Sewing machine from OGT shipment help Latvian woman

Inga Mikose

When  last January Lutheran Hour received help from USA we received  some sewing machines, too.    At that time we didn’t know that we  will be able to  help Inga Mikose who is professional dressmaker. Her  ability  to  make a living for her family recently was put under the threat because her sewing machine was really old and broken. Inga lives in a small village Zaube, where are very limited work places, but her tailoring abilities always got her through financial difficulties. Inga told us that she collected all the money she had and bought a used one sewing machine, but unfortunately, that broke too and she couldn’t get back her money. She was desperate and only thing that left was to hope and pray.

Yes, Inga! That was smartest thing to do because help came from Lutheran Hour and you received one of our sewing machines. We all are instruments in God’s hands and when we open our hearts to Christ anything is possible.

Visit to Islice SOS village

It was the beggining of the new year and we went to visit children of Islice SOS village.

When we arrived ,we were welcomed by 15 boys and girls. They were expecting Panda Mania with great interest.

Kids were enthusiastic and participated in all the activities with joy. Children were reading Bible stories and imagining how God created world and each of us.  Also they were sympathized with Joan who floated in the belly of the fish!

When kids got acquainted with Bible stories we were surprised by their unbelievable  fantasy and imagination!

In this event we all had to be investigators for a while- together with kids and with the main character of PandaMania movie Chader we tried to find out who has stollen Pandas? There were different kinds of versions but none thought that the one who did it was the princess!

While enjoying the tea break we shared our stories and experience-how each of us prays to God, which church we attend and of course, kids told us about their mischiefs!

In the creative workshops children were making paper dolls- just like the God has created each of us unique.  Each kid made this little doll unique and special.

After Panda Mania kids were not ready to leave, so together we watched movie “Red Boots”.

Dear Lord, fulfil the heart of these little ones with pure thoughts! Amen.

“Pandamania” event opens children hearts in Jelgava

At the beginning of January Lutheran Hour in cooperation with Social Department of Jelgava has organized event for children  „ Pandamania”.

“God has created each of us and everything around us”- while listening to the story of peacock Fez , children start questioning – why God spent exactly 6 days to create such a wonderfull world? How could He do this?

It really touches our hearts to hear these questions from kids. They are so true, they don’t care if it sounds foolish or what others will think about them. We can learn a lot from children.

Each of these animals- panda, red panda, monkey and leopard – introduces kids with different passages from Bible.  We listened to these stories, then we talked about what we have heard.  Later we wached the movie about Panda and children got affirmation to what they have already heard from Bible stories- God hears us, He sees us, He loves us – no matter what. God gives us great gifts.

Lutheran Hour also brought gifts to the participants of the event – books.

In workshop kids were making stars – just as bright as their little hearts.

Thank You, God, for this day and for Your great gifts!

Christmas PandaMania

Although Christmas Day has passed and now we have warm memories of it in our hearts, team of Lutheran Hour invited kids to exciting event- “Christmas’ Pandamania”.It  took place in the house of Lutheran Hour, just a few days before the new years eve.

Children who were enjoying the school holidays were very keen to attend this event.

“Soft snow flakes are falling across the valley of PandaMania, the village lights shines brightly. Children’s hearts are filled with Christmas joy… “.

There were 15 children taking this exciting journey!
Have you seen a Panda in the snow? Probably not! But we have seen it!
Christmas is a miracle time and together with these kids we enjoyed these wonders.

We were singing Christmas carols and making special ornaments for our Christmas tree.

There was also Santa’s grandma involved in this process! The children who did their job faster than other kids, had time to prepare a greeting card to our Panda! J
While fire in our fireplace was sparkling and warming us, kids were listening  to the Bible stories.

The theme of the event was  ” a GIFT”.

So, children made ​​their own gifts; they were laughing and having fun. That was amazing! After making mini altars, children ate the gingerbread, the pies and sweets. Also kids could decorate gingerbread, which they could take home as a gift to  their parents, little sisters or brothers!
The film “Red Boots for Christmas”-once again reminded us that the greatest Christmas  gift we received is the birth of Jesus!

” Red Boots” in Kindergarten “Dartija”

Continuing the series of Christmas events, Lutheran Hour visited  kindergarten “Dartija” in Iecava. Along with forty children we watched the movie “Red Boots for Christmas”.
The atmosphere was friendly and warm, and the audience followed this cartoon with great interest. Sometimes kids even tried to guess – what will happen next.
After watching the film, each child received a gift – a book.
This Friday will be different of other Fridays in this year and when they will be sitting at home at Christmas table, they will know what a great gift God has given to  us.

Christmas event of dance for 40 families in Misa

Misa is a small village in the middle of Latvia, which was established as a peat production facility, which was formed around the workers’ village. There are about 700 inhabitants in Misa.

Lutheran Hour in cooperation with the association “Sunflower” organized event “ Time to dance”. Around 40 families gathered together for event. Shortly before the event we saw the big bus stopping near the house of culture of Misa and the  smiling children and their parents and grandparents were coming out of it one by one!

After the opening of the event, parents went to the next room to listen to the lecturer of Kaspars about good parenting

Teenagers and children remained in the hall along with the dance teacher Leida. About 80 kids (3-17 years old) studied the Christian hip-hop dance. Since the age of the children were so different, they were divided into several groups.  Each group studied the dance accordingly to their age and ability to perform appropriate program.

In the conclusion all groups danced together- in honor of the birth of the Jesus!

After the repetition kids were ready to show to their parents their dance, but the parents were so involved in discussion that they had with the lecturer, that the children had to wait for a while.

After the final dance kids and their families received had a little gifts from Lutheran hour and they were all very grateful and happy.

Lutheran Hour also had a big surprise – Silinu family gave us the beautiful gift – embroidered angel that allowed all of us to feel the true message of the up-coming Christmas.

Film showings in Baptist Church

It has become a tradition that in the collaboration with Agenskalna Baptist church Lutheran Hour organizes  film evenings on Sundays.
It was the first Advent’s evening in Pardaugava- 30 people gathered together to watch a movie of Danish film director Andres Thomas Jensen- „Adam’s apples”. The film is full of contradictions, but each viewer found his Biblical guidance to follow.
After the movie there was the discussion- what the film was about, what we can learn from it?
Before leaving people already wanted to know-when they can see the next movie. Lutheran Hour really had done their work here – now there will be monthly film evenings in Agenskalns.
Thank you God for this possibility!

Pandamania in Limbaži

It was early morning when we went to Limbazi, it was foggy and cool.

PandaMania camp was organized in cooperation with the Limbazi Lutheran Church and the  Limbaži city council.

At 7 am city begins to wake up, the church house is warm and light, we have to get everything prepared and we need to serve the table before kids arrive.

At 10:00 am church house begins to fill with children and their parents. All of them are happy and familiar with this place, so the atmosphere is very positive and friendly.

This time there were 25 children participating inVacation Bible School„PandaMania” which in Latvia is thanks to the Stolzenburg grant. We start with the Bible, kids really want to learn new things! Afterwards we were watching the film about the chipmunk Chader. After this movie children had discussion – who has stolen panda and how they can find it? Everyone wants to guess the right answer!

There were a lot of fun and laughter when we were playing balloon game and created a miracles of God. After the sports activities children made little dolls and necklaces.

Day passed quickly, at the conclusion of PandMania we all together prepared refreshments for parents and one by one, the children went home. The eyes of kids were sparkling, they enjoyed this event. Closing the door of Limbazi church house we felt tired,but also blessed. And the idea that 25 children have heard the words of God warms our souls and recharges us for future work!

Time to Dance in Ladezers school

We hear the ringing of the school bell. We see school hallways filled with children and and we hear the sounds of laughter.
We visited school of Ladezers  for the first time, but we had  a feeling that we have known  this place and these people for the long time .

Event “Time To Dance” took  place in three parts, the first who arrived in the school hall were  the students of first and third grades. After the introduction of the dance teacher Leida , children started to warm up for the  dancing lesson.

Teacher Leida told a little bit about the history of Christian hip-hop .Kids were listening very carefully, just as  serious as  they were learning the dance steps.

Lesson lasted for  40 minutes, but the time  passed so quickly! Small dancers  prepared a wonderful dance that brought joy to themselves and to the teachers.Smiles of these kids were amazing!

Next lesson which also lasted for 40 minutes was attended by the second grade students. Even the teacher was dancing!Children’s joy and laughter, kindness and praying together was so nice! And I know that those kids carried the piece of all this joy home.
Sometimes the life in the country is not that easy – you have to feed  the family, pay the bills.And sometimes all that kids really  need is the time that they could spend together with their parents.
But ,of course, children were happy to receive the gifts ,they opened these presents with the great interest, and  tried on the new hats.

Last group of children were the students of  school director Taiga Plitniece -they were 10 years old.
They  learned the dance steps very fast and even made their own steps! It was pleasure for all the people who were there. After the lesson the kids and the dance  teacher watched several Christian hip-hop artist video clips. Of course ,children got their gifts.

Then we heard the ringing of the school bell again and the hallways filled up with 90 smiling and dancing kids!

“The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.”

/Ps. 118:27/

With the view to the sky

After the accident that happened on the 16th of October in Malpils (after gas explosion partially collapsed three-story brick building, resulting in five dead, several injured. Total 18 apartments were destroyed) any noise seems to terrify people of this town. Now there is „Life before” and „Life after” the explosion.

Thanks to the OGT  „Lutheran Hour Latvia” was able to help a lot of families who suffered in this disaster with the clothes and other household items.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”  /Ps. 147:3/

On the first of November, in collaboration of the Social department of Malpils and Malpils Lutheran church, people gathered together in the event “With the view to the sky”. There were around thirty people from Malpils -those were the residents of the town and members of society “Believe in you”; they gathered together in the conference room of town council. Songwriter and singer Janis Holsteins warmed  hearts  of the audience with his simplicity and sincerity. The artist performed songs from his program “Easy”, also he   read the poetry of Latvian poet Imants Ziedonis .It was so calming and inspiring!

The main key to the success of the event was certainly the presence of God in these people. After the concert the audience was addressed by chief of Malpils church Juris Vitums and by the leader of society “Believe in you” Lucija Vaivare.

After the event we received a lot of good words from people who felt strengthened .One of the participants wrote: “The concert was full of positive emotions! It was so pleasant, healing; we felt the presence of God in it. Thank you very much!”

Thank you God for every open heart.