LATITUDE LATVIA... 5

After the wonderful and yet emotional ups and downs of Monday and Tuesday we decided to make Wednesday a quiet day, just hanging around Skangali, the SA conference centre we were staying in. Both Sven and I are very happy relaxing reading and writing and so we took this day for the luxury of that. I had finished my novel the night before, it had only taken me twelve months to read and believe it or not, it was very good! (I have read other things in the meantime) However, now I felt I wanted to read something for me and so I turned to Gerard Hughes book ‘God of Surprises’ and found myself only wanting to read bite size chunks of it so I could take time to reflect, question, examine and search my inner being. In one of my contemplative moments I decided to wander outside, to feel the breeze, the warmth of the sunshine and to see something of the beauty of God’s creation in that place.

I chose to sit on a bench at the back of the building where some of the women from the crisis centre sometimes sit and the children from the children’s home play. For a while I was alone and then joined by one of the Mum’s.

Again we couldn’t communicate with language but nevertheless I believe we communicated. She seemed to take great delight in showing me her new baby, who as all babies was beautiful and perfect. As I tried to express something of my pleasure in looking at her baby and him gripping tightly on to my finger, she passed him to me and I was blessed to hold him … Blessed by my ‘God of Suprises’ and as I held this three month old baby I blessed him and his Mum in Jesus’ Name as I prayed silently for them in my heart.

A few moments later I was joined by Cadet Liene

(there for part of her summer out training appointment) who fortunately speaks excellent English, and we shared wonderful, deep, rich, sincere converstation. And, I was blessed by my ‘God of Surprises’ through Liene.

That evening we took Sergei, Aizan and Liene out for a meal to our favourite restaurant in Valmiera where we shared good food, friendship and fellowship.

It turned out to be a supportive, encouraging and enabling evening which concluded with prayer and blessing. And again, I was blessed by my ‘God of Surprises’.

During these few days in Latvia I found God waiting for me there in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and I recognized again, in the words of St. Augustine: ‘God is closer to me than I am to myself’. I have let God be the God of compassion to me and I pray through both me and Sven. As we journey back to Liverpool, I go refreshed, renewed, reinvigorated and ready to return to Latvia for my final week of furlough / holiday in time to give ‘our’ kids their Christmas gifts in late December.

I didn’t pray the prayer of Jabez at the beginning of this holiday but I believe it has been answered for me in these few days and I pray it will continue to be answered in and through both me and Sven.

In the Prayer of Jabez: 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

Now, all that is left for me to do is to leave you the reader with two questions. Firstly, do you want your holiday to make a difference??? Can you commit some time, energy and love and join Sven and me on ‘Mission to Latvia 2012’ if so please make contact with either of us for further details.

Finally, ‘It’s the longest, hardest, most satisfying job in the Army. Should you be a Salvation Army Officer?’

Oh … and yes, I have left something of my heart in Sakarni and Seda!

GBY real good!

Glad Ljungholm
North West DHQ
UKT