Estonia Lighthouse VIM team Update Monday morning…

We have rain again today (check the current weather in Tallinn, Estonia), actually a mist this morning. I am sending this from the Lighthouse. We are getting started here with the music and art project and I am not sure what else. We had a wonderful time yesterday. Mall took us to the TV tower and it was incredible. This is where the Russian tanks and army turned back and Estonia attained their independence. We had a beautiful lunch there 21 floors up. Even in the rain, the view was spectacular.

We are learning a lot and it is hard to take all of it in at times. We attended the service yesterday at the mission center and were all introduced and welcomed. Cynthia and I knew two of the songs and sang along in English. We had a very good interpreter.

Blessings from Tallin,
Beth

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Hi everyone,
Well sorry I didn’t update yesterday...I was exhausted so I went to bed early!'

Yesterday we went to the Estonian church service at the Baltic Mission Center. It was similar to the 11:00 o’ clock sanctuary service at Asbury. There were probably about 100-200 people at the service and there was a great sermon give by Olav (spelling) and I do not want to even try to spell his last name. He is a very cool man. Stephen and I talked to him after the service and it turns out that he is a huge part of the survival of the Methodist Church in Estonia. (Mom and Dad I can’t believe you haven’t told me this!) But while the soviets were still in control of Estonia they tried to completely wipe out the church. But Olav stood for the Methodist Church here and did underground services and actually got kids to come to Sunday school on Sundays by inviting them to his house and telling people that it was a birthday party. This was one of the first times I have talked to him and he is an incredible person!

After church we met up with Mal (I’m not sure if I spelled her name correctly) and she took us to the radio\TV tower just on the outskirts of Tallinn. It is a very significant building because it is where Estonia gained their independence. The soviets wanted to destroy the tower because it was where the Estonians broadcasted all of their news. So the people of Estonia gathered on the lawns of the tower and connected hands and began singing and praying. The soviet tanks continued to charge directly at the people that were surrounding the tower, very suddenly the tanks just stopped! They turned around and went home!!!! The people continued to pray and sing while celebrating! To this day, no one knows why the tanks turned away....I’d like to think that it was a MIRACLE!!! So we went into the tower (21 stories high) and just looked at the beautiful scenery of Estonia. We actually got to eat lunch in the tower and it was delicious!!!! (rather expensive though) The building was circular with windows on all walls so we could see out over all of Tallinn!

We got back to the BMC around 3 and had a very relaxing afternoon! A few of us went to the store and picked up some food. We found a new delicious snack.....cheese sticks with marinara. It was Cynthia’s birthday so we went to an authentic Estonian restaurant! It was good food, but being with the WHOLE group was a lot of fun. We got back to the BMC around 9 o’ clock and many of us went right to bed!

It was an all around very fun day. We got a chance to really see why Estonia is such a conservative country. It was a very neat day and it was great to be able to relax for a little while. I think tomorrow we will begin our work at the Lighthouse and be able to spend time with the people there.

God Bless and I will do my best to update tomorrow,

In Him,
David