Overseas

Latvia:

The Lativa mission ran from 3- 18th August 2008 in conjuction with an Exodus discipleship programme. A report from Phil is as follows:

Dear Friends,

Over the past number of years the most exciting things that continue to happen are changes in individual lives. Some Latvians are continuing to realise that “some good things can come out of Ruzina.” There are too many stories to include them all in this letter so we have chosen 3 stories of how individual lives were changed...

“One kid we met last year had just arrived at the orphanage. He had been forced to spend one of the earliest years of his life alone with the dogs in their shed at his parents’ home in Latvia. His name was Uri (name changed). He was taken to the orphanage to be cared for. At the start of our time there he didn’t play with other children and he didn’t want to know us. He had some characteristics which we wouldn't normally associate with a kid his age- sometimes while running he would suddenly start crawling around on all 4's, sometimes he would let his tongue hang out and sometimes he would let his head hang to one side. This year, as we approached the orphanage on the first day, he came running and jumped into our arms! Most of the characteristics we noticed last year had disappeared and Uri was integrating with the other kids and playing games. One the of the girls on the team was giving a kids talk after playing some games one day, she'd just finished when Uri immediately turned around and said to her, "Are we gonna pray now?" He wanted to be loved and he was also hungry for God!”

“We met Liga 3 years ago. She was in the orphanage because her dad had killed her mum and then ran away, leaving Liga to fend for herself. After knowing her for only 3 days she tried to commit suicide after having a fight with the other girls in her dorm. Later that week she made a decision to follow Jesus. She could understand a little English and so we tried to explain prayer to her by urging her to ‘talk to Jesus’ each day. Last year I went back to find that she had been ‘talking to Jesus about the Scottish and Irish guys every day’ meaning that she had been praying for us. She wasn’t in the village this August and so we asked what had happened to her. She turned 18 during the winter and so had to leave the orphanage. She was given a state apartment in a nearby town. Many of the young people can’t cope with fending for themselves and end up on the streets. We were initially concerned for her, but later found that she had found work in a restaurant in the town, was earning a wage and still had her apartment. She continues to follow Jesus and is a wonderful role model for the other children.”

“We had brought 2 girls from Ruzina (the village) with us to the camp. Anya (12) is the youngest in a family of 13, and Varya (13) is her niece (names changed). Both are girls who seem so much older than they are and their families seemed to neglect them, with the result that they are very independent!  They both had a cold attitude towards us during the first week in Ruzina , but during the camp we saw a complete transformation in them. They played with the other kids & really got a chance to act like children being free from all the daily responsibilities they deal with at home. They got so involved in the worship, became so much more friendly with us & on the last night Anya stood up to share how much God had increased her faith in Him. She is a huge influence on the other teenagers back in Ruzina so her change could have a massive impact there. Watching God work in the girls was a miracle, as they were completely different people to when we first met them”

These are just some of the lives that we see God impacting in this small part of the world. It would not be possible to continue this vital ministry without your support.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement. Thank you for so generously sewing into seeing these young lives changed!

Team Latvia 08

For more information contact Phil McElnay at:

phil [dot] mcelnaygwvineyard [dot] co [dot] uk

Romania:

From 10- 17th August 2008, a team travelled to Romania, to run a Children's camp for orphan children.