So where to begin about my trip! I suppose the beginning is a "very good place to start."
Alenka and I flew from Vienna on Monday morning and arrived in Vilnius (the capital of Lithuania) that afternoon and the director of TWR-LT took us to Trakai castle and we ate dinner in a cafe on the lake by Trakai. We had a great first talk about the ministry in LT and I know the Lord was using the laid-back conversation to guide my heart and thoughts for the interviews to follow.
The next morning, we met with the producer/editor/writer/prettymucheverything of the children's radio program (her name is Daiva). The show is called "Little Evening Star" and it airs from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays - right when kids are getting into bed, so it's perfect. It broadcasts into all of Lithuania and it's very popular. I was so amazed that the whole show was run by basically one woman in a tiny recording studio.
She invites children from all over (orphanages, institutions, etc.) to record for the voices of the characters and she said the process can take from two days to three weeks to complete one program. So each episode usually contains radio theater, practical and educational lessons, songs, and scriptures. Because it reaches out to such a wide range of listeners, they can't be overly spiritual, but the undertones are undeniably Christian. It is such a quality program. I wish it was broadcast in English!
So the next day, we spent with Audra, the fund coordinator who is also the children's magazine manager (the whole operation is run by a small staff, so they're all in charge of multiple operations). I had such a refreshing talk with her and Alenka and I were able to really encourage her. I think she was really tired spiritually from all of the discouragement the ministry faces. The staff can't afford training or education for most of their operations, so they're kind of on a trial and error basis and I could tell that Audra was overwhelmed with it all. She was also pretty discouraged about fundrasing there. The majority of the country is Catholic (who refuse to support a Protestant ministry) and the Protestant churches don't have a ministry-supportive mindset like in North American churches. So you can imagine that money is extremely tight. But praise the Lord, Alenka was able to give her a few resources to help and she's arranging for Audra to attend a TWR fundraising seminar in the fall!
Later that day Audra showed us around Vilnius. I'm still extremely puzzled by Lithuania. It's a country of so many contradictions. The "old city" is really for tourists and when you leave the city limits, you're in the "real city" which is a terribly poor community - it's an incredible contrast. The old city is being restored to pre WWII conditions, but the results of the Russian occupation are everywhere. In fact, the building where TWR-LT is located still has bullet holes in the walls. Check it out:
So now we get to Remis, the director of TWR-LT. He used to be a DJ in Dubai until he moved back to Lithuania where he got involved with TWR, eventually moving up to director. I say with confidence that I have never met a person with a more joyful spirit. I have never witnessed such joy! What's more, his wife was in a skiing accident last winter and she may end up in a wheelchair, but even in that situation, he presented it with joy and hope and such gratefulness to God. I was moved to tears several times during our talks with him.
Despite all that the ministry is going through and all of the discouragement they face everyday, Remis still has such a great hope that the Lord will work everything out. At first I doubted their situation, but his faith alone was a catalyst in my believing in God's huge plan for their ministry. "God has no crises," Remis kept saying. And it's so true. God is a God of order and a beautiful, sovereign plan and he will work everything out for those that love Him and those who He calls. And I can see so clearly that He has a huge plan for their ministry.
So just a couple of numbers: 133 people leave Lithuania every day and they predict that by the year 2050, Lithuanians will begin to completely die out because of the lowest birth rates ever. There's nothing really to keep them there - no jobs, nothing unique to the country, so the current generation just packs up and leaves. National pride is disappearing as the people who survived WWII pass away. They don't like to talk about that time, so a lot of the things that would normally tie them together are just forgotten.
It's their dream to reach out to Lithuanian emigrants and instill a sense of pride in them and hopefully convince them to support the ministry at TWR as they reach out to their countrymen. I can see how this one little ministry could bring the nation back together again. But really, why not? God has no limits and TWR-LT is certainly an open tool in His hand.
Okay, there is so much more I want to say, but I think I'll have to save it for another post. Thanks for reading this looooong entry and I hope you're able to see a little bit of what I've been seeing lately. Please pray for TWR-LT. They need money. They need skilled workers. They need encouragement, education, prayer. In my mind, they lack so much, but the hand of God is over them and that is all they need.
Ugh! My heart is so heavy right now as I think about the people I've met and the things I've seen. I want to do all that I can for the TWR ministry in Lithuania, but I feel so helpless. Will you please help me by praying? It's the greatest help we can give them.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
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