Progress Report 4_02

Tallinn, August 31, 2002

An incredibly busy and incredibly wonderful two months have passed since I last wrote. On top of Estonia becoming a warm country with no rain and continuous sunshine, there has been a lot of sunshine in and through the activities of Lighthouse.

We are so grateful to all our guests who have come by and shared their love and gifts with us. Special thanks to the groups from Chapelwood UMC, Houston, TX; Mt. Bethel UMC, Marietta, GA; Asbury UMC, Tulsa, OK; Canterbury UMC, Birmingham, AL and First Broad Street, Kingsport, TN for all the supplies and other needed items that they so abundantly provided.

The children, however, seem to remember those more who spend most time with them. In that regard Chapelwood stands out in their minds and daily discussions as we were together at Camp Gideon with 11 children during a children’s camp and then took us to bowling and McDonalds one day and a grillout picnic and Bible study the next day. The Tennessee VIM team (from Kingsport, Nashville and Tullahoma) closely follows as we had another picnic with crafts and Bible study and pizza in the open air museum with them.

July was definitely a month of camps. In early summer I discovered a donation on our bank account designated “Camp Scholarships” and given by Harald Dusjeland from Norway. As a result, we provided 19 scholarships into four shifts of Camp Gideon, the Methodist camp.

We also had our own camp on the third week of August at Ahja Mission Center, which is run by the local Methodist church. The other day in that camp as we were watching those precious ones, I was engaged in a casual conversation with Kaidi Nõmmik, a Summer Intern who ended up carrying the main teaching load in the month of July. At one point in our discussion we both realized that these kids deserve to have the whole summer like that-running happy and free, not having to think about where their next meal comes from or where they can spend the night. After the camp I also feel so much closer to some children. You can read more of that camp in a special edition of a Camp Report (see the link above) that I wrote right after returning.

In August we had another student Liis Voogjärv do her Internship with us. We were very blessed to welcome a new teacher Alla Gluhhova in our midst. She is Russian by nationality and has worked with children for over twenty years. Her mild, yet firm way of relating to children has already broken many a hard shell.

We have also been blessed financially. We applied for a grant to a government office and received a substantial donation-yet half of what had been asked. Many thanks to all whose financial gifts are making a difference: Memorial UMC, Clinton, TN; Ase Mariendal from Norway; Chapelwood UMC, Houston, TX; Mt. Bethel UMC, Marietta, GA; New Lebanon Church, Jasper, GA; Barney Wilborn, Birmingham AL, Canterbury UMC, Birmingham, AL; Ruth Moredock, Nashville, TN; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stras, Kingport, TN; UMM of Belleview UMC; Nashville, TN; Louise Ammons, Kingsport, TN and Tennessee VIM team. The van that our Norwegian friends from Estland’s Committee gave us as a gift is running smoothly. It was a very helpful vehicle in the Ahja camp and will hopefully serve us for many years to come.

As to the daily routine of Lighthouse, I will have to leave that for some time for I will be coming to the States. Thank you for the invitations to the regions of Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Houston, TX, Nashville TN and Tri-Cities, TN. Thank you all who have been involved in planning for this trip. On that trip I will have a new Lighthouse video with me. Special thanks to Curt McKee who wrote a song “Welcome to the Lighthouse”, featured in that video. I will be looking forward to meeting many of you in the States.

Words fail me when I try to express my gratitude for all the support and encouragement as well as new and renewed friendships you have so abundantly lavished on us this summer and always.

May the Lord Bless you abundantly and reward you for your labor of love.

Kersti Raudsepp
Children Center Lighthouse