SEPTEMBER 2005
LETTERS FROM LATVIA
Kraslava, Latvia, situated in the eastern part of Latvia, is home to 11,000+ people, the majority of whom are Russian speakers. Kraslava has the usual mixture of Orthodox, Old Believer, and Catholic churches as the other towns in this Latgale region of Latvia; however, there has been no significant evangelical presence in this community. In 2002 we took a volunteer team of 5 Americans along with national translators to Kraslava for a day of prayerwalking. They were given a map with instructions on where to walk and specific things to pray for.
"Just before Lacplesa Street you will see the sports school. Pray for the students and instructors there to have their hearts softened to God's word. Pray that someday perhaps sports ministry can be used to reach these students there."
In July, 2005, we had a team of American volunteers from Second Baptist, Houston, come to Kraslava for a week of sports ministry. They taught about 100 children and teenagers to play baseball and introduced them to Jesus Christ. Many of them heard this name of Jesus for the first time in a context that wasn't one of cursing. One teenager told one of our volunteers, "Before you came, I didn't believe God existed. Now I know that He exists because I've seen Him in you." Our Ukrainian missionary, Vitaly, has been going back to Kraslava to meet with these young people. We've played more baseball and brought them several steps closer to Christ.
"Stop when you come to the intersection with Skolas / Siena Streets. On the left corner is the county government building. Pray for these government officials to have wisdom in their work, and to be willing to allow Baptists to work in the town and district."
As we planned for this summer's volunteer team, Sheila and Cathy looked for a place for them to stay. We were directed to a small hotel in the middle of town and met with the owner, a lady named V. She was so gracious and accommodating and her small hotel was very nice, so we arranged for the volunteers to stay there. Several weeks later there was an election in town for mayor. A new mayor was elected - V's husband. We arranged to meet with him to request his approval for the volunteer work and ask for the use of the city sports field. God paved the way ahead of us.
"Pray that this area will thirst for the Lord. Pray that God will start a Bible study and a church in this area that will reach many people for Jesus Christ."
Last night we sat in a Bible study that meets weekly in Kraslava. Pastor Slava began this week night Bible study a year ago. It is still small, but those who come are learning. They meet on Wednesday evenings in a room on the second floor of the Culture Hall. Two women began attending soon after it was started, O. and A. They have been regular in attendance and now consider this "their church." Neither of them were Christians and have not yet made that decision. Last night we had another woman, N. She's come for several weeks and has talked about a book that God sent her and is the center of her entire life. Pastor Slava asked her to bring the book so that we could see it. Last night she had the book "The Book of Jesus." Cathy asked her, "How did you find this book?"
"God sent it to me. I prayed and He sent it to me."
We started the Bible study. Pastor Slava has been using a book "The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus," a chronological study of God's Word. They finished chapter 1 and began chapter 2. Pastor Slava read, "The Bible starts with four very profound words: In the beginning God . . . Genesis 1:1."
"What does that mean, Genesis 1:1?" asked one lady.
"It's a verse from the Bible," explained Alexsi who was with us. "Let's look it up and we can read the entire verse." These ladies now have Bibles, thanks to Southern Baptist generosity and Pastor Slava, but they haven't opened them to read yet. The Bible can be overwhelming. Where do you start? They spent the last year watching video seminars on Christian principles for family life. This is their first real introduction to using their Bibles themselves. Alexsi and Slava patiently helped them to locate the first book in the Bible.
Another lady began to read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Oh, so these little words with numbers are places in the Bible."
"Yes," Alexsi explained. "It's like an address of where to find them."
We continued the study. We read about the vast expanse of the universe that God created out of nothing. We learned several names of God: I Am, LORD, the Most High. We learned that there is only one God, and that He is spirit. We continued on to learn about the angels that God also created. We looked up some of the other references in the Bible and they were excited to see how they could find these verses in their Bibles.
Then N. pulled out her book. "But there are errors in the Bible. It was written so long ago and has been translated over and over. You can't trust it. I only trust this book that God sent to me. I prayed and He sent it. This was written not that long ago and this man was given more revelation."
"Oh, but we read last week about how they were so careful to copy the Bible, word by word. Remember how they used the animal skins to write on?" A. said. Pastor Slava didn't even have to answer!
"But the Bible talks only about Israel. What does that have to do with us today? I want a book that's about me," N. continued.
Pastor Slava was quick to explain that the Bible contains all that we need today for our lives, that it was written for us as well as for the nation of Israel. By the end of the study, N. was still not convinced. "This is the only book that I need. I'm not going to read the Bible."
"Can we pray for you?" Slava asked.
"No, I don't want your prayers."
Three women went away excited about having read God's Word and learning about Him. One went away full of certainty that her way is better, wanting nothing to do with this book we call the Bible.
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.
Please pray as we continue to work in Kraslava. Pray for A., O., and R., that they will become children of God as they read and study His Word. Pray for N. and others like her in Kraslava, that God will defeat the work of Satan and allow these who are deceived to see the truth of Jesus Christ.
Sunday we will have a special church service in Kraslava. Each fall the Russian churches celebrate a season of Thanksgiving and have special services in their churches. This is also used as a time of outreach to the lost. There are fliers posted throughout Kraslava with information about the service. A part of the program will be directed towards children with special songs and a puppet show. There will also be a portion directed to adults with preaching on God's creation of the world. Kraslava has witnessed the work of the Baptists with their children. They've read about it in the newspapers as well. Pray that God will continue to break down barriers and draw people to Himself.
"As you pass the information center, pray that Kraslava will not be known for just nice old churches, but also for real Christians who know and love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and minds."
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16.
Volunteer team teaching baseball to Kraslava youth
Vitaly following up with Kraslava youth
Kraslava weeknight Bible study
Slava showing Bible verse
Our mission... To initiate a movement of locals reaching locals that results in every Russian language person in Latvia hearing the true Gospel message, every Bible group becoming a reproducing church and every believer becoming a carrier of the Gospel.
