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Riga Ministry Report

Part I. Looking back on 2011

Key verse of 2011 was Philippians 2:5 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”. It had been a year since we pioneered, and we prayed for permanent residency, financial independence, and one bible student. I entered BSA as freshman so that I and coworker can get together and invite students. I was on the master course at RTU, but it’s hard to meet students and tuition fee is expensive as well.

Although it is not easy to start a school with young students like son and daughter, I am thankful that we can make friends with students and invite them. God bless our financial independence too. It seemed difficult to support ourselves in Latvia because natives also are leaving to western Europe and northern Europe for jobs. Nevertheless we prayed that we might earn 20,000 dollars. God allowed us to contract with a travel agency and gave us works to do continually. God let us to travel through three Baltic countries and to know about them, and gave us vision to evangelize not only Riga, but also all three Baltic countries. God listened to our prayer and fill 20,000 dollars exactly at the end of year.

We prayed for sheep and tried to invite them, but we felt like we’re not enough. So we prayed for more missionaries here while it seemed impossible when we saw the situations. God gave the vision to M. T. and A., who were in Russia. M. A. and their two children came in June first, and M. T. joined in October. God is pleased with them. God help them to sell their house right away and get the five year residency, earlier than us. With their joining, we can start to serve invitation work practically. We tried to invite students who we have relation with a prayer topic that we may be with sheep at this Christmas. Surprisingly, God sent us six sheep and blessed our Christmas worship service. For the first time, we had Christmas worship service with sheep in Rigar center. Sheep prepared music programs and brought some food. Thank God for making them ready and giving them the good new of Jesus’ birth.

Some Latvian students are interested in Korean culture and language. A student came to ask M. E. to teach Korean. We’re praying for him to study not only Korean but also the Bible. Students in three Baltic countries are pure and open-minded. Their countries are included in European Union (EU), but they are poor and their heart is humble. We pray that God may bless them so that they may become ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’.

God also grow 2nd generations for the future. Although S. is new here, he adjusted his school life fast and made many friends. We worried about the second son, T. has been sick. However, he is also adjusting well thankfully. He cannot speak and see, but he rejoice the most with praise, prayer and God’s word at the worship service. We prayed that God may have mercy on him and heal him. E., who goes to Latvian kindergarten, speaks Latvian the most fluently. She has no cultural wall because she grows with Latvians. We believe that 2nd gens here grow as precious coworkers. Affected by adults who live to satisfy their flesh, young people here are suffering deeply under drug addiction and sexual immorality. They need much prayer support in order to grow as men of God who have spiritual values and can be good influences. We pray that we may be good parents of faith first. Last year was a historical year in pioneering Latvia. We didn’t do much but God used us preciously and lay the foundation of His work step by step. Personally I am thankful that I could receive God’s grace in His word while delivering Sunday worship service messages on John’s gospel. We could win the victory every week with power and spiritual direction from God’s words. When we kept the faith in our mission field, God helped us with all our needs like self-support, residency, co-working, and children. Thank God and glorify God.

Part 2. Direction and prayer topics in 2012

The new year key verse of Riga ministry is Numbers 13:2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.

From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders”, which is as same as UBF new year key verse. We stepped in the land of promise, Riga, but we don’t know here well. We are going to go to the campus and explore it in order to know hearts and situations of sheep. We also need to research business trend here and get what God prepares for our self-support. M. T. opened a branch office of IT company last year. Although it’s hard to find a market and economy is bad here, we pray that God may bless this ‘five loaves and two fishes’
and help us support ourselves financially.

Our prayer topics are like the following in detail:

1. for messages on John’s gospel and Genesis
2. for one ancestor of faith
3. for running a branch office and self-support
4. for 2nd gens to grow healthy in both physically and spiritually
 
One word: Get the land of promise!