March Forth! Marssige Edasi!

Tonight we prayed for my sister-in-law, Angela Smith, the big sister I always wanted growing up! She is the mother of the three greatest young adults in the world: Jessica (mother herself to two wonderful daughters), David (stationed in Iraq), and Christina (in her first year of college). "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." -- Psalm 34:7

While Advent officially began on Sunday, tomorrow is the first day of December and is the day when the boxes on little Advent calendars will start to be opened. Here are a few Advent-related resources that we will be using with our family this year. Hope you enjoy them!

Changing tracks
This is an Advent calendar that has a bite to it. On each day of December leading up to Christmas, count the appropriate privilege/blessing and pay the fine. Send the money to a group that fights poverty.
1. 10 ¢ for every hot water tap in your house
2. 75 ¢ for every vehicle your family owns
3. 5 ¢ for every pair of jeans you own
4. 25 ¢ if your family subscribes to the newspaper
5. 5 ¢ for every bed in your house
6. 3 ¢ for every beauty/makeup item you own
7. 3 ¢ for every pair of footwear
8. 3 ¢ for every light switch in your house
9. 20 ¢ for every tub/shower
10. 10 ¢ for every flush toilet
11. 2 ¢ for every bar/dispenser of soap
12. 15 ¢ if you have dishes to eat off of
13. 15 ¢ if you have cooking pots in your cupboards
14. 5 ¢ for every window in your house
15. 10 ¢ for every outside door
16. 20 ¢ for every television in your house
17. 5 ¢ for every magazine subscription
18. 25 ¢ if your family has more than 25 CDs
19. 5 ¢ for every meal you had meat with this past week
20. 10 ¢ for every non-water beverage you drank yesterday
21. 25 ¢ if you have a snow blower or a gas/electric lawn mower
22. 3 ¢ for every item of hair care stuff
23. 15 ¢ for every bedroom in your house
24. 5 ¢ for every blanket in your house
25. 15 ¢ for every gift you received this Christmas

1 Matt. 1:18-23
2 Matt. 1:24-25;2:1-4
3 Matt. 2:5-10
4 Matt. 2:11-16
5 Matt. 2:17-22
6 Matt. 2:23;Luke 1:5-9
7 Luke 1:10-15
8 Luke 1:16-21
9 Luke 1:22-27
10 Luke 1:28-33
11 Luke 1:34-39
12 Luke 1:40-45
13 Luke 1:46-51
14 Luke 1:52-57
15 Luke 1:58-63
16 Luke 1:64-69
17 Luke 1:70-75
18 Luke 1:76-80;2:1
19 Luke 2:2-7
20 Luke 2:8-13
21 Luke 2:14-19
22 Luke 2:20-25
23 Luke 2:26-31
24 Luke 2:32-37
25 Luke 2:38-40;John 1:5,14,16

Responsive reading
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, whose parents found no room in the inn,
All: We pray for all who are homeless.
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, born in a stable,
All: We pray for all who live in poverty.
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, rejected stranger,
All: We pray for all who are lost, alone, all who cry for loved ones.
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, whom Herod sought to kill,
All: We pray for all who live with danger, all who are persecuted.
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, a refugee in Egypt,
All: We pray for all who are far from their homes.
One: Holy Child of Bethlehem, in you God was pleased to dwell,All: Help us, we pray, to see the divine image in people everywhere.

Advent Counter
wrap presents
plan a party
choose the book we read before bed
shop with Mama
shop with Daddy
have lunch alone with Mama
have lunch alone with Daddy
take a family walk after dark
choose the family game after dinner
get help making a Christmas gift
watch “Rudolph”
watch “Frosty”
watch “Electric Christmas”
watch “Jesus”
attend the Tree Lighting ceremony
attend "The Nutcracker"
make gingerbread houses
eat out
take an evening drive and look at Christmas lights
get two hours of play time with your parents
write letters to Santa
put Santa letters in the fireplace: "The smoke carries them to the North Pole, just like magic."
tape a large sheet of paper to the refrigerator door and draw
make no-bake cookies
have hot apple cider and popcorn

If you have any other ideas, we would love to hear them!

Evelyn

Our Christmas tree in our living room.

We really got into the Christmas spirit today when we set up out Christmas tree. As Evelyn said below, we received two packages with Christmas gifts today, and since we bought a tree yesterday, it was time to make a place to put them.

In all of our married years, Evelyn and I have always had a live tree for Christmas, but we've been told that those usually aren't available until just before Christmas day. We like to decorate just after Thanksgiving, so this year we decided to go the artificial route. Since we were getting a fake tree we decided it should be obvious and got a white one. The kids weren't so sure about this at first, but now that it is set up, they think it is okay. The tree is 180 cm (6 feet) tall, so we set it on a small table in our living room, right in front of the window that faces outside. From the sidewalk, you can see it well.

At the end of last Christmas, we each had a small Rubbermaid box that we packed ornaments that were special to us so that we were sure we had them when we came here. Unpacking them and hanging them led to many memories: ornaments from my childhood, those that were given to us by dear friends, those made by our children, those with pictures of loved ones, those that represent special people or places. And in this new place so far away, we were suddenly surrounded by the familiar.
--Tim

Today we remembered Evelyn's cousin Andy Groff in prayer. "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:16, NIV

We got a box from each set of grandparents in the mail today! They were sent to two separate post offices (our address is Kalevi 90, Tartu 50101, Estonia) and one of them needed us to go to a third location to pay import tax (any box with a declared value over $50 -- best to put less and make sure to say it is a gift). So it took the better part of the morning to pick them up. But they were worth it!

These airmail boxes took only 12 days to arrive, which is just amazing!

I remember so well when a box came from Aunt Sylvia when we were visiting Mary-Kay in Moldova 7 years ago. What priceless treasures these are to us!

Estonia is a very modern country (especially compared to Moldova!) and we can get many things here for about the same price you'd pay in America (although the value of the dollar is falling more and more). But these tangible reminders of loved ones back "home" really does mean a lot to us.

Evelyn

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. For a while, we had been thinking how odd it would be to enter this season of anticipation without a corps of our own in which to mark it each Sunday. So we were thrilled when Majors Phil & Susan Wittenberg asked us to do the meeting this Sunday at the Kopli Corps in Tallinn. Somehow, being together with other believers during Advent seems even more important to me than at other times of the year. We enjoyed sharing together with the people there, Chris & Elizabeth were even able to light the Advent candle, and we closed by singing (in Estonian) one of my favorite carols of the season, "O Come, O Come, Immanuel."

There is something about the longing and anticipation of Advent that speaks to the depths of me, which is why I think I like this carol so much. One of my favorite writers, Fredrick Buechner, spoke some of my own feelings about Advent in his book Whistling in the Dark. After describing moments we may anxiously or excitedly anticipate, he writes:
"The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment.
"The Salvation Army Santa Clause [he's wrong, but I forgive him] clangs his bell. The sidewalks are so crowded you can hardly move. Exhaust fumes are the chief fragrance in the air, and everybody is as bundled up against any sense of what all the fuss is really about as they are bundled up against the windchill factor.
"But if you concentrate just for an instant, far off in the deeps of you somewhere you can feel the beating of your heart. For all its madness and lostness, not to mention your own, you can hear the world itself holding its breath."

Something extraordinary happened at Christmas, and this is the time to anticipate it in our own lives. And then, of course, to embrace it!
--Tim

Today we prayed for my brother's daughter, Allison Joy Clark. "Whatever happens, dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord give you joy." Philippians 3:1a NLT

Elizabeth making a wish as she blows out the candles on her cakes! (click on the picture for a bigger view)

The kids played a game of "Pin the pony tail on the party girl" 

Elizabeth surrounded by friends as she opens presents. 

Today we celebrated Elizabeth's 9th birthday. Her actual birthday was last Sunday, but because Chris and I were at youth councils for the weekend, we had the big bash today.

Including our family, we had 26 people in our house! It was great fun, with games, cutting out paper snowflakes, and lots of food. When it was over, Elizabeth rated it "5 star." To have a crowd like that here joining in a celebration really made it feel like home.
--Tim

Today we remembered in prayer my brother's youngest son, Alex Clark. "Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life."--1 Timothy 4:12, CEV

We had a really incredible experience the other day when we went to visit a boy named Karl Gustov. We had been told about him by several Salvationists who had visited him in the past and now that we are in Tartu, wanted us to know he was there and encourage us to see him too.

Karl Gustov's great aunt was an officer in Estonia prior to Soviet rule, and the family had reconnected with the Army during the 100th anniversary of The Salvation Army in Finland a few years ago. Since then, officers have kept in touch with Karl Gustov's mother and grandmother and assisted them when they have had need. About a year ago, his mother had to go to a hospital outside of Tartu, and his grandmother is not able to care for him alone, so he was sent to the Tartu Christian Childrens' Home, which is a home for orphans and other children in need. That is where we met him the other day.

When we first arrived, we spoke with the manager of the home for a few minutes, and then she brought in Karl Gustov. He is 12 years old, and is the cutest little guy you would ever want to meet. He was very nervous, probably because he didn't know who we were or why we were there. We had a translator with us, but he kept trying his best to speak to us in English, as if this was the polite thing to do. After Evelyn and I spoke with him a bit, Kerli, our translator, chatted with him a bit in Estonian, joking and making small talk, and she did a great job of putting him at ease. After that, we spoke about his life at the home (which seems to be a very good place), school, and his interests (he loves horses!). When we told him that we lived in Tartu and wanted to be available to him if he ever needed anything, he didn't seem sure what to make of it. But then we said that we would like to take him to visit his mother at the hospital sometime, and meet her ourselves, and he lit up. He said that he would very much like to see his mother. Although he showed incredible politeness and poise overall for a boy his age, at that moment you could see he was a child who misses his mom.

We'll be seeing Karl Gustov again, to be sure. He won our hearts from the moment we met him. We hope to meet his mother and grandmother too, and build on the relationship that was begun by others.

We are so excited by this. It is another opportunity to do what we came her for, and it is so clear that it will take so little to make a difference in this boy's life, but we want to do whatever it takes! The process of finding those we can help has seemed slow, and at times we feel like we are doing nothing, but doors are opening. Last year in Chester we helped 524 families at Christmas; we know now that this year we will help at least one. That's enough.
--Tim

We prayed for Adam Keith Clark!
"Adam, the son of God" Luke 3:38; "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" Matthew 5:9.

We had a great Thanksgiving Day! We got together with other Americans for a dinner and enjoyed all the traditional fixings: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and on and on. People had been planning for this day for a while, so whenever someone went to America, they brought back things for the meal you couldn't get in Estonia.

The meal was originally going to be held in someone's home, but then more and more people said they would come (some from over an hour away), so that there were over 50 in attendance! The meal ended up taking place at the Baptist chruch down the street from us. The room was decorated beautifully, and we had such a good time sharing food with one another, meeting new people, talking with the friends we have made, and hearing each person share the things they were thankful for. The children also sang several songs, which was a real treat, and all of us sang some Thanksgiving-related hymns together (in English!).

It was incredible the abundance of food we had. Every family contributed some portion of the meal, and despite the large numbers, we had leftovers. We brought vegetables and dip, chocolate cream pie, drinks, and mashed potatoes (Evelyn pealed 8 kg of potatoes--nearly 18 pounds!).

We are so thankful for the time we had today. We missed our families and the time we might have spent with them today, but God has provided a new family and shown us again that Estonia is truly home.

This Christmas season we will be praying for a different family member each day (to keep it simple, we are going alphabetically). Today we pray for Abigail Clark--"She was an intelligent and beautiful woman."--1 Samuel 25:3

Happy Thanksgiving!
--Tim

Chris and Elizabeth sang several songs with other children of missionaries in Tartu.

Another picture of the kids singing their hearts out!

There was just about everything you would expect for a Thanksgiving feast! You can see Elizabeth in the left of the picture. 

The tables were beautifully decorated, and there was an abundance of food. You can see Evelyn and Peter to the left in this picture. 

November 25, Kadripäev (St. Catherine's Day)
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries and is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It marks the arrival of winter and is one of the more important and popular autumn days in the Estonian folk calendar. Historical meaning of Kadripäev St. Catherine’s Day commemorates the martyrdom of St. Catherine. St. Catherine was beheaded by Emperor Maximinus Daia in approximately AD 305 in Alexandria. November 25 became the commemoration date in the 10th century, and many churches and particularly nunneries in Europe were dedicated to St. Catherine....
St. Catherine’s day also marks the arrival of winter....
The customs for the Estonian St. Catherine’s day are generally associated with the kadrisants (kadri beggars) or kadris, which give the whole day a unique quality ... dressing up and going from door to door on the eve of the holiday to collect gifts, such as food, cloth and wool, in return for suitable songs and blessings....
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries, including the half-century of Soviet occupation, during which no direct official obstructions to the celebrations were made, probably due to the apolitical nature of the holiday. Thus, St. Catherine’s day is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It is particularly popular among students and the rural population.

PS 69:30 I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
PS 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
PS 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

PHP 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1TI 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our wayWith countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heaven adore;For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Over the river and through the wood To Grandfather's house we go. The horse knows the wayTo carry the sleigh Through white and drifted snow. Over the river and through the wood --Oh, how the wind does blow!It stings the toesAnd bites the nose,As over the ground we go.Over the river and through the woodTo have a first-rate play. Hear the bells ring,Ting-a-ling-ling!Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river and through the wood,Trot fast, my dapple gray!Spring over the groundLike a hunting hound, For this is Thanksgiving Day.Over the river and through the wood,And straight through the barnyard gate.We seem to goExtremely slow --It is so hard to wait!Over the river and through the wood --Now Grandmother's cap I spy! Hurrah for fun!Is the pudding done?Hurray for the pumpkin pie!

Elizabeth in the apple tree after our first snowfall. She loves the snow and goes out in it almost every day. She even likes to help her dad and big brother shovel! (click the picture for a bigger view)

Peter started pulling himself up while we were in Finland. This is him in our room at the conference center, obviously thrilled with his accomplishment. 

We had another inch or two of snow this evening, so I dutifully went out to shovel the sidewalk outside of our house. Since we live in a corner house with a big yard, we have lots of sidewalk to shovel, but since it is the light, powdery kind of show, it is easy enough to push aside but it still takes a while.

One of the first things our landlord told us when we first moved into the house was to be sure to shovel the walk whenever it snows. It is expected that this will happen no matter what. When I saw what happened in front of the houses up and down our street after the first snow, I knew that people took this idea seriously. Every house had a shoveled sidewalk, except ours because I hadn't picked up a shovel yet! Only about an inch had fallen--nothing I would normally worry about--but everyone made sure that their neighbors had a clear walkway, which is especially important because many people here walk everywhere and our house is on a major throughfare.

Now I take that social obligation seriously. Chris or I will be out there shoveling as soon as there is snow to push. It's encouraging to see how people take personal responsibility to clear the streets, the same way that, almost every day since we've been here, I have seen older ladies in different parts of the city sweeping the sidewalks clean of dirt and paper with their twig-bristle brooms. It's a form of loving your neighbor as yourself, something I don't always do so well. Jesus called this one of the two most important commandments, but it is often neglected. It's so easy to get absorbed in things that seem far more important and ignore the simple, little things that will make life easier for those around us. I'm glad each time it snows I'll have a reminder.
--Tim

Chris and I just got back from the first ever Estonia Youth Councils. Youth Councils is a Salvation Army event for young people, and the one here was held at Camp Loksa. We had a great weekend.

There were 24 teens from Tallinn, Narva and Tartu (Chris!). They are all wonderful young people who, although at various stages in their faith journey, are all trying in their own ways to be faithful. Although there were both Estonian speakers and Russian speakers there, which at times causes difficulties in Estonian society, they blended beautifully--a picture of the kingdom of God. Because it was such a small group (youth councils in America often have hundreds of kids) we were all able to get to know each other well over the weekend, and there wasn't a rigid distinction between leaders and participants. We joked together, prayed together, sang together, cheered others on when they presented a dance or drama, plastered each other with snow, and genuinely shared the common ground in our lives that God has given to us.

One memory that stands out is sitting at a meal in the dining room, which has five tables with benches on either side and set close together because the room is rather small. One of the girls form Narva (who we have come to know during our visits there) was sitting directly behind me and decided to lean back as she was eating, using my back as a rest. By balancing my weight just right, I was also able to rest on her back and we ate most of the meal supporting one another. I'm not even sure why I shared this except it seemed like a metaphor of sorts.

One of my responsibilities for the weekend was doing a session on the choices we make in the media we expose ourselves to (music, TV, movies). To show them that there can be alternatives in music, I gave them some Christian CDs that I brought over when we moved here (they came from the time I wrote music reviews and record companies would send me dozens of releases each month, so I brought more than 200 here). Each kid ended up with seven CDs, and the response really blew me away. I've given CDs to groups of kids in America before and had polite thank yous or indifference, but these kids were genuinely appreciative. When I first told them how many CDs they would receive, there was an audible gasp from several in the room. Later, one girl, each time she saw me in the hallway, would say to me in Russian with her sweet, bright smile, "Thank you very much for the CDs." A guy said, "These are the first Christian CDs that I have." When I first gave out the CDs, I lost count of the number of hugs I received. It was a truly gratifying experience. Now I wish I had more CDs I could have brought from America to give away!

Overall, it wasn't about what I did, or the big plans for the weekend or anything else. It was in the little things--like giving music, sharing a hug, chatting during a meal, not fighting too hard while someone pushed show down my back, or singing together in different languages--that God revealed Himself and drew us together. That is usually the way; too often we forget that.
--Tim

As we prepare for our first Thanksgiving and Christmas in Estonia, I can't help but think of my young nephew who is away from home for the first time.

PFC David M Smith
D Company Maintenance 1-41
APO AE 09303

Christmas Mail Call Nears for Troops in Iraq:
Troop supporters report that local soldiers have wish lists that include batteries, beef jerky, books, local newspapers, disposable cameras, candy, canned pre-cooked meats, canned cheese spread, lip balm, skin conditioner, dental floss, deodorant, eye drops, facial tissue, foot powder, flashlights, Girl Scout cookies, gum, greeting cards, magazines, moist wipes, music CDs, Odor Eaters, pencils, pens, personal messages, phone cards, playing cards, postage, pre-sweetened powdered-drink mix, razors, sardines, shaving powder or gel, stationery, shampoo, snacks, tea bags, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, travel games, travel mugs, canned tuna and washing powder (tablet form).

Like Evelyn said yesterday, we have snow! Many of the folks who live here have said that they are surprised that it has started this late in the year, so I guess we were lucky for our first winter in Estonia. It's not like we have a ton, only around two inches, but it has fallen lightly over the last two days--steady flurries that fill the air with white and stick to every branch of the trees so that everywhere looks like a postcard. I'm told this is how it usually snows here, slow and steady.

The snow got me into action for preparing for winter. The biggest thing was getting studded snow tires on the van, which are going to be worth more than I can say. The past few times we have been traveling and been on icy roads, we have seen dozens of cars that skidded off the road, and I felt the van slipping on many occasions. Since I don't like ditches too much, I thought I'd better get those tires before I regret it. I also picked up basic survival supplies to keep in the van, like jumper cables, a tow rope (okay, I'm a realist that I still may end up in that ditch), a flashlight, a little shovel and things like that. We expect to travel quite a bit this winter, so I figured it's better to be prepared.

This weekend is youth councils at Loksa camp. Chris and I will be the Tartu delegation. He is really excited about seeing his friends from the other corps. I will do a session on the choices we make in the media we expose ourselves to (music, tv, movies, etc.), which should be fun. The Army has some good kids here in Estonia, and I look forward to spending the weekend with them. I'll be sure to give you the update when I get back.
--Tim

Today is our first real snowfall in Tartu, and it looks absolutely beautiful. Go here to see a picture of the town hall square: http://www.weather.ee/tartu

A bit more on the Estonian flag:
The colors of the national flag are representative of Estonian history and folk costumes, as well as occuring in nature. The significance of the individual colors has been explained in various histories:
Blue is referred to as the color of faith, loyalty and devotion; is also reflects the qualities of the sky, sea, and lakes.
Black is said to be symbolic of the dark past of suffering of the Estonian people; the traditionally black jacket of the Estonian peasant during past times.
White represents the striving towards enlightenment and virtue. White is also the color of birch bark and snow, and summer nights illumined by the midnight sun.

Please pray for the Tartu Christian Adolescent Home. There is a boy there whose great aunt used to be an officer. We are trying to make contact with him and his mother and grandmother.

Last Sunday before we went to Helsinki, we attended the Kopli Corps in Tallinn. After the meeting, I went with the officers, Majors Phil and Susan Wittenberg, and a group of soldiers and young people to a part of Tallinn called "The Lines." This is a stretch of land bordering the Gulf of Finland with row after row of old wooden tenement houses that are essentially abandoned, except that squatters live in these houses with no electricity and no heat.

Many of those who live there are Russian-speaking families who don't have proper passports and so have difficulties finding work. The problem is that, although these people were born in Estonia, they are not able to pass the Estonian citizenship test that is required in order to have a full passport and full citizenship. This is because the test has an Estonian language component that they are unable to complete. They live in this grey world of being Estonian but not really Estonian. They perfectly fit the definition of a marginalized people, and that makes them The Salvation Army's people.

The Kopli Corps goes to The Lines regularly to do an outdoor Sunday school program. When I went, we had around 20 or so adults and young people from the corps and they set up an electric piano, a pot with food and a big cooler with drink in the large playground area. Then Sergei, one of the older teens, played several tunes on the cornet to get people's attention, while others walked around inviting people to the Sunday school. Everyone who came was given some hot food (a rice and meat dish that was quite tasty) and a drink. Because as a visitor I didn't have a fixed job, I ended up serving food for part of the time, which was great. Some of the children came back sheepishly hoping for a second serving (which, of course, they got), and older folk came along asking almost apologetically if they could have some too. It was wonderful to be in a position of serving, and to be able to grant such simple requests. Of course, my Russian is even worse than my Estonian, so most of my communication came through a smile, nod or by pointing.

After everyone had eaten, there were nearly 50 people gathered as the young people and adults led a Sunday school program. Almost all of them were children, but one mother brought her son along and seemed more interested in what was being said than he was! There was a wonderful spirit among the Salvationists there, as the leaders creatively told Bible stories and younger boys of 10 or 11 rushed to give out gospel tracts to people who passed by. The people from The Lines are used to being neglected; that afternoon they were the object of affection.

It was such an encouragement to me to see. These are the people God raised The Salvation Army up to serve. Around the world, the Army exists to befriend the people that no one else wants. I recently read a story about William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army. Around Christmas time, churches would put on big gatherings for the less fortunate. The people would gather in the square, and one by one, the pastors would call out, "Those who are Anglican, come with me!" "Those who are Lutheran, come with me!" When all the church leaders were gone, there were still people milling about in the square. William Booth cried out, "Those who are left, come with me!" I want to serve those who are left, those who don't fit in any place else.

That is our goal for Tartu. We know these people are here. We've seen them picking through the dumpsters, passed out drunk on a bench or begging on the streets. Pray that God will give us the wisdom to know how.
--Tim

Today is another flag-day here in Estonia, and we're still trying to figure out why! (What we mean by flag-day is that EVERY building and house has an Estonian flag flying!)

http://www.riik.ee/et/eestiriik.html

Here is a link that talks about the day; unfortunately it's only in Estonian:
http://www.kesknadal.ee/arhiiv/22.11/sisu/ajalugu1.htm

When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

I was lucky enough to have a second father's day this year. In this part of the world, the second Sunday in November is father's day, so Elizabeth made me a nice card with bits of paper glued on it to make my body, and grey yarn on my head (what do you think she was trying to say about my hair?).

We were in Narva again this Sunday, and I preached this time, looking at 1 John 3:1-10 which speaks of how we are children of God. We also were able to see the Narva corps officers' new baby, Mark. It was quite a father's day treat.

The roads going to and from Narva were icy because it had rained, and there were even some flakes of snow on our return trip. Winter will be here soon; this week I'm getting snow tires.
--Tim

IN MEMORIAM
In Loving Memory Of
REGINALD GROFF, JR.
Who Passed Away November 13, 2003
Sadly missed by,
Children, Grandchildren, Family,
Students, and Friends

Tomorrow morning we leave for an officers' retreat in Finland. It will be at the Silokallio Lutheran retreat center outside of the city of Pori. If you look at the web site you will see just how much we have to suffer serving overseas ;-)

The guest will be Dr. James Read from William and Catherine Booth College in Canada, so we won't have to worry about translation from Finish, Swedish or Estonian. The topic is on Christian ethics, which I think will be interesting and challenging. More and more I find there are questions of ethics I need to face, which could be the result of the gradually eroding moral climate of the Western world or my own self awareness. Who knows, but I am looking forward to the week.

The kids will come with us, so we are glad it will be a family outing. We are hoping there will be Internet access there, but if not, we'll be sure to get back to blogging as soon as we get home.

We are not too worried about leaving the house for a week because a friend recommended a young Estonian guy who can stay at the house while we are away, so it will not look empty here and should discourage thieves.

Keep us in prayer this week, that God will speak to each of us (even the kids!) and open us to all He has to say.
--Tim

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ... pray for those who mistreat you.... If someone takes your _____, do not stop him from taking your _____. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that." (Luke 6:27-33)

Both USA East and Finland & Estonian (our home territory and the territory where we are now serving) asked us for a detailed inventory of what was stolen during the burglary. Making this list was almost as painful as discovering the loss in the first place! We just want to forget about it, pretend it never happened.

But of course we can't forget! Tim's goatee grows too long because his beard trimmer was stolen. Chris can't do his biology experiments because his homeschooling microscope was stolen. I can't wear a necklace from my mother which was stolen. We can't access information which was stored on the computers that were stolen.

And then there is trying to figure out what God wants to say to us in all of this.

"If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." What kind of crazy talk is that?! Did Jesus really mean this? Was it just an exaggeration to make a point? Hyperbole?

I wonder if Jesus was ever robbed.

I guess He didn't have a whole lot to steal! And certainly not a house of His own to steal anything from!

Well, we are off to homeschooling co-op. Fortunately for you! So that will have to be enough musing for one morning.

Evelyn

"There is no politician in the world who is not following the elections," Arafat's economic adviser, Mohamed Rashid, told the French news agency, AFP. "And Arafat is following them because those elections have a huge impact on our situation. He will respect and deal with any American president. He said, 'I am not for Bush or Kerry, I am for God."'

Me too!

Through the miracle of the Internet, we have been watching live election coverage since early this morning (our time).

Time for a song!

No home on earth have I,
No nation owns my soul,
My dwelling place is the Most High,
I'm under his control.
O'er all the earth alike,
My Father's grand domain,
Each land and sea with him alike
O'er all he yet shall reign.

No place on earth I own,
No field, no house be mine;
Myself, my all I still disown,
My God, let all be thine.
Into thy gracious hands
My life is ever placed;
To die fulfilling thy commands,
I march with bounding haste.

With thee, my God, is home;
With thee is endless joy;
With thee in ceaseless rest I roam;
With thee, can death destroy?
With thee, the east, the west,
The north, the south are one;
The battle's front I love the best,
And yet: thy will be done.

Commissioner George Scott Railton (1849-1913)

"I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them." (Acts 26:10)

My prayer is that those of you in America would be completely PRO-LIFE in your voting today, and consider not only the death of the unborn (as horrendous as that is!) but also the death of thousands in Iraq and elsewhere (including unborn Iraqi babies!) due to American policies.

I have struggled with what to write about the election. Over the past few weeks, I've given you some good propaganda! The best I can say today is found here: To Vote, or Not to Vote, the election-day page from my good friends the Bruderhof!

Today is also the birthday of my "father" ("improperly so-called" as John Wesley would say!) and so I am thinking about the consequences that our decisions have on generations yet unborn. Choose wisely today, my friends!

For those of you who are interested in such things, we changed our clocks back over the weekend, the same as most of you did. That means that today, sunrise was at 7:30 a.m. and sunset will be 4:22 p.m. here in Tartu.

I pray that today will be a day when light wins out over darkness!

Evelyn

Now that it is getting cooler here, we light our fire almost every day. I'm getting pretty good at and can usually get it started with one match! What I find incredible is that even when the fire is roaring and flames are licking up every piece of wood, the smoke and the smell of the fire never seep into the house; they go right up the chimney without a problem.

When you step outside, it is a different story. There is white smoke flowing from the chimneys of most houses, at times even hanging in the yards around some places. The smell is clear and strong and is a mix of the different kinds of wood people are burning: birch and ash and aspen and pine. The sight and smell are not offensive at all, it lends to the overall atmosphere of autumn in Estonia.

I came home after walking from somewhere in town and, after giving me a hug, Evelyn said, "You smell like smoke." At first I thought she meant from cigarettes, but she said it was a woody smell, and I realized it was from walking outside. The smoke that faintly, almost imperceptibly, surrounded me from the many fires had permeated my clothes. It gave me an immediate image of what Evelyn and I are called to do here (and all of us in our own places, really). We are to be like the smoke, reflecting Christ in all that we do so that it infuses those around us. It is not something that can be consciously done, any more than smoke chooses to leave its scent in your clothing. It is just the natural outcome.

It's the first time in my life that I've wanted to be a "smoker."
--Tim