A Hedge Connection to the Lord

Saturday was a workday at the camp in preparation for all of the groups that will attend Camp Gideon this summer.  Members from both the Johvi and Sillamae churches, our team, and many friends and relatives arrived to trim hedges, rake newly mown grass, weed flower beds, set up furniture, and sweep the walks as others spent the morning cleaning and preparing rooms for the campers.

At the same time, construction workers were replacing windows, repairing the roofs, and bringing in supplies for the hundreds of meals that will be prepared during the next three months.  The sound of the lawnmower could be heard all over the grounds as Artur spent hours cutting the grounds after the long winter of snow and ice.
 
As team members worked side by side with Estonians, conversations began with hand gestures and always ended in laughter.  April commented that she felt as if she were working with her grandmother in the garden at home and not in a country thousands of miles away from Houston.  She and Valentina felt such a connection as they pulled weeds and swept the concrete.  On Sunday, she brought a family

Youth from both congregations joined
in the clean up. 

book with photos of her ancestors and family home to share with April.

As Vicki commented later, "As I raked grass in the play areas, I felt like this was REAL community working together with peoples of different countries with a common bond...  the love of Jesus Christ.

April added, "All of the work done at the camp today was a labor of Love not of Pain as was the case during the time of the Soviets."

Artur and his beautiful family smile over the prayer shawls, cross,
and baseball caps and bracelets. 

Our evening ended with the exchange of gifts as Artur presented each team member with a hand-painted rock illustrating the Brown House, the main building for the camp.  Wick and Ted gave Artur and his family prayer shawls, Astros caps and cups, and a beautiful hand-made cross from Brookwood.  The real gifts to each group was the community spirit and love of Jesus Christ shared by all.  One young man who attended the camp with Siiri shared that his favorite aspect of the trip was getting to practice his English.

Wick shared how impressed he was with the work ethic of the Estonians...we experienced real community through simply trimming hedges together.  He loved receiving the rock because it exemplified the heart of the Estonian people with their simplicity and authenticity.