell the results of our time here, but we know we are serving our Lord in a far away land that is declining in population every year. Those who come to know the Lord can carry Him to other nations if they leave Latvia also. At least those who we contact will be able to spread the Word wherever they go.

We look forward to more results as the days continue. Love and best wishes to all of you at home. Keep us in your prayers.

The Old Pirate, Marc

Relationships

2008-06-12T09:59:00.004-05:00

The more time we spend with the kids and each other, the more God has shown me how important our relationships with others are. It is through our relationships that we affect others. Whether good or bad, how we interact with others is what people remember about us. Even our own family members are affected by our conduct. If we truly want to be effective for Chirst, our conduct must be worthy of his name.

It has truly been a blessing for our team to have teenagers who actually want to interact with us and seek our attention. As a parent of 5, it seems the last people they want to interact with are parents and adults. These kids have never known the love and affection of adults. It is a complete role reversal here. When adults show true interest in them, they unfold like a blossom. We see their inner beauty and innocence. It has truly been a blessing for me and the rest of the team. I can't wait to get home and hold my own children close and reaffirm my love for them. That is, if they will take the time to let me.

Michael Lowthorp

Latvia - 2008 - Lajazzstrazdi

2008-06-11T16:59:00.004-05:00

The Wonderful People of Latvia.

WAHOOOOOOO!!!

2008-06-11T15:06:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! What an amazing God we serve! We are continually blessed to serve Him here in Latvia. Each day I am reminded of how big God is and just how powerful His name is. Today three of our children prayed to receive Christ! Already our trip is well past worth it.
We have been able to play hours of socccer, football, frisbee, and tag with the children everyday. Because of these interactions, each of us has been given the opportunity to grow closer to the children and share more of Christ's love for them. What a beautiful responsibility!
Continue to pray for the children here that they would truly hear and understand about the Lord and His saving grace. Pray that they would be able to understand what love is and that there is a Father who loves them so much that He would send His son to die for them. Also continue to pray for us that we are renewed each day with energy and compassion for the lost.

Kim Ball

Kim and Taylor Kicking It

2008-06-11T12:12:00.004-05:00

Kim and Taylor spending some time kicking a soccer ball around with a few of the teens. After they saw how good they are, it made for a better practice than they thought. It is a mighty thing to see GOD's work here and experience it first hand. Thanks for your continued prayers. I ask, would you mind one extra prayer a day for a child to seek Jesus, as their minds are becoming more open? Thanks for all you do. We love you all.

The Arms of Jesus

2008-06-11T10:38:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Latvia! God is allowing the team from TSBC to join in the work that He is doing here, and it is good. As we work with the kids in VBS and enjoy their company in the afternoon, we are continually reminded how blessed we are to be here.

During last night's devotion time, we read from Mark 10:13-16 where Jesus scolded the disciples regarding the little children and letting them come to Him. Then Jesus took the children in His arms and blessed them. When reflecting on those verses, I was reminded of a current Casting Crowns song which asks the question "If we are His body, why aren't His arms reaching?" Here at Lejasstrazdi we see His arms reaching every day. There are arms extended to embrace a child, arms reaching to push a swing "higher, higher," arms hitting a volleyball to an anxious group of teenage boys, arms stretching to place Caspars onto shoulders for a ride, arms hugging tentative teenagers who have finally let down their walls, arms wrapped around a crying child to soothe his sobs when the last bit of his ice cream falls to the ground.

Oh, the body is at work here! Praise to the Father that we are being allowed to participate in His work, given the privilege to teach the kids about the outstretched arms of Jesus as He died on the cross for each of us. Glory to Him for the lives that are being changed. Eternal thanks to Him for using our arms to extend His love to these beautiful children.

God bless you all as you continue to pray for this venture.

In Christ's love,

Cindy Dorgan