I know this is a little late, but better late then never. I've been back home now for about a week. I'll put a final post on here before too long, but before I do that you may want to know how Valmiera and Lode were.
We stayed in a hotel in Valmiera and drove to Lode for 3 days to work with the orphans there. We had prayer every morning at 6:30 with the church there in Valmiera. The kids in Lode were amazing. They were so hungry for our love and attention. They were also very polite. They asked us when they wanted candy and they listened to everything we said. We all fell in love with them so fast. It was very hard to leave after only 3 days with them. I hope someday to go back to that orphanage again. If I could choose one of the places we went, it would be there. They are so poor and groups have never gone there before.
On Thursday we helped with a Sunday school camp with the Valmiera church. We led rec for all the kids. They were very sweet and fun to play with. It was good to remember that there are normal kids out there too. I love the kids at the orphanages, but they are very needy and it was hard to be there so long.
Friday we went shopping in Riga and then flew home on Saturday. On Saturday, I was up for 28 hours straight. Lots of fun. Anywho, It's good to be home. I'll try to post again soon.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Useful Latvian phrases the kids have taught us
Ajam ara! let's go outside
A labu nakti. good night
Ka tevi sauc? what's your name?
Stuba tooka. stupid pig
Es gribu pertikci. I want a monkey.
forša. cool
Es tevi milu. I love you
zema. strawberry
varde. frog
Kungs Jezus Christe. Lord Jesus Christ
rit. tomorrow
A labu nakti. good night
Ka tevi sauc? what's your name?
Stuba tooka. stupid pig
Es gribu pertikci. I want a monkey.
forša. cool
Es tevi milu. I love you
zema. strawberry
varde. frog
Kungs Jezus Christe. Lord Jesus Christ
rit. tomorrow
6-25
Well, we just finished our 2nd week in Jelgava. We are going to Valmiera and Lode for 4 days. We will live in Valmiera and travel to Lode for 3 days to work with the kids there. On Thursday we will stay in Valmiera with some kids from the church there and then we go to Riga for shopping, sightseeing and flying. I can't believe we only have a week left. It has all flown by. It's strange that we are leaving Jegava. It has kinda been home since we got here. We will be working with completely different translators and everything. I'm really gonna miss the ones we had here because we got to be good friends.
This last Friday and Saturday we went to a Jani camp with the church from Jelgava. Jani is one of there big festivals here in Latvia. It is the longest day of the year, which is really long. It never got completely dark. We stayed up all night and played wierd games and stuff. We watched the sun rise at 4:30. It was so beautiful. It was really cool to see that part of their culture.
Anywho, I should probably go now. I won't be able to download anymore pictures until I get home. I will try to get them on the photobucket as soon as possible.
ata!
This last Friday and Saturday we went to a Jani camp with the church from Jelgava. Jani is one of there big festivals here in Latvia. It is the longest day of the year, which is really long. It never got completely dark. We stayed up all night and played wierd games and stuff. We watched the sun rise at 4:30. It was so beautiful. It was really cool to see that part of their culture.
Anywho, I should probably go now. I won't be able to download anymore pictures until I get home. I will try to get them on the photobucket as soon as possible.
ata!
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Maris's top seven favorite English sayings
7. I pick...
6. ok...let's go
5. I'm sorry
4. Keita...bleh, bleh (puking noices)
3. I love you
2. good morning
1. ok...let's go
Maris is one of the kids in Tervete that we all hold a special place for in our hearts. These phrases are pretty much the only English he knew and he used them all the time even when it wasn't quite appropriate. I love that kid.
6. ok...let's go
5. I'm sorry
4. Keita...bleh, bleh (puking noices)
3. I love you
2. good morning
1. ok...let's go
Maris is one of the kids in Tervete that we all hold a special place for in our hearts. These phrases are pretty much the only English he knew and he used them all the time even when it wasn't quite appropriate. I love that kid.
6-17
hi peoples!!
I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get a post on here because I haven't been able to this week. Tervete was amazing. The kids are so sweet and hungry for love. The kids in Jelgava are so closed to us and don't respect us. In Tervete the staff are so loving and they try to make the orphanage more like a home. Because of that, the kids are very respectful and good and just so hungry for our attention. I think all of the team cryed when we left. We just fell in love with those kids and don't want to leave them in the situation they are in. Even though the staff is really good there, it's still not like a family and they have so little. And when they turn 18 they are asked to leave the orphanage. They have nowhere to go if they don't have any family or friends who will take them in. There is one boy who is 17 and has no idea what he is going to do next year when he leaves. They don't have any skills to use or any idea of how to get a job or anything. My heart breaks for those kids. anywho, we are in Riga tonight and will go to Jelgava sometime tomorrow.
chao
I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get a post on here because I haven't been able to this week. Tervete was amazing. The kids are so sweet and hungry for love. The kids in Jelgava are so closed to us and don't respect us. In Tervete the staff are so loving and they try to make the orphanage more like a home. Because of that, the kids are very respectful and good and just so hungry for our attention. I think all of the team cryed when we left. We just fell in love with those kids and don't want to leave them in the situation they are in. Even though the staff is really good there, it's still not like a family and they have so little. And when they turn 18 they are asked to leave the orphanage. They have nowhere to go if they don't have any family or friends who will take them in. There is one boy who is 17 and has no idea what he is going to do next year when he leaves. They don't have any skills to use or any idea of how to get a job or anything. My heart breaks for those kids. anywho, we are in Riga tonight and will go to Jelgava sometime tomorrow.
chao
Saturday, June 10, 2006
6-10
Hey guys,
This one is going to be short. I am in Riga today. We are going to see a baby home and tour historical Riga. It's going to be so much fun. We are with another group of 6 adults from Texas for the next week. We'll be in Tervete at a pretty poor orphanage. I probably won't be able to get on the internet until next weekend. I hope all is well with all of you.
ciao
This one is going to be short. I am in Riga today. We are going to see a baby home and tour historical Riga. It's going to be so much fun. We are with another group of 6 adults from Texas for the next week. We'll be in Tervete at a pretty poor orphanage. I probably won't be able to get on the internet until next weekend. I hope all is well with all of you.
ciao
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
6-7
The Orphans:
Most of the kids in this orphanage are social orphans. For whatever reason, the government took them away from their families. There are a lot of siblings. In the kids that I played with today, there was two brothers and their sister, two sisters, and a brother and sister. I was talking to Parsla today and she said that the kids have to learn to survive on their own. They're very violent and tough. They rarely cry when they fall down or get hit by another kid. They also are cussing and calling each other names all the time. Sometimes it's in English, but Parsla told me they are constantly cussing in Latvian. At the same time, they are so sweet. They always want to hug us or hold hands or sit in our laps. They are always begging for our attention. I just wish there was something more I could do for them.
Our home for the week:
It is so cold here. I didn't expect it to be this cold. About half the time I have been here, I have had to wear my big jacket and sitting in the shade I'm still shivering. In the sun it's usually warm and if I am running around with the kids, it's warm. I can't believe that it's June and it feels like this. The days are so long. I don't know if it ever gets completely dark here in the summer. Sunrise is at about 4:30 and sunset is at 10 or 10:30. It's crazy. We are living at the orphanage in an apartment that will be for a crises pregnancy center. I was not expecting so much space. We have our own kitchen, living room and 3 bedrooms. We also have a big bathroom. Here are some pictures of our place:
our living room - gotta love the orange couches
the outlets and switches
my messy room
caio for now
Most of the kids in this orphanage are social orphans. For whatever reason, the government took them away from their families. There are a lot of siblings. In the kids that I played with today, there was two brothers and their sister, two sisters, and a brother and sister. I was talking to Parsla today and she said that the kids have to learn to survive on their own. They're very violent and tough. They rarely cry when they fall down or get hit by another kid. They also are cussing and calling each other names all the time. Sometimes it's in English, but Parsla told me they are constantly cussing in Latvian. At the same time, they are so sweet. They always want to hug us or hold hands or sit in our laps. They are always begging for our attention. I just wish there was something more I could do for them.
Our home for the week:
It is so cold here. I didn't expect it to be this cold. About half the time I have been here, I have had to wear my big jacket and sitting in the shade I'm still shivering. In the sun it's usually warm and if I am running around with the kids, it's warm. I can't believe that it's June and it feels like this. The days are so long. I don't know if it ever gets completely dark here in the summer. Sunrise is at about 4:30 and sunset is at 10 or 10:30. It's crazy. We are living at the orphanage in an apartment that will be for a crises pregnancy center. I was not expecting so much space. We have our own kitchen, living room and 3 bedrooms. We also have a big bathroom. Here are some pictures of our place:
our living room - gotta love the orange couches
the outlets and switches
my messy room
caio for now
Monday, June 05, 2006
6-5
hello all,
Me and my team got to Latvia on Saturday. We went to a Latvian Baptist church on Sunday. It was very interesting. It was all in Latvian of course but the head of Buckner here, Dace (pronounced Dotsay), translated for us. They sang Just as I am, Amazing Grace, Open the Eyes of my Heart and played Just a Closer Walk With Thee. It was very cool. We had the Lord's Supper and everything. The bread was a cross between pound cake and angel food cake. We started VBS today. It was crazy, but so much fun. I love the kids, even when they are screaming when I am trying to tell them something or having a fist fight in the middle of the Bible lesson. That was an interesting one. Anywho, It's good.
Prayer Requests
no more fights
our translators: Dace, Kristine, Zandra, Evija, Parsla, Billy, and Davis (not all of them are with us everyday)
my team: Summer and Kate
Check out my photobucket, I just uploaded some pictures of the kids and workers.
Me and my team got to Latvia on Saturday. We went to a Latvian Baptist church on Sunday. It was very interesting. It was all in Latvian of course but the head of Buckner here, Dace (pronounced Dotsay), translated for us. They sang Just as I am, Amazing Grace, Open the Eyes of my Heart and played Just a Closer Walk With Thee. It was very cool. We had the Lord's Supper and everything. The bread was a cross between pound cake and angel food cake. We started VBS today. It was crazy, but so much fun. I love the kids, even when they are screaming when I am trying to tell them something or having a fist fight in the middle of the Bible lesson. That was an interesting one. Anywho, It's good.
Prayer Requests
no more fights
our translators: Dace, Kristine, Zandra, Evija, Parsla, Billy, and Davis (not all of them are with us everyday)
my team: Summer and Kate
Check out my photobucket, I just uploaded some pictures of the kids and workers.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
check here for pictures from my Latvia mission trip:
http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/clairedotnet/Latvia%20pictures/
http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/clairedotnet/Latvia%20pictures/
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When I am weakest and the most discouraged I find I am the most humble and willing to rely on God. Only when I rely on God's strength am I myself strong. When I rely on him, he gives me joy and peace and love. When I rely on my own strength to see me through, I'm not adequate and I fall everytime. So, only when I am weak and when I can't do it am I truly strong and joyful.
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. -James1:2-3
When I am weakest and the most discouraged I find I am the most humble and willing to rely on God. Only when I rely on God's strength am I myself strong. When I rely on him, he gives me joy and peace and love. When I rely on my own strength to see me through, I'm not adequate and I fall everytime. So, only when I am weak and when I can't do it am I truly strong and joyful.
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. -James1:2-3
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