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Team Monterey's Latvian Mission

My home church Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay has sent us 3 gifted men to help us with our mission in Latvia for 2 weeks. I am excited to see my dear friends again and I know that they will be a blessing to those they serve as they have already encouraged us. Let me introduce you to our guests:

1. Mitch Sorensen - the evangelist. He has had a street witnessing ministry in downtown Monterey, California for many many years and has been equipping other believers to join the team that goes out every Friday and Saturday night. Mitch will teach a class on preparation for evangelism here tonight for Latvian believers who want to learn how to share their faith. Mitch works at the Monterey Airport and was able to score some discounted tickets and brought us care packages and thousands of tracts in Latvian, Russian and English to share. He use to come to our home Bible study when we lived in Marina, California, now we are happy to host him and our other two friends, Dennis and Frank.
   
2. Dennis Vaus - The teacher. He comes to us with missions experience in Japan, the Philippines and Russia. He has been the leader of our care team in Monterey as also teaches a home Bible study in Salinas, California. A gifted teacher, I asked him to teach for me Last night at our Ikskile home fellowship, and he did a great job encouraging us all to "Abide in Christ" from John chapter 15.
   
3. Frank Amador - the prayer warrior. He has been a long time prayer supporer with great faith, compassion and vision. God's hand has been on this humble brother and I have counted on him for many years to keep us lifted in prayer. Now he is very excited to be with us on his first international mission. We are happy he is here and able to rejoice with us seeing the fruit of his prayers together.
   

So far, the guys have gotten settled, and are gradually overcoming jet lag, sleeping about 5 hours at night and 2 hours in the day. For the rest of our time together we will have morning and evening times of evangelism with rest time in between. I will be posting more stories, pictures and video soon, but for now you can see pictures at their blog: http://kathieanddennisvaus.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Calvary Chapel conference in Denmark

Last week, we were greatly encouraged and refreshed by fellowship with our brothers and sisters from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Canada.


Although Latvia is technically not a Scandinavian country, we found that many of the issues we face in the Baltics are similar to the rest of Northern Europe. We found ourselves received and knit to this group of about 60 believers that sometimes call themselves "the frozen chosen" - I guess because of the cold winters and feeling of being a small remnant of faithful Scandinavians.



But the weather from July 30 to August 3 was quite warm and we even enjoyed a swimming in the fjord with the jelly fish.


I helped with worship services and gave a devotional teaching about communion. Other pastors and Bible teachers took turns teaching chapter by chapter through the book of Daniel. You can listen to the messages here:

• Daniel 1 - Joel Wickstr�m (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Daniel 2 - David Guzik (CCBC Siegen, Germany)
• Daniel 3 - Stan Block (Calgary, Canada)
• Daniel 4 - Daniel Jacobsen (Denmark)
• Daniel 5 - Theis Br�gger (Denmark)
• Daniel 6 - Kevin Fitzgerald (Ireland)
• Daniel 7 - David Guzik (Germany)
• Daniel 8 - Aaron Pratt (Finland)
• Daniel 9 - David Guzik (Germany)
• Daniel 10 - Kevin Fitzgerald (Ireland)
• Daniel 11-12 - Glen Nudd (Calgary, Canada)

Lena and I took turns sitting in the sanctuary to participate in worship and Bible study, while the other looked after the kids playing in the playground. What was great is that they had wireless headphones for parents who needed to be outside with the kids, plus 3 girls from Germany organized a children's ministry, plus there were other missionary kids who treated Caleb and Lily as little siblings.


As a result, our kids were not so clingy and needy and Lena and I were much more laid back about being together without being constantly aware of where our kids were. Good preparation, I'd say, for Caleb going to kindergarten later this month and Lena not needing miss my teaching every Sunday to help the children's ministry.


Overall, we were all really blessed with the Acts 2:42 environment "continuing steadfastly in the teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers". Below is a picture of Lena with a sister in Christ from Sweden whose last name is the same as Lena's Swedish grandmothers maiden name, could they be related?

Spring and Summer Events

It is finally warm outside! Thank God for the warm half of the year. We are encouraged to use this opportunities to emphasize sharing the gospel on streets. I'd like to share our current schedule with you so you get an idea of what we are doing:

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

• Sunday - 10am Ogre Russian Evangelical church
• Sunday - 4pm Ikskile Latvian church plant
• Monday - Family Time (Day off)
• Tuesday - 6pm English Conversation Club (our home)
• Wednesday - 7pm Ikskile Home fellowship
• Thursday - Evangelism in Riga
  
• Friday night - Evangelism in Ikskile
• Saturday - Study/Prepare for Sunday

UPCOMING EVENTS

• May 6 English Club and Ogre youth watching "A Venture of Faith"
  
• June 23-30 High School Camp - I will be leading worship in Latvian / English
• July 21-25 Vacation Bible School in Ogre - Team from Tennessee
  
• July 30-August 3 in Denmark - Calvary Chapel Scandinavian conference
• August 5-18 Monterey Team Mission trip - Evangelism, Fellowship

Please pray for these things on our schedule and also for our welfare here.
Pray that we would be filled with the Spirit, encouraged in faith and the joy of the Lord, guided into more fruitful ministry and be used by the Lord.
Pray also for our effort to reach youth in Ikskile, that God would guide us to those who are open and that some would be saved and discipled this summer.

Thanks,
Brenten