This was a first for us as we have usually been to Riga II on a Saturday and at Seda on the Sunday, so this was a really refreshing change. I was looking forward to worship, this fourth Sunday in advent and I was not disappointed.
As we entered the hall it was warm and welcoming as were the people. The Christmas décor was stunning in its simplicity. Candle lights dancing in the draft and there was an air of happiness and expectancy as together we gathered to worship Emmanuel, God with us.
H & S folk would have raised an alarm...
There was a mixed congregation, English, Welsh, Latvian, Russian and Swedish that I know of. A very real sense of:
‘They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west and sit down in the Kingdom of God’ and we did just that, young and old alike. It was encouraging to see a good number of young people, probably the largest part of the congregation who enthusiastically participated in the service.
A contemporary worship group provided the music for us. This was made up of both uniformed and non uniformed people. The translator was a non uniformed Salvationist and excellent in her ministry and she reflected what Lieutenant Sarah Ilster was saying to us in English.
Sarah has just been commissioned as a Salvation Army Officer this year and has been a distant learning Cadet coming across to the UK from time to time to help complete her studies. Sarah is an English, single spouse Officer, married to Alvis who is Latvian and SA soldier.
Alvis works for Navigators, a Christian organization and uses his God given gifts specifically in the area of teaching discipleship and at times lectures at the training college in Riga. And so together, with their differing gifts they serve God along with their young son.
It was a delight to sit under Sarah’s thought provoking and challenging ministry. She is an excellent communicator and shared the Gospel message in a simple, expressive way that left us in no doubt how Elizabeth and Mary’s story is relevant to our world, our lives today in 2011
Some of you who read this blog regularly may be interested to know that Sarah has agreed for me to interview her and to share it here in the new year, and hopefully when she is over in the UK she will be able to meet with our ‘Explore’ group
(those who are exploring Spiritual leadership in Liverpool).
Today, Monday as we visited the Regional Headquarters an invitation was extended for some of you to come and meet the Army in Latvia, during the summer of 2012. Watch this space for further details.
Sunday, however brought its own challenges, its own encouragement, its own delights. Voluntary testimony from young students of what God is doing in their lives. The enthusiasm and youthfulness of some of the Cadets who joyfully worshiped God and as always the beautiful sight of witnessing people kneeling to pray at the Mercy Seat.
Thank you Riga 1 for welcoming us into your midst. Thank you Lieutenant Sarah for your ministry to us and may God bless you real good!
Major Glad Ljungholm
Liverpool - DHQ
reporting for the FSAOF
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