I was born in 1977, on March 23, in the small Western Latvian town of Kuldiga. My mother wrote to my father from the hospital. "We have a daughter, you will be very surprised that she has bright red hair." My mother showed me this note when I was grown up. During the Soviet years no one was allowed to visit the mother and baby in the hospital. My hair was a big surprise for all my relatives. They didn't remember anyone with red hair in our family circle. But then they decided that my mother's sister was maybe a slight red head. My parents liked my hair color, but I didn't. I looked too different from other children with normal hair. I was born into a caring family. My mother always taught me to love people and to be kind and patient. My father taught me to set goals that are higher than you think you can achieve and never stop. These things are the brightest in my memory from my parents' lessons. My childhood was filled with adventures. I lived by a forest and river, in a village near Kuldiga, and enjoyed all of the seasonal activities outside. When I was 2 1/2 years old I got very sick with asthma. This illness stopped me from being active and social. While other children were playing outside, I was confined to bed, either at home or in a hospital. This forced me to discover a world that replaced the activities that other children had. I started to read books and developed my own world, adventures, fantasies and friends. Of course when I got well again I was very thirsty to implement all of my fantasies and strategies. So I established a dance school for children in our house basement. I also organized a team of partisans among my friends. We drew maps of the area around our village and planned how best to beat enemy. We wanted to make a wigwam, so with my parents' help I made drawings and found all of the needed materials and tools. Finally we made a little house in the forest. Later on my friends and I established a city where each of us children had our own work place...a school, hospital, theater, haircut salon, etc. Our parents enjoyed many things we did and they were proud of us but some of the things they didn't like at all. When I was in third grade I organized an excursion together with my classmates but without our teacher knowing it. Thirty children went by public transportation to the National Park where we played games and ate our sandwiches. It seemed like nothing special but there was no teacher. Only my parents knew about it. My mother cooked pancakes for us. The secret was kept among us 30 eight-year-old children and our parents. They trusted us. At school I studied hard because my parents taught me that, in spite of the fact that I had asthma and missed lots of school, I had to earn high grades. I am very thankful that my parents didn't show pity but rather cared for my future. It was difficult but finally great. As I grew older I continued to be active at school, organizing events and acting in the theater. I loved it, and I was proud when I was chosen to be part of our local grown-up theater team. Many things changed when I turned 17. It was my last year of high school and I thought and talked a lot about who I want to be?what is the sense of life?what is my calling. That was the time when I enjoyed the Green Party or Greenpeace - I always loved nature and animals. A group of my friends and I established an independent Kuldiga radio program. I was a reporter and went to Municipality meetings. It was so boring. Our town was small, but there were so many interesting and strong personalities who left traces in me. I will remember those people for all my life. Teachers of art history left a love for art, architecture and history. My teacher of Latvian literature instilled within me a love for books. This was also a time when I, and almost half of my classmates, became active Christians. It was an unforgettable time. It changed every thing. Near our school was a Lutheran church with a woman pastor and a very active youth ministry. I was baptized when I was 14. We spent a lot of time in church praying for each other, our lives and future professions. This was a very important time for me as a Christian because it formed and established my world view. I started a radio program where I interviewed pastors and church leaders asking questions youth were interested in. At that time I had to make a decision between journalism and theology. I chose theology. I never had doubts about my decision although my parents, mostly my father, was against it. I left my home town and moved to Jurmala to study at the Latvian Christian Academy, My goal was to do the best I could to prove to my parents that I will survive in this strange school where they didn't understand what I was studying, why I was studying it and, finally, how this education will prepare me to for a real career with real money. Several years later when I received my diploma with high grades and my teachers said good words about my work, my parents admitted that I had made the right decision. The last day of my studies at the Latvian Christian Academy was a major victory for me because I proved to my parents that I finished and I liked studying there. God was so merciful. Many changes had happened since finishing high school. I changed the place where I lived, I changed things that I did and I even changed how I looked. I had a strong will and short dark hair. I was so satisfied with myself. I achieved my goal. But the most important thing was the way my classmates at the Academy and I changed from na?ve and passionate Christians to more mature Christians. Our personalities were shaped by many teachers who came from various countries to teach different subjects. They brought not only knowledge but also the breath of different cultures ... the USA, England, Scandinavia, Brazil, Germany, and Israel. The school was ecumenical and we had lots of discussions among ourselves. As a result I developed a wider world view. I appreciate these discussions and I will always remember the people that I met there. Some of them are still friends of mine today. During my studies I was elected to be the first Student Council President of the Christian Academy. I was surprised and proud about it. It was my first experience in establishing an organization and leading a staff. Together we did a lot of good things for the school and for students. Besides all of the fun activities, we established a foundation where people from the USA gave money for students who couldn't afford to pay for their studies. At this time, I also went through a deep process of thinking about what a good Christian leader is and how to be such a leader. As a result, I wrote my bachelor thesis on "Leadership." I compared secular theories and models of good leadership to leadership examples in Bible. I found answers to many questions I had. But there were still some answers I couldn't find. But I discovered that the first and most important thing is that good leaders make changes that result in better lives for people. I wanted to change the world, help people and make a difference. After I graduated from the Academy, I had an offer to help "Partneri" and BBI for Hope '99. I was asked to organize concerts and tours for nine American and Latvian groups. It was hard work but it was what I had been dreaming about - changing people's lives and opinions too. This event will always be very bright in my memory. I worked for Partners Foundation for the next four years. I was a project manager and also the leader of the youth ministry leadership network, "Protein". We organized youth leadership conferences where youth leaders from all around Latvia took part. A big change took place in 2002 when I was married and, after some time, on Valentine's Day, we got a gift - our surprise - a little daughter Anna-Alexandra. Since that moment life has been absolutely different. She is my little teacher and sometimes she wants to be my boss. She is blond and a very active child. Now I understand my mother. Since Anna-Alexandra was born I worked for awhile for international advertising and media companies. Now I am happy to be back at "Partneri" as Project Director. I am responsible for leading and managing several major projects, such as Prayer Days, teRiga, Protein conferences, concerts and special events. I have seen big blessings in the lives of Latvian people through "Partneri" organized events, projects and programs. I believe that BBI and Parteri together - an American and Latvian team - can make a difference and bring positive changes in people lives. And once again, my hair is red. God has revealed himself to me as a merciful God. I haven't always been a child who obeys Him; that's why I got many scratches. But for those who search and love God everything will be good. My latest lesson from God regarding leadership? ... The leader must be dependant on God. That is the most significant key to successful leadership. Last revised March, 2005 TOP