Undaunted

Undaunted
Dear Friends,
This is just a quick update on the events of April before we leave for a month's furlough which will be a trip to Australia to catch up with family and friends and to do a few 'Army things' on the way.
But the point of this letter is to give a quick report on the visit of Blackpool Songsters to Estonia. The brigade raised all their own money (as all our overseas visitors have to do) but they did not arrive empty-handed. Their huge cases were loaded with baby clothes and supplies to help us in our work here. Apart from doing the meetings over the week-end the songsters had an opportunity to see some of the areas and situations that we work in. That was a difficult experience for many of them as most people would find it hard to visualise the conditions that some people live in around some of the areas here. However it was certainly not all doom and gloom. They were really encouraged in joining in the activities of the corps and getting to know our young people. We have a lovely group of enthusiastic young salvationists. They desparately want to be part of the wider Army but the possibility of wearing uniform is financially out of the question. In the past some old uniforms have been donated and they have been used if possible, but it sometimes means our young people wearing uniforms that do not fit and that make them feel very 'unacceptable'. They have already had to learn to cope with that feeling. So the songsters were generous in offering help with uniforms and some money gifts to help out in these and other ways relating to the work.
The meetings were great and very exciting for our people. The songsters did the Good Friday meeting at Kopli corps in Tallinn and then travelled to Tartu where the officer had arranged to have a meeting in the local Baptist church. The songsters again mixed with the congregation - who ranged from residents of the local homeless hostel, to local residents and some Church members. They were all delighted with the programme of Reflective Music for Easter, combined with the worship and praise that includes brass and timbrels. The youth pastor from the church gave a message about the place of the cross in society and in our lives. We spent overnight in a 'colourful' hotel where we were entertained throughout the night by a jolly group from Finland. However, we did have some laughs ourselves, as you can imagine. On Saturday morning we had a quick look around the main area of Tartu which is an old university city and then on to Vöru. Here we had a fantastic open-air meeting with our own young people from Estonia taking part with the Songsters then an illegal march of witness through the town - till the police caught up with us! We finished the day with a wonderful inaugural meeting of the Salvation Army in Vöru. The songsters gave a great presentation of the Salvation Army in a small town that has never seen the Army before. Then we marched in the colours of the new Corps along with the new corps officer - who is our only Estonian Officer. Derek conducted an inaugural ceremony and we had a moment of committment and dedication of the officer and the work of the SA. The Band played, the timbrels played, the songsters sang and the flags waved. The Army had truly come to town and the sun shone as if there was no tomorrow!
As soon as it was over it was quickly back on to the coach for the trip back to Tallinn. We stopped off at a Windmill Restaurant and had a mean of typical Estonian fare.
Easter Day started with the Open-Air at 8am at the Cross right outside the city walls (of Tallinn). We had had all the sunshine the day before as the morning began with a heavy mist from the sea and a cold wind! However, it soon warmed up and we made our way to the Corps for the Easter Morning Worship and Celebration of Faith. The Songsters had brought lovely Easter Cards printed in English and Estonian and distributed little chocolate Easter Eggs to everyone. (It was great to taste an proper chocolate egg!) The songsters and the whole congregation enjoyed lunch at the Corps and lots of hugs and goodbyes were exchanged between new friends. It was an Easter experience that will never be forgotten by anyone who was there.
The songsters then had a sightseeing trip around Tallinn before the final 'Farewell Meal' at the local Chinese Restaurant. Lots of fun, plenty of laughs, lots of memories and plenty to think about for a long time to come.
Thank you Angela, Liz, Major Liz and Blackpool! God bless you all.!

Undaunted

Undaunted

Dear Friends,
This is a most frustrating experience! I am trying yet again to do a Blogspot Update. I heard on the news that this is the most popular means of journaling. It beats me! I am very tempted to return to pen and paper. Somewhere out there is my earlier attempt supposedly saved as a draft. So here goes again. I guess it is better for you as it will of necessity be a shorter version!
It began last year in December with a visit back to the UK to speak at Norwich Citadel Songsters' Candlelight Service. They used the event to sponsor some of our work here in Estonia and it was a sheer joy to return and to witness again the unbelievable generosity of the British salvationist. My trip included a visit to Great Yarmouth Corps and Blackpool Citadel who had also shown support and generosity of gigantic proportions throughout the year. With these and other donations from friends of Bedford Congress Hall and the Over-Sixties Holiday fraternity of Major Jim Williams of Chalk Farm, we have been incredibly blessed.
Of course, the visit to UK preceded our planned furlough to be with the family at Christmas. This was planned as Alan and Pam with baby Jessica plan to move to Australia within the next 12 months and it was uncertain if we would be able to have another family Christmas together for a few years. We spent the time at Lorna and Gareths new and suitale enlarged home, where Gareth made a fantastic effort at replacing Derek in his familiar role as the family 'Santa'. I have to say that Gareth was much more authentic and even Jessica was suitably impressed.
It has been a long hard winter in Estonia. We have had snow fairly consistently for the last six months. During January, we had a really cold snap with temperatures at -27 deg. in Tallinn and -42 deg in Voru where we have recently started a new work. We opened our Day Centre to let homeless people sleep on mattresses until the worst passed. We took this opportunity to 'delouse' a few and get them all scrubbed up and kitted out with new clothes etc. before they eventually left us and we returned to our daily schedule. Also during this time, the Corps opened to provide hot food all day. In one day we fed 100 at the Corps and in one week we fed 1,000 in total. On a happier note in January, we held our usual Winter Youth Camp and took the opportunity to introduce a regular programme of studies in the style of the old corps Cadet Programme. You still can't beat it. We are also developing an integral children's ministry teaching programme similar to what we have with SU at home. The problem here is that whatever we do has to be in Estonian and Russian languages and understood by us Brits and the Americans! Not an easy one! The biggest change in January was not the weather, but the personnel. Our Social Worker and Project Director both left our employment when they 'got a better offer' (army wages are abysmal here) and in the same week our Corps Officers from Tallinn returned back to USA unexpectedly early. This left you-know-who doing the whole job. So from January until July we are also the Corps Officers. Obviously we love this part of the work and it is a great excuse when I never get the admin. done in time for THQ! But I have to say it does take its toll on the old energy - especially when we run extra things like the HIV-Aids Consultation which we have just finished this week. This was a 5Day Programme which took place in Narva and in Tallinn. You know that you are face to face with reality when - as Derek did - you visit a home where the problems are indescribable. The house had 2 rooms with a small 'scullery' area in the room. It was in a block of so-called community flats which houses all the social problems. In this home there was a 53yr. old grandmother (a soviet taught mechanic). She was an alcoholic and had lost her job for stealing the spirits from the workshop that she took home to drink. Her son is in prison and can never move back home because he has so many debts. This prisoner son also has a son living with grandma. He is 7yr. old. Next door is a prostitute and across the landing a drug addict. Also in this home is the 'grandma's 16yr. old daughter who has been expelled from school because since aged 14 she has been a heroin addict. She never leaves the house except to 'obtain' money for more drugs. She was probably a prostitute to feed her addiction. This was a home in Narva. In Tallinn we visited a 50sq mtr. flat which the family have owned since Soviet times. She has no bathroom, but a bath sits in the corner as there is no money to have it installed. She has an income of 3,400 kr per month (about £35 per week). With this she pays rent, feeds the family and looks after 3 grandchildren plus her daughter who wont leave the house at all because her sister who was a prostitute and is the mother of the three grandchildren was murdered by the mafia. The grandmother has a drink problem but tries to keep a reasonable home. In this area only 3% of the inhabitants are legal tenants. The other 97% are illegal residents who have just 'moved in'. The government doesn't move them because there is nowhere for them to go. These households have no water, toilets, or other facilities. This is our working 'backyard'. So you can see there are many challenges. Our increased social programme does attract some assistance from various areas. We have contacted some doctors who are willing to give us some time. Derek attended a function with the American Embassy who also want some involvement.
In March we travelled to Finland for Officers' Councils. It was still heavy winter so on a free afternoon I tried my hand at cross-country skiing on the frozen lake. We also had a lot of fun sledging with the other officer families. Derek did his Finnish thing with a sauna and then plunging into the frozen lake. He even managed to persuade Major Alan Burns (the DC in Norwich who was the guest speaker) to join him for the experience. The sea and the rivers have remained frozen much longer this year, but this doesn't deter the fishermen who simply bore a hole and drop their fishing rods down. Last week we saw a man who literally had a stick and a string dangling through the ice-hole. Derek tried the walking on water bit, but got a bit of a fright when he ventured too near an ice-hole left by a fisherman and nearly ended up in the hole! Our weeks pass by very quickly since we are combining the working hours of the office with the programme activities of the corps. This gets me out of the office for at least two days a week, but it also uses up another three evenings as well as needing time for visitation and meeting preparation. We are still doing the Band and the timbrels at the corps as well as starting corps Cadets and we take part in the songsters and have a drama Group and a Guitar group.
Our next exciting event is the visit of Blackpool Songsters at Easter. During that time we will open our new corps in the south of Estonia in Voru. You will need to read the next instalment for that news.
It is great to hear your news from time to time. Some is really good and brings us a lot of joy. Other news is sadder and we add weekly to our prayer list of so many who we think of during difficult times. You are all mentioned in our prayer time frequently and many of you every day. If we have told you that we pray for you, then we do.
We are getting on fine. Looking forward to spring-time. We saw grass for the first time in 4 months last Saturday. It was an encouraging sight.
Hope you enjoy these few pictures. I've given up on doing anything half decent. What you see is what you get (as the saying goes).
Our love to you all and thank you for they way you keep in touch.
God bless
Derek and Helen