My April 2005 Latvia Trip

Welcome to my Latvia trip page.  I was there for two and a half weeks in April of 2005.  It was an eventful trip with lots to share.  You can click on the photos below to see different stages of my trip.  Also you can go to the link to the summary of my trip as a Word document.  I also decided to add the amazing "Thank You" letter I got from the national Lutheran Church (LELB).  Finally, there are links to articles about my trip in the local paper and the Synodical (District) insert as part of our national Church Magazine, THE LUTHERAN.  There was also an article about my work in Latvia in the national Latvian Lutheran Newspaper.  I decided not to include it though at this point, since it is all in the lativan language.  I hope you enjoy my trip.

In the summer of 2002 I led a group of high school students and Youth Encounter, Side by Side staffers to work on renovating the sanctuary of the Lutheran Church in Baldone.  As you can see from the pix above, the final result was very impressive.  While there in 2002 I preached at the church during Congregation Days.  I hope to do so again when I return to Latvia next spring.

While in Baldone in 2002, we ministered at a home/hospital/school for disabled children.  When Anita and I went to Latvia in 2003 we visited the school and I shared a concert with the children in latvian.  I returned again to the school for a short concert at the beginning of this trip, and have commited to visit each time I am in Latvia to share Christian songs and words of hope in the latvian language.

The main purpose for my trip this time was to lead a seminar for Latvian Lutheran pastors on the topic Preaching in a Postmodern Culture.  The one-day seminar was given in two different cities during my stay.  Here I am listening to a question about this new approach to preaching in the church.  Hopefully my answer was wise.  I hope to return next spring to lead a "hands-on" workshop to practice this new style.

While in Latvia I was invited to attend the annual Pastors' Dinner Party sponsored by the national church for its pastors.  Unfortunately, I did not know I would be invited and did not bring a suit this trip.  (I should have listened to Anita when she told me to bring the suit just in case.)  The Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church was first elected in the summer of 1993.  I sat at the table with my good friend, Mara who was my translator in my early trips, and her husband and brother (Latvian Lutheran pastors) and Janis' wife.  Janis, Mara's brother, was the first one who invited me to guest preach at his churches while I was still a seminary student.  Also at the table is a former missionary for the ELCA to South America who is a Latvian- American (now retired to Latvia) and his wife.

For several years now I have wanted to take the train to St. Petersburg, Russia, but was not willing to make the trip without a translator.  This trip I finally made it to St. Petersburg!  I am glad I got to see it.  The palaces are amazing.  In some European cities there are huge palaces.  (Latvia has one.)  But in St. Petersburg there is a huge palace about every square couple miles.  Unbelievable.  Here's one near the famous Hermitage Museum.

Article in The Lutheran magazine

Trip Summary Word document

Cambridge News article Word document

LELB Letter