The Call

The Call

Sunday, July 24, 2016

When BYU Comes to Visit



Synthesis, BYU's jazz band made an appearance here in Tallinn as part of their Baltic tour.  They showed up for church in a chartered bus and doubled the count for sacrament meeting.  After the block, we took three of the band members home for dinner.  They had all gone to bed really late the night before, and we let them crash for a bit before heading back to the chapel for an evening devotional that they put on for the branch.  After a little snooping around, we found out that the bass player (Zoe Jorgenson) is a good friend of Caleb's at BYU.  It's a small world within the church.  On Tuesday, Synthesis was invited to play a benefit concert in a place called Laiste Graniitvilla.  It's way out in the country and was an outdoor concert.  WOW.  They are fantastic.  The band leader invited a fellow muscian from Tartu he had met years ago and he played now and then with the band with some scats of his own.  This place reminds me of a hostel for forgotten statues.  The lawns have all kinds of sculptures (see pictures).  




This video is a small recording that I was able to get just before the battery died.  They are really good in spite of my video issues.







Saturday, July 16, 2016

Baltic Mission YSA Conference

The Baltic Mission YSA Conference was held July 11-14, 2016.  It was held in the same location (Mustjõe Kõrtsitalu) as the Youth Conference the week before.  The format was mostly the same as before, just a little older audience.  We were able to meet other senior couples, the Nuttall's (Gilbert) and the Bruce's (Canada) who are serving in Lithuania.  The young adults came from all over.  One was an American working in Lithuania as a summer intern from BYU.  A handful are returned missionaries.

One of our activities was hiking through a bog.  I had never seen a bog before.  We were transported (45 min. drive) in a Soviet military transport.  Upon arrival, we walked to the edge of the bog and put on bog walking shoes (like snow shoes).  According to the guide, the area was formed just before the first ice age.  It is very deceptive as it looks like you are walking on grass or other vegetation.  One step in and you're ankle deep in water.  The bog shoes keep you from sinking.  See the pics and video below.  It is much like quicksand if you step through the upper layer.


Soviet Troop Transport

A view of the bog


Trekking through the bog

Wildlife at the bog


This is how we had some fun

I wrote in my last post about the potential of the youth here and the prospect they have of springboarding the growth of the church in the Baltics.  That was firmly etched in my heart once again as I see the Children of Israel (who once were lost) coming forth out of darkness and out of obscurity.  You can find every tribe of Israel here. These pioneers will set the stage for those events that will occur here in the not too distant future.  It is thrilling, yet humbling, to be a witness of the hand of the Lord as He moves among the nations, positioning and preparing the future here.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Baltic Mission Youth Conference

The Baltic Mission Youth Conference was held in Estonia from July 4-9.  The participants came from Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.  The venue is a place called Mustjõe Kõrtsitalu (Black River Hotel/Tavern Farm).  There was a farm here at one time a few centuries ago, and it has been restored in the style that was used then. It was NOT restored in a style that caters to people who desire comfort or luxury. If you want an authentic old world experience, this is the place.  It does have electricity and indoor plumbing to accommodate guests.  Just wait until you see the bedrooms.  The food is purely Baltic with lots of bread, cheese, onion butter, cold meats, porridge, potatoes, soups and stews.  What wasn't eaten today, will find itself in the soup tomorrow, you can count on that.  There is sour cream to go in it as well.  I learned that this was typical food in their own homes.  No highly processed food here.  It's all cooked fresh everyday.  The vegetable soup was the best I have ever tasted in my life. What was in it?  I don't ask.

The conference was very similar, in some respects to those run in the U.S..  We were invited to participate and teach a seminary class each day.  The youth were divided into three groups and they would rotate through the three seminary classes.  We were also asked to give a workshop on sharing the gospel.  These are things that we were happy to do, but between three different languages, the rhythm and flow of delivery can be somewhat halting as we would have to pause at times for translation or mental processing from English to native tongue and back to English (which most of the youth can speak).  This made it a formidable task to teach in the manner to which we were accustomed.  As I write this, my feelings are tender, as I remember how when English words would fail me, the Spirit knew every language.  And that was how we communicated.  On one occasion, an adult adviser (from Belarus) came up to me.  He thanked me, hugged me and told me he loved me.  He is a Russian speaker, but he knew enough English to tell me that.  These people are hungry and anxious for the gospel and the Lord is brooding over this land.  I foresee great things happening because of the youth (most are 1st or 2nd generation) that are catching the vision of who they are and their place in the growth of the church within their countries.  I count myself so privileged to be a witness of it.


Water dipper

Traditional hut

Inside the hut, looking up

A smoke sauna and shower

View of the lawns from the roof

Small pond with a view

Estonian hot tub

Upstairs banquet room in the lodge

Ancient swing

Outside ancient faucet

Upside down trees for fence posts

Fence line with woven pickets

Another kind of fence

Inside the lodge for a lesson

Marriage Altar

Two-story hut

Our bathroom, shower was in the hall

Our bed.  Like sleeping in a coffin.

The rest of the bedroom


Sister Allred preparing for a lesson

Friday, July 8, 2016

Just a Small Comparison

These pictures show the difference between night and day here.

Outside our apartment at 4:30 AM


Outside our apartment at 10:30 PM