Ministry update archives

Ministry and family updates (archive)

February 26, 2008 - Today we celebrate our third year of marriage! God has been good to us. Besides helping with the website, Denise helps with keeping me well fed. Today she made what she called a chocolate egg-nog. Olivia is now 20 months old. Check out Denise's link with video clips of Olivia. Two days from now we will be moving from our present meeting room and into our apartment in Tallinn. This will be a temporary move, but we may be there a few months. The present meeting room has plans to be torn down and I don't want to keep waiting in suspense for notice about that. If more regularly attended our meetings I might feel different. The building may still be standing for months to come but I decided to move out at this time. A co-renter in the building heard that it is coming down in the spring. This move is one step back (out of a downtown location and a place we nicely fixed-up) but will hopefully allow us to take two steps forward (to just as good of a location and a larger place). I pray this will be a growth time spiritually for those we work with.
On Thursday evening the 21st power was out for our meeting and on Sunday the 24th the power went off again after 20 minutes into the meeting. This also meant we didn't have heat, and it was too cold to stay for the entire hour. The whole month there hasn't been water which means that the restroom facility couldn't be used and we had to bring in water for our tea and coffe and for washing. Definate inconveniences and uncomforts especially in winter months.

February 17, 2008 - This is our first entry for 2008. Before the year slips away, it is important to make the most of each day. God bless you richly! I praise the Lord for my dear wife Denise who has helped with this website. We visited Heigo in the convalescent home today, and the video below is a few minutes of our time together. He is thankful for people lifting him up in prayer. He has no feeling in his left leg nor arm, but is able to stand. I rigged up a mirror to his bed frame so he could shave in the morning. All the rooms were full of people, but we only saw one lady working this Sunday afternoon. Whatever physical therapy Heigo is able to do is done on his own without help. This is a nursing home out in a village where there is little choice in the matter. The building was originally a hospital and built prior to 1945 and the Soviet Union. I was encouraged to see he had a Bible and hymnbook at his bedside, and he requested I sing a song for him. He shared his crackers with Olivia.

(click "play" several times once the video loads.)

Heigo's sister Luule lives less than a mile away and we visited her for a couple of minutes afterward. She takes care of her two grand daughters most of the day. People are still accepting tracts which is encouraging and we continue to pray for response to them. Besides our weekly meetings, I have a Bible study going on with two people by mail. I'm also working on an Estonian tract, for the glory of God and souls to be saved.

For the past couple of months I've been hurting; pain in the right side of my lower back, leg and foot has made things uncomfortable but the Lord strengthens me to get his word out and continue with our weekly meetings. The subject of Baptism was taught to Märt and Kulno on a few occasions the past couple months. We pray they will be obedient to that command. I'm pretty sure they are both saved. A man named Tarmo wanted to have his son baptised, which has given me an opportunity to explain that it is for believers only.

The weather this winter has been very mild, no extreme temps and little snow. However, there has been a lot of rain. Everyone is anticipating an early spring, but we'll see. It is kind of nice to still see somewhat green-brown lawns although there are no leaves on the trees. Daylight hours are increasing.

November 16, 2007 - From September 17^th to November 6^th we traveled to three states to participate in four missions conferences. It was the first time I’ve participated in any type of missions conference since deputation in 1993! Denise prepared a dvd of our ministry that received many compliments. I was very pleased with her work. Olivia did well on our trip besides contracting a flu that caused her to vomit daily for the space of a week or more. One day I was bed ridden but Denise didn’t seem to get as sick. We were also able to visit with family. I was able to personally lead a young man to the Lord after a church service. Since we’ve been back we are continuing with our previous schedule of Bible study and church meetings. Estonians and Russians will take gospel tracts, but we are still praying for visitors. Who knows how many will be saved although never attend our meetings? There is snow in Estonia now that we are adapting to.

June 7, 2007 - The past week there has been exceptionally warm and clear weather. It almost makes us forget about the dark and cold winters. At the end of May we visited a supporting church in Leiusaint, France for their missions conference. It was the first time in awhile that I spoke through an interpreter. The people were responsive and a blessing to us. We were in France one week, during which time we visited the American WWII cemetary in Normandy. It was a great reminder of the many thousands of lives sacrificed for the freedom we experience today.

Olivia celebrated her first birthday on June 5th! It was a small occasion with Märt and Imbi over for some cake. Tonight we will celebrate again with the Smith family. Bringing up a child is a 24/7 occupation. A few teeth are beginning to show. She doesn't walk yet, but travels well on her belly, and imitates some of our gestures and sounds.

The hostility over the Soviet war monumnet has settled, but there are still debates. Moscow has raised its voice in protest. The monument was not destroyed but only relocated. Continue to pray for peace here between the Russian and Estonian people.

Heigo is doing well from his operation and will be with us again on Sunday. Märt's job will end with the close of the school year, but I will try to keep him occupied with translation and ministry work. I hope to get some events organized with the children's home.

People still accept tracts which is an encouragement to me, but we would like to see more visitors. After our meeting last night a youngman was very polite to receive a tract. We continually pray for openness to the gospel.

May 3, 2007 - Pray for peace. Estonian nationalists and Russian youth are engaged in what can only be described as a clash - both groups live in two different realities that concern the past, and Russian youth are using the moving of a war memorial as the excuse for rioting, picketing, and slandering the government. The riots were short lived, and today the funeral was held for a Russian youth who was stabbed over the weekend during one of the evening riots. We are praying God will use this for his glory. It is a time of war, intolerance and hatred all over the world, it seems. We've been fortunate up until now in Estonia to enjoy relative peace and a growing economy. Hopefully this will be just a "speed bump" in the nation's growth, and that the new leaders will react wisely.

Heigo had surgery a few weeks ago, and we are happy he is recovering and in good spirits. Looks like we will be blessed by his presence for a while longer, so are thanking God for his mercy and love. We miss his upbeat and spirited personality when he is not with us! Heigo says he is not as strong as he was before the surgery, and feeling his 75 years. His greatest fear was that the surgeon would leave an instrument inside of him...so imagine how great his joy was to learn he was stitched up just fine! Märt has adjusted to his new job, and even hears word that his old place wants him back. It took such a long time for him to find a permanent position, that we are happy he is developing a good reputation in the workplace.

Jake and Donna Turnbow have returned to the states. We are praying for their safe and speedy return, and also for their comfort and encouragement. This is a busy time for us, as we prepare for the summer, and try to build eachother up in the Lord. Olivia is healthy, and sleeping through the night finally. She chatters away, can say "da da" and bunches of other monosyllabic sounds that, when strung together, might as well be Chinese. No teeth yet, and she scoots rather than crawls, but no hurry. She is a joy!

January 26, 2007 - It's been three months since our last entry. First of all Happy New Year!!!

Toward the end of November I had a computer crash and because I didn't have any back up, everything from the past two years was lost. It is hightly recommended back-up your computer with cds, dvds or preferably an external hard drive. Fortunately Bro. Warthan at our home church was able to salvage a lot of files, except for email. We were in the states from the 7th of December to the 15th of January, visiting family in California and Wisconsin. I think we are now over any jet lag. While we were away, Estonia's weather was relatively mild, but almost every day here the past week we've had snow. It snowed over one foot last night.

I wanted to go to the states at that time to show off Olivia to family and friends. Olivia was six months old when we arrived there but is now almost eight months old. It is a joy to see her develop and a challenge to take care of her sometimes. She hasn't begun crawling yet but can pull herself along the floor with her arms a little. I gave her the nickname "kicky" because her legs seem to be constantly in motion. She can make good ground by rolling and will grab anything within reach. Her speech is developing and her giggles are priceless. We thank God for her. Please continue to pray for her and how we raise her to know the Lord.

While in the states the Turnbows continued with meetings; it was good to see them again. Sometimes I overlook the past ten years when there was no one here to share in ministry. The Smiths took care of our apartment and met us at the airport with my car when we flew into Tallinn. Just two days before I was driving in sunny Southern California! Now we slide through the snow, however not on a sled; and my car has more than horse power. It was good to see Märt again. He got a new job working in a school library. Hopefully this job will be long term. Tomorrow will be our second Sunday in Tallinn and we pray for God to continue to do His work in our meetings.

September 25, 2006 - We caught our first glimpse of geese in flight this week. Watching the nearly perfect v-shape is a wonderful opportunity to stop and reflect upon God’s creation, the passage of time, and a variety of other ruminations. Denise wondered aloud if they would all make it back, and we debated if the proper term is “flock” or “gaggle.” They certainly were magnificent to watch against a pink and orange sky. What a blessing to have eyes to see such an event.

It has been a while since our last update. All is well, just busy. Having an infant has been very distracting also. Olivia will be four months old next week, and we love spending time with her. We have been told countless numbers of times that this is a precious time and to enjoy it, so that is exactly what we are doing. She hasn’t been out of our sight since the moment she was born, and we’ve left off putting the camera back in its case. We’ve applied for a living permit for Olivia, and are praying it will be processed quickly. We need to have it in hand before leaving for the states in December. We will be there one month.

Now that the fall is in full swing, we have begun a sports outreach. We rent a local gym and host an evening of basketball on Saturdays. You may recall one young man, Tanel, whom we have worked with. He was put in charge of finding neighborhood kids to play, and for the first game 9 boys and 1 girl turned out. Jake Turnbow coached and we both refereed. It was great fun, and we liked being with this younger age group, all around the ages of 14-16. We will also offer Friday evening activities to young people throughout the winter, at the meeting room downtown. We are eager to see our ping-pong table put to good use, and to share the gospel with young people here.

A neighbor lady is tutoring Denise in Estonian. In return, Denise gives her foot treatments that include massage. This lady is nearly 70, and suffers from poor circulation and anxiety. She occasionally makes it out to our meetings. Denise continues to lead the women’s bible study on Monday afternoons, and will soon be resuming the coursework necessary to complete her master’s degree. She suspended her studies just before Olivia was born, and is eager to finish.

Our car had the misfortune of being hit recently, and it will be a while before the body can be fixed. We praise the Lord I wasn’t hurt, and that Olivia and Denise weren’t with me when it happened. Car accidents are on the rise here, as are accident-related deaths.


Geese in formation flying south		Saturday night basketball	Olivia "reading"	Dent in auto

August 14, 2006 - Sunday August 6 we were blessed with the visit of Dr. Fred Moritz and his wife Judy. He is the director of the Turnbows' mission board, World Baptist Mission. Dr. Moritz preached from I Timothy 6:12-16 and I interpreted. It was one of the few times that I have ever interpreted a preaching message into Estonian. Last Thursday I went fishing with a couple of the young men who have attended some meetings. One of them professes to be saved. Please continue to pray for them and others. We didn't catch any fish. Our little Olivia is doing well and we praise God for her even with the growing pains on both sides.


Matt interprets for Dr. Moritz	Märt, Denise and Olivia, Imbi, Donna, Ume, Jake, Heigo, and Dr. and Mrs. Moritz

June 17, 2006 - Olivia Faye Graziano was born June 5th, at 6:14 am. She and mom are healthy, and we are thrilled with how the experience went. Ron Easton, a brother serving in Lithuania, recently visited us as he is contemplating whether or not the Lord would have him minister here. Through him we received a donation of used clothing to use in the ministry. Visitors have come to the meetings the past month in response to the sign on the building and a newspaper ad.

Olivia Faye Graziano, 15 minutes old, June 5, 2006