VIM May 30th-June 7th

Tallinn, June 2004

A group of us from North Carolina and Tennessee had the opportunity to go to Estonia to help at the Lighthouse. Kersti, the director and Jeff Tallent, our pastor, got all the plans in order. We arrived at Poska Villa around midnight on Sunday night. On Monday morning we met the workers at the lighthouse. Mall, Alla and Maie were so helpful and caring. Tanya and Rebeka were our interpreters and we really needed them. They participated in all of the crafts we made and the games we played. The best part was seeing the children opening up to us more as the week went by. On Monday they were real shy, but by Friday we were getting big hugs from all of the children. There is a great need for support from anybody that wants to share God’s love with others. Believe me, you will receive a far greater blessing than you give.

God Bless,

Margaret Ann Williams
Leasburg, NC

PS. We plan to support you.

I did not want to come over here, but my wife would not come without me. When we got here and met the kids, I was really glad I came. I fell in love with them and wanted to take 2 or 3 of them home with me. I will never forget some of the kids. The workers at the Lighthouse are real nice. In a way I do not want to go home, but I have to. We love all of you and we will miss you very much.

Gene Williams
Leasburg, NC

We are members of Union United Methodist Church which is a small rural church in our community. We are in Tallinn, Estonia as part of a ten member mission team, to work at the Lighthouse Children Center. The lighthouse is something almost beyond words. The building is a strong structure with upper and lower rooms which are used for many different things, studies, meals, baths, music and play, and it even has a prayer room. It is not fancy by any means but you can feel God’s love in every room. It is kept clean by the children and staff. The staff work very hard with very little money. They don’t know from month to month if they will have enough to keep the center open. Their love for God and the children are their greatest assets. They not only opened their doors to us, but also their hearts. The children come from very poor families with limited resources. Some come in need of food, clothing, and maybe a hot bath. But all come with big smiles and hearts wanting to give and receive love. We came to bring a blessing to the children of the Lighthouse. We leave with a much greater blessing. On the last day, we heard many times, “are you coming back?”, “you won’t forget us, will you?” How can we forget you, Lighthouse of Estonia, you have stolen our hearts!

Jim and Brenda Powell
Yanceyville, NC USA

My visit to the lighthouse was a heart touching experience. As each day would go by we would see the children eager to come and spend time at the Lighthouse because they were receiving the love they so desperately need. We could see how they would interact with the staff and how obvious the deep caring for the children was filling an emptiness in their lives and they were hungry for that.We saw in their play how the lessons they were being taught were reaching their hearts because so much feeling was in their expression. We felt the project that we did, to put covers over three doors, was so small vs what the needs are, but we were limited by the time we had. Hopefully, as other come they will be able to work on other needs.

My life will never be the same after the experience at the Lighthouse, reaching out and touching and being touched by those in the uttermost parts of the earth gives a sense of peace through obedience and a feeling the Holy Spirit is well pleased with our efforts. I will continue to support the Lighthouse through prayer and working to raise funds so desperately needed.

Carl Ratcliff
Leasburg, NC

It was a very good experience working with the children, they were very nice. I would love to come back again and do some more work with the Lighthouse and the children. I wish we could take some of them back with us.

Chris Ratcliff, teenager
Leasburg, NC

My observation of the over all operation of the Lighthouse was very positive. I know that the Lord is in this place. I could see the work of others before us in the restoration of the building and its furnishings.

The workers were obviously hand picked by God to minister to these children’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Nothing is an accident, God has a purpose for the physical, materials and spiritual realm of our word,

As we return home to Tellico Plains and our own youth mission, we are enriched to see God’s work is being done in other countries.

The look of the unloved child, the abused child, the neglected child, the haunting and searching eyes of need are present universal. We are all called to a mission of awareness that God has awakened in all of us. God will use this week to steer our lives in new directions to his hurting children in Estonia as well as in our own back yards in America.

God’s hands are on the Lighthouse and it still continues to grow and the financial support is already there because God is planting the seeds.

Mary and Ray Tallent
Tellico Plains, TN

The Lighthouse to me is a safe haven for children to go. The children are full of love and just need our open arms and hearts to receive them. I will never forget their beautiful smiles and hugs. You can see hurt in their eyes but even if for just a moment I can make a difference in one of their lives, then there can be nothing greater. The lighthouse is a place the children can receive food, shelter, bath and love. They are helped in many ways by loving teachers. I felt accepted by the children almost immediately and also the workers. I believe even the coldest of hearts can be warmed at the lighthouse by God’s love and his strong presence.

The facility the Lighthouse operates out of is especially big with lots of potential. The children are very happy there and have enough room to grow in numbers. It is kept very clean and the meals catered are healthy and tasty.

Cindy Tallent
Mebane, NC

The Lighthouse.
The light of Christ shines out into a small community of Tallinn from a building that is full of love of God. The work of the Lighthouse meets the needs of some of the impoverished children of Tallinn, and being able to share in that life was a blessing for a UMVIM team from North Carolina USA, We arrived to share the Gospel, do some construction and love the children and staff. We had this idea that we would do our job and leave as we came. That did not happen- we left a changed people. It is the perfectness of our Creator that he has created within us a regenerating heart; and that regeneration is needed now because we left pieces of our hearts throughout the lighthouse with each child and with the people of Tallinn. How incredible our God is to place us in a place of much richness and afford us the ability to partake. Truly our eyes have been turned upon Jesus this week.

Facility.
The Lighthouse facility provides a place of security and spiritual richness for a group who are often forgotten, the children. We shared in these facilities, large rooms for learning and playing, acting out dramas as well as music and art therapy. there are sanitary restrooms and shower facilities, something not all of the children have in their homes. These facilities are kept in order and will continue to be if financial help continues to flow from the countries who have become partners with the Lighthouse.

On our first day at the Lighthouse a groups from Norway arrived to see how the Lighthouse was kept and administered and I believe they were greatly appreciative of the work that the staff does. We became in those few hours the Body of Christ represented by peoples of many languages from several geographic locations without prejudices. We loved each others as Christ loved us.

Staff
Our time at the lighthouse could not have been complete without the care and love of the staff. Kersti Raudsepp helped with our arrangement and she will be sorely missed, but times change. Mall Tamm I met for the first time and I am very impressed by her huge heart, and her administrative abilities. The Lighthouse will be served greatly by her presence as they continue to grow together.

Maie and Alla teach the Estonian and Russian children with a hand of love. It can be difficult at times as they work with many children from troubled homes. But love is the key and they give all that they have to the children of the Lighthouse. We thank them for their patience with us and with guiding us with love. The future of Lighthouse in the perspective of teaching and administration looks bright.

Children
The purpose of the lighthouse is the children of Tallinn. They pass through the doors into the loving arms of those who wait inside. We witnessed the present children of the Lighthouse and the work that they do. They shared with us their spirituality through song and drama, and shared with us their school report cards that have been improved by the tutoring they receive at the Lighthouse.

We learned that the lives of the children away from the Lighthouse can be dangerous and abusive. This is where the professional abilities of Mall Tamm will be beneficial.

I fell in love with all the children and their own unique ways of communication. Some with a smile and others who were a little rougher, but the bond that we built through the week was strengthened by their unique ways. I will remember both the pain and the love I saw in their eyes and I pray for God to protect them and strengthen them in His love.

The Lighthouse is a bright star in a depressed situation. Its ministry is the only outreach for many of the children who enter. For this reason all who read this newsletter must act on their behalf. The teachers and administrators are in place, the children are coming and are growing in faith and knowledge. The only element left is the continual support through prayers, finances and summer work teams. That is left to us.

Jeff Tallent, a pastor from Holston Conference,
presently serving at Mebane, NC