Early Sunday morning, December 30

Weekly review from my point of view

Now another week is soon coming to an end. This is a special week. Our last week as Regional Leaders for the Salvation Army in Latvia.

When we moved to Latvia three and a half years ago the Lord gave us this verse describing our time in Latvia: "This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah:This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit." (Is 37:30).

When we came to Latvia we knew that we would harvest what people before us have sown out. And we have really harvested the results of many people working for God in Latvia before us. During these three years The Salvation Army in Latvia has:
- enrolled more than sixty new soldiers
- ordained twelve new officers
- opened a Crisis Center for women
- opened a Half Way House at Riga Second Corps
- opened a Social Center in Riga
- opened the Children´s House in Sarkani
- opened two new corps from former outposts
- opened two new corps plantings (Saldus och Agenskalns)

But after the three years The Salvation Army asked us to stay some more months, and during that time the harvesting has just continued.

When I spoke at our farewell meeting, December 16, I asked those present who had been Salvation Army Soldiers for only one week to stand up. The new soldiers from the outpost of Sarkni stood up and they were greeted by everybody in the Hall. They had just been enrolled the week before. The first soldiers enrolment ever in Sarkani.

In our new Corps Planting in Saldus two recruits are now ready to be enrolled as soliers. I asked them to stand up in the meeting to be greeted by everybody in the Hall. The first soliers ever enrolled in Saldus.

We thank God for everything and we pray that the harvest time will just continue in Latvia.

This was probably the last "Early Sunday Morning" from the Latvian point of view, but when I became an officer, I promised to serve the Lord as long as I live, not only as long as I am an active officer. I look forward to see in what ways God wants to use us in the future.

Blessings,
Peter Baronowsky

Early Sunday morning, December 23

Weekly review from my point of view

Another week. Sometimes you feel that that is to little time available for all things that must be done. This has been one of these weeks. Many hours have been occupied by sorting, saving, throwing papers at the office. You really produce some papers during three and a half years!

But then, a lot of other activitiws took place during the week:

Last Sunday we had our Farewell Service in Riga. See more pictures HERE.

Monday we had a Children´s  dedication of two children.

Tuesday we had the HQ-staff in our home for lunch, followed by the traditional, yearly bowling competition.

Wednesday it was a Christmas show at Patverums (=The Refuge).

Thursday we made a visit to Iecava for a talk with the two new liuetenants leading the work at that corps.

Friday we took part in the Christmas Party at the Children´s Home and Crisis Center at Skangale.

But now it is soon time for a new week, and I pray that it will be a blessed week for you.
Peter Baronowsky

Early Sunday morning in Riga, december 16

Weekly review from personal point of view

Another busy week. Tuesday we hade our traditional Staff Dinner for all our staff in the Salvation Army in Latvia. Altogether we are 80 people.

The theme for the dinner this year was 1865, and all the program was about the early happenings of the Salvation Army in England, with a lot of testimonies from people who met the army those days.

The guests were greeted by girls singing Christmas Carols...

...and between the different performances there was time for eating and conversations.

You can find more pictures from the party HERE.

During the week we have also had a three day visit from two reporters from a Swedish daily newspaper, Borås Tidning. They had read about the "Change A Village"- project in rupeba.se and came to make a report of the Salvation Army work in Latvia.

Interview in the Children´s House in Sarkani

Yesterday evening there was a big Lucia Concert in the Lutheran Dome in Riga. The Dome was packed (1.500 persons). The archbishop had given permission to the Salvation Army to be present with the Christmas Kettle in the Dome. The Swedish Ambassadeur gave a speach informing about the work of The Salvation Army in Latvia and when the people left the Church they kept the kettle boiling.

The picture is from the Lucia Concert in the Dome last year

 Today it is Sunday morning and it will soon be time to go down to our farewell meeting at Riga first Corps. The meeting will be conducted by Johnny and Eva Kleman, Chief Secretary and Program Secretary, from the Headquarter in Stockholm.

Poster for the Farewell meeting

And then it is time for another week in Latvia with Christmas Parties in our Social institutions, Lunch with our RHQ staff, a child dedication, packing and much more....

I pray it will be a blessed week for you.
Peter Baronowsky

Soldiers enrolment in Sarkani

The first Soldiers Enrolment in Sarkani ever! Sarkani is one of the poorest villages in Latvia, and most of the adult population are alcoholists. Now there are three new Salvation Army soldiers in the village, starting a completely new life with Jesus.

We arrived at The Children´s House in Sarkani at three o´clock

The hall was full in good time before the meeting

The children are singing

The new soldiers are reading the Articles of War

Confirming their woes

In the end of the meeting many people came forward to the mercy seat

Many people wanted to take pictures after the meeting

Rut together with one of the new soldiers and her daughter

Early Sunday morning in Riga, December 9

Weekly review from my personal point of view

Another Sunday morning in Riga. I do not know exactly how many Sunday mornings I have experienced in Riga. But the last one is coming close.

This week we had our last Leader´s  gathering in Riga. A day of fellowship, prayers and sharing..

Yesterday, Saturday, was a specieal day in the village of Sarkani. The first Soldiers enrolment ever. The Children´s House was filled with people from the village and from the neighbour corps. To see those well-uniformed new soldiers giving their testimonies in this poor village was a miracle! More pictures will come tomorrow.

Today, Sunday, we will be out with our Christmas Kettle in Central Riga. Rotary International in Riga has invited The Salvation Army to the annual Santa Fun Run event. Rotary is every year collecting money for two organisations during Santa Fun Run, and we will be one of them this year.

Then - another week with our big Staff Dinner on Tuesday (70 people), another drive to Sarkani with two reporters from a Swedish newspaper on Wendesday and our farwell meeting on Sunday.

I pray that you will have a blessed week
Peter Baronowsky

Simple Musings for Simple Living

Ruth´s Devotions Simple Musings for Simple Living is now available in English. The Swedish edition was printed 2008, and Sven Ljungholm has now transladed the daily devotions into English.


You can read more and order the book in THE SHOP

Early Sunday morning, december 2

Weekly review from my point of view

Now there is only one month left of our living in Latvia. After three and a half years we are leaving the responsibility for the Salvation Army work in Latvia with mixed feelings.

Many things we do these days, we do for the last time. Tuesday we will have the Leader´s day for the last time. We have had three different themes for the Leader´s days each semester during our time in Latvia: Salvation, Discipleship and Reaching out to suffering people around us. Our first Leader´s day the theme for that semester was Salvation. And now, our last Leader´s day will have the same theme: Salvation. God wants all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). And if people are not getting saved in my corps, the will of God is not happening in my corps. Then we must seek the Lord and ask Why?

Next Saturday we will go to Sarkani and take part in our a soldiers enrolment in Latvia for the last time. We have seen many soldiers enrolments in Latvia during these years. Between 60 and 70 new soldiers have been enrolled. But even if this will be the last time for us, it is the first time ever that soldiers have been enrolled in the village of Sarkani. It is also the first time ever that the new leaders for Sarkani are conducting an enrolment ceremony. The first time indicates a new beginning. When you say "the first time" you expect that the first time will be followed by many other times. We hope and pray that the first time will be the start of a series of new times.

But it is probably not the last time I write "Early Sunday Morning in Riga". I plan to come back next Sunday if I am still alive and if Jesus have not come back by then.

Until then I wish you a blessed week,
Peter Baronowsky

Early Sunday morning, November 25

Weekly review from my point of view.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Independence Day in Latvia. In the Sunday Morning Service in Riga First Corps we were gathered around the Latvian map.

We were praying for Latvia. We could all draw our hand on a paper ang put our "hands" on the map in prayer. In the end of the meeting we sang the Latvian National Hymn "God Bless Latvia" and after that we had a fellowship dinner.

During the week we have had a visit from a group from "Humanitarian Aid" in Västerås, Sweden. They are running a EU-project named "Equip" with the purpose to help people into the Labour Market.

The group, with their leader Arne Nordberg, also brought a truck of clothes and things which they unloaded in our Central Storage in Riga. During the week the group visited the Headquarters, to get information about The Salvation Army in Riga, our Soup Kitchen in Iecava, the wednesday evening meeting in Riga Second Corps and the Social Center in Riga. Here you can see Arne, together with Rut and Peter, after the morning devotion at Headquarters.

During the week we have also been working with preparations for the different Christmas activities. Christmas dinner for all our staff in Latvia, preparations for the Christmas Kettle activities and much more.

By the way, this week our oldest son turned 42 years old. It is unbelievable that we, being that young, can have that old children.

But now, it is soon time for another week...

I pray that it will be a blessed week for you.
Peter Baronowsky

Some thoughts on Officership - Part Two

From FSAOF.blogspot.com
"The first weekend in April 2001 saw the commissioning in Lahore of the Ambassadors of Grace session of cadets. There were forty of them, the maximum the training college could hold. It was a happy day and ended with us attending the wedding of Lieutenant Sughra and newly commissioned Lieutenant Sharkat in the Lahore Central Hall. Because the commissioning brought all the senior officers in the territory to Lahore, the ensuing days were devoted to the Executive Officers’ Conference. We met in the Conference Room at Territorial Headquarters...
It was on the first day of the Conference, 2 April, 2001 that Helen spoke to us, with translation, about officership."
General Shaw Clifton (R)


Some thoughts on Officership - Part Two - by Commissioner Helen Clifton

"Recently the General has asked us all to complete a questionnaire about officership. One of the questions, to my deep surprise, asked us if we thought the sacred Officer’s Covenant should continue to be for live or only for a fixed and variable period of years! I am convinced that before we accept a person into the training college we should be looking for their clear and deep understanding that the commitment is life-long. I cannot find models in Scripture for a temporary calling. You must search the Bible for yourselves. I am looking at the candidates to see if they will give their lives, not just a few years when it is convenient. It is God who calls us to be officers, and only God can release us.

Are we called into a particular denomination? Experience tells us that the answer is ‘yes’. It is God who leads us into the Army. We dare not take such a step unless we are sure it is his will.

Why do we place so much emphasis on commitment? The reason is found in the need for good order within the Body of Christ. The Pastoral Epistles (Timothy and Titus) show us that credibility, personal testing of our faith, and the affirmation of a congregation are needed. We expect loyalty. The Army tests all this, gently but firmly, through the Candidate’s Application process. We ask for endorsements from the local corps and the local community.

Modern officers need many skills, good awareness of society, and ever deeper and deeper wisdom. That is why training is necessary. We do not just pluck you from the community and give you sacred roles unprepared. We need candidates who will become known, respected and trusted as godly leaders. Credibility and a pattern of reliability will open doors to wider service. I think of the need for us to be in chaplaincy roles in prisons and in hospitals. Also in school and colleges. We dare not send an untrained or unproven person into such settings.

Now what about the joint ministry of husband and wife that has been so greatly blessed by God in the Army? Should we make this a condition of serving? We cannot claim that it is the biblical model. However, the facts prove that as a model for ministry in the Army
God has greatly blessed it. He has also greatly blessed the service of unmarried officers. Our regulations about married couples in officership have resulted in the positive development of  married women. This is true of our women in Pakistan. We are proud of them. They have been developed beyond the dreams of many other churches, and far higher than normal cultural expectations.

At present the territory has 83 applications for the 40 places in the next session of cadets. I think of the villages where our future officers will serve. They will meet deep respect. They will also meet deep need among the people who must be cared for and led.

Let us give thanks today that God still calls people like you and me into humble and sacred service. He is a gracious God. We praise him!"

Commissioner Helen Clifton

One step further

The Salvation Army will participate in the Swiss election for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. The song “You and me” found its way to the hearts of the internet voters and the jury.
 
Therefore, Katharina, Sarah, Emil, Michel, Christoph and Jonas will be among the nine bands fighting for the Swiss ticket. Keep the evening of December 15 free to watch the show!
All documentation for Media is available here

Early Sunday morning in Riga, November 18

Weekly review from my point of view

This week has been a special week in Latvia. It is the week between two special Sundays. Last Sunday, November 11, we celebrated the "Lacplesa Day", remembering the people who died during the Latvian war of Indepence. And this Sunday we celebrate the Latvian Independence Day.

Here are some pictures from the "Lacplesa Day":

This week we also have introduced our successor, Major Christine Bailey, to the Salvation Army work in Latvia. We have been travelling around to visit some of our operations.

The first coffee for the day was served in the Library in Liepa. This is also the place for the Salvation Army Sunday meetings in Liepa. Janis and Inga are the corps leaders of Liepa Corps.

Ilona and Dmitrij waited to receive us at the Childrens´ House in Sarkani

Christine together with the leaders of the Childrens´ House

Coffee again. This time in Seda together with Sergejs och Aizan

The director of Skangal, Modris, showing the Museum

Meeting at Riga 2 Corps

Late dinner together with Andrejs and Irina in Riga 2

Christine together with the corps leaders in Daugavpils, Marina and Janis

Friday evening Christine went back to the UK. She will come back "for real" in January. At that time we have moved back to Sweden.

Today we will have a special day at our corps, Riga 1, due to the celebration of the Independence Day. After the meeting there will be lunch at the corps.

And then, a new week.

I pray that you will have a blessed week.
Peter Baronowsky

Some thoughts on officership - Part One

From FSAOF.blogspot.com

 

Chosen by her husband, General Shaw Clifton (Retired), this compilation represents writings from almost every phase of Commissioner Helen Clifton's influential service as a Salvation Army officer - including testimonies, personal insights from her prayer journals, and material from her time as World President of Women's Ministries.

Some thoughts on officership
"The first weekend in April 2001 saw the commissioning in Lahore of the Ambassadors of Grace session of cadets. There were forty of them, the maximum the training college could hold. It was a happy day and ended with us attending the wedding of Lieutenant Sughra and newly commissioned Lieutenant Sharkat in the Lahore Central Hall. Because the commissioning brought all the senior officers in the territory to Lahore, the ensuing days were devoted to the Executive Officers’ Conference. We met in the Conference Room at Territorial Headquarters...
It was on the first day of the Conference, 2 April, 2001 that Helen spoke to us, with translation, about officership."
General Shaw Clifton (R)

It is good to think theologically about officership. There is room for personal views about each of our callings. However, we do need to have agreed theological insights about this sacred vocation in order to teach others and to train the cadets properly.

It becomes important also when we sit down in the boardroom as a Territorial Candidates’ Council. That is when we carry out the sacred task of selecting, deferring or rejecting. We seek humbly to test the strength of each person’s calling. To do this we need to have a clear standard to use as a measure.

We can start by looking at the Officer’s Covenant. This is a formal statement of a theological nature. It needs to be identical all over the Army world. It must state the deep things  of the Spirit that bind us together in sacred service. We are called: to preach and to serve; to love God supremely; to make the salvation of the lost the highest ambition of our lives; to live for souls.

Where does all this come from? It comes from the long and deep traditions found in the Bible. It comes from God’s planning for us, from even before we are born (like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Paul). It can become a reality for us when we are still in childhood (like Samuel, and like my husband). Or when we are in the middle of a well-paid career (like Matthew). It can come to a man (Romans 16 names eighteen of them). It can come to a woman (Romans 16 mentions nine, remarkable for that ancient culture!). Note too that God’s call can come to married couples together (Priscilla and Aquila).

The call can be delivered to a person by name (Saul). Or it can reach us through a wider cry from God (Isaiah heard, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’). Also it can be made through the consensus of the leaders of the congregation (as for Stephen or Barnabas).

It is a powerful calling. It can keep a person faithful even unto death (like Stephen). It can impact someone who witnesses the fidelity of another who is called (like Saul who watched Stephen die). The call might tell you that you are to be a prophet (Amos), or a priest (Zechariah), or a pastor (Timothy). That same divine voice can tell you to leave your  nets, your secular work (James and John).

Part One
Commissioner Helen Clifton

Early Sunday morning in Riga, November 11

Weekly review from my point of view

Another Sunday morning. The coming week we will be visited by our successor as leader for the Salvation Army in Latvia. This will be her first vissit to Latvia, and I start to realize that our Sunday mornings in Riga will soon come to an end. From the 1st of January Christine Bailey will be the Regional Commander and we pray for every blessing on her life and ministry in Latvia.

Last Sunday we visited Borås in Sweden. The reason for the visit was the baptism of our newest granddaughgter in the lutheran church in the village of Kinna in the southern part of Sweden. That was the second time we met young Maja Baronowsky. The first time was in July this year when Maja was one day old in their family residence at Jelöy Folk High School in Norway. Maja did very well in the church.

The priest is praying for Maja assisted by Maja´s older sister

Maja and her grandmother

When the priest held his speach he spoke about the children baptism as a reservation for a place in heaven. I do not feel comfortable with explaining the baptism that way. I think there are reasons to believe that your life and your life choices counts when it comes to where you are going to spend eternity. I also think that there are reasons to believe that whoever qualifies for a place in heaven is not depending on who your parents are and if they took you to a baptism ceremony or not. Finally I think there are reasons to believe that if you choose not to live your life together with Jesus here on earth, why should you be forced to spend an eternity with him?

But, in the end of the day, it is of course not me deciding who will spend the eternity in heaven and who is not, and the service in the church had many good parts. For example the promise from the parents to pray for their child and to guide it as good as possible through life. May God bless Maja and all other children who are just about to start their exciting journey through life.

During the week we have also had a number of meetings in Stockholm. Among other meetings we have met the board for the Baltic Children Foundation and the Salvation Army Latvian Council.

During our visit to Stockholm Rut and me went for lunch in a shopping center. I went to the cashier to order our lunch and after I had paid the man turned around and shouted "Two pastas for the elderly man over here." I turned around to see if I could see any elderly men around me, but finally I understood that he was speaking about me. I must be much older on the outside than on the inside of me.

Another exciting event this week. Rut´s daily devotional book "Simple Musings for Simple Living" has been sent for printing. Sven Ljungholm has for a longer period daily translated the devotions and we have published them on the English pages of rupeba.se. Our son Stefan, has finalized the manuscript and sent it for printing. We hope to have the book ready in good time before Christmas. Ten percent of the income for each book will go to the Salvation Army work in Latvia.

Next year we plan to publish the book also in Norwegian. Marianne Spor, one of our former students at Jelöy Folk High School, has translated the book into Norwegian.

Friday evening the Becketts took us out for dinner to celebrate a birthday. In the resaurant in the old town of Riga I heard that the company next table spoke Norwegian in a special dialect which I could recognize. I turned around to the company and said: "We do not often hear that good Norwegian spoken in Riga these days. Are you from Kristiansund?" My guess was right. They came from Kristiansund. And when we told them that we belonged to The Salvation Army, one of the three ladies commented that the new corps leaders in that town were very nice people. We could confirm that, since we were in Kristiansund the other weekend for a Bible Retreat and then we met the corps leaders, Bodil and Helge. Soon we found out that they all three knew one of our former students at Jelöy Folk High School, "Lille". Her real name is Jeanette and she is a soldier at the corps. One of the ladies told us that she used to go the the baby-song-meetings at the Salvation Army conducted by Lille. We asked them to forward our greetings to Bodil, Helge and Lille when they are coming back to Kristiansund. You can read about our visit in Kristinasund HERE.

By the way, during our visit to Kristiansund, Lille told us that her eighteen year old daughter planned to go to Jelöy Folk High School next summer. The same school that Lille herself went to 1988. When she comes to Jelöy she will meet our son Daniel who is a teacher at the school. The same school where Rut and I were teachers 25 years ago. Daniel was eleven years old when Lille went to that school. In Sweden we sing a song saying "Generations follow generations" and that should be a suitable quote for this paragraph.

Yesterday, Saturday, we had a regional gathering for Women´s ministries in Riga. More than 80 people from all over Latvia attended the meetings.

Now it is Sunday morning and soon time to go down the stairs to the Sunday meeting in Riga first corps. And then, a new week.

I pray that it will be a blessed week for you.
Peter Baronowsky