Mission

 last update – 14.December 2011 (Summary of the Mission Trip to Latvia)

Summary of the Mission Trip to Latvia.   

(SK version)

I would like to start with thanking you all for your prayers since at the moment we are all safely back from Latvia. We were truly protected everywhere we went so no one was hurt, nothing broke and besides taking a few wrong turns everything went pretty well.

On Thursday we landed in Riga and rented two minibuses with which we drove to local Bible College, where we were in charge of the meeting.

Right next day we travelled far west near the city called Liepaja, to a small village in which we could experience a church meeting that took place for the first time after several decades of a long pause.  The room was full of people out of which many came to the church for the first time. On Sunday we took part in three more meetings, preached Gods word, sang songs, acted dramas and shared personal stories.

Afterwards we packed our things and travelled back to the local Bible College. Monday was for us a day of resting, during which we could see the center of Riga, talk to students from the school and overall make new connections with them.

On Tuesday, while the two of our teachers stayed in the school to teach, the rest of the team was again on roads. This time we went to a drug rehab center, where we could hear poweful stories of these people. This place was particulary special, for after the program ended we prayed for each other. In english, russian, lithuanian, danish, slovak and even though we could not always understand what people prayed for, we could feel Gods presence and the unity that He was creating among us, despite our differences. After lunch we arrived in an orphanage, where we played a completely different role. We were shown the entire facility and then we played, danced, sang and shared our experiences with kids. Late in the evenning, after plenty of joy and laughter we had to get into our minibuses and head home while kids were sending us off by running behind our cars.

photo by Kenneth Bæk Merrild

On our last day we went to a biggest church in Riga, where the russian congregation consisting of 2000 members meet every Sunday. However as we were there on Wednesday “only“ 200 people came. The responsiblity over the meeting was again given to us so several students shared their testimonies and acted dramas, drawing our of the experience from previous days. Later on we were blessed by the hospitality of our russian brothers and sisters, that prepared a terrific meal for us.

At last we had to say goodbye to everyone, for next day early in the morning we were on our way back to Denmark.

Throughout the entire week we could see that God was really preparing ground for us as everywhere we went, we were warmly welcomed. People that we talked to (or with) had oppened hearts and listened to the message with which we came there. I believe that this week several new seeds were put into ground and I would like to invite you to be part of this mission and pray for these people in Latvia.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1.Cor 3:7, ESV)

 

Summary of the Mission Trip to India.

(SK version)

               
               On 22nd of January at midnight a team consisting of 16 members from Denmark  and lead by schools principal Kent Jakobsen left for the mission trip. Thanks to Gods guidance after 24 hours of traveling we reached the final destination without any problem. As soon as we left the airport we noticed many differences as well as poverty portrayed by medias, but only after getting out of the capital we realized the gravity of the real Indian destitution.

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Local missionaries Jennifer & Roy Ramble are people filled with love during last 25 years accomplished to put together everything we had seen and throughout the time became part of. Jenny prepared for us a full-saturated program for a whole month that with ease put to work all members of our team. Our job took place, besides few exceptions, within the large school campus. The central focus of our program was a “Bible Camp”, which we were doing in their school – “Assembly of God Church School” over more than two weeks.

          
It means that every morning, Monday to Saturday, we have spent three hours with all 800 students. This time was full of music, worship, sketches, dramas, personal testimonies and bible narratives. Right after first meeting one of the students found her own story in one of our personal testimonies. It was amazing to see that life of a person from a rich European country can be in its foundation so unbelievably similar to experiences of these people.

Apart from this we pararelly had every morning few people in the free education center. Even though the center was not far from the school the level of knowledge here was far more worse. Children of assorted age categories and degrees were her unified by one common goal, which is to learn how to read, write, count and speak English at least on the basic level. 

Next project was helping abused women survive through teaching them weaving. Mostly they make here clothes or various kinds of bags. We did not play any major role in this project, besides the financial one in form of buying many of their products. 

Our main priority were girls from MAHIMA NIWAS (House of Glory). We also devoted most of our time to them. In this house, there are approximately 50 girls from socially poorer families, or orphans to whom they give education, food and generally they experience a good nourishing. These kids thanks to Jenny speak fluently English so there was no problem with communication. Every evenning we had together with them short worship and devotion after which we prayed for the school and people that asked for it.

        
Our task was also to teach students in afternoons, who usually had prepared numerous questions for us. We discussed a good deal of various topics starting with classic school curriculum, music (that is not taught there) through culture differences like „love marriages“ (versus arranged marriages) all the way to gospel and things in any way related to Bible. We mostly held discussions, give lessons and prepared various programs. 

Professor Solfrid Bracher and her daughter Linda Bracher joined us after two weeks. In that time we started to visit surrounding villages. Having in mind the conditions, doctor Linda professionally examined patients and prescribed them necessary medication and when the case could not be solved by medicine other team members prayed for the specific case.

         
Every Sunday we served at two gatherings – schools (in English) and local Indian. It was encouraging to see some students from the school already on the second meeting. Yet the true miracle happened during last Sunday when more than 30 students came on the united english-Indian meeting out of which several of them responded to the altar call that came to pass after the sermon. Praise God!

Throughout this month I have spent in India God was teaching me many things. It was time where He was reminding me that not everything is in my power. It does not matter how much effort I make or how much I will prepare for without Him I can do nothing. On the hand with Him by my side I had in disposal unlimited source of energy and wisdom. When I spent time with Him, reading scriptures or in prayers seeking his guidance and will, I have positively experienced sense of security comparable to Elijah who alone in truth stood on mount Carmel against 450 prophets of Baal. I wish everyone could experience this. At least once visit a third world country and leave everything known behind, leave all the things on which we have built our illusionary assurance. Make a step, a free-fall to unknown, in which us more evidently than ever before awaits the loving armful of our heavenly Father.

      Peter Makovíni

made by Monika Guttmanová (with iPod )

I have put together the finance summary of all the major items. This way I would like to let everybody that supported us financially have an opportunity to see how was the money spent.

 

You can find additional pictures here or a short TripAdvisor summary here.
 For more information about the ministry in India done by Roy & Jennifer visit www.rajministries.org.

            All the way through we could see that God was opening doors for us everywhere we went. We would like to give thanks to our local church – CONNECT (DK), home churches: Viera, Palisády and Podunajské Biskupice(SK) that were a big part of this process together with each individual that helped us financially or by prayers.