Christmas in Estonia (part 1)

Tallinn Christmas Market - just beautiful!

So, it’s our first Christmas in Estonia and life is certainly different! Living in Tallinn is a wonderful experience. The Old Town looks like a fairy tale. The atmosphere in the Christmas market is just wonderful. There’s even real live reindeer; and I sometimes have to pinch myself as I hurry through the town en route to meetings to remind myself I’m not dreaming - we really do live and work here. 

 

 

Around the Region corps officers and teams are really busy and the regular food parcel distributions take on an even more urgent feel. Families appreciate the special ‘goodies’ that are added to the parcels and which turn these regular donations into something a little special.

 As a brass player I have remained an active band member throughout my officership. December (or even November, in Portsmouth!) has always been marked out as the carolling season. With just a handful of brass players in Tallinn, our carolling programme bears very little relation to what we were used to in the UK.  With the help of a couple of friends who played Sousaphone and Saxophone, we managed to get a small group together to do our first carolling session this week.  Before we went ‘public’ we had a band practice and it was quite funny seeing people learn carols that SA brass players at home know from memory. But when we took to the shopping centre, people stopped to listen and the carols seemed to be well received even though there were more than a few dodgy notes.







 

Christmas collecting is tough work here. I don’t for one moment use that phrase to denote

The band in Solaris Centre, Tallinn

the physical struggle that colleague Salvationists experience in the USA or UK throughout December.  In Tallinn we have just 2 kettle stands – the Solaris shopping centre and the Stockmanns department store. Both of these are very smart, very high end retail areas.  The stores are as nice as you would find anywhere in the world – with all the international brand names. So the environment is really pleasant and the kettle stands are warm and comfortable. The kettles are staffed from 12 noon to 8pm and volunteers take 1 or 2 hour slots. Other than the ache in my poor bad back (consequences of a silly slip up with my motorbike 10 years ago!) I really can’t complain. But, I confess I have found my slots on ‘kettles’ quite challenging.



Very interesting backdrop for today's kettle stand!!

 There are three problems: the first is that I miss the Christmas banter with passers-by. Now, I know that’s largely my own fault. My 5 months of Estonian lessons have not yet given me the confidence (or vocabulary) to say much. So conversations have been - ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ and ‘Happy Christmas’. And even that has been difficult as a large portion of the community speak Russian! The second problem is that these conversations have happened so rarely. In the UK the Salvation Army is well known. We have some very generous supporters who give large donations – but we also have many people who generally think we are OK types of people and who are happy to drop a ‘quid’ in the bucket as they pass by.  The flow of people is often quite brisk and the chats, if only superficial, come thick and fast. Not so here. My experience of this week is that during the course of an hour I might get anything between 2 and 10 donations. By the way, 10 was an exceptionally good slot, today’s 1-hour slot saw only 2 ‘customers’. So it’s really boring standing as crowds walk by oblivious to your presence.  Which highlights the 3rd problem; no one really knows who we are here in Estonia. The uniform is not recognised, the Red Shield and the iconic kettle mean nothing and there is very little awareness of our work – all of which make it very hard to generate public support.

 There is one strange phenomenon, though. Some people drop a few cents in the kettle – but others

My very first Estonian Christmas dinner

 put in a note – and a 10 or 20 Euro note at that! I’d be interested to know the reason behind their generosity. Do they know us from overseas or have they some idea of what we do in Estonia? I’d love to ask them –but I can’t speak enough of the language!!!! So frustrating.

 OK – that’s my moan over.  Alongside the kettle programme it has been great to participate in some of the Christmas parties. There’s never a shortage of food, the hall is always laid out beautifully and people seem to have a great time. On Thursday we tasted our first Estonian Christmas dinner. It’s rather different to what we are used to. Turkey is replaced by blood sausage (black pudding we would call it back home), and Brussel sprouts are replaced by beetroot and sauerkraut. It’s an acquired taste (!) but we enjoyed it. This Sunday is the last Sunday in Advent and we are really looking forward to experiencing worship over the Christmas festival. The hard work and motivation of the corps leaders has been so encouraging. It’s been great to see corps volunteers hard at work and to get to know people a little better.



Kopli corps Christmas party

 If I’m honest – I’ve realised how much we take for granted the ‘brand awareness’ that we have in the UK, along with the blessings of a good corps band and songster brigade and the ministry opportunities that are opened up at Christmas when you have quality musical sections.  So, if you have groups like that in your corps and are feeling a little weary after your 100^th rendition of ‘Silent Night’, be thankful for the blessings!

 Time to wrap up this week’s ‘rambling’ and head down to the corps to help get the hall ready for worship tomorrow. I’ll give you an update on our experiences of Christmas week next time.

Johvi vorps takes to the airwaves

Another great story from the east of our Region this week. The term 'open air' took on a new meaning as an exciting new project launched this week in Estonia. The Salvation Army and Family Radio have partnered to open a new broadcasting studio in the Johvi corps.

Arina and Paavo ready at their mics

Candidates Evgenhy and Arina Danilov took up their appointments in the summer. Their congregation was very small - actually, on their first Sunday no one turned up at all! So they took stock of what they had available, looked at their office and decided it could be much more effectively used as a radio studio. Before stopping work to look after their lovely new son, Arina worked with Family Radio at their Narva studio. Discussions took place with radio station director Paavo Pihlak and the plans for establishing a new studio in Johvi began to take shape. Paavo sourced the necessary technical equipment and the room was soundproofed and carpeted to provide the right environment for recording.

On Friday I travelled with Regional Assistant Evelin eastwards to Johvi for the opening ceremony. Arina and Evgenhy had organised it and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. How thrilled we were to find a small group of enthusiastic supporters gathered for this historic event.  A church friend, Sergei, joined Arina to lead us in a time of worship. It was my privilege to formally welcome our visitors and then Arina explained how God had given her the vision to use her experience in Christian media and launch this new project. She was delighted by the enthusiastic reception to her ideas and grateful or this new opportunity.

A number of leaders of Local churches had come along and one by one they took to the mic to lend

Johvi church leaders unite to launch the new project

their support, praying that this new project would demonstrate unity amongst Christians in the city and form a powerful voice of witness and evangelism within the area. Volunteer broadcasters from Family Radio's Narva studio shared testimonies received from listeners who had contacted the station to express thanks for the spiritual encouragement they had received from listening to the programmes.After praying and asking for God's blessing on the new ministry, I invited Methodist Pastor Arthur Pold and radio director Paavo Pihlak to join me in cutting the ribbon and declaring the new studio open and 'ready for mission'. 

Paavo begins the ribbon cutting!

To symbolise the working partnership Paavo and I each cut the ribbon one third of the way through before Arthur gave the final snip and we declared the studio 'ready for mission'! This new project is a powerful reminder of the wonderful opportunities that media and social networking open up. The Johvi corps is small numerically - but it's influence could be totally unrelated to its size. Arina and Evgenhy will become cadets in January when the new training session begins but it is great to see their vision becoming reality.  Whilst Family Radio's airwaves broadcast covers parts of Eastern Europe, the programme can be listened to anywhere in the world via the internet. So If you want more information bout Family Radio's programme schedules, check out their website: http://www.pereraadio.ee

Wise women from the East

Cndidate Arina and the Johvi 'women in prayer'

A few kilometres have been covered this week as Lyn and I journeyed as far east as it's possible to go within Estonia on a 2-day visit to Johvi and Narva.  With all our corps 2.5 hours or more from Regional Headquarters, visits can sometimes be a little bit 'hit and run'. But with special invitations from the women leaders, Candidate Arina Danilova and Captain Ludmila Baglai, for Lyn to visit their respective Ladies meetings we scheduled a longer trip. And I am so glad we did! We enjoyed special fellowship with our corps leaders and opportunity to meet new church members and volunteers.

At Johvi corps, Arina has started a new Thursday activity - 'Women in prayer'. It was lovely to meet with 4 ladies who have recently started attending the corps. Interestingly, the women don't live in Johvi but travel 10kms from the area of Kohtla-Jarva. As the group sat together around the table Arina led them in a short Bible study and then a lovely time of prayer. The women clearly enjoy coming and feel the costly bus journey is worth while. A small  but very significant foundation has been planted and we pray that others might join in coming weeks.

From Johvi we headed further east to Narva - right on the border with Russia. The town has a very different

Ludmila translates as Lyn shares at Narva

feel about it to Tallinn, where we live. The language is almost exclusively Russian and the design of the buildings very Soviet in style. Having moved into a new corps building  earlier this year, the corps programme is really developing and expanding. The Friday Ladies fellowship meeting revolves around food -as does much of the corps programme here in Estonia. After enjoying sandwiches and drinks in the downstairs dining room the group of around 40 ladies moved upstairs to the worship hall. Lyn had prepared a short presentation of introduction but before she took part Captain Ludmila invited the ladies to share any personal thoughts. One by one they stood to  share readings or testimonies that they had prepared in advance and brought to share. From start to finish it really was a time of rich 'fellowship'.

Lyn even learned how to make a 'snowflake' Christmas decoration from one of the youngsters who had come along with her grandma.

This weekend, as I write this blog, news from home includes reports that the first female Anglican Bishop (in the UK and Ireland) is being installed in Ireland. We pray God's blessing on the Rev Pat Storey as she makes history. How thankful we are that our Salvation Army Founders recognised the significant place of women leaders in our church. This week we have seen first hand evidence of the wise leadership and fruitful ministry of our women leaders in the 'east'. We give thanks to God for them.

Next Friday I will be returning to Johvi again to participate in a special ceremony for a new and exciting partnership activity. I'll report it in next week's blog.

Estonia - Ready for Mission

The SA team gather - not sure who the guy in the white shirt is!

 The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit is always an exciting event. Lyn and I have been privileged to attend a number of these in the UK. This year was our first experience of GLS Estonia and we were certainly not disappointed. Along with around a dozen of our colleague SA leaders we made our way to the Tallinn Technical college recently. The event was organised with the same high standard of professionalism as we had experienced from Willow Creek before. Bill Hybel’s opening session set the scene for a powerful conference and really challenged me. His theme was ‘Courage in leadership’ – and he shared movingly his personal testimony of the moments God has used words originally spoken to Joshua as challenge and encouragement: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’” Joshua 1:9  I recognised those times in my life when I should have shown more of that godly courage and prayed that God might equip me for the leadership tasks ahead.

Opportunity for fellowship and discussion

The assembly hall of the Technical College was full – and it was particularly inspiring to look around and see so many young leaders present (or is this just a sign I am getting old!). I couldn’t help reflecting that here we were in Estonia – a country that only 20 years before had been annexed under Soviet rule – with so many young, enthusiastic leaders determined to share the Gospel and grow the church. I gave thanks to God for those older Christians and leaders who had kept the flame of faith alight when times must have been very dark and challenging. I looked around at our small SA group and gave thanks to God for the movement of the Spirit within the Army. I gave thanks for new officers and emerging leaders and prayed we might be true to our calling as a ‘salvation’ Army.

During the last few weeks I have been touched by the generosity of many friends and corps in the UK who have responded to our ‘Ready for Mission’ appeal. We asked for help to fund officers’ meeting and training days. You have responded so generously and warmly and we would like you to accept our sincere thanks. Because of your kindness and support we can not only look forward with confidence to those Ready for Mission days planned for 2014 but we have also committed to take 12 leaders to participate in the Baltic Church Conference in February 2014. The theme will be ‘Building Life – Changing Churches’. It sounds really exciting and we hope God will use it to inspire us to build His church in Estonia.

These are exciting and challenging days and we pray we might be responsive to His leading and ‘Ready for Mission’.  

We will remember them

As Lyn and I made our way to the Remembrance Day service yesterday I was reminded what a difference a day (or a year!) makes. This time last year I was taking my place on the steps of the Portsmouth Guildhall, looking out over the square at the thousands gathered for this special act of Remembrance in that military city. The centre of the square filled with uniformed representative of the services; with the band of the Royal Marines taking centre stage. The highlight of the ceremony was watching as the crowd applauded the arrival of the surviving WW11 veterans, led by our Portsmouth Citadel corps band. This was always a proud moment for me as Corps officer – and one that every band member considered a great honour and privilege.

Yesterday was rather different.  We received invitations from the British Ambassador to attend the  

Far left: British Ambassador Mr Chris Holtby pays his respects

Remembrance service at the Tallinn military cemetery so donned our full uniforms, fixed our poppies and found our way there. We were not expecting a Portsmouth-sized crowd but we were greeted warmly by fellow Brits as we arrived. A contingent of Estonian soldiers was already in place, receiving final instructions for their duties. We were there very early (as usual!) and as the small crowd grew we were surprised at the level of interest. It was not the size of the crowd (probably around 100) but the diversity of attendees which surprised us. Representatives of various national Embassies, along with their military attachés’, mingled with British ex-pats who had travelled to Tallinn from around the country. The variety of uniforms was fascinating. Camera crews and photographers from national TV and media busied themselves getting shots.  There was a surprisingly high level of interest for what was a numerically small affair.

The Last Post - played by an Estonian military bandsman

It was very nice that our Salvation Army uniforms were so readily recognised – and not just by the Brits. The usual ‘I won’t forget what the Sally Army did for me’, was replaced by ‘I didn’t know the Sally Army was in Estonia – what are you doing here?’ It provided an unexpected opportunity to explain our role and a little about the ministry of the‘Paasetearmee’ in Estonia.

It was a powerful reminder that we Brits are just one of many nations touched by the suffering of war. The tombstones at which the wreaths were laid by Embassy personnel honour the fallen from various countries. It was very moving to join with so many nationalities to pay tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice ‘in the service of peace and freedom’, to thank God for the peace we enjoy now and to remember those many people around our world who still, today, suffer the indignity of conflict or who serve in Armed forces in those theatres of war. I silently lifted a prayer for many personal friends serving in the Forces.

Estonian soldiers guard the international memorials

I also lifted my thoughts to those hundreds of thousands of families impacted by the recent natural disaster in the Philippines; along with members of Humanitarian organisations serving the needs of survivors and, yes, those many troops who will be using their expertise and logistical capacity to search for survivors, assist the aid effort and help bring organisation amid the chaos.

A year on from 2012, our lives have changed. Tallinn’s military cemetery was a very different place to the Portsmouth Guildhall, but the sentiment was the same. Prayers that we will honour the fallen, remember their contribution to our ‘today’, learn from our past and work together for peace.

The kettles are coming!

Captain Ave Kalme (CO at Kopli) with her new kettle

I know that the mere words 'Christmas kettle' send a shiver down the spine of many officer friends around the world. The kettle is a symbol of the wonderful generosity of supporters but also, probably, the busiest season the year. Well, this week the iconic Salvation Army red kettle arrived in Estonia.  Our kettle programme in Estonia has been developing in recent years, largely in the Tallinn area where we are blessed to see many tourists and visitors who know the work of The Salvation Army and recognise our uniform (and kettle!) from back home. This year we are hoping to expand our programme - and all corps are making plans for locations and volunteers. Trouble is, whilst we had some collecting boxes we needed more if we were to move out around the country.
So a quick shout for help and an appeal to colleagues (in the USA) generated an immediate response from Majors Philip and Susan Wittenberg, leaders of the Hempstead Citadel corps in New York. Philip and Susan know the needs and opportunities in Estonia very well - having served here themselves a few years back. Actually, years later, Susan is still revered for her ability to learn and speak fluent Estonian (I'm so jealous!). They stepped up with an immediate offer of help. And courtesy of generous donations from soldiers and advisory board members, 4 brand new kettles arrived in Tallinn this week. The donation would not have been possible without the assistance of UPS - the international shipping company. As part of their support for The Salvation Army they shipped the kettles free of charge. So it's a big 'thumbs up' to our friends in Hempstead Citadel and UPS. Now, let's pray for some good locations, generous givers and that Estonia won't be quite as cold as usual for our first Christmas here!

EU: Gravy train or god-send?

Last weekend I travelled to Prague where more than 30 officers and SA project workers from around Europe met to learn about The Salvation Army's relationship with the EU. I went with anticipation and much interest. During my time working on IHQ I had been involved with others in developing positive links with the EU and particularly their humanitarian arm - ECHO. Having travelled to Brussels in 2007 with my then boss, Commissioner Don Odegaard, to sign an ECHO partnership agreement I was aware of earlier attempts to generate ECHO support and the subsequent struggle to access funding.

Certainly in the UK the EU is not always spoken of in glowing terms. Phrases such as 'gravy train' are regularly used; incidents of corporate waste are often quoted - not to mention the huge salaries and personal benefits that appear to be awarded to those who are able to secure the votes to represent us as MEPs or secure work at Brussels. Then there are the mountains of new rules ('elf n'safety spring to mind!) and bureaucracy which are regularly imposed by this remote office. I think it fair to say that if you say the words 'European Union' and 'Brussels' in the UK they are not likely to raise smiles or conjure images of a benevolent supporter.

Delegates of the EU conference

Despite that, the conference was a great success and personally very inspirational.  We learned that our colleagues in the Czech Region have nurtured a very positive and supportive relationship with the EU. They secured their first grant in 1999 - a small 1,000 Euro project, but have steadily and deliberately built upon this is subsequent years. Funding from the EU has been used to develop SA programmes, build new properties and provide financial stability for the SA's mission in that country. It was really encouraging to learn that EU money can be used so well. We were reminded early in the conference of William Booth's attitude to using songs of the music hall and adapting them for mission and worship ("why should the devil have all the best tunes?"). Well, why shouldn't EU funding be used to support God's mission?

I returned back to work on Wednesday and, after a little research, learned that a branch of the EU based in Estonia is inviting applications for small grants to support Estonian-based NGOs help build financial income and social entrepreneurship. That seems to fit our situation perfectly as we endeavour to develop  our firewood project and explore other income generating possibilities. The sums offered are modest, but we will try. After all, the Czech Region started with a €1,000 grant, right? I'll keep you posted on progress. Some might say, 'gravy train' - I say, 'godsend, possible mission opportunity' :-)

Endings and beginnings

It’s been another interesting week in Estonia.  Sadly, the week ended with emotional farewells as we waved Shelby off on her return journey to western USA. Having been with us for 20 months, Shelby has established 

Farewell prayers for Shelby

a special place in the hearts of the Estonian Salvationists. Last Sunday we said our formal farewell at Kopli corps and Shelby was invited to give the sermon. Although not an experienced preacher, Shelby’s message was just perfect – she spoke an encouraging and challenging word from God and it was wonderful to see a number of people respond when the appeal was made. Seeing God’s people kneeling in prayer at the mercy seat is one of those uniquely Army things – and such a sacred moment; evidence of the grace, mercy and approachability of God.

On Wednesday, Estonia region’s officers and centre leaders gathered at Tartu corps for our first ‘Ready for mission’ day. Having arrived during the summer when leaders take their holidays and corps programmes are usually curtailed, Lyn and I have been looking forward to our first opportunity to share in fellowship, worship and discussion with our team.  We’re shaping these days around a 5-fold focus:

1. ‘Building together’ - creating unity and support amongst those in ministry (Exodus 17:12)

2. ‘Spiritually healthy’ - providing opportunity for worship and spiritual retreat (Isaiah 40:31)

3. ‘Growing well’ - learning about our faith and our church (Colossians 1:10)

4. ‘Organisationally equipped’ – discussing business and organisational issues (Prov 24:27)

5. ‘Vision focussed’ - shaping strategy and planning programmes. (Genesis 13:14-15)

We have a wide range of leadership experience within our group; officers with 10+ years of service and candidates with only months of relationship with The Salvation Army. So, every time we meet for these special days, in addition to the inevitable moments of business and programme planning, we will be looking at

a chapter from the Spiritual life commission’s findings, ‘Called to be God’s people’.  We hope this will be a pertinent reminder for the ‘old hands’ and useful information for our newer leaders. For our first meeting we explored the chapter that looks at the mercy seat; it’s Biblical roots, its Army and church history and the central place that the mercy seats holds within Army worship. Colleagues shared testimony of their own mercy seat experiences. Others voiced prayerful concerns that the mercy seat is not being used regularly within their corps.

This morning as Lyn and I explored, for the first time, a large shopping centre in northern Tallinn, we found a shop selling home furnishings. It was one of those shops displaying quaint plaques and humorous signs with mottos and slogans. In it we found a large free standing room divider, decorated with the words, ‘Grace is not a short prayer said before meals – it’s a way of life’.

God’s grace is an amazing gift – ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ was how I was taught to understand it. It’s such a shame when our mercy seat (or the ‘grace place’!) stands unused or even shunned.  Wherever you gather in worship this weekend my prayer is that you will encounter again God’s grace, love and mercy.

Small steps – big deeds

Thanks for dropping in again on us –I’d like to share a couple of exciting project updates with you this week.

Introducing Ljuba - the project manager

This week marked the launch of a new project in northern Tallinn. We were recently approached by the north Tallinn council who asked if we would help them with a project to support some of the neediest families in the north of the city. The partnership project is called ‘Small steps – big deeds’ (their choice of name) and offers families the opportunity to choose toys and clothes for their children. The council have been collecting items but discovered that they were legally unable to implement this programme themselves. We have a good relationship with them – so they turned to us and asked us to partner with them. The council provided a small facility which will act as the distribution point and we identified a project manager. 

Ljuba, a young Salvationist and member of the Kopli corps, has agreed to manage the distribution. A few display racks have been gathered and the clothes have been sorted and laid out. Families are referred to the project by social workers. They come to the centre and Ljuba helps them choose whatever items might be helpful to them. The project officially opened on Wednesday and around 35 families received help in the first couple of days. 

The project is only planned to run until Christmas but we are watching progress carefully to assess whether this might form the basis for our first Thrift store after the partnership programme concludes.

Regular readers of this blog might remember my ‘Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire(wood)’ posting of a few weeks ago. Well, the great news is that a Norwegian businessman helped set up links for us with the National forestry commission (RMK). This has resulted in RMK offering

The wood splitter in action

us a contract for a regular and reliable supply of wood. This will be at a fixed price – and with a small credit facility so that we do not have to pay for the materials ‘up front’.  A locally-based British businessman has even offered to cover the first 2-months invoices as a loan to help us with our cash flow as we build up a good stock of firewood for sale. So our prayers for a wood supply have been answered and we give thanks to God for friends who have come alongside to help. Additionally, the wood splitting machine that was not working has been repaired and is helping us as we ramp up our capacity. The wood yard has been hindered by not having its own electricity supply. Well, after months of hassling the electricity company, work has started this week on laying electricity cables along the main road. We hope this might mean we finally have our own electrical supply installed very soon! Further discussions are taking place with our Norwegian friend this week on how we might make other improvements to this project so we pray for further progress.

This week we look forward to our first ‘Ready for Mission’ officer and centre leader meeting. we gather together at Tartu on Wednesday. I’ll tell you how it goes next week. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. 

Hide and seek

Lyn relaxing by the lake

This week Lyn and I had the privilege of attending our first officer course in the Finland & Estonia territory.  It was held at Silokallio centre - about 5 hours’ drive north of Helsinki – an absolutely stunning venue. The centre is near Porri and right on lake Joutsijarvi (check it out on the map http://goo.gl/maps/z8QPB). The wonderful autumn weather was just perfect for strolls by the lake and brisk early morning jogs. It was rather strange attending a territorial gathering where all participants could fit into a fairly small meeting room. The territory has less than 30 corps - and 5 of those are in Estonia – so the assembled crowd numbered less than 40. The fellowship was close and we felt blessed to be welcomed so warmly and embraced into the group so readily. In such a small territory there are no strangers amongst the officer group.  My thoughts strayed to our home territory and the officers preparing to attend the bi-annual officer’s council at Swanwick. Gathering in 5 groups of 400+ officers it is rare you meet the same officer group twice -  and you certainly don’t get to speak with everyone at councils. Here in Finland life is very different.

Officers of the Finland & Estonia territory

 The testimony and sharing times were frank and honest. Joys and successes were celebrated together – struggles and health challenges were voiced openly and carried together to God in prayer. It was good to sense the unity, support and shared mission amongst the small group. Many officers serve in small, remote locations. There is not one single, commissioned local officer in the territory; so officership can be a lonely spiritual leadership journey.  Perhaps Lyn and I have taken for granted the blessing of committed local officers who have supported and encouraged us throughout our ministry journey.

Whilst at Silokallio I was introduced to a potential new hobby – Geocaching. My good friend Kati Kivesto has been a ‘cacher’ for some time and has over 500 ‘finds’ to her credit. For the uninitiated, “Geocaching is the real-world treasure hunt that's happening right now, all around you. There are 2,238,449 active geocaches and over 6 million geocachers worldwide” (that’s taken from the official web site www.geocaching.com)  Kati discovered that there was a cache just a few kilometres away from the centre – too good an opportunity to miss. A free, early afternoon session provided just enough time to get there are record another ‘find’. I decided to tag along and see what the fuss was about. Kati shot off through the woodland like a rocket! GPS in hand, she forged a path (where there was no visible path) through undergrowth; across tree branches and boulders. I consider myself reasonably fit but I was puffing and panting like an old  man as I struggled to keep up with her! Eventually we reached the spot indicated by the GPS device. Then the search for the actual cache began. It was graded as an easy find so shouldn't have been too difficult to locate. After a few minutes rooting through tree trunks and other holes in the ground, Kati’s trained eye spotted a bird box. Unlocking the box revealed the small plastic box (the ‘find’).Opening it, Kati recorded her name and the date. On the basis that I was also now hooked on this new sport, I entered my name, too. Later that evening I signed up and registered myself as an official geocacher and logged this as my first find.  I’ve discovered there are many caches around Tallinn, so I’m going to make a start during this week to hunt for a few more as we take a couple of days off with Rachel and Charlie. Perhaps I can introduce Charlie (my 15-month old grandson) to this new hobby early in life!

I guess it was appropriate that my introduction to this new hobby should come during officers’ councils. The training course was a reminder of the spiritual journey we are each on.  God has chosen to make himself known to us and has given us ‘clues’ of how to find Him. Through His word he reveals himself, and we learn more of Him as we diligently search the scriptures and take time to discover him. We see Him in the lives of those we meet, work with and minister to.  As we have shared this week with officer colleagues we thank God for new friends and look forward to sharing the journey with them over the next few years. I thank God that through the testimonies of others and the impactful worship and prayer times I have been privileged to log up a few more spiritual ‘finds’ this week.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) 

Crikey cobber - throw another prawn on the barbie! (said with tongue in cheek!)

A small invasion of warm-hearted and good-humoured Aussies created a few translation challenges this week. Crikey mate! Evelin and Kerlin learned a few new phrases as we hosted Major David Pullen and his colleague Gerard Byrne from Sydney. As leaders of the Australia Eastern territory’s recovery programmes they have pioneered a teaching and training resource that has been used by God in powerful ways throughout that territory. Last year, videos of Estonia’s rapidly developing ministry amongst drug and alcohol addicts were shown in Australia during the Self Denial appeal and sparked interest between Australia Eastern Territory and the Estonia Region.  David and Gerard’s services were generously offered and an assessment trip arranged to allow first hand opportunity to see if their ‘Bridge Programme’ material might be suitable for our ministry.

Gerard shares his testimony in Narva

During the week new friendships were developed as our visitors spent time at Lootusemaja (Hope House recovery centre - Tallinn), Narva, Johvi and Kopli corps. Having set off early from Tallinn on Wednesday morning we arrived at Narva just in time for the midweek Alpha course. The corps’ worship hall was full, with others sitting in the hallway listening to Nicky Gumbel (interestingly overdubbed in Russian!) present the truths of the gospel. Gerard was able to share powerful personal testimony of his own recovery and salvation transformation.

The assessment visit was very positive; the ‘Bridge Programme’ materials were well received by all and we concluded that this course will provide an excellent framework for our centres. We face a number of challenges if we are to turn the opportunity into reality. Fleshing out the presenter notes will be a big task for David and Gerard, then translating the materials into Russian and Estonian and adding suitably recorded multimedia will be a time-consuming and expensive package. But this will make for an exciting project and one we will be shaping up and presenting to donors as soon as possible.  

We are already thrilled to have a Regional team fluent and multilingual. It has been great to meet our new friends. As this territorial relationship  develops over future months we look forward to adding ‘Aussie-speak’ to the  skill set!

Introducing Estonia (part 2)

Thank you for joining me again this week and for the helpful comments that you post each week. It’s nice to know that through this little blog we sense your support and encouragement on our journey. It’s good to travel together!

The Sunday congregation at Narva

Last week I introduced you to Narva and Voru, our most remote corps. Facebook followers will have read that we visited Narva last Sunday for our first experience of Sunday worship there. The 3^rd floor worship hall was quite full (see pic) and the singing was enthusiastic and loud. Having worshipped mainly in Tallinn so far, it was interesting to see the different style of worship here in this Russian community. Songs were not translated adaptations of internationally known praise and worship songs but songs birthed in Russia – often in the minor key but always sung with gusto. The corps are working through a ‘Bible in a year’ reading plan and Captain Mihail invited testimonies of how this week’s readings have helped. A number stepped to the front readily to share how much they had learned from the readings. I confess, I had never realised how interesting the book of Chronicles and the story of King Manasseh could be!! During worship I shared a short word of introduction and Lyn preached.

Lyn shares the Word (assisted by Tanel)

It was lovely to see people coming forward to the place of prayer – a very simple wooden bench having as much significance for those particular seekers as the most ornate mercy seat. After worship we joined with the corps family for sandwiches and cake and learned more about the people who make up that fellowship; communion in every sense of the word.

We then travelled to Johvi, about 70kms back on the road to Tallinn. This small town’s population of approx 11,000 has an ethnic Russian majority so is predominantly a Russian speaking town. Candidates Evgeny and Arina were appointed as corps leaders a few months ago but with the change of Regional Leaders they had not been formally installed into their roles. It was our privilege to conduct the ceremony. One thing we have learned here is that with not a single local officer, many corps programmes rely heavily on corps leaders and officers and when leaders change this has a significant impact. This has been felt especially at Johvi and Evgeny and Arina are struggling to regroup a congregation. So as Evgeny stood to lead the worship Lyn and I were joined by Tanel (who

Candidates Evgeny and Arina (with Leon)

had accompanied us as translator), Arina and 3 others.  When it came time for the installation ceremony I asked if we could change the seating from formal rows into a circle. After the ceremony and the promises of commitment we invited the small corps family to gather around their new leaders and place a hand upon them as we prayed. We do not underestimate the challenge that Evgeny and Arina will face as they seek God’s wisdom and direction for their ministry. Your prayers would be valued, too.

I think we British Salvationists sometimes take for granted the commitment of our local officers. I was reminded last week how blessed I have been in previous corps appointments to have reliable, caring local officers who have maintained programmes, ministry and witness despite the comings and goings of Corprs leaders.

Yesterday we travelled to Tartu (the last stop on this blog’s tour!). We had visited Tartu twice before but , due to family holidays, had not had the privilege of meeting Captain Anna Kotirkadze and her children. David and Anna are overseas officers, serving here from the Eastern Europe territory and their homes in Georgia and Russia (respectively).  Tartu is Estonia’s 2^nd city, a really beautiful town hosting a large university, the Ministry of education and the country’s Supreme court.  Under David and Anna’s leadership the corps is in fine form. Whilst blessed with only a handful of soldiers (and no local officers) this small group meet every Wednesday for Bible study and planning meetings. The corps programme has a positive mix of worship, discipleship and social service. A partnership with  ’Toidaank’ (Estonia’s food bank initiative) sees food parcels distributed

Tartu corps (installation of Cadets Maksim and Dzina)

from the corps every week; clothes distributions take place simultaneously.  The corps has one problem – the hall is no longer big enough. We own a small worship hall and rent adjacent rooms for the social services programme. But we need more space – and that’s a good problem to have. Fortunately, David’s previous appointments include Territorial Property secretary (Moscow) so he has the skills necessary to identify suitable options. We look forward to working together on this, developing a project proposal and praying for generous donors!

These few weeks are very much about ‘journeying’ – thanks for travelling around Estonia with me during these last couple of postings. Tomorrow I travel to London for a budget conference at IHQ. Lyn will be in Finland midweek and then heads to the UK next weekend to join me as we return to Portsmouth to celebrate the life of Anne Sumner – one of those faithful local officers I referred to earlier.  Wherever your journey takes you this week I pray you will ‘go well and go with God’.

Introducing Estonia

Thanks for joining me for this week's blog - a virtual tour to visit the extremities of the Estonia Region. Come with me and we will visit Narva (east) and Voru (south).

Narva is not only our easternmost corps but the country's easternmost town. The town's 65,000 population are almost entirely Russians. It's literally a border town, the bridge at the end of the main street crosses into Russia. Salvation Army ministry is conducted in Russian and the corps is currently led by Captains Mihail and Ludmila Baglai, Moldovan officers on missionary service from the Eastern Europe Territory. The corps celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year, a milestone that was marked by moving into a larger, owned building. Courtesy of a very generous gift from with USA Western territory the corps is now housed in a 3 storey (plus basement) building, offering great scope for future development. Check out the pics in the slideshow to see how it has already been put to use. The ministry is a strong mix of social services, worship, teaching and evangelism. Every day crowds of dozens queue from early to receive a simple donation of bread. Food parcels are managed on behalf of the Narva Foodbank; together around 3,500 people receive support each month. Once a week the corps run Alpha - and the hall is packed to overflowing, with people sitting in the corridor to hear the teaching. There are many opportunities but moving people through to commitment to Christ and Christian discipleship is a tough challenge and many of those who have earlier committed to Soldiership in the Salvation Army have fallen by the wayside. Plans and designs are being considered for renovating the building and making it suitable to serve the needs of the programme.

If the slideshow (below) doesn't work - check out the pics here: Narva corps



Heading south towards Latvia and you pass through Voru, about 25 miles north of the border. The delightful little town (population 14,300) is a lovely mix of 19th century wooden buildings and rather less attractive Soviet-era ones. Set on Lake Tamula the population is predominantly Estonian speaking. Opened in 2006 the corps occupies a lovely, rented 1st floor facility. On entering the SA hall you are immediately impacted by the care given to make this small property a real haven of worship and service. Envoy Inge is amazing! Her personal testimony of coming to the Army having given years of service leading children's homes is fascinating. Inge has a background of theology study but hers is no faith of 'head knowledge' alone. Her huge heart for the vulnerable led her (and husband Timo) to adopt 5 small children (in order to keep a whole family together), despite being in her 50's and already having a grown up daughter and grandchild of her own. The corps' small worshiping family of 12-20 meeting in a lovely worship hall, the ante rooms house a delightful dining area from which a feeding programme operates twice each week. The 'Get dressed for free' programme allows families to receive good quality clothes in exchange for their old ones. Inge is supported by Candidate Natalia who is preparing for service as an officer in The Salvation Army with the support and backing of her husband and 2 small children.

If the slideshow doesn't work you can access the pics here: Voru corps

Both of these centres are 3 hours' drive from Tallinn and Regional HQ so the leaders (and corps members) might easily feel a little isolated. They represent the very different blends of community in Estonia (the Russian and Estonian) but the expressions of worship and service are impacting their communities. If you have a moment to remember our friends in prayer we would appreciate it.

Project donations

Since moving to Estonia a number of friends have asked if they can support The Salvation Army's work here. We are really grateful for this generosity.

If you would like to organise a fundraiser at your corps or would like more information about specific projects or programmes to publicise at special events please feel free to contact us for more info.

For info about bank transfers please drop me a personal email at:
ced.hills@paastearmee.ee

Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire(wood)!

Life as a Salvation Army officer has exposed me to activities and experiences I would never have dreamt about. Particularly during the last 17 years since my first emergency response, I have found myself discussing subjects that the training college never prepared me for:  rehabilitation of salt pans in India, sewerage system clearance in Iraq, cooking stove manufacture in Kosovo, tarpaulin processing in Mumbai and medicinal herb garden nurseries in Kenya - just some of the rather unexpected openings that Salvation Army ministry have provided.

Our appointment to Estonia has exposed me to another – firewood! This week, before engaging in critical meetings, my earnest prayer was, ‘Lord, send the firewood!’ Let me explain:

Our business in The Salvation Army is ‘saving souls, growing saints and serving suffering humanity’. In order to do this we use all means possible. The Estonia Region is blessed with a dynamic social services programme. Hope House is a residential rehabilitation centre serving the needs of approx 20 men battling addictions (drugs and alcohol). The intensive support programme last around 9 months, after which graduates have opportunity to transition into a less regimented ‘move on’ wing, offering more independent living while they find employment and get some money behind them. The programme – Living Hope – is being used by God in amazing ways. Our Christian faith is not hidden and our funders and government sponsors understand that the transforming power of the Gospel is at the heart of the programme. So Bible studies, attendance at worship at the Kopli corps, and other spiritual counselling are essential and mandatory aspects of the programme. If you have a few spare minutes - why not check out this video.

The other mandatory expectation is that every person in the programme participates in work therapy. Didn’t someone say, ‘the Devil makes work for idle hands’? Well, the team at Hope House make sure that everyone keeps busy – all the time! There are 2 distinct work programme activities. The first allows the guys the dignity of helping others. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the centre is filled with around 200 needy local people who come for a warm meal and a chat. The guys are involved in food preparation and service. It’s their opportunity to serve their neighbourhood and they do it with passion and enthusiasm. On Tuesdays and Thursday local residents come to use the showers or washing facilities or just for a chat and discussion.

Firewood project - it's hard work!

The second activity is our firewood project. A large, rented yard and warehouse complex just walking distance from the centre serves as our firewood project. Logs are purchased from RMK, the state forest management centre then manually chopped down into firewood which is sold in bundles to local residents. It is hard, physical work – and it doesn’t stop for rain or snow! Known in Estonian as http://www.kuttepuud24.ee/ (check out the web page) the project generated around 15,000 euros profit last year – essential funds to help run Hope House.

Our goal is to expand the project. We now buy 24 – 40 m3 of logs each month – our goal is to

Logs arrive ready for chopping and bagging

gradually increase this to around 100 m3 and an annual profit of 50,000 euros. To do this we need a rgular supply of logs – so this week Lieutenant Alexey (Hope House director) Juri (Project foreman) and I met with Ulvar, marketing director RMK. Cash flow is a huge problem for us – we have no funds and live ‘hand to mouth’, so buying a larger monthly wood stock is difficult. So – we prayed – Lord, send the fire(wood)! From the very start of the meeting it was obvious Ulvar wished to be helpful. We left with the promise that a draft contract would be developed and a line of credit investigated. If this works out we will have a reliable, agreed source of wood and enough time to chop and sell the firewood before having to pay for the raw materials. By the way – before my friends working in International Development have palpitations – the forestation is sustainably and environmentally managed.

Reliable 3-phase supply needed for saw

For the next stage we need to equip the project to cope with the larger monthly throughput. We have no direct electricity supply on site so can’t use the second hand industrial saw that has been donated. So our ‘send the fire(wood)’ prayer becomes ‘show your power!!’ If you are a praying person – please remember us. Then we need a forklift to move the wood around the yard.

I sat in Thursday’s meeting thinking, ‘what on earth do I know about forestry and firewood?’. The training college certainly didn’t cover that in the curriculum J But that’s one of the exciting things about ministry in The Salvation Army – using diverse methods to achieve the goal of seeing lives transformed.  Lord – send the fire!

I'm free!!

John Inman as 'Mr Humphries'

 Brits of a certain age might remember Mr Humphries. Created by actor John Inman, his catchphrase, ‘I’m free’, became his trademark. When spoken with Inman’s typical comedy camp-ness, the phrase carried multiple connotations and always raised a smile as viewers interpreted for themselves what this ‘freedom’ might mean!

I confess that this catchphrase came to mind earlier this week as we joined with the people of Estonia to celebrate freedom. Tuesday (20th August) marked another year since the restoration of Independence. Dramatic developments in the Soviet Union in August 1991 resulted in the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania finally regaining their independence and Estonians celebrate this recovery of freedom with real enthusiasm. It’s a public holiday, so we all enjoyed a lovely summer’s day off. As we arrived home from work on Monday 19^th we noticed a large Estonian flag propped up in the hallway of our apartment block. The next morning the flag was

The national flag flown outside our apartment

proudly flying outside.  Throughout the city (and I guess in other cities across the country, too) homes and businesses were decorated with flags. It was a wonderful sight.

Our day started early as Capt Ave (our Corps officer at Kopli) had called us all to a 7am open air prayer meeting at Pikk Herman, the tower of Toompea castle. We returned to the hall afterwards for refreshments as others joined us for an 8am meeting of prayer for the nation, its people and its leaders. Later in the day we joined with what felt like half the population of Tallinn for a wonderful open air concert in Kadriog park. Abut 1,000 musicians, enthusiastic flag waving and a bit of a ’sing-song’. As an overseas visitor and a Brit abroad it was a privilege to

The music festival in Kadriog Park

share these celebrations – a powerful reminder that those who most appreciate freedom are perhaps those who have known what it is to have freedom denied them. Having never lived under the oppression of political occupation I’m surely guilty of taking the blessings of freedom for granted.

This theme continued later in the week as I came across the new mission slogan introduced by The Salvation Army in Australia. Early next month Salvationists will gather in congress for a ‘Freedom Celebration’. It looks to be a fantastic event – but the intro on the web announcement echoes the mission of every Salvationist – in whatever part of the world we serve: The Salvation Army is about people finding freedom.  The Freedom Celebration promotes what we’re doing as an evangelical movement to help people find freedom from whatever confines them from living life to the full.  The freedom we celebrate is found through our faith in Jesus Christ, through a nurturing community, and through actions of service and kindness to others……………we're about people finding freedom.

Freedom from fear. Freedom from neglect. Freedom from poverty and addiction.

Freedom to dream. Freedom to love. Freedom to make a difference.

Freedom to live life to the full.

I encourage you to take a peek at the web site: http://my.salvos.org.au/freedom-celebration/  I pray that the event will powerfully remind those who attend that spiritual freedom is an incredible blessing and one we need to share with others.

Mr Humphries was a fictional character, birthed in the 70’s BBC comedy show, ‘Are you being served?’ As I draw this week’s random rambling to a close I’m reminder that British Salvationists proudly wear 2 x ‘S’s on their uniforms. Last week we removed ours and replaced them with the 2 x ‘P’s worn by members of the Estonian 'Paastearmee'. But these ‘S’s have always meant more to me than the first letter of our organizational name – growing up I was taught that they are worn as a reminder that we are ‘saved’ to ‘serve’. We celebrate the opportunity (and responsibility) we have to serve others and the huge privilege of introducing them to the blessings of freedom through a relationship with Jesus.