Interns in Latvia!!

Ramie Stewart
Liepaja, Latvia

Today was our last day being in the Naval Port Center. Zanda, our in-country Buckner staff leader, told us a story about a girl today at camp...the little girl acted very nervous all day and Zanda wondered if she was just stressed from the business and needed to go home. It turns out, she was worried the day was going to end soon and she was going to have to go home sooner. For whatever reason, she either didn't want to leave the church or didn't want to go home to something. These are the kind of stories these kids have, they want to be at the church, in a "cared for" environment. We are going to miss this place. I think we are filled with mixed emotions, but overwhelmed with God's goodness and blessings! The kids were having craft time near the end of the day, where they made really cute foam bookmarks. Well, nearly all of the bookmarks ended up being given to us as gifts! Those kids just wanted to give us things. We got piles of colored pictures and letters translated into English saying, "I love you" or "I'm going to miss you". Of course, I cried like a baby, from this sweet goodbye. Even the rotten little boys mustered up enough courage to give us a colored picture and sneak a short hug before anyone could catch them. We gathered with the staff workers at the end of the day to discuss how the day went (because this week is their camp), and they even cried with us, asking us to hide here and not leave. We came to serve their kids and help them with their program, and we may have done that, but we left humbled and feeling served ourselves! Not only did the preacher and staff offer prayer and encouragement over us, a few kids prayed outloud in our farewell from Liepaja. I don't think we did anything worthy of these sweet blessings, but I pray that at least half the footmark left in our lives was left in those kid's and in that church. -- And now we have great anticipation about what God has for us here in Latvia. We will be working with a mission group from the US in an orphanage close to Jelgava. I can only imagine how different everything will be compared to this past week, but we have faith that it is in God's hands and it will be good! Thanks, always, for your prayers!