By Keith McWhorter

Missionary Project Coordinator

We had the distinct privilege of being a part of the International Commission mission to Lithuania and Latvia.

Team participation included 11 Americans from Florida, North Carolina and Kentucky. Ages ranged from 51 to 78 years.

Two International Mission Board missionaries provided support. Three missionaries worked with three churches in Lithuania and eight ministered with four churches in Latvia.

The pastors had a good deal of activity planned for us. We shared in the following venues: prisons, a juvenile detention center, a shelter for abused women, retirement homes, churches, homes, a rehabilitation center, a hospital, an after school program, a senior adult center and the streets and parks.

The primary reason we go is to share the Good News and see people accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. We did this of course and saw 77 indicate they prayed to accept Christ.

There were also 39 rededications and 3 for baptism. We also go to encourage the church and to mentor evangelism. All participants felt we may have seen a greater impact on the pastors and churches in relation to the encouragement and mentoring. The Baptist footprint in these countries is very small. Pastors and church members feel beaten down and discouraged. They also did not seem to know they could go outside the walls of the church and evangelize.

Comments were made by the pastors, most who have been in ministry for many years, “I didn’t know we could do evangelism like this.” The pastors and churches were encouraged and requested International Commission to send teams to their churches next year. Now that they have caught the vision, I feel the next mission will see increased results.

For the next mission to Lithuania and Latvia testimony brochures need to be prepared 50/50 in Russian and the native tongue. Older folks speak Russian but younger ones speak their native tongue and are learning English in school instead of Russian as before. There is also a marked animosity toward Russia so many resent being asked to speak Russian.

Joyce M. of Florida wrote, “After a time of visitation with us to homes and on the street, it was a thrill to see our driver and translator pick up the ball and run with it in the Russian language without our help. The pastor on 3 different occasions sent pairs of high school kids on to the streets and into the park with us. They caught the spirit of what we were trying to do and began approaching people themselves often with better success.”

Note: Approaching people without invitation is difficult in this culture so the nationals were amazed that it could be successful if done with love.

Dennis L., North Carolina, said, “At a Rehab Center where they are gathered to hear my testimony and a simple gospel presentation, seven men and women prayed to receive Christ. I thought I would never see them again in this world. However, the Director brought them to Ukmerge Baptist Church on Sunday morning and I was able to see them and preach to them. Pastor Kestus was so thrilled to see his church filled to overflowing for the first time in his ministry.”

Ted Burchett, Albany, Kentucky, said “I went to a shelter for the abused and met a lady who had just found out the day before that her husband had been sexually abusing their 16 year old son for the past ten years. This lady had been hoping all day that God would send her someone to pray with her. She accepted Christ as her Savior as I shared the gospel with her.”

Note: We see many “divine appointments” as we go on mission with expectant hearts.

Frances S., Florida, “Visited a very poor family (outside well and outhouse) out in the country.

Nine children, six at home, youngest just a toddler. Pastor’s daughter, Mary, helped three of the girls fill out the questions and pray the prayer! Tender hearts! We left gifts for the children and

Pastor Slava had purchased bananas and candy for the family and told us he would buy more groceries for them. I feel we were an encouragement to the congregation to be more open and friendly to strangers.”

Val Lulaks, Albany, Kentucky, who fled Latvia with his family as a small boy in 1945 as World War II was ending, was privileged to return to his home country for the first time.

A young couple who was being pastored by Bro. Anatoly was visited. After an explanation, this couple accepted Jesus as their Savior!

Keith McWhorter

Project Coordinator

Clinton County resident Val Lulaks sharing the gospel at the Blue Cross Church in Riga the last day before the mission ended.