Sunday morning, the team had breakfast at the pastor's home and drove to Johvi to attend church. As we arrived and opened the door to the church, music and singing filled the air. Artur greeted each church member and guest personally. In the true spirit of community, each song was sung in Russian and in English.
Pastor Artur shared his message of the importance of faith built on a firm foundation which was quite appropriate because later he presented each team member with a rock from Camp Gideon with a painting of the church at Johvi. Artur then introduced and welcomed our team, and Ted and April once again shared their inspirational testimonies of the power of forgiveness. Kelly Musick told of her journey to be part of the team and of her love of children in any country.
Wick Stuckey reminded the congregation in his message that each of us is a beloved child of God, and we need to wrap the love of Jesus around us as we go through life's struggles. He challenged the congregation to remember that God is faithful and has a purpose for each one of us. He blesses us and enables us to be strong warriors for Christ.
The choir is made up of members of Artur's family as well as others in the congregation, Christian, Artur's fifteen year old son plays the drums, while other family members sing or play instruments. His sister- in- law played the flute and made the service especially meaningful as she was one of two who joined the church and committed her life to Christ during worship.
Later, in the evening, Wick remarked, "I was so moved by the relationships in the Johvi church community. These people look after one another; they know each other's stories and struggles.
On Saturday, these same people worked with us preparing the camp and shared meals with us. Their church and its members are living
examples of a real Christian community.
At the end of the worship service, there were hugs and tears of joy and celebration before we moved downstairs to break bread together and reflect on the last five days. Emails were exchanged, and a few of the young women expressed their desire to learn English through the communications.
Much too quickly it was time to return to Tallinn for our departure home. Erriki and Nadia once again drove us as we took our last glances at the green countryside of Estonia. As I sat in the back of the van, I realized that the team had witnessed God's disciples at work for the last five days. Camp Gideon is run by a family whose relationship is built on the rock of faith. They support one another and reach out to others in the community. They are a model family of Christ for all to see. The congregations at Johvi and Sillamae also serve as a family for those in the communities to see; they reach out to help strangers and young women in need.
Artur is a man of vision--he has plans for a women's center outside of Sillamae; Sunbeam will be a place of hope for handicapped children and their families when it opens in September giving parents a respite from the constant care and will open the doors of educational opportunity for the children.
Our prayer for Artur is that the Lord provides the foundation for a new church in Johvi and enables the congregation to bless and serve.
Our prayer for Mall Tamm is that she continues to find the strength and resources to help the young people that she serves. They come looking for someone who cares and loves them, and they are constantly blessed by the staff at the Lighthouse. Now, there are young people who return to the Lighthouse to give back and help others to be productive citizens. We have been blessed as a team to witness the Estonian people creating a community of faith sharing followers of Jesus Christ.
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