Category: Estonia

Our minstry flat in Estonia

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Here’s some news about our flat in Estonia. For a while I’d been thinking about finding a ministry flat in Johvi. Olga, Valerie and I will spend more time in Estonia over the coming year or two (as we build the center for disabled children), and I thought it would be good to have a home base in Johvi. I’ve also wanted to find a place where Christian workers in Russia can take a retreat.

I found a place earlier this year. I’ve only been inside it once. I looked at it before returning to Russia (and coming to the US) and then worked out a deal with the owner, an Estonian lady who now lives in the UK. She is willing to rent it to us for just the cost of utilities. I offered to remodel the bathroom, since it was in pretty bad shape.

Members of the church recently finished remodeling the bathroom, so it’s like new now. The flat is within walking distance from the bus station; it’s important to have easy access for people coming from Russia. It has one bedroom and a living room. The kitchen and bedroom had already been remodeled. It has a washing machine (which is nice), new windows and new heating. We just had WiFi internet installed. The living room needs some work, and so that’s next on the list of things to fix up.

A few people in Russia have already expressed interest in staying there. This is perhaps the first step toward my hope to have a Christian guest house in Estonia. I hope this flat will become a sanctuary, a place of rest and retreat.

here’s the way the bathroom looked before:

Estonian Windmills

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Driving from Tallinn to Johvi, one sees this —

There are eight at this location, and I could see the bases for eight more I assume they will assemble later this year.

These huge generators are quite different from other, older windmills in Estonia:

A Postcard from Russia (and Estonia)

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God has blessed us in many, many ways. Valerie has been with us just over a month and is doing great. She’s happy and healthy, talking more and is quite smart. Olga is doing great as a new mom, though there are challenges. And I am so thankful to have a daughter who runs to me when I come home. These are sweet days.

I’ve just returned to Russia from a trip to Estonia and will go back again in a few days. I’m on the road quite a bit just now.

In Estonia, we’ve made great progress on our plans to build a center for disabled children. Later this month the city council will vote on giving us a piece of land; the mayor has already pledged it to us, so we’re quite sure we’ll get the lot. This week we plan to register an Estonian charity that will own the land and run the center. I’ll be a founding board member. The architect continues to work on the design. An English charity just donated $3000 to help with start-up expenses.

It is all very good. And we are VERY thankful.

Driving in Estonia

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I went for a drive in the Estonian countryside a couple of days ago. It is very beautiful this time of year.

(Our little car has been through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia, visited an Austr0-Hungarian fortress on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic and now explores this frigid northland.)

First, a video of the drive on the old Royal Road (the main road 200 years ago), along the shore of the frozen Gulf of Finland:


The video was made at about noon. You can see how low the sun is in the sky.

This is how the day started:

I stopped at a waterfall on the Gulf —

Then I drove from Narva-Jõesuu to Narva —

I’m in Estonia working on a few projects — I’m helping coordinate mission teams that will visit this summer, and we are taking important steps toward building a day center for disabled children in Jõhvi.

Long shadows cast on the icy Gulf of Finland —

Tallinn

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Earlier this month Olga and I went to Estonia. Our good friend Anya Kazak went with us. Anya has never been out of Russia, so this was a thrilling event for her. She loves medieval history and Tallinn was a joy. It’s a very well-preserved medieval town. We really like it there.

Olga and Anya walked the city while I did some work back at the flat.

Here are a few pictures from their stroll around the Old Town of Tallinn:

(click on the thumbnails to see the full-sized image)

A Postcard from Estonia — Moving Ahead

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Olga and I have spent some time in Estonia recently. Dave Hulley (seated at left, below), the board chair of Stoneworks International, was here to learn about our new work. It was good to introduce him to our many new friends in Estonia; Dave then spent time Russia visiting with folks there. This weekend leaders from a ministry in the UK will meet us in Estonia to learn more about our projects and how we partner together.

We are in a planning stage for a few upcoming projects in Estonia. I met with Artur Põld (seated in front, below) to discuss the center for disabled children we plan to start in Jõhvi, Estonia. The original lot we hoped for is not available, but we looked at other properties and talked about various aspects of the project. In addition to discussions about the building and legal issues, I’m helping coordinate experts in the USA who will help plan programs for the children, and the architect has begun preliminary planning. I’ll meet with the architect on Monday.

We also visited Camp Gideon (above, note the beautiful Gulf of Finland in the background) and spoke about short-term evangelical mission teams that will serve there in July and August.

The very best part of the trip has been the deepening of relationships. We had a very good time of prayer with several members of the church (below). It is very good to walk with people and see how God is working in their lives. Most of all, we’re thankful for the good relationships God is giving us.

A Postcard from Estonia — Open Doors

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We visited Estonia this week and had a great visit. On every visit, more doors open and God reveals more relationships and opportunities to serve.

Our primary connection is with Artur and Valya Põld, pictured above as they prepared a GREAT salmon dinner for us. Artur is the pastor of a local Methodist Church and has a vibrant ministry. He is also a ‘deputy’ (an elected official) who is very active in the community, particularly with social services. He’s also he director of Camp Gideon, a Christian camp where we had a team last summer.

The purpose of our visit was to explore ways to establish a center for disabled children. A donor from the US has offered to provide start-up funds, so we had meetings with city administrators, the city architect and the future director of the center. You can read more here.

We are very thankful for and encouraged by the abundant life God has given us.