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: