Monterey Mission to Latvia in Pictures

Thanks for sending the evangelism team. Mitch, Dennis and Frank were a big help and encouragement to our family and the church here. I hope they can share at CCMB what God did in these 2 weeks. Thousands recieved tracts, hundreds heard the gospel, many eyes were opened to the need for Christ. Who knows how many went home and called upon the Lord to be saved. I hope to see a few in church soon and you will probably meet several more in heaven. PTL

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

Vai tu esi labs cilvēks?

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?

August 2008 Prayers

Please keep us in your prayers this month as it is full of ministry opportunities:

1. Pray for our time at the Calvary Chapel conference in Denmark to be refreshing, encouraging (July 30-August 3)
2. Pray for traveling mercies for our family and for our next team (Mitch, Dennis and Frank)
3. Pray for our evangelistic outreaches from August 5 -18.
4. Pray for Caleb to integrate into kindergarden starting August 18
5. Pray that God opens more doors to start Bible studies in other cities.

P.S. Praise God for providing all the finances and documents we needed for visas, we should get them August 14.

Vacation Bible School

This is our second year doing VBS in Ogre with a team from Tennessee. I have been the music guy as well as overseeing all the translators. The first two days went well, setting a foundation of who Jesus is, we are praying that the kids will continue to be receptive in the last three days as we challenge them with the rest of the gospel, calling them to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

Baptism in Ogre river

Baptism in Ogre river, Latvia

Last Sunday, Kaspars was water baptized by pastor Vadim Kovalev and the members of Ogre Evangelical Church came to witness this event with Kaspars' family. It seems that one member was added to the church and another was sent out. At the end of this slide show are pictures of us praying for Anatoly on his last Sunday here before moving to Scotland. I had raised him up to take over worship ministry but it he believes God is opening the door to find work in the West, learn English and serve with a Russian speaking church in Glasgow, Scotland.