11:00, Estonia time - We just finished up with an amazing, inspirational experience. We went to visit Bethel Church in Tallinn, Estonia's capital. The woman we met with is named Miriam. What a wonderful outreach she has going! The church is partly a shelter for children whose home lives are awful. Parents are on drugs, negligent, and often times abusive. The program at Bethel Lutheran provides kids with a home, much like an apartment that houses four or six kids. They get a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room with furniture and utilities. The kids learn how to cook, clean, take care of themselves, and live on their own, with supervision.
The biggest part of this outreach is education! In order for the kids to stay at Bethel, the have to stay in school, do well, and behave properly. IF they do this, get are able to stay, and they get an allowance for food, clothes, ect. Part of the shelter's outreach is teaching the kids how to spend the money wisely.
Even thought he shelter is part of a church building, the kids are not forced to go to church. The environment is very open and inviting, but never forced. The staff use their own lives, their own choice, and their own actions to initially minister to the kids, and invite them to daily open Bible studies.
As a gift to this woman who works so hard and as an outreach to this wonderful mission, I was able to give a $200 donation, thanks to the many gracious donations that were made to my trip.
A quick note of thanks, to God, my church family, and the other loving people who reached out to me: You not only made this trip possible, you made it wonderful. You have provided fruit, toys, hair ties, sketchbooks, and books to orphans. You provided the means to reach out to an Estonian shelter. You have provided me with a way to see God at work overseas. I thank you for all that you have done, for me, and for God's needing children.
"The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul... The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living." --Psalm 19:7-8 NLT
"God, your God, carried you as a father carries his child." -- Deuteronomy 1:29 MSG
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