Early Sunday morning - September 25

We are living in an unstable world. The headlines in the daily papers sounds more and more like Jesus´ talks about the last days in Mathew 24 and Luke 21 and like the descriptions of the last days in the book of Revelation. But the purpose with all texts about the last days are not to make us scared, but to give courage and confidence about a better future. "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke:21:28)

During this week the officers in the Eastern division in Norway have had their Officers meetings in Latvia. Ruth and myself have done the teaching and the visiting officers have made several visit at SA operations in Latvia: Riga second corps, The Social Centre in Riga, The children´s house in Sarkani and Skangali Manor.

 

The officers from the Eastern Division in Norway

The faithful daily work continues in our different operations in Latvia and pictures are frequently sent in to us from the corps and institutions. Here is a picture from the soupkitchen in Iecava 40 minutes south of Riga.

A normal weekly program at a Latvian corps can be soup kitchen, giving out food packages, giving out clothes, showers, laundry machines, Bible studies, Soldiers meetings, prayer meetings, worship services, Sunday school and youth meetings.

A very hard decision this week was to close our Children´s Home in Riga at New Year. The local authorities have cancelled the contract with our Children´s Home because the need to place children in Children´s Homes has decreased. It is of course good news that the need has decreased, but it is with a heavy heart we will have to lay off the staff at the institution who have served so well for many years. Specially since we are constantly working to create job opportunities for the people we meet in our ministries. and then we have to lay off staff ourselves...


From the personal sphere I just read in Dagen Nyheter that our relative, Mikael "Musse" Håkansson, just has become historic by becoming the person who have played most games ever in the top Swedish Hockey League. Mikael is grandson to Edith and Erik Håkanson, a great officers couple serving in Sweden for many years.

Now it is Sunday morning and it is soon time to go down to the Sunday meeting at Riga first corps. Soon a new week will be here and then we will be travelling down to Daugavpils for two days Leader´s Council with all our leaders in Latvia. I hope it will be a blessed week for you.

Peter Baronowsky