The following article was written for "The Church at Work" - the electronic magazine of First United Methodist Church in Grapevine - Fall 2013 edition.
Anna steps into the crowded room with a shy smile. The toddler on her hip seems too heavy for her small frame. As the laughter and chatter in the room grow louder, a friend joins her in greeting the group. Their boys get down on the floor and start playing together. They’ve grown up together… moms and sons.
Anna’s smile hides strength, laced with worry. The time is coming soon when she’ll need to leave the Hope Center and begin her adult life. She’ll be given a flat (apartment) by social services, because she’s an orphan. But her flat is several towns over - not near her school, not near her support system at the Hope Center. She’ll have nothing… no job, no completed education, no furniture, no income. Just her son and her determination.
Anna’s story is one of many in Latvia that involve complex social issues, generational differences, and the growing pains associated with young lives coming into a post-occupation world fraught with change.
The Hope Center, for unwed (mostly teenage) mothers, is one of the outreach ministries of the small United Methodist Church in Latvia. The numbers in their congregations are few, but their desire to change lives for the better propels them forward.
Vera smiles and laughs as she shares stories about “her kids.” The 15-20 children (age 2-14) who have filled this room after school every day have become like her own. She mothers them, feeds them a hot meal (often their only one), helps them with their homework and teaches them about the love of Jesus. Tears fill her eyes as she tells how they begged and prayed that the After School program would continue. She couldn’t tell them for certain that it would.
Vera speaks animatedly about how some of the kids who also attend Sunday School got to go to Wesley Camp last summer. When they got back, they were so filled with joy that they wanted to share it with the other kids in their small community. So they asked Vera if they could have a camp right there in their “after school” room. They planned the program, created and distributed an invitation and led the activities. Vera and the congregation helped with food and Bible teaching. At first, the kids were disappointed that their 70 invitations resulted in only about 25 children in attendance. But after their first 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM day, the kids were relieved that they only had to deal with 25! The children planning and running the camp were between 10 and 12 years old.
The After School program is held in one room that is actually two apartments combined. These Soviet-era apartments provided 30 square meters of space per family (about 320 square feet). Originally, the space served as the Methodist Church in Liepa. When the church was able to get a building of its own, the room in this apartment building was retained for use as the After School program.
Due to a gift from a donor through our church, the After School program will be able to open again this school year. This donation will keep it open until they find out whether they have received a grant from the General Board of Global Ministries. Our team also left a financial gift to help Vera provide something special for the children, at her discretion.
Meanwhile, in Prague… another small program for children and moms is growing at the English Speaking United Methodist Church (ESUMC). Under the direction of Rev. Michelle McKinnon-Young, the new church start is growing relationships with the locals who live near their location. The program is designed to teach English to both the children and the mothers, providing vital skills for their future.
In addition to teaching English, the ESUMC also provides worship in English on Sunday afternoons. This ministry draws English-speakers of all ethnicities, including many who are just “passing through” and want a place to worship. Worship is held in the same building as the Czech worship service, which is also the location of the Czech District offices. There are about 200,000 English-speakers in Prague, and the Methodist Church hopes to reach more and more of them. The ministry is currently supported primarily by Michelle’s home Conference in Tennessee.
It’s a slow, complicated process to start (or restart) a church in a country that is full of skeptics. Many citizens of both the Czech Republic and Latvia are wary of associating with religion. Some don’t want to admit affiliation with any organization. Others view religion as a crutch, only necessary for the weak. Still others fear persecution for their beliefs. The years of occupation in both countries color their perspectives and loom at the back of their minds. Occupation is not too far removed. The memory is vivid and recent… too close for comfort.
How, then, shall we move forward? Those of us who visited Prague and Latvia have made friends there. They remain in our hearts and on our minds as we return to “life as usual.” We don’t know yet what our future involvement will be with Eastern Europe. But we can’t forget what we now know.
We’ve received not just a history lesson, but a lesson in trying to bring joy to hopelessness… color to gray... light into darkness. It takes some time to turn things around… to build trust and common bonds. As we move forward into this uncertain future, our hope is that somehow we can make a difference.
Anna steps into the crowded room with a shy smile. The toddler on her hip seems too heavy for her small frame. As the laughter and chatter in the room grow louder, a friend joins her in greeting the group. Their boys get down on the floor and start playing together. They’ve grown up together… moms and sons.
Anna’s smile hides strength, laced with worry. The time is coming soon when she’ll need to leave the Hope Center and begin her adult life. She’ll be given a flat (apartment) by social services, because she’s an orphan. But her flat is several towns over - not near her school, not near her support system at the Hope Center. She’ll have nothing… no job, no completed education, no furniture, no income. Just her son and her determination.
Anna’s story is one of many in Latvia that involve complex social issues, generational differences, and the growing pains associated with young lives coming into a post-occupation world fraught with change.
The Hope Center, for unwed (mostly teenage) mothers, is one of the outreach ministries of the small United Methodist Church in Latvia. The numbers in their congregations are few, but their desire to change lives for the better propels them forward.
Vera smiles and laughs as she shares stories about “her kids.” The 15-20 children (age 2-14) who have filled this room after school every day have become like her own. She mothers them, feeds them a hot meal (often their only one), helps them with their homework and teaches them about the love of Jesus. Tears fill her eyes as she tells how they begged and prayed that the After School program would continue. She couldn’t tell them for certain that it would.
Vera speaks animatedly about how some of the kids who also attend Sunday School got to go to Wesley Camp last summer. When they got back, they were so filled with joy that they wanted to share it with the other kids in their small community. So they asked Vera if they could have a camp right there in their “after school” room. They planned the program, created and distributed an invitation and led the activities. Vera and the congregation helped with food and Bible teaching. At first, the kids were disappointed that their 70 invitations resulted in only about 25 children in attendance. But after their first 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM day, the kids were relieved that they only had to deal with 25! The children planning and running the camp were between 10 and 12 years old.
The After School program is held in one room that is actually two apartments combined. These Soviet-era apartments provided 30 square meters of space per family (about 320 square feet). Originally, the space served as the Methodist Church in Liepa. When the church was able to get a building of its own, the room in this apartment building was retained for use as the After School program.
Due to a gift from a donor through our church, the After School program will be able to open again this school year. This donation will keep it open until they find out whether they have received a grant from the General Board of Global Ministries. Our team also left a financial gift to help Vera provide something special for the children, at her discretion.
Meanwhile, in Prague… another small program for children and moms is growing at the English Speaking United Methodist Church (ESUMC). Under the direction of Rev. Michelle McKinnon-Young, the new church start is growing relationships with the locals who live near their location. The program is designed to teach English to both the children and the mothers, providing vital skills for their future.
In addition to teaching English, the ESUMC also provides worship in English on Sunday afternoons. This ministry draws English-speakers of all ethnicities, including many who are just “passing through” and want a place to worship. Worship is held in the same building as the Czech worship service, which is also the location of the Czech District offices. There are about 200,000 English-speakers in Prague, and the Methodist Church hopes to reach more and more of them. The ministry is currently supported primarily by Michelle’s home Conference in Tennessee.
It’s a slow, complicated process to start (or restart) a church in a country that is full of skeptics. Many citizens of both the Czech Republic and Latvia are wary of associating with religion. Some don’t want to admit affiliation with any organization. Others view religion as a crutch, only necessary for the weak. Still others fear persecution for their beliefs. The years of occupation in both countries color their perspectives and loom at the back of their minds. Occupation is not too far removed. The memory is vivid and recent… too close for comfort.
How, then, shall we move forward? Those of us who visited Prague and Latvia have made friends there. They remain in our hearts and on our minds as we return to “life as usual.” We don’t know yet what our future involvement will be with Eastern Europe. But we can’t forget what we now know.
We’ve received not just a history lesson, but a lesson in trying to bring joy to hopelessness… color to gray... light into darkness. It takes some time to turn things around… to build trust and common bonds. As we move forward into this uncertain future, our hope is that somehow we can make a difference.
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