Important Message from Mission:Estonia

As missionaries, our main goal in ministry on the field was to see Estonians reaching Estonians. Throughout our time in Estonia, God has been showing us over and over again in many different ways that the people are beginning to reach their own successfully and do not really need foreign missionary help.

Through our time here we led a small group, taught children’s Sunday school in an Estonian church, and conducted a kids club that ministered to mostly American missionary kids. We have seen how through the seminary in Tartu, pastors and lay people are being taught/trained in different aspects of discipleship, leadership, and Christian life. Through the Baptist Union's Mission Center, missions is being done in Estonia and Estonian missionaries are being sent abroad. There is church planting training for Estonians whom God has called to church plant either nationally or internationally. Church planters are actively being trained and sent out. Results are already being seen as new churches are being planted, people are being reached with the gospel, and people are being baptized.

These aspects are very encouraging and fulfill what we came here to do, however, much of it had already been implemented during the four years that we were away from Estonia. I am excited to see Estonians reaching Estonians and seeing success in those efforts. However, because of these things, we are not especially needed here in Estonia anymore.

We are still passionate about missions. After much prayer, counseling with our pastor, and working with our missions department, we have decided to make the transition back to the States at the end of April 2017. Our kids club that we are conducting will end in April and will be the final thing needed to be wrapped up before we leave. I am passionate about teaching and training/equipping people for ministry and want to continue my education and earn a Ph.D in intercultural studies where I can teach at the seminary/university level. I have already been accepted into a program and will begin this fall. I trust that God will open doors for me to use my gift of teaching in this and other ways in the future.

This post will serve as my final post on this blog and will wrap up our mission work in Estonia. Thank you for your prayer and financial support over the years and for this opportunity to return to Estonia and to serve the Lord here.


Blessings,

Justin & Crystal Owens

January & February Update - New Year, New Topic

Starting in January we began going through the life of Jesus in the kids Bible club. We had a good few lessons so far as the kids have learned of the importance of baptism, obeying and submitting to your parents, Jesus calling the 12 disciples, and feeding the 5000. We also continued our teaching rotation at Kalju Baptist Church teaching the children in Sunday school. There have been usually 10-15 kids in Sunday school and our usual 7 at kids club.

The game was to watch who “Jesus” was and then imitate Him. Here Lorelei was “Jesus” and everyone had to do as she did!

The kids made a baptism craft after learning about John the Baptist and Jesus’s baptism.

Our small group has also continued to meet and have been going through the life of Joseph. We recently all got together and had a Super Bowl party and watched the game together and had a time of fellowship. It was a good time all around and I was able to share some of American culture with our Estonian friends. Later this month we will be helping another Baptist missionary here with his quarterly children’s outreach during the school break as well as teaching Sunday school again at Kalju Baptist Church. Pray for these times of teaching with the kids and pray for God to continue His work among the Estonian people.

Here the kids had to move from one shape to the next based things about them. It emphasized that Jesus calls all sorts of people to be His disciples.

We got to go to America to spend time with family at Christmas. Here Lorelei was happy to pose in one of the airports.

Over the past year, we have begun to see how the Estonian people are effectively doing ministry and seeing positive results in church planting and discipleship efforts. This is an exciting thing! As such, we have been meeting with leaders here and in the States assessing our mission work in Estonia and are seeking God’s guidance for our role here. Please pray with us as we make decisions about upcoming ministry and our role here in Estonia.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for a man in our small group that he would grow into a small group leader.
• Pray that God would show us ways to bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray that God would bless our efforts to teach the children at the kids club and in Sunday school.
• Continue to pray for the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.
• Pray for the work that the Estonians are doing among their own.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping people here in Estonia find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

December Update - Christmas

Christmas is always a special time for us. We love celebrating the birth of our Savior and spending time with family and friends. It is always fun decorating the Christmas tree as a family and watching our children enjoy taking part as they get older. Every year in Tallinn in the Old Town district there is a Christmas market where vendors come and sell winter and Christmas themed handicrafts from homemade clothes to handmade wooden ornaments. There is always something to find and enjoy. When there is snow, the entire scene transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland. Even though Christmas is a busy time with trying to get from one place to the next, we should always slow down and remember what the season is all about: a baby born in a manger over 2000 years ago who took our sins away on the cross. Praise be to God for His inexpressible gift!

This is a view of the outdoor Christmas market in Tallinn. Vendors set up in booths surrounding a large pine tree in the center of the square. 

The kids decorated gingerbread cookies at the Christmas party. Estonians decorate gingerbread at Christmas instead of sugar cookies.

At the kids club in December we had a Christmas party where the kids learned about the true meaning of Christmas, decorated gingerbread cookies, and made ornaments to put on their trees at home. They had a great time and we finished out the year on a strong note. We will pick back up in January and continue to teach them about the life of Jesus.

The kids made two kinds of ornaments: a Christmas tree and a snowflake. They had a great time stringing them together. 

This was taken on one of our trips to the Christmas market. We tried to all get in the picture before the tree. The kids had a fun time.

Beginning in 2017, I will begin sending out my newsletter bi-monthly that way we can keep you updated with what’s going on here and share more with you. The first edition will be sent out in February for January/February. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for our small group to grow and to be find ways to be a light to the community.
• Pray that God would show us ways to bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray that God would send more kids to the A2 Kids Bible Adventure Club and that it would continue to go smoothly.
• Continue to pray for the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping people here in Estonia find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

November Update - A2 Kids Bible Adventure

We began our A2 Kids Bible Adventure club in October. We meet every 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 11am – 1pm. It is an AWANA style club with songs, games, crafts, snacks, and of course, a fun Bible lesson. In the first two meetings we saw 9-12 kids come and take part. So far, the kids have been all American kids so we do it in English, but if any Estonian kids come, then we will do it in both languages. The kids had fun and learned about Creation and Adam and Eve. We are hoping that the club will be a fun place for kids to come and learn about the Bible. The club runs until the 3rd Saturday in May.

We started our A2 Kids Bible Adventure in October. Here the kids are enjoying game time playing “Creation Twister.”

The first two meetings focused on creation and Adam and Eve. Here the kids are busy making their Adam and Eve craft.

We also began teaching Sunday school at Kalju Baptist Church in October. Because Kalju is an Estonian-speaking congregation, the kids only speak Estonian. We usually begin with a song and then teach the next lesson in the book we use. We also do a few games and a craft. The kids have enjoyed it so far and we have been stretched using our Estonian language. Please pray for us as we will be doing this once per month through May.

We had our first snow of the season in late October. It has since melted, snowed again, and in the process of melting again.

Our daughter, Kayla, celebrated her 14th birthday in October. We are proud of the beautiful young lady she is becoming!

I began working on getting a website up and running for our ministry here in the hopes that we can direct people to the site to get more information about what we are doing and how they can be a part. It took me a while to get it right and, fortunately, I had learned a little about website coding in my earlier college days. The new website address is a2ministries.ee and is currently live on the internet. Please continue to pray for the Estonian people here and for our ministry here.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for our small group to grow and to be find ways to be a light to the community.
• Pray that God would show us ways to bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray that God would send more kids to the A2 Kids Bible Adventure Club and that it would continue to go smoothly.
• Continue to pray for the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping people here in Estonia find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

October Update - Homeschool & Kids Club

Homeschool began in the Owens household in September. We set out to start a new program this year in which the three school-aged kids are enrolled in a distance education program from an existing school in the States. Transitioning into a new program always presents challenges and the first three weeks were a struggle. Fearful that they were not learning well, we searched and found a different program that is completely online and would give us some flexibility. We decided to try it out for a month and then compare the two programs to see which yields the best learning environment. So far, it has been a good experiment. Pray for our kids and for their school year. Homeschool is sometimes difficult for them and for us.

First day of school! Kayla is in 9th grade, Braeden is in 6th, and Elaina is in 2nd. Lorelei is still too young, but wanted her picture taken too. 

Some school days are rougher than others. Fortunately, Mommy is there to help out and encourage them along.

We continued to plan for our A2 Kids Bible Adventure Club in September and found a long-term location to meet. We will be meeting in a daycare facility that is actually located in a neighborhood where we used to live. It has a big enough main room with access to a kitchen and outdoor green area for outdoor games. We are grateful that God has provided this place and hope that He brings many kids there to have fun and learn more about Him.

The kids all got involved in some kind of extra-curricular activity starting in September. Lorelei has joined a ballet class for kids her age at the school near us. She really enjoys it!

The kids got some more letters from churches in America. They are grateful that kids and churches take time out to write to them and let them know that they are being prayed for.

The weather is already beginning to turn colder and people will be in need of winter items. One way we hope to bless the community this fall and winter is to give out free hats, scarves, and gloves to people in need. Through this, we hope to be able to show the love of Jesus and share the gospel with people. Pray for opportunities to arise where we can do this and that many would hear about Him.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for our small group to grow and to be find ways to be a light to the community.
• Pray that God would show us ways to bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray that God would send more kids to the A2 Kids Bible Adventure Club and that it would go smoothly.
• Continue to pray for the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

September Update - Summer into Fall

This summer has presented itself with rest and some challenges. We planned to be a part of a community event in the park near us in August to go out and hand out free water, juice, and info about the church. When we planned to join, the weather was supposed to be in the 70s and sunny. Well…the day of turned out to be very wet and windy with temps in the 50s! We bought a canopy to have our table under, but it was very flimsy and a large gust of wind came and lift off occurred! The canopy flew about 10-15 feet and we were able to get it set back up, but had to hold it down the entire time we were there. Because of the weather, no one wanted free water or juice so none was given out. We did have one vendor come and look at our church info and all of the rest of them saw us out there among the community even in the bad weather. We learned some things through this: (1) we need a strong, industrial-type canopy for outdoor events so we don’t have any more unscheduled flights, (2) being visible in the community is just as important as handing out lots of stuff, and (3) God is very much in control even if it doesn’t at first glance appear to be that way. We are hoping to be involved in more events throughout the year and continue to try and meet people.

In July, our friends in our small group invited us out to their hometown of Haapsalu. They showed us around town and some of the sites. Here the kids are pictured in the Haapsalu fortress. 

We went to the summer camp that Kalju has every summer. This was at the fire the first night. It was a good time with the church.

We are planning our A2 Kids Bible Adventure club to begin in October. This will be a place where kids can come and learn about Jesus in an AWANA style environment. We hope to be able to also reach out to the parents to invite them to our small group. Pray for this that God will lead many to the kids club and that it will be a great time for the kids and that many will come to know Jesus through this year-long endeavor.

This is our table and canopy at the event we joined in August. After it flew, one of the legs broke and Crystal had to hold it up.

My dad and stepmom came for a visit in late August. We went to Finland and showed them the big island of Saaremaa out west. We had a good time visiting with them while they were here.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray for our new church plant to grow and to be a light to the community.
• Pray that God would show us ways to bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray that God would send kids to the A2 Kids Bible Adventure beginning in October and that it would go smoothly.
• Continue to pray for the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

July/August Update - Summer Service

Summertime in Estonia is a relatively quiet time for us. Most of our ministry takes place during the school year so we use this time for planning and seeking God’s direction for the upcoming school year. As such, this year I will combine July and August into one post. Because this is our first summer back in Estonia and we had the family day in May, we don’t have a day camp/VBS planned this year. That is one of the things being discussed and planned for next summer. We do still meet regularly in our small group and are excited for its continued growth.

This is the bonfire that was lit for Jaanipäev (St. John’s Day) near us on June 23. Most fires lit on this day come from a single torch carried around the country by military members. 

The kids enjoyed being out late to see the bonfire and run around in the field. We sat a good ways away from the blaze as it was quite hot.

One of the things that has been weighing heavily on my heart is a better way to reach out to the people here in Estonia. I recently was reading a book about God’s grace and one of the main sections was speaking about being to others as God has been to me. The author made the statement that if their church closed the doors would anyone in the community miss them? This got me to thinking if we were no longer a church, would the people miss us? I would have to answer: no. So, to that end, we hope to be able to engage in some outreach/service projects this summer and fall to find ways to bless people and begin to show the community the love of Christ.

Braeden celebrated his 11th birthday on June 28th. He likes the “The Legend of Zelda” video game and wanted a triforce cake. Mom did a good job! 

In June, we have the longest days and some nights the sun never goes down. This picture was taken around 11 or 11:30pm.

I have come up with several options to do this and, through this, we can demonstrate God’s love and then share the gospel with people who are curious as to why we would be so counter cultural and seek to bless others. Pray for us as we seek God’s will in this matter and can most effectively serve Him and serve others less fortunate here in Estonia.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray for our new church plant to grow and to be a light to the community.
• Pray for service opportunities this summer to present themselves so we can bless others and share the gospel.
• Pray for our continued language preparation and usage.
• Pray the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

June Update - Family Day & Test Results

On May 28, we had our family day event. We had four game stations, a craft table, a face painting table, a snack table, and a balloon animal maker. Our friends who have been coming to our small group came and helped and their son enjoyed playing. We also had a great time getting to know a young family that God brought to us. The family has three small kids and their mother is Estonian. Their father is from Great Britain and was surprised that we were from America. I think he had a pleasant time being able to converse with someone in English and their kids had a great time playing the games and making the craft. Unfortunately, no other families came most likely due to end of the year school conflicts. Ministry in Estonia can sometimes be slow and daunting, but we were grateful that we got to know the family that came and could be a blessing to them.

Our awesome sending church sent us some goodies! We are very grateful to work and partner with you all!

Here are some of the people at the family day event playing the games. It was a fun day getting to know them.

We received our scores from our language tests and we are especially grateful for your prayers. Crystal scored an 81% on her A2 level test and I scored a 96% on my B1 level test! We were both very excited that we passed and did well. Please continue to pray for Crystal as she continues to prepare for her B1 level test that will be in September. She and I will be doing some independent studies this summer to help with that.

Our friends Lauri and Karina with their son Joosep. Lauri is trying to teach Joosep proper putting technique! 

Sunday school ended for the summer at Kalju Baptist Church. Here is Lorelei displaying the flower she made during one Sunday.

The summer is often a slow ministry time with people traveling and taking vacations, but we are still meeting in our small group weekly. It has been a great time building our relationship with our Estonian friends and we are excited about what God will do through our church in the future.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray for our new church plant to grow and to be a light to the community.
• Pray for the family that came to the family day that God would bring them into our church.
• Pray for our continued language preparation and usage.
• Pray the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

May Update - Family Day & Language Exam Preparation

April gave us much warmer temperatures as now all of the cold weather has passed and spring has finally sprung! We have been continually planning for our family day event coming up at the end of May and only need to recruit volunteers and purchase just a few more items. It has been exciting leading up to the event especially seeing people’s interest in it through Facebook. Keep praying that God would lead many families to the event whom we can meet and begin relationships.

The kids were learning about the walls of Jericho in Sunday school one Sunday and built the walls out of waffles and Nutella. After the “walls” fell down, they ate them!

Though April has been rainy, God blessed us with a beautiful full rainbow one day. It is an awesome reminder of the God we serve and of His unfailing promises.

We have been preparing for our language tests and, by the time you read this, we will have already taken the exams. We will not find out the results of the exams until early June, so pray that everything will have gone well and that we will get passing results. Language school will continue through May and the first part of June with a break for July and August. We will then pick back up for two weeks before Crystal’s B1 level test in September.

Almost all of the family day gear is bought and now we have to assemble games and get ready for decorating. It’s gonna be an awesome and fun day! 

I also celebrated my 36th birthday in April. Ellie wanted to take a selfie with me on my birthday before we went out to dinner.

The Alfa course ended in April as well and, all in all, was a good experience for me. I was able to learn the process that Kalju uses in presenting the course and how they went about leading and driving discussion of important topics. Several of the people began coming to Kalju Church where they can continue to grow. Trainings such as this could be used in our A2 Church to build interest in the fundamentals of the faith and to help believers grow deeper and to be sent out to minister in Estonia.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray for our new church plant to grow and to be a light to the community.
• Pray for our upcoming family day that God would bring many people.
• Pray for our language exams that we would have a good result and that God would help us to use the Estonian language more fluently.
• Pray the Estonian people to be open and receptive to the gospel message.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

April Update - A2 Kogudus

In March, we launched our first Elu Grupp (Life Group) in our new church plant. We are calling the church A2 Kogudus or A2 Church. The meaning of the name comes from Acts chapter 2 where the early church met together in homes, broke bread together, learned from the apostles, and grew in number. Our first Elu Grupp began at the end of March and we meet every week. We are excited to begin this group as the first of many!

We took a day trip to Finland for my and Crystal’s 15th anniversary. It is a short 2-hr ferry ride from Tallinn to Helsinki. The boat we were on had a Burger King and the girls posed for a photo.

We were greeted on the first day of spring with snow. Fortunately it didn’t last too long. It melted two days later and now all of it has melted. Spring is here!

In order to arouse interest in the church in the area that we are planting, we are planning a family day at the end of May to which families can bring their kids. It will be similar to a carnival with various games, snacks, face painting, balloon animals, and prizes for when they leave. We are hoping that God brings many families to this free event where we can get to know them and be able to personally invite them to our Elu Grupp as well as to our children’s group that we will begin in the fall when school begins again.

We had a great day worshipping at Kalju on Easter. Some of the songs have been translated from modern worship songs into Estonian. It was awesome to praise the Lord on Easter. Ta on ülestõusnud! 

Here are the kids with their Easter candy from one of their grandparents in the States. They enjoyed it very much!

Language school has been going well. We asked our instructor to help us better prepare for the Estonian national tests for the A2 and B1 language levels. We now have much more homework, but it is good because it is getting us ready for those tests. In order to get a five-year living permit, we have to pass at least the B1 language level test. I am going to sit for the B1 test in May and Crystal will sit for the A2 test also in May. She will then sit for her B1 test in September.

We are excited for what is happening and can’t wait to see what God will do!

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray for our new church plant to grow and to be a light to the community.
• Pray for our upcoming family day that God would bring many people.
• Pray for the people taking part in the Alfa course ending in April that God would soften their hearts and they would come to know Jesus as Savior.
• Pray that God would help us to use the Estonian language more fluently.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

March Update - Sauna and Alfa

I was able to experience something in February that every missionary to Estonia must experience. Sauna. I had never been to the sauna before so the pastor of the church we have been going to and working with invited me and the associate pastor to his house to go in the sauna and talk more about church planting and to get to know each other better. In Estonia, and many other European countries, you go into the sauna completely naked. No towel. No shorts. Nothing. Needless to say, this was something I was a little nervous about having never done anything like this in the States.

Instead of Mardi Gras, Estonia celebrates Vastlapäev or Shrove Tuesday. The Estonian tradition is to eat these „vastlakuklid” or Shrove muffins. They are served with whipped cream.

The Alfa course began at Kalju this month. This is a few of the people who came the first night. Concurrently with the Alfa course is the Beta course where believers go deeper in discipleship.

The sauna itself is a little room with benches to sit on and a small stove with stones on top. Every now and then, water was thrown on the stones to create more steam. The temperature was around 176-185 degrees Fahrenheit. We could only stay in for 5-10 minutes before exiting the sauna and cooling off in an adjacent room. There we talked more (this time with towels on) and then, after a while, went back in to the sauna. We did this three times before showering and dressing. It was definitely a cultural experience for me that really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I would do it again if invited. Afterwards, I was told that I am now a true Estonian missionary.

Elaina and Lorelei both celebrated their birthdays in February. We were able to go to a presentation of Disney on Ice for their birthdays. The songs and speech were all in Estonian. They enjoyed it.

One of my Estonian friends asked me to come speak at his school for foreign language week. I spoke with 8-9 year old boys about America. The school is in Old Town very close to the Town Hall.

Kalju began their Alfa course in February as well. This is an outreach event that takes place on Thursdays to teach the basics of Christianity and preach the gospel. I go to help, engage in discussions with people, and further build relationships. Through this, pray that people come to know Jesus and lives are changed.

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray that God would lead the right people to join us in the new church plant.
• Pray for our upcoming family day that God would bring many people.
• Pray for the people taking part in the Alfa course that God would soften their hearts and they would come to know Jesus as Savior.
• Pray that God would help us to use the Estonian language more fluently.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

February Update - Moving and Meetings

We have been in Estonia now for a little over 4 months now and have already had to move. The place where we were moving was not the best place for our family. It was very far away from the city and places we needed to go and it had some complicated septic issues. Needless to say, we couldn’t live in unsanitary conditions so we have moved to another place here. Fortunately, the new place is much closer and has easier connections to places in Tallinn we go such as church, language school, and shops. It is located in a region we used to live in so we know the area well. We are now moved in and looking forward to what God will do in our new location.

This is a view of our new neighborhood. It is in a more family-friendly area with a lot of young familes and children. It is much easier to walk through the neighborhood than it was before.

Another view of the new neighborhood. There are many single family homes as well as shared houses and apartment buildings. In the back you can see an elementary school.

In January I was able to meet and cast the vision God has given me for planting new churches and start small groups with a few pastors and people here in Estonia. I am praying that God will lead the right people to us and to develop partnerships with churches here in the Tallinn area who would be supportive of the new church and could help out with however God leads them. We hope to begin having some informational meetings soon for potential core group members to hear the vision and to begin praying about whether or not God would have them join the new church’s core group/launch team. Please pray for these developments.

Before we moved, a lot of snow fell. I think we got several feet in a matter of a few days. The kids, of course, enjoyed every minute of it that they could. 

Lorelei was almost too small to walk through the snow. She fell in it a few times, but it didn’t faze her at all!

It is very exciting to begin planning and praying through how God will develop the initial core group and to form the foundations of a new church plant here in the Tallinn area. More updates to come!

Please pray for the following:

• Pray for continued partnership development and relationship building.
• Pray that God would lead the right people to join us in the new church plant.
• Pray for the Estonian people that God would open their hearts to the gospel and for relationships to begin.
• Pray that God would help us to grasp the Estonian language and to use it more and more fluently.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

Moving, Moving, Moving...

Well, we have been living in Estonia for 4 months now and are finally getting settled into our second place to live. We first rented a place in northern Viimsi vald just a little northeast of Tallinn and were fine living there until a problem arose with the house. Without going into too much detail, the house is connected to a septic and well water system and not city sewer/water. Every so often, I would have to call a man to come and empty the tanks. Well, I was told that I would only have to do this every 4-6 months, but it has turned out that we have to do it every 1-2 weeks. That in and of itself was not too much of a problem, it was just what happened after the tanks were emptied. For about half a day, the entire house smelled terrible. Apparently there is some kind of seal broken that is allowing those fumes into the house.

Well, after having emptied the tanks 4-5 times, we had had enough. It was too much to have to endure that smell so often. We were concerned for our health and even Crystal had been getting sick after every time it was emptied. So, we began looking for a new place to live. Trusting that God has a plan and knows where we would live, we set out to look. It didn't take long to find two places that were located in the area that we originally wanted to live and were much better priced. We prayed about it and decided on one of the two.

We have now moved in and our rent is less than half of the previous house. It is a little smaller so finding enough room for all of our things has been a challenge, but fortunately God also provided a garage that I can rent for cheap that is nearby to store anything that doesn't absolutely have to be in the house. We are located just south of Tallinn now in a little town called Peetri. It is much easier to access the city now and closer to everything. This is the same region that we lived in before when we lived in Estonia.

Throughout all of the move, there has been several feet of snow on the ground. It has not really been challenging, just kind of annoying. Having gone through all of this now, it reminds me of the faith we have in God and trusting that He has a plan for us here in Estonia. This new area is teeming with young families who regularly get out and walk up and down the streets. It is a fantastic place to begin ministry and to get to know our neighbors. If living in the first house was simply a place to be to get into the country, then it served its purpose. Hopefully this new place will be where we can stay for many years and see great fruit come from it.

January Update - Christmas in Estonia

We celebrated our first Christmas back in Estonia this past month. The two Christmases that we were here in 2009 and 2010 were completely covered with snow and were beautiful white Christmases. Having had such an experience before, I told my children that there would be snow at Christmastime. Little did I know that Estonia would be enjoying one of the warmest falls/early winters in many years. Normally, the temperatures are definitely below freezing by Christmas, but not this year. So, we settled for a snowless Christmas this year. However, the week after Christmas is when the bottom dropped out and the temperatures plunged to well below freezing. Snow followed and now we have plenty of snow and even some below zero (both Celsius and Fahrenheit) temps.

At Sunday school on the 13th, they had a Christmas party. The kids were able to make gingerbread cookies, play games, sang songs or said poems to get gifts, and heard the Christmas story.

On December 20, after the service, the church had a church-wide Christmas lunch. It was a good time of fellowship, meeting new people, and trying new Estonian foods.

Christmas away from friends and family can sometimes be difficult. We enjoyed a quiet Christmas at home with our kids. Fortunately, we were able to Skype in to our families and it was almost like we were there. Such is the trade-off for being on the mission field. It is hard, but we know that God has called us to do a job and has given us a vision to fulfill. We cling to His comfort away from extended family during this season and rely more on His presence as we serve Him in Estonia.

On December 12, the church held a Christmas market with a pancake breakfast, games for the kids, and a doll theater. This is the doll theater performing the Christmas story.

Every year, the church finds a very large tree from the forests of Estonia and brings it into the city to be placed in the main church building. This tree is roughly 18-21 feet tall.

The Christmas services at Kalju Baptist Church were filled with joy as we sang of our Savior’s birth and worshiped the Lord. Estonians place a greater emphasis on Advent and each service was begun with the lighting of the next Advent candle. It was a joyous time of anticipation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus and gave us a new perspective on the Christmas season.

Please pray for the following:

• Praise God for granting our residence permits!
• Praise God for our developing ministry partnerships.
• Pray for the Estonian people that God would open their hearts to the gospel and for relationships to begin.
• Pray that God would help us to grasp the Estonian language and to use it more and more fluently.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions
P.O. Box 878
Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.

December Update - Permits & Relationships

“Taotletud elamisloakaardi väljastab alates 24.11.2015.” These were the words that I received in an email one day letting me know that our residence permits were ready to be issued! We are now officially residents in Estonia for a period of two years! We can reapply in two years for an additional two and so on until we can apply for a five year permit at the five-year mark. We are so grateful to God for providing once again and further solidifying His call for us to be here ministering in Estonia.

Every year in Estonia they have the Global Leadership Summit put on by Willow Creek. The people in the foreground are some of the ones we are working with here in Estonia.

The Old Town part of Tallinn has a Christmas market every year with handcrafts, food, and drink. We visited one day and this is the view of the Town Hall Square.

In November, we were able to continue building former relationships that we had when we were here before. We had dinner with two couples this month: one an American missionary family with whom we shared Thanksgiving, and one an Estonian couple with whom I studied with before. The dinner with the Estonian couple was especially pleasant. I knew the young man before when he was single, but had yet to get to know his wife and child. We had a great time of fellowship and getting to know each other better.

We had our first snow on Thanksgiving Day. This is a view from our backyard. The snow melted as quickly as it came and hasn’t snowed yet again. 

The kids received some letters from other kids in our home church in Forney, TX. They were happy reading them all. It provided a nice reminder that people are thinking of them and praying for them. 

Language school continues to press forward. Some days I can understand and respond effortlessly, but then on others, it is as if all language learning has left the building. Needless to say, but Estonian is not the easiest language to learn! But, with God’s grace, we are inching ever forward to being able to converse in Estonian without having to rely so much on English. Please continue to be in prayer for our language studies and for continued relationship building with our Estonian friends.

Please pray for the following:

• Praise God for granting our residence permits!
• Praise God for our developing ministry partnerships.
• Pray for the Estonian people that God would open their hearts to the gospel and for relationships to begin.
• Pray that God would help us to grasp the Estonian language and to use it more and more fluently.

If you or someone you know would like to support the mission and vision that God has given us for Estonia, then send your checks payable to BMAA Missions with “Mission:Estonia Work” in the memo line.  Mail them to the BMAA Missions Office at:

BMAA Missions

P.O. Box 878

Conway, AR 72033

You can also donate online. Click the red “Donate Now” button on the right to donate now!

Your support goes toward helping Estonians find their way to Jesus. Join us!

If you are not currently subscribed to our newsletter and would like to be, then please email me with your email address and I'll be sure and add you.