A tale of two cities

It’s been another interesting week during which we sensed the shackles tying us to Tallinn loosening a little! The week started off last Sunday with a 200km journey southwards to Tartu. The roads were wonderful and the scenery stunning (reinforcing our earlier assessment that Estonia really is a beautiful country) – the only downside was travelling on a glorious summer’s day in a car that not only doesn't have air con but which actually kicks out warm air through the rear seat vents even without the heater being turned on! Estonians love a sauna – but in your car!!! We set off early for the 3pm meeting, stopping en route at a windmill/restaurant serving a very tasty daily meal for €2.90 – the best value meal we have found so far.

Maxim shares his testimony

Tartu corps occupies a very nice building on the ground floor of a residential block, close to the city but also surrounded by homes. The compact but smartly maintained worship hall (seats about 60) is complimented by a couple of small group rooms and kitchen and then a nice meeting room/lounge, where tea and coffee and cakes were laid out for our arrival.

It was our privilege to install Cadet Maxim Torgashov and his wife, Candidate Dina as corps assistants. The meeting and worship times were very ably led by local soldiers and friends. Tartu corps is predominantly Estonian speaking so Kerlin translated into English for us and Tanel helped Maxim and Dina by translating into Russian for them. The

Installing Maxim and Dina (Tanel translating)

official installation ceremony is quite wordy – doubly so with translation – but the congregation supported well and gave their new leaders a lovely welcome. Maxim shared his testimony of how meeting with Jesus in prison had transformed him from a life of drugs and alcohol. It was a powerful  and moving word and a stark reminder that we worship and serve a God of 2^nd chances who makes us new and whole. A time of fellowship and delightful meal at Mxim and Dina’s apartment set us up for the journey home. A good day. Our prayers are with Maxim and Dina as they start this new chapter in their life.

On Wednesday we travelled eastwards 175 km to Johvi. Evgeny and Arina have recently started their ministry life there as candidates and full time corps leaders. They have the most gorgeous little boy, Leon (11

New kitchen taking shape

months) and all 3 welcomed us warmly. The corps building has been recently rented; a large 2^nd floor property. The previous occupants had left it full of rubbish and Evgeny and Arina have been working flat out taking van loads to the tip, trying to bring some order to the place. Their willingness to get stuck in, coupled with their vision for what they might do with the place was so refreshing. Thanks to some donated supplies from Finland they were mid way through changing one of the rooms into a kitchen and installing new units. Two residents from Hope House have been living there this week, helping out with the hard work during the day and sleeping in the hall at night. Great job, guys!

Not only have these brand new candidates been confronted with a building requiring considerable TLC but

Johvi corps (upper floor)

after preparing for their first meeting last Sunday they waited expectantly at the hall and not a single person came for worship! Not surprisingly, they were so discouraged. In 27 years of officership Lyn and I have never had to cope with that. We encouraged them to spend the next couple of weeks making contact and visiting those who used to come and then aiming to re-launch Sunday worship at the start of September with a ‘back to church’ special event. Evgeny and Arina are fairly new to the Army but they are quality people. Arina has a Masters in theology and Evgeny is well on the way towards his theology degree. Arina is nervous about ministry among people who have experienced terrible personal challenges. The corps has links with drug addicts and former prisoners and is involved in an aid programme for refugees. We prayed that God would help her to love them and care for them but that He would also give her opportunities for ministry among people she would link with in the course of her daily life – her

Evenhy, Arina and lovely Leon

neighbours, or other mums at the clinic or kindergarten. They would like to turn one of the rooms into a lounge and run parent and toddlers or messy church. They haven’t any equipment or resources, of course, so we pray that help can be found. Before becoming a full time candidate Arina was involved in Christian radio broadcasting, so she would love to turn one of the small rooms into a studio. Evgeny was involved in construction, so the thought of bringing the property up to standard doesn't scare him.

Reflecting on our week we give thanks for positive and enthusiastic new leaders who are bringing the gifts, skills and life experience that God has blessed them with into service as corps leaders. We thank God for their vision and pray that He will help us find the resources we need to turn godly dreams into reality.

To round off the week – we arrived at the office on Friday morning to discover that after a night of torrential rain and thunderstorms the roof of the Kopli corps had been unable to handle the deluge and the upstairs children’s room was flooded! The morning was spent mopping and moving. Life is certainly not dull J