USING WHAT THE SPIRIT PUSHES
A reflection on my ministry in Latvia
By Jeremy Andresen
Editorial comment: Jeremy Andresen is a student at Oregon State University. His home church, Calvin Presbyterian Church, of Corvallis, Oregon, has had a sister-church partnership with the Baptist Church in Tilza, Latvia since 1998. Jeremy's father, Marc Andresen is the pastor of Calvin. This article represents Jeremy's reflections on his first ministry to Latvia which took place in the summer of 2002.
What can prepare an individual to enter a foreign culture and preach the Gospel? From what I learned in July of 2002, nothing can prepare us but an open heart and the leading of the Holy Spirit. My experiences in Latvia showed me that God wants to use everyone in amazing ways we have not fathomed. Preceding the nine hour trek across the Atlantic, I was not even sure if I wanted to go and teach English to students in another country. The idea seemed fun, but I didn't feel any major "push" from the Lord that this was exactly what I needed to be doing. After two weeks, half way across the globe from my home in Oregon, I was convinced that Latvia was exactly where God wanted me, through His perfect will.
Upon my arrival in Latvia, my first focus was to get adjusted to the time change and to learn something about their culture. The mission team I was with spent a few days in Riga touring the streets and becoming acquainted with the people. During this time I was able to visit the Occupation Museum. The museum is a historical tribute to the centuries of occupation the Latvian people have experienced. In their 1,000 year history, they have been a "free" country for about 40 of those years.
Later, after we traveled out to the town of Tilza, where we helped with the English camp, I was able to make some wonderful new friends with some of the people in Tilza, including Aigars Jecis, the pastor of Tilza Baptist Church. One morning he asked our team if someone wanted to accompany him on a few errands around the Latgale region. I chose to go with him and was able to see various parts of the Latvian country-side while we completed his errands. Through our trip together, I was able to ask many questions and listen as he explained his views on politics, Americans and the Bible. After returning to Tilza, I joyfully recognized the Divine appointment I had just experienced with Aigars and the relationship we had established through that car trip.
At the end of the week of camp while Aigars, who played the role of camp director and pastor, was giving an overview of what would happen at the closing ceremony, during an evening staff meeting. During the meeting I began to feel the Lord prompting me to give a talk I had heard once before at a retreat in Oregon. The talk was designed to help the campers re-adjust to "real life" once they left the camp. The context of the talk was centered on the idea of not letting go of what one learned during the course of the week and actually working to apply those lessons in a realistic and practical way once returning home. Aigars thought the talk would be fitting and gave me permission to speak at the closing ceremony.
Who knows how much of the talk I gave translated from English to Latvian, but that isn't the point. The Holy Spirit was there and met each of those students where they were spiritually and knocked on the door of their hearts, asking to come in and be a permanent addition to their lives. I am still receiving emails and hand written letters from the students at the camp telling me that they have not forgotten the talk and that they are praying everyday that God's Spirit will lead them in the decisions they make.
April 2003
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