Undaunted

Undaunted
Dear Friends,
As I write the winter sun is blinding me as it shines through the office window, reflecting off the snow that is all over the ground.
However, it is already 23rd January and our winter has really only begun. But my story has to start a long time before winter, since it is three months since I gave you news of our happenings here in Estonia.
At the end of October, we had the visit of Hythe Band and Songsters (Kent, UK) for our annual Anniversary Celebrations. Their visit was centred in Tallinn and we packed a whole lot into their week-end stay. I also used the 'Open-Air' opportunity to launch my small effort called 'Stop the Traffik ' which is against Human Trafficking - a situation that is implicated in Eastern Europe, including Estonia. The launch included a small exhibition board of visual material along with a small table at which the public was invited to sign a form that signifies they are against the whole concept of human trafficking. Apart from the impact of the campaign, we also had great fellowship with Richard Carroll who is the Bandmaster at Hythe and all the members of the gruop - many of whom are all part of the Carroll family. The only disappointment was the weather. All Saturday morning it just rained and rained and rained. But the Bandmembers stood for a whole hour in the pouring rain and played lots of great music while Estonian officers and Salvationists spoke with the people who stood around. Helen also managed to collect some 'soggy signatures' on the Human Trafficking forms. Salvationists from all over Estonia (four Corps) gathered for the reamaining Musical Festivals on Saturday and the meetings on Sunday. The Hythe musicians also accompanied members of the Kopli Corps to the Lines area for an Open-Air meeting where hot soup and some other necessities were distributed among the people who live in this very poor area of Tallinn.
November was a very special time for all of us British ex-pats in Estonia, as we had the visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to the city. Since Derek is a member of the British-Estonian Chamber of Commerce )and on first-name terms with the Ambassador - who is a Spurs supporter - we were favoured with an invitation to the private reception which was held at the newly opened Art Museum in Tallinn. The Queen was very gracious and spent quite a few minutes talking to us and asking about the work of the Army in Estonia. The Duke of Edinburgh was very relaxed and full of humour in his conversation - also appreciative of the SA - but very conscious of the strong 'Scottish connection' that was evident in our little group of people who were presented. He rightly observed that Estonia and Scotland are related through drink. Scotch Whisky has a strong export market here! Also in November, Helen attended a training course designed to give an introduction to the skills required and the procedures involved in Preparation for Disaster Management. Having been married to Derek for 35+ years, I felt that I had a head start! The reason that Derek was unable to undertake the course was that he had to stay behind in Tallinn to receive a consignment of two huge containers of humanitarian aid that had been donated by the soldiers and friends of Blackpool Citadel. This gift of unbelievable generosity contained winter clothes, prams and other equipment for families with small children, toys and lots of chocolate for distribution during Christmas and lots of SA uniforms - providing for the future as well as the present needs of Estonia. The second container contained 6,000 pairs of shoes as well as more clothes and gifts - including some home made Christmas cake (courtesy of the S.L. Angela Fraser) which was enjoyed by the people of Tallinn and Voru. Not only was the contents of the container a welcome gift, but the cost of transporting it was also met by the people of the Corps - especially two senior citizens who had raised most of the money personally by selling crafts. The soldiers and friends of Blackpool citadel have been so supportive both in practical terms and in personal support that we feel that they have actually shared the ministry with us. We value so much such a partnership. The government minister for Social Services in Tallinn could not believe that so much could be given by people who do not know Estonia. The amazing this is that so many gifts were totally distributed in so many different places within two weeks. Many children had lovely presents and special 'English Chocolate'. Also during November, our friend Mandy - who has faithfully kept in touch with us since our stay in Swindon - came for a short holiday. It was a great time to catch up with so much to see and so much to talk about! For our work programme, the end of November was our final camp of the year with Residential Youth Councils. We had Major Evie Diaz the Training and Education Officer from Riga in Latvia as our guest and who introduced the concept of Design for Life - completing the whole series of 'Life' studies that began in November 2005. We have some wonderful young people and within them each there is great potential for leadership. This is what we have been trying to develop during our youth activities in the region. Estonia has benefited from the help of officers from western territories, but its best possibilities will be realised when its own people, speaking Estonian language become the leaders of the Salvation Army here. December saw the start of the christmas celebrations. The first was at the British Embassy where Derek was invited to address the members of the Chamber of Commerce to present the new project that he will launch in 2007. The scheme is called 'Back to Work' and following that presentation, he won the support of the management board of the Chamber as the official project for 2007. He also attracted some individual interest from various business people that were there and others that he has contacted personally. The aim of this project is to offer residency to a few selected clients from the homeless centre and put them to work giving them training in life skills. Their contract on the project will be for one year, during which time, they will pay a small rent and a substantial amount of their working salary will be withheld as a saving towards their own rented accommodation at the end of the year. Failure to comply with the conditions of the project - which include a favour report from their workplace, will result in their removal from the project and the loss of their accommodation in the centre. Since the project needs to have so many official approvals for change of use in the building and other health and safety certificates, it is highly unlikely that we will see its development, but we do hope to be able to get it off the ground before we leave. Incidentally, the formal arrangements for our return to the UK are well underway and in fact we were presented with our flight tickets in November. So already it is 'goodbye and thank you!' The next of our Christmas celebrations was our officers' family Christmas party. We feel that this is very important wince all our officer families are non-Estonians and times like Christmas need to have a familiar feel about it. So this was their time to party and to receive some nice gifts given from the Territory. But the most exciting event in December this year was not Christmas but Derek's 60th Birthday. He was expecting that I would arrange for us to go out for a meal and I said that we would do this. On the day of his birthday, the children had sent him texts of congratulations, and we had to go to the airport to meet a lady from London who was coming to give some voluntary time in our social centre. However, Derek's first birthday surprise was when he got to the airport there stood Lorna and Gareth, Pamela, Alan and Jessica! He had no idea and was just delighted to see the family. It was very exciting. While everyone came back to the house for some lunch etc., Helen nipped back up to the airport to meet here brother Ron and his wife Anke who had flown in from Hamburg to be with Derek for his birthday. The afternoon was arranged with a visit to the photographers for some family photos, followed by a 'surprise party' with some officers and some of Derek's special friends - including the British Ambassador! The next day the family enjoyed seeing Tallinn including the Christmas Market in the Raekojuplats then we all travelled to the holiday town of Parnu where we had rented a little holiday apartment for the week-end. We had so much fun with everyone together and a realy family celebration of Derek's birthday. Unfortunately for the family - there was no hint of snow in December. It must be either global warming - or all the 'sputniks in the space' that is causing us to have such a late winter. Even the birds are nesting and the spring flowers are pushing through. But now, thankfully at the end of January, we have -8C deg. and the snow is here to stay at least for a few weeks.
In a couple of weeks time we should get the news of our next appointment back in the UK. We have only one more to go before we reitre. We did say in our interview, that it would be nice for Helen to have her last appointment in Scotland where it all began. It is over 22 years since we left Scotland, and it would be nice to 'close the loop', but we will just have to wait and see. it would also be nice to be near the Aunties since I don't think that they will be able to travel to visit us any more.
Well dear friends, that is the latest news to date. So from a beautiful winter's day in Tallinn I will sign off and before I post this, I will try to put some pictures on.
It is great to hear from you from time to time. We have had so many messages and Christmas Greetings from so many people - know and unknow - throught the UK and other countries, we feel very blessed and very rich with so many special friends and a uniquely loving family. So until the next time, it is 'Goodbye and God bless'.