Finishing well and kicking off Summer!
How did we do it? Good question? After nearly seven-nine (depending on who ya are) months of ministry in Lithuania we are exhausted! While students are still in the midst of exams, presentations, and papers, our team got to retreat to a small town called Žarasai. Our team along with the five staff from Vilnius went for three days. We met in town and headed to a small cottage in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Only the Storks knew what was where because they were like the mile markers on top of the telephone poles that dotted the dirt roads we took. Once, we got to the cottage we spent time playing some fun games. One of the games that was very memorable was a game we played with toilet paper. There were two teams and each of us had to roll the toilet paper over our heads in a line and then under as the toilet paper wrapped around our head and ankles. You can imagine the sight.
After, our games we got to hear about what God did in Vilnius. It is really amazing to think about how God has been working here over the years. There are students involved in leading Alpha courses, being discipled and reaching out to their friends to share the Gospel. There are students preparing to go to Russia this summer to share the Gospel in a Muslim area of Russia. Their preparations include raising prayer and financial support, coming to Kaunas for a day of outreach, and preparing to minister to Muslim students. This is huge here in Lithuania! They don’t have the influence of teaching about reaching others for Christ, but they are getting a taste of God’s heart through this! Also, three students in Vilnius have made decisions to follow Jesus this school year. Praise God! This is just a taste of what God has done in Vilnius in and through the staff and students. What an awesome taste of God’s gracious hand.
The second day, our team got to share what God had done in and through our lives. Peter and Jen put together a short film, sharing how each of us was blessed this semester and some fun photos of our team and students. Each of us in addition got to share about how we were touched personally this year. I (Tiana) got a chance to look back over our prayer requests this last year and wrote a prayer of thanksgiving to God. I read this prayer of thanksgiving together to rejoice in what God has done. Here is a copy of that prayer.
Father
This is our prayer of thanks. We know that you have answered many unasked things too and so we say thank you. We know that you are a Father who hears our prayers and knows all that we need so that even though we might not know it, you do. Thanks for the things you provided that we didn’t even know we needed. Thanks for the challenges, the pain, and even the times of sadness that brought us to repentance. Thanks for the fun times, for friendship with you and our team. Thanks for your leading as we walk along this road which for this time has the seven of us together in it. Thanks that because you are a Father who continues to show His great love for His children through Jesus that we can approach you with boldness and confidence.
In this we rejoice and say thanks. As we remember these prayers we remember you, your faithfulness, your loving-kindness, and your mercy.
In this we rejoice and say thanks.
A year ago we prayed for hearts that love Lithuanians and God answered giving us hearts that are learning how to love them best.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
A year ago we prayed for a language teacher and continued to pray for a language teacher for Peter and Jen. God provided Dalia and gave us a deeper connection with her and her friends. God seemed to leave the door to language studies for Peter and Jen closed.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We prayed for the relationships on our team. For Peter and Jen and Matt and Sharon, that God would protect their marriages and for good communication. And as a team that God would allow us to grow in communication together. God provided challenging situations, painful talks, honesty, forgiveness and commitment to show each person the depths of love that God will go for them.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We prayed for the Easter celebration and God provided Nerijus to follow up with further. God prompted the relationship to develop between Nerijus and Matt.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Nerijus and Vaida in our prayers so that they would not go to Greece to work for this summer. God heard and answered our prayers.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Jen in our prayers for her to have time with our Father and to be guided into truth. He met her faithfully and guided her time of reflection and gave her truth and perspective when needed.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Peter in our prayers and his film projects and his need for good sleep and back pain. God provided projects and grew Peter in his understanding and use in this area. God also gave short nights and long nights and recently provided weekly massages.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Sharon in our prayers for wisdom this last semester on how to pursue the women she knows. God provided meetings in the street and e-mails with Egle, and prompted her with the idea to give study break gifts for Agna and Vaida.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Jason in our prayers for his growth in understanding his relationship with God and for wisdom on how to share his life with the guys he knows. God provided Algis, Taudas, Marufus, Giedrius and some Mormons to meet.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Kellie in our prayers for her persistence in International English Corner and for women to meet with weekly. God provided Kellie with the connection with Irma who helped to get us a room for IEC and then He closed the door for this semester. God also provided relationships with Ramune, Liuba and Gintare.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
My team remembered me in their prayers for my personal growth in communication and for meetings with Asta, Laura, Erika and Rima. God provided challenging situations and talks with people. God also provided sensitivity to His Spirit and direction during conversations that I had no idea about how to respond.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered the city of Kaunas and the students in our prayers. God has heard them and we wait upon Him for revival and for future leaders who follow Him.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
Father, thanks that you have heard your people and responded out of your love for your children. To you we give all honor and glory! Amen!
Overall our retreat proved to be a great transition into summer as we got time to reflect and celebrate God’s provisions. This summer many of us will be taking time off to rest and relax so that we can be prepared for this coming fall. We will also be preparing for a summer team from Good Shepherd as well as a team from Coram Deo Fellowship. We are excited to see God work this next year. I am especially excited because we get to spend another whole year in ministry here, where as many teams have prepared to go home. It will be fun to look back next summer and to see how God has grown us and the students we are in contact with. Hopefully, we will be able to take what we have learned and be able to continue to step out in faith more and more as well as be able to connect with students and the culture of Lithuania.
How did we do it? Good question? After nearly seven-nine (depending on who ya are) months of ministry in Lithuania we are exhausted! While students are still in the midst of exams, presentations, and papers, our team got to retreat to a small town called Žarasai. Our team along with the five staff from Vilnius went for three days. We met in town and headed to a small cottage in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Only the Storks knew what was where because they were like the mile markers on top of the telephone poles that dotted the dirt roads we took. Once, we got to the cottage we spent time playing some fun games. One of the games that was very memorable was a game we played with toilet paper. There were two teams and each of us had to roll the toilet paper over our heads in a line and then under as the toilet paper wrapped around our head and ankles. You can imagine the sight.
After, our games we got to hear about what God did in Vilnius. It is really amazing to think about how God has been working here over the years. There are students involved in leading Alpha courses, being discipled and reaching out to their friends to share the Gospel. There are students preparing to go to Russia this summer to share the Gospel in a Muslim area of Russia. Their preparations include raising prayer and financial support, coming to Kaunas for a day of outreach, and preparing to minister to Muslim students. This is huge here in Lithuania! They don’t have the influence of teaching about reaching others for Christ, but they are getting a taste of God’s heart through this! Also, three students in Vilnius have made decisions to follow Jesus this school year. Praise God! This is just a taste of what God has done in Vilnius in and through the staff and students. What an awesome taste of God’s gracious hand.
The second day, our team got to share what God had done in and through our lives. Peter and Jen put together a short film, sharing how each of us was blessed this semester and some fun photos of our team and students. Each of us in addition got to share about how we were touched personally this year. I (Tiana) got a chance to look back over our prayer requests this last year and wrote a prayer of thanksgiving to God. I read this prayer of thanksgiving together to rejoice in what God has done. Here is a copy of that prayer.
Father
This is our prayer of thanks. We know that you have answered many unasked things too and so we say thank you. We know that you are a Father who hears our prayers and knows all that we need so that even though we might not know it, you do. Thanks for the things you provided that we didn’t even know we needed. Thanks for the challenges, the pain, and even the times of sadness that brought us to repentance. Thanks for the fun times, for friendship with you and our team. Thanks for your leading as we walk along this road which for this time has the seven of us together in it. Thanks that because you are a Father who continues to show His great love for His children through Jesus that we can approach you with boldness and confidence.
In this we rejoice and say thanks. As we remember these prayers we remember you, your faithfulness, your loving-kindness, and your mercy.
In this we rejoice and say thanks.
A year ago we prayed for hearts that love Lithuanians and God answered giving us hearts that are learning how to love them best.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
A year ago we prayed for a language teacher and continued to pray for a language teacher for Peter and Jen. God provided Dalia and gave us a deeper connection with her and her friends. God seemed to leave the door to language studies for Peter and Jen closed.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We prayed for the relationships on our team. For Peter and Jen and Matt and Sharon, that God would protect their marriages and for good communication. And as a team that God would allow us to grow in communication together. God provided challenging situations, painful talks, honesty, forgiveness and commitment to show each person the depths of love that God will go for them.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We prayed for the Easter celebration and God provided Nerijus to follow up with further. God prompted the relationship to develop between Nerijus and Matt.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Nerijus and Vaida in our prayers so that they would not go to Greece to work for this summer. God heard and answered our prayers.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Jen in our prayers for her to have time with our Father and to be guided into truth. He met her faithfully and guided her time of reflection and gave her truth and perspective when needed.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Peter in our prayers and his film projects and his need for good sleep and back pain. God provided projects and grew Peter in his understanding and use in this area. God also gave short nights and long nights and recently provided weekly massages.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Sharon in our prayers for wisdom this last semester on how to pursue the women she knows. God provided meetings in the street and e-mails with Egle, and prompted her with the idea to give study break gifts for Agna and Vaida.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Jason in our prayers for his growth in understanding his relationship with God and for wisdom on how to share his life with the guys he knows. God provided Algis, Taudas, Marufus, Giedrius and some Mormons to meet.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered Kellie in our prayers for her persistence in International English Corner and for women to meet with weekly. God provided Kellie with the connection with Irma who helped to get us a room for IEC and then He closed the door for this semester. God also provided relationships with Ramune, Liuba and Gintare.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
My team remembered me in their prayers for my personal growth in communication and for meetings with Asta, Laura, Erika and Rima. God provided challenging situations and talks with people. God also provided sensitivity to His Spirit and direction during conversations that I had no idea about how to respond.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
We remembered the city of Kaunas and the students in our prayers. God has heard them and we wait upon Him for revival and for future leaders who follow Him.
In this we rejoice and give thanks.
Father, thanks that you have heard your people and responded out of your love for your children. To you we give all honor and glory! Amen!
Overall our retreat proved to be a great transition into summer as we got time to reflect and celebrate God’s provisions. This summer many of us will be taking time off to rest and relax so that we can be prepared for this coming fall. We will also be preparing for a summer team from Good Shepherd as well as a team from Coram Deo Fellowship. We are excited to see God work this next year. I am especially excited because we get to spend another whole year in ministry here, where as many teams have prepared to go home. It will be fun to look back next summer and to see how God has grown us and the students we are in contact with. Hopefully, we will be able to take what we have learned and be able to continue to step out in faith more and more as well as be able to connect with students and the culture of Lithuania.
