Baltic Mission Update

As most of you are now aware, we have several of our students, along with students from other campus ministries in the midwest, spending the fall semester in the Baltic countries of Latvia and Estonia for the purpose of strengthening those churches and helping them reestablish campus ministries. The work has been a great test of faith for our students as the Baltics tend to be a very atheistic place.

The students recently completed a month in Riga, Latvia, and have moved on to Tallinn, Estonia. The Riga church was incredibly encouraged and strengthened during their time there. They left behind numerous students that were interested in, and studying the Bible. As of a few days ago, there was one girl nearing baptism! The church was so encouraged that several of them have traveled to Estonia to be with the students and help them in their mission there.

God was also working in Estonia in advance of the students arrival. The Tallinn church saw 4 people baptized into Christ over the two weeks prior to the students arrival! Two of the people baptized were themselves college students! One year ago, there were no student disciples in Tallinn or Riga. Now, the Tallinn church has a campus ministry of three disciples and the Riga church has a two disciples on campus. While these are “huge” numbers, the seeds have been planted and our God is able to do amazing things!

Please continue to pray for the campus mission work, as well as the churches in Riga and Tallinn. The students return to the US on November 23, and Lori Duran and Daniel Schuster will be back in Austin for the Spring semester.

As we enter into the Thanksgiving season, let us be grateful for all that God has done and is doing in our lives, in our congregation, and indeed, around the world. Truly, God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)