neljapäev, september 29, 2005
Mama
"The measure of life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation."
—Peter Marshall
—Peter Marshall
Six Months Ago
Six months ago was the beginning of the three formal days of mourning for my mother (viewing at the funeral home on the 29th, funeral on the 30th, burial on the 31st) and I'm really feeling it.
We've got a lot of stuff we need to accomplish in a short period of time right now.
And just feeling very stressed about several things.
Please pray for us!
Evelyn
We've got a lot of stuff we need to accomplish in a short period of time right now.
And just feeling very stressed about several things.
Please pray for us!
Evelyn
teisipäev, september 27, 2005
Here is Evelyn with the ladies from Home League Camp. We brought three from Tartu, and there were also ladies from Narva and Tallinn.
esmaspäev, september 26, 2005
What's Up?
Faithful reader Pene Piip reminded us after Estonian language class today that we are behind on updating our blog!
I told her, it's hard to know if that is because we have absolutely nothing to write about, or because we have too much going on to have time to write!
Well, you guessed it; it is the latter reason! So here is a smattering of what we've been up to lately.
I have Estonian languages classes for about 10 hours a week now. Wish it could be more! I go for three classes with Tim, and two (completely different) classes with Chris.
We are really excited about the likelihood that we will soon be opening a Homeless Day Center here, in a building most recently used by Reinu Pizza to make frozen pizzas!
We went to Tallinn and Narva last week; it is always good to see our friends there! We had business and planning meetings in Tallinn, always important stuff to take care of! We went to Narva for a corps Love Feast, and it was a very special time together with our Russian-speaking brothers and sisters.
Two of my homeless friends came to Women's Camp with me, and now they have been attending our Sunday afternoon Praise Meeting! Hurray!
Chris spent the weekend in Tallinn on a Mission Team trip.
On Saturday afternoon, I took the kids to Aura water park. Elizabeth played with her best friend from across the street, Etthel (and some of her girlfriends!), while Peter played with Karl-Gustav, who had come to spend the weekend with us.
Well, we have lots of great pictures to show you, but that will have to wait for another time. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with the sign I brought to the Homeless Shelter last night (we always go on Sunday evenings to do a little devotional time there). Of course, the paper I brought last night was in Estonian, but here's the translation:
The Salvation Army
Homeless Day Center
Every Day
1:30-7:30 p.m.
Puiestee 114
(Reinu Pizza building)
October 6???
Please pray for us!
Evelyn
I told her, it's hard to know if that is because we have absolutely nothing to write about, or because we have too much going on to have time to write!
Well, you guessed it; it is the latter reason! So here is a smattering of what we've been up to lately.
I have Estonian languages classes for about 10 hours a week now. Wish it could be more! I go for three classes with Tim, and two (completely different) classes with Chris.
We are really excited about the likelihood that we will soon be opening a Homeless Day Center here, in a building most recently used by Reinu Pizza to make frozen pizzas!
We went to Tallinn and Narva last week; it is always good to see our friends there! We had business and planning meetings in Tallinn, always important stuff to take care of! We went to Narva for a corps Love Feast, and it was a very special time together with our Russian-speaking brothers and sisters.
Two of my homeless friends came to Women's Camp with me, and now they have been attending our Sunday afternoon Praise Meeting! Hurray!
Chris spent the weekend in Tallinn on a Mission Team trip.
On Saturday afternoon, I took the kids to Aura water park. Elizabeth played with her best friend from across the street, Etthel (and some of her girlfriends!), while Peter played with Karl-Gustav, who had come to spend the weekend with us.
Well, we have lots of great pictures to show you, but that will have to wait for another time. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with the sign I brought to the Homeless Shelter last night (we always go on Sunday evenings to do a little devotional time there). Of course, the paper I brought last night was in Estonian, but here's the translation:
The Salvation Army
Homeless Day Center
Every Day
1:30-7:30 p.m.
Puiestee 114
(Reinu Pizza building)
October 6???
Please pray for us!
Evelyn
reede, september 16, 2005
Women's Camp
This weekend, Evelyn is at Camp Loksa again for Women's Camp. She brought two women that we know from the homeless shelter and one of the teens from our youth group, Maret. Please pray that the weekend will be enriching for these women and that they will come to know God in a new way. And praise God that we now have women who can go to a camp like this!
--Tim
--Tim
Salvation Army grid::blog
Okay, I did it.
kolmapäev, september 14, 2005
More on the homeless Center
Things are moving quickly on the Homeless Day Center. After sharing information with our regional commander, Major Derek Tyrrell, about the idea and the city's proposal for the building, he immediately thought this was an idea we should run with. He then sent a letter to THQ in Helsinki requesting support for this project. On Friday, Major Tyrrell will meet with the territorial commander and the finance council to discuss the program. Please pray for this meeting, that they will be able to see what it is we hope to do here, and that they will be able to support this work.
Things on this project need to move quickly if we are to have the day center operating before it gets bitterly cold outside. Please also pray that we will be able to work out the funding for this project, find the help to fix up and furnish the rooms, install the heaters and have everything in place for the people we want to serve.
This has us both excited and nervous about everything coming together. Thank you for being a part of it all!
--Tim
Things on this project need to move quickly if we are to have the day center operating before it gets bitterly cold outside. Please also pray that we will be able to work out the funding for this project, find the help to fix up and furnish the rooms, install the heaters and have everything in place for the people we want to serve.
This has us both excited and nervous about everything coming together. Thank you for being a part of it all!
--Tim
esmaspäev, september 12, 2005
Chris and Elizabeth with General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson outside of the Helsinki Temple Corps
Congress
This weekend we were in Helsinki for the Finland and Estonian Territorial Congress. It was a good experience for all of us. Chris enjoyed the opportunity to see his friends from Mission Team. Elizabeth enjoyed the children's meetings that took place during the regular meetings and Peter enjoyed being admired by dozens of older Finnish women throughout the weekend.
It was interesting to see that the number of people in the territory is probably half of what we had in the Pendel Division, where we were in America before we came to Estonia. This made it easier to see people, especially the General, who was the special guest for the weekend.
Karl-Gustav came with us and seemed to really enjoy the weekend, and seeing some of the Finnish officers who visited his family in the past few years.
It is always enjoyable to be a part of a big celebration, but the best part is always coming home (even if Evelyn and I have homework in our Estonian language class)!
--Tim
It was interesting to see that the number of people in the territory is probably half of what we had in the Pendel Division, where we were in America before we came to Estonia. This made it easier to see people, especially the General, who was the special guest for the weekend.
Karl-Gustav came with us and seemed to really enjoy the weekend, and seeing some of the Finnish officers who visited his family in the past few years.
It is always enjoyable to be a part of a big celebration, but the best part is always coming home (even if Evelyn and I have homework in our Estonian language class)!
--Tim
neljapäev, september 08, 2005
The building
Today we toured the building that the city of Tartu may let us use for the homeless day center and corps. It looks like it could really serve this purpose well.
The building used to house a frozen pizza manufacturer, and so has been kept in pretty good shape. There are some renovations needed in a few rooms, but most are in decent condition and basically need cleaning up. The only big concern is that the roof may need some work. There are probably 12 or 14 rooms altogether, from three very large rooms that were used to produce the food, to smaller, office-sized rooms. Two good sized rooms look like they would work well for the homeless day center. The biggest challenge is heating the building, which would be done by electric heat. But in these two rooms there appears to be a wood-burning furnace that has been covered over. If this is true, we can use that for the primary heating source, which would substantially cut down on the heating costs. The city is offering to let us use the space at no rent if we simply do the fixing up and pay utilities.
So now the big challenge begins: finding the funding and people to make this happen. Please continue to pray for this. It seems to be right, but we want to be sure it is God's will as we proceed. Pray that we will see clearly the path to follow.
Below are some pictures to give you an idea of the place (you can click on them to see a larger view).
--Tim
The building used to house a frozen pizza manufacturer, and so has been kept in pretty good shape. There are some renovations needed in a few rooms, but most are in decent condition and basically need cleaning up. The only big concern is that the roof may need some work. There are probably 12 or 14 rooms altogether, from three very large rooms that were used to produce the food, to smaller, office-sized rooms. Two good sized rooms look like they would work well for the homeless day center. The biggest challenge is heating the building, which would be done by electric heat. But in these two rooms there appears to be a wood-burning furnace that has been covered over. If this is true, we can use that for the primary heating source, which would substantially cut down on the heating costs. The city is offering to let us use the space at no rent if we simply do the fixing up and pay utilities.
So now the big challenge begins: finding the funding and people to make this happen. Please continue to pray for this. It seems to be right, but we want to be sure it is God's will as we proceed. Pray that we will see clearly the path to follow.
Below are some pictures to give you an idea of the place (you can click on them to see a larger view).
--Tim
The outside of the former Reinu Pizza building. The space we are being offered goes from the garage door all the way down to the end. The open door on the right is where people would enter. The rooms we hope to use for the day center are to the right of the open door, and the other, much larger space has the potential to be use for many other opportunities.
The first of the two rooms we hope to use for the day center is in very good shape and needs only minor cleaning and fixing up. The door on the right leads into the second room.
The other room we hope to use for the day center only needs a bit of wall repair and repainting.
The building was formerly used to produce frozen pizzas, and there are three very large tiled rooms that simply need to be cleaned up before being used for other programs.
The day ended with the teen group helping Tim celebrate his 41st birthday. They are (standing) Andre and Chris, (seated, clockwise from the left) Liis, Elizabeth, Karl-Gustav, Maret and Vika.
kolmapäev, september 07, 2005
Another Big Meeting
Tomorrow we will go with the city officials to look at the property that may serve as the homeless day centre and Tartu Corps. We drove by yesterday to look at the location. It is about a 15 minute walk from the city's homeless shelter and is in a industrial complex with small business like auto repair and furniture stores. The location appeals to the city because it is not terribly near any residences, where people may complain about the homeless.
Evelyn and the kids peeked into the windows and said that much of it looked in fairly good shape (until recently pizza was manufactured there). It is not the most modern building, but those are few and far between. We still feel optimistic after seeing it.
Please continue to keep this in prayer. We want to be sure that this is God's will for the Army here, and if it does seem right, we need to immediately begin working on logistics like renovations, staffing, volunteers, etc. But God has opened so many unexpected opportunities in the past year and provided for our needs every time, so we are not worried.
Tomorrow I will be sure to post pictures, so check back!
--Tim
Evelyn and the kids peeked into the windows and said that much of it looked in fairly good shape (until recently pizza was manufactured there). It is not the most modern building, but those are few and far between. We still feel optimistic after seeing it.
Please continue to keep this in prayer. We want to be sure that this is God's will for the Army here, and if it does seem right, we need to immediately begin working on logistics like renovations, staffing, volunteers, etc. But God has opened so many unexpected opportunities in the past year and provided for our needs every time, so we are not worried.
Tomorrow I will be sure to post pictures, so check back!
--Tim
teisipäev, september 06, 2005
What a day!
Monday was quite a day for us. We thought we would be able to work here at our home/office on our ever-growing to do list until it was time for our meeting with the city at 17:00. Then I received an email from the University of Tartu saying that they had space for us in an Estonian language class, and that the class started in a few hours! So after lunch and making sure that Chris was all set to baby sit (he does great with Peter!), Evelyn and I headed out to class. It is a beginners class, so much of what we discussed were things we knew after a year in Estonia, but it was clear that as the class progresses over the next three months, it will help us immensely.
It made us feel old being in with these college-aged students, and it was funny to hear when some asked questions like, "Can I take the class and not take the exams?" or "The schedule for this class isn't good for me. Can you change the times?" We will addend the class for three days a week, two hours a day until mid-December. Evelyn (the overacheiver) and Chris will also be taking a different Estonian language class that begins next week.
After a quick break at home, we headed off to our meeting with the head of city properties for Tartu. This was an opportunity for us to see if there is any space available where we can run a homeless day center (which is badly needed). We were accompanied by the person from the city who is in charge of homeless services and who really wants this to happen, so he was able to explain some things from the city's perspective in a way that we couldn't. We really had no idea if there would be anything available because Tartu is a growing city with a hot real estate market.
We were surprised when, after discussing our needs with the director, he showed us the plans for a building that the city is in the process of acquiring. It is 372 square meters (which is larger than the Narva Corps space), has room for the homeless program and many other programs, is located not too far from the city's homeless shelter, and is supposed to be in relatively good shape. Best of all, if the building is finally approved for use by us, the city would probably make it available to us at no rental cost (only utilities)! We were overwhelmed!!
We will go there in Thursday to look at the property and get a better sense if it really is right for this. After that, there will still be a whole approval process from the city, and at the same time we will have to develop the program idea, budget, staffing and--most importantly--funding. So things are far from settled on this and there are more questions than answers at this point.
Please keep this in prayer. It appears that God may be answering our prayers beyond what we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21), but we want to be listening to be sure it is His will and what will best serve His purposes as well as the people of Tartu. This is our greatest challenge yet; we want to respond well.
--Tim
It made us feel old being in with these college-aged students, and it was funny to hear when some asked questions like, "Can I take the class and not take the exams?" or "The schedule for this class isn't good for me. Can you change the times?" We will addend the class for three days a week, two hours a day until mid-December. Evelyn (the overacheiver) and Chris will also be taking a different Estonian language class that begins next week.
After a quick break at home, we headed off to our meeting with the head of city properties for Tartu. This was an opportunity for us to see if there is any space available where we can run a homeless day center (which is badly needed). We were accompanied by the person from the city who is in charge of homeless services and who really wants this to happen, so he was able to explain some things from the city's perspective in a way that we couldn't. We really had no idea if there would be anything available because Tartu is a growing city with a hot real estate market.
We were surprised when, after discussing our needs with the director, he showed us the plans for a building that the city is in the process of acquiring. It is 372 square meters (which is larger than the Narva Corps space), has room for the homeless program and many other programs, is located not too far from the city's homeless shelter, and is supposed to be in relatively good shape. Best of all, if the building is finally approved for use by us, the city would probably make it available to us at no rental cost (only utilities)! We were overwhelmed!!
We will go there in Thursday to look at the property and get a better sense if it really is right for this. After that, there will still be a whole approval process from the city, and at the same time we will have to develop the program idea, budget, staffing and--most importantly--funding. So things are far from settled on this and there are more questions than answers at this point.
Please keep this in prayer. It appears that God may be answering our prayers beyond what we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20-21), but we want to be listening to be sure it is His will and what will best serve His purposes as well as the people of Tartu. This is our greatest challenge yet; we want to respond well.
--Tim
esmaspäev, september 05, 2005
Does your heart grow weary?
Song #805/746
In the fight, say, does your heart grow weary?
Do you find your path is rough and thorny,
And above the sky is dark and stormy?
Never mind, go on!
Lay aside all fear, and onward pressing,
Bravely fight and God will give his blessing;
Though the war at times may prove distressing,
Never mind, go on!
When the road we tread is rough,
Let us bear in mind,
In our Saviour strength enough
We may always find;
Though the fighting may be tough
Let our motto be:
Go on, go on to victory!
Faithful be, delaying not to follow
Where Christ leads, though it may be through sorrow;
If the strife should fiercer grow tomorrow,
Never mind, go on!
Cheerful be, it will your burdens lighten,
One glad heart will always others brighten;
Though the strife the coward's soul may frighten,
Never mind, go on!
When downhearted, look away to Jesus,
Who for you did shed his blood most precious;
Let us say, though all the world should hate us:
Never mind, go on!
Do your best in fighting for your Saviour,
For his sake fear not to lose men's favor;
If beside you should a comrade waver,
Never mind, go on!
Richard Slater (1854-1939)
In the fight, say, does your heart grow weary?
Do you find your path is rough and thorny,
And above the sky is dark and stormy?
Never mind, go on!
Lay aside all fear, and onward pressing,
Bravely fight and God will give his blessing;
Though the war at times may prove distressing,
Never mind, go on!
When the road we tread is rough,
Let us bear in mind,
In our Saviour strength enough
We may always find;
Though the fighting may be tough
Let our motto be:
Go on, go on to victory!
Faithful be, delaying not to follow
Where Christ leads, though it may be through sorrow;
If the strife should fiercer grow tomorrow,
Never mind, go on!
Cheerful be, it will your burdens lighten,
One glad heart will always others brighten;
Though the strife the coward's soul may frighten,
Never mind, go on!
When downhearted, look away to Jesus,
Who for you did shed his blood most precious;
Let us say, though all the world should hate us:
Never mind, go on!
Do your best in fighting for your Saviour,
For his sake fear not to lose men's favor;
If beside you should a comrade waver,
Never mind, go on!
Richard Slater (1854-1939)
Mouse Count
How many mice has Tim caught so far? Well, this number is "the Ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything"!
One was, uh, not quite dead yet. Ugh!
Please pray for Tim! This silly mouse problem is certainly the least of his worries right now.
Evelyn
One was, uh, not quite dead yet. Ugh!
Please pray for Tim! This silly mouse problem is certainly the least of his worries right now.
Evelyn
pühapäev, september 04, 2005
It was an eventful weekend for us, as you see in Evelyn's post below. Chris got a new hair cut (styled by his friends from Tallinn). In this picture, he is by the famous statue of the kissing students in Tartu's Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square) ...
We shared our house with four teenage girls: Evelin, Sarah, Maret & Anneli (shown here near the main Tartu University building) ...
We had a cookout in the yard and a half-birthday celebration for Peter (he is 18 months!). Elizabeth saved her allowance for many weeks to buy him a toy bar-b-que grill that she knew he would love ...
Elizabeth and Daddy enjoyed wandering around the natural beauty of the Tartu Botanical Gardens ...
At Least It's a Biblical Number!
So far, Tim has caught 40 mice in our basement (and counting)! Thank God for mousetraps!
We had five teenage girls staying at our house this weekend, and the combination of mice and girls could have been a disaster! But none of us actually saw any mice (only Tim and Chris, our manly men, our knights in shining armor, our protectors!) so disaster was averted.
I did see the movement of one running by outside our bedroom (upstairs, these mice are supposed to be BASEMENT mice!) but Tim caught that one pretty soon.
So please pray for us as we battle the vermin.
On a more serious note, tomorrow evening (Mon. 5 Sept.) is an important meeting we have with the city about acquiring property to use as a homeless day center and also for corps activities. Please pray that all goes according to God's will, and that we say and do only what He would want us to!
Thanks.
Evelyn
We had five teenage girls staying at our house this weekend, and the combination of mice and girls could have been a disaster! But none of us actually saw any mice (only Tim and Chris, our manly men, our knights in shining armor, our protectors!) so disaster was averted.
I did see the movement of one running by outside our bedroom (upstairs, these mice are supposed to be BASEMENT mice!) but Tim caught that one pretty soon.
So please pray for us as we battle the vermin.
On a more serious note, tomorrow evening (Mon. 5 Sept.) is an important meeting we have with the city about acquiring property to use as a homeless day center and also for corps activities. Please pray that all goes according to God's will, and that we say and do only what He would want us to!
Thanks.
Evelyn
reede, september 02, 2005
Fruitflies, Hornets & Mice -- Oh, My!
neljapäev, september 01, 2005
Old Faithful
This weekend, besides beginning having our first praise meeting and Sunday school, the Tartu Corps reached another milestone: Our van passed 200,000 kilometers on the odometer!
We have a 1995 blue Volkswagen Caravelle van that was purchased around a month after we arrived. It seats nine people and has been handy for moving things around (which has helped us to build relationships with people here). It is in pretty good shape for its age. Although we have had sporadic mechanical difficulties, they have always been small and it has only left us stranded once.
We are grateful to have the vehicle and it has allowed us to do many things for the Army around Estonia, as well as here in Tartu. Please pray that it will continue to run well, especially through the rough winter months.
--Tim
We have a 1995 blue Volkswagen Caravelle van that was purchased around a month after we arrived. It seats nine people and has been handy for moving things around (which has helped us to build relationships with people here). It is in pretty good shape for its age. Although we have had sporadic mechanical difficulties, they have always been small and it has only left us stranded once.
We are grateful to have the vehicle and it has allowed us to do many things for the Army around Estonia, as well as here in Tartu. Please pray that it will continue to run well, especially through the rough winter months.
--Tim
Our faithful (and dirty!) blue VW Caravelle, which has taken us all around Estonia in the past year.
