Progress Report

Tallinn, August 02, 2004

Two months ago I had an opportunity to plunge into the work of the director of the children center and to be honest I had serious doubts the first week if I can manage at all to continue the work that had been launched so successfully by Kersti Raudsepp, my predecessor and founder of the center. Now, two months later I can honestly say I am very happy about the opportunity to work in this place. The busy summer of the children center has passed in the abundance of positive emotions and I will share them with you with greatest pleasure.

But before I get to the facts, I thank everyone who visited us (unfortunately I do not even know everybody’s names) and also those who did not visit but have prayed for us and thought about us. In June and July we had an opportunity to meet about 150 extraordinary people from USA. All of them were deeply interested in how our children are doing and wanted to improve their living standard. I had a possibility to experience how the children of the center turned ever more open and smiling with every passing day thanks to the teams from USA who treated children as best possible parents a child could ever imagine.

Our guests did a lot of valuable work, left here money and supplies needed for everyday work of the children center. Part of the supplies we already had too much of, we gave to Ruusmäe church. The children themselves made a choice what to send and were very proud about the opportunity to make someone happy. From our guests who shared with us their personal charm and love the children learned that there are many valuable things that can never be bought even at however big price and what nevertheless the children and grown ups need most of all-to be loved and to be able to share it with those who for some reason have remained alone.

The first group I had an opportunity to work with was Union UMC, NC whose leader was pastor Jeff Tallent. Since the previous director Kersti was still in the center I was more of a spectator to see what the rules, habits, requirements and the needs of the staff and the children are. The team did a lot of work, setting up shelters above outside doors and also spent time playing with children and teaching them something. We all went to McDonalds to eat and and had a traditional annual picnic at the home of the Board member Enn and Kyllike Laansoo by the sea. I was impressed by the sensitivity and responsiveness of Jeff’s team. Jeff regarding the topics of the sketches in order to give a message to exactly our children. Children liked such approach to be acquainted with the Bible and God very much-it was fun, understandable, and made us think.

The next extraordinary group was the 24-member Christus Chorus from different states and churches in the USA led by Dr. Frieda Gerbert. Although at first we had talked about a picnic of a couple of hours in our yard with the children, everything turned out otherwise, we spent a lot more time together, children became very close with the members of the choir and having heard their beautiful voices, some children went to listen to their songs at the BMC.

The second VIM team was led by Peter Van Eys, from Calvary UMC, Naschville TN and First UMC, Tullahoma, TN . This group split in two, 7 of them worked in the summer camp and 6 of them renovated the inside of our center. The building group did a lot of work by painting the walls and changing the flooring together with teacher Maie who coordinated their work. The camp group did a lot of with the children, although the weather was not helping as it was raining cats and dogs.

Defying the rain we went to see the environment, had competitions in “nations ball” with another children group sleeping over in the same building, we played football and other games, there was a Bible study every day, always through fun and games. The last day of the camp was very beautiful and sunny. We planted 5 birches near the schoolhouse where we had stayed overnight. Every tree symbolized one day spent at Kolga and if anyone of us should happen to visit the place again the then grown trees will remind the then grown previous camp children or the then aged previous teachers (also from USA) of the these days in the camp. At night we visited the seaside, children were swimming, we had a picnic and we enjoyed the extraordinarily beautiful sunset above the sea. We listened meditatively to Peter’s Bible story and were convinced that next year the weather will be fine from the beginning. Children got much closer to each other, many of them became attached to the Americans and I saw the children in a completely different light than in the center. It was a very good experience for all sides. Peter's group stood out for their flexibility and adaptability. They did not let themselves be bothered by unforeseen circumstances which tended to interfere with the work, they gave all of themselves so that the children would feel precious and special. Both in the center, where the rooms have become very beautiful due to the renovation, as well as in the camp where the children learned to appreciate the best qualities of themselves and their peers through games, specifically prepared for this occasion.

The third VIM team was from Asbury UMC, Tulsa OK with 12 people, led by David Meilner. They also did renovation work. Now we look like having a new fence and the lawn is mowed, because Daniel Wall gave us a lawn mower. In addition we have nice cupboards and shelves to keep school supplies, again thanks to the members of the Asbury team. After work there were games and creative work with children. Puppet show was especially fun and joyful. We will remember Asbury group by its infinite joyfulness and playfulness. Actually the team was triple the size and before returning home, the whole group dropped by - 36 people led by Kevin Jeter who also played with children.

Among our guests there were many curious “speed” groups and visitors. Led by Susan Poteat, 22 people from Mt. Bethel church from Marietta, GA promised to come next summer as a VIM team and do their part to enhance the looks of the center. The representative of Shades Valley Rotary Club Birmingham, AL Richard and Karla Vevle gave a big grant for which we have already bought a data projector that has been used to watch photos taken with our visitors and about our other activities during the summer. A small group from First UMC, Montgomery, AL led by their associate pastor Ceremy Brideon together with offerings. David Bratcher and Glenda Creech (First UMC Lexington, KY), many thanks to you all for thinking together with us. Mary Beth Hunter from Hillside UMC, Woodstock, GA came together with Greg Gowers, having a brand new printer-scanner-fax with them, which had been given as a gift by Greg Gowers and Steve Thayer from Hillside UMC. On the last day of the month when the center had already gone to summer vacation a music therapist Sunny Hadder from Alabama visited the center with his three friends. We thank you everybody for money, things, smiles and heartfelt warmth which got accumulated in this house and will be transferred through the hearts of the residents of this house.

So this is June-July as shortly as possible, but on the days that we did not have visitors we did other exciting things—met with the youth police and the children saw that the police are their friend when they are truly in danger either on the street or at home. We went to see the work of boarder guards, visited the doll museum and went swimming. One could write a book about these two months.

We will eagerly be looking forward to the next summer, because that which we get from people visiting us while looking into their eyes, communicating with them, seeing them rejoicing if we are joyful. You will see from above that what we actually got from you is not sellable or buyable, this peace of mind and joy can only be transmitted from person to person looking into their eyes or shared with God’s help through prayers.

In conclusion, I would like to share some thoughts from Members of the Calvary-Tullahoma group. Kim Low from the building group: “After hearing some of the stories of the children of the Lighthouse, I am so thankful that they have such a nice safe place to go. It was evident on their faces on Monday morning as they were gathering for camp that they love being in the Center and especially with the people who give their time to be there for them”.

Genna Mansperger from Kolga camp group. ”On day five it was time to say good-bye and that was harder than I thought it would be. As the children boarded the bus to leave we said good-bye and two things stand out to me the most. The first thing is a young child that seemed to be one of the most difficult children to understand; this child would walk up to you and hit or yell at you for no reason. It was hard to tell if the child cared that we were there, but as we gave him a hug good-bye he held back tears this was hard to see. I wish that I would have had a better bond with him but at least I was able to see that he did care and hated to leave. The second thing that I had a hard time with when it was time to say good-bye was another child that I bonded with this child on day one would not be part of the group he wanted to be alone it was sad to see but, as the week grew he opened up and had the greatest smile it was very heartwarming his eyes glowed when he smiled. He one that would just want to be next to me though out the camp we would hold hands for the walks to the meals he would sit next to me when he had a chance. As he said good-by it was hard, he walked up to me gave me a hug and said, “ good-bye; you stay here” that broke my heart. I hated to leave him but I did receive an email from him.”


Thankfully Yours,
Mall Tamm
Director of Children Center