Chau from Latvia! Week Four

It was so hard leaving Tervete last week, but God has really blessed our team. This week was such an amazing week. First, we returned to the Jelgava orphanage where we started out, so it felt good to see all of the familiar faces. We really missed the kids there. We also got to experience a lot of Latvian cultural traditions because we celebrated a holiday called Janis. We went camping with the Jelgava Baptist church Friday and Saturday. There was singing, games, a talent show, a fashion show, lots of food, bible studies and history lessons, a scavenger hunt, a bon fire, and some other fun traditions. We stayed up until 6 a.m. the next morning!

God really revealed himself to us during this celebration because we arrived only knowing about three people, but we felt like they were family almost immediately. Love really is a universal language! Thank you once again for all of your prayers. It becomes more and more evident everyday how God is working through us to pursue and fight for his children.

I want to share a letter with you from one of the girls at the orphanage that we have developed an intimate friendship with. She has been hanging out in our room a lot and has gone to church with us twice.
"Dear Summer, That was unique to hang out with you! Thanks for praying over me. I am praying for you too. You are so sweet and I am crazy in love with you! I especially enjoyed the nights when we would get some bible stories. That was really good for me. I love them. I have been devoting everything to God especially in these two weeks. I love Him with all one's might and heart! . . . I especially enjoyed the night we did hair and nails and then in church . . . I love you very much . . .”

We have been covering this place with prayer and God's word. These kids have nobody to fight for them, so we must! Thanks, see you soon!

Summer Shaw