june 29

June 29

This morning for church there were two groups going to two different places. One group went to Liepâja and the other went to Tashi which is a smaller church and where we went.  The church is actually in more of a house on the second floor where they have a room for worship and then a room for fellowship.  It felt like family.  We did a lot of singing, together and a few solos.  The music director played the guitar and was joined by two other ladies and then sang a solo and the music was beautiful.  She is a very talented musician!  The group from Alabama sang “Better is One Day” while Brain (one of the youth in their group) played the guitar.  Brain also did a song solo, which was pretty awesome.  Brandon preached and Laura translated and it was a very good message.  The pastor had read Psalm 84 and Brandon referenced it so it was really cool to see how the Lord is connecting us hearts and minds to one body ready to worship and serve Him.  We had fellowship time afterwards with snacks and tea of course but we got a surprise as well.  Some of the young mothers had made these knit socks/slippers and they gave each of us that were there a pair.  They are so fun!

After church we met up with the other half of the group in Liepâja and had lunch downtown before walking around for just a bit and making a pit stop at the Rimi (supermarket) before heading back to camp.  Dinner was pasta and sauce that was homemade from a real Italian recipe (Dan’s mom is Italian) and it was delicious. Some of the girls from the team were able to help out a little in the kitchen before dinner so we had the guys clean up after dinner to even things out.  Ingmars graduated from his specialty school in carpentry the other day so we had a small celebration for him with cake to say congratulations!  We still had a few more projects to do before all of the campers arrived so Brandon helped Ingmars with some things while Courtney and I help Maria with some decorations in the sanctuary.  Poor Trevor has been kind of sick so we tried to let him rest a bit while the house was still kind of quiet. 

Side note on the sleeping arrangements: In one room there are six female leaders (four on two air mattress and Courtney and I on the floor).  In the “living room” there are four male leaders (Brandon on the couch, Trevor on a cot, Yanis on an air mattress, and when Dan returns tomorrow he will be on the floor).  In another small room Joe and his son Jim are both on cots.  A few more of the leaders may be sleeping upstairs after tomorrow. In the back of the sanctuary the team form Alabama is staying on air mattresses and mats.  The groups that are arriving tomorrow will be in tents in the barn and in the yard just past the apple orchard.

Some of leaders watched the final of the Euro Cup (Spain vs. Germany) so that was really good, especially since Spain won :). Courtney and I were the only girls, so at halftime we organized the craft stuff and were very productive.  It was just Courtney, Laura and I in our room so we chatted a little before bed and before the dog came a decided to sleep with us, and snore…very loud…all night long.

june 28

June 28

This morning we began with pancakes and eggs before talking a walk to the beach for the first session of the retreat for today. While on the beach, were to find a rock that describes us.  There are so many rocks on the shore, so there were so many options to choose from.  We also had a time to walk around and then write a letter to someone (that we could send or not, or it could even be to ourselves or to the Lord).  Some people spent their time on the shoreline, and some of us went into the cemetery that is right there to write.  After this time of reflection and time to get out what we wanted to say on paper, because often it is so hard to say what we want aloud, we returned to camp.  Some particular John Mayer lyrics have been stuck in my head all day…say what you need to say.

For lunch we had a wonderful meal of rice, sausage, tomato and cucumber salad, and bread.  We did a bit of last minute cleaning in the dining room and organized all the sleeping bags and tents in the attic before playing some more King Mau.  The last part of the leadership retreat was a prayer walk.  We picked names from a hat to make partners, and then went for a walk around camp in pairs, talking about our anxieties about the coming week and praying for one another.  It was a very special time, and we were all hoping for another day together in our small group because we were really opening up to each other.

The group from Alabama arrived just before dinner, so after some unpacking and settling in, we had pelmeni (the Russian pasta filled with meat) covered in kreums (a cream type sauce) and cheese and sliced tomatoes and then baked.  After we had our fill, the team had some meetings; Brandon worked on his sermon (he is preaching tomorrow at the church we are going to in Tashu!); and Courtney and I went with some of the other girls to pick some flowers.  It is always an adventure here. When we agreed to help pick flowers we were unaware of the task before us.  We drove in the direction of Liepâja, and whenever they saw flowers that were worthy, we pulled over on the side of the road and cut them down.  We were pulling on limbs and climbing trees and going through ditches to get these flowers that were beautiful, and very wild.  Despite the thorns and prickly stems of several of them, we were able to gather a good bit to take home (the whole back of the van was full).

As camp is beginning to fill with people, we are finding out that sleep may be a luxury.  Adding two three year olds, a seven year old, and a dog to a small room that already had four adults, makes for interesting sleeping arrangements.  Pray for energy and patience as we begin camp!  

june 27

June 27

We slept in today, trying to get some rest and prepare for the weekend and next week.  At breakfast we manna (kind of like cream of wheat or grits, but not really) and eggs and it was a good way to start the day.  Everyone arrived around noon and we started the retreat with a simple lunch of bread and cheese, potatoes, and cucumber and tomato salad.  The theme of the retreat is recharging ourselves before we prepare to lead others.  The two main verses we are focusing on are Deuteronomy 4:5-6 and Mark 12:29-30.  The first session began with discussion about the theme and an activity. There were seven of us (nine including Dan and Courtney, but they are the leaders) so we split up into two teams to build a working stool with whatever we could find. We then talked about how we need to be fed spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally.  The analogy that was used was the stool, with the seat being the spiritual aspect, and the legs comprising the other three and how all parts need to be taken care of for it to be ok to be used.  The second session was a time for recharging spiritually.  We had an hour to go wherever and spend time in the Word, journaling, praying, whatever; we just couldn’t talk or be with other people.  As a semi-guide we had a (lecio devino) over Psalm 46, especially verse 10 that says, “Be still and know that I am God”. The time was very much needed and very refreshing.  Being able to just stop and forget about every anxiety and distraction is something we are so bad at doing as humans.  It is so hard to just take time to stop doing and just be, but when we do, it is such an amazing time.

We had a break before dinner and so there were several things going on. Vivita and Sneidze cleaned the bathrooms, Dan started preparing dinner, Brandon and Trevor built the fire and Laura, Kaiva, Courtney and I drove back into town to get some more stuff from the store for the next couple of days.  Hamburgers on the grill with toasted bread for buns and baked potatoes in the fire pit made for a wonderful dinner outside.  The session after dinner was an art session in the sanctuary where we were to display artistically through some craft our interpretation of some passage of scripture.  There were beads and markers and paint and rope and all sorts of things that could be use to make our creation.  We shared the meaning behind our pieces of work and discussed the emotional side of our being that needs to be recharged.

The plan was to take a walk to the beach, but halfway on the journey it started to rain so we headed back to camp to have some ice-cream and play cards instead.  By this point, it was just us, Dan and Courtney, Vivita and Sneidze, and Trevor (who, randomly enough, is an American here for Wesley Days.  As if this coincidence was not enough, he is also from Alabama.  And he is our age, having just graduated from “the other school” – the University of Alabama that is. Small world.)  We played cards for a while, playing King Mau, which is so much fun, but quite confusing as well; much to confusing to explain on here. 

We have an early day tomorrow so it’s time for bed, but today was such a great day and we’re even more excited about tomorrow for the rest of the retreat and for the team from the states to get here tomorrow night (who coincidently enough is of course from Alabama).