God opened the doors for me to spend two weeks in June carrying the cross from the capital city Riga to Jacobpils, in Latvia. Latvians are by nature, perhaps through conditioning during Soviet times, quite reserved. They found my open approach quite strange, but often I would discover that behind serious faces there can be a warm heart.
While out on the streets with the cross, I met some young guys who had been messed-up with drugs and drink. Praying with one such young man, I felt God’s Spirit so strongly. He told me he knew about God and was wanting to be set free from the hold a lifestyle of alcohol and drugs had on him, and that he believed in the power of the Holy Spirit. I found myself prophesying to him that he would be used by God, not only in his town but further afield and that he would be known as a man whom God’s Spirit had transformed. A local church has undertaken to visit him.
On one occasion I approached several teenage girls and sought to share about Jesus with them and was immediately joined by a woman from a catholic background who proceeded to give a stirring testimony of how she had recently found Jesus. The girls were totally captivated and before long were praying out loud to receive Jesus into their lives. The local pastor was with me and was thrilled to be able to welcome the girls to his church.
The cross opened the door for me to share the gospel with both well-to-do Latvians and also with those who were not so fortunate. A phenomena that I encountered a lot was young people who had been influenced towards God because of Godly grandparents. In one church I addressed a group of praying grandmothers and told them how important they were in the kingdom of God.
I also met old babushka beggar ladies that I cuddled and prayed over. There were lots of big smiles, tears and kisses from them.
I was greeted by a couple of young newspaper reporters who questioned me at length about my faith. They seemed to have taken a shine to me and not only gave me a good front page write-up in their newspaper, but also provided me with free accommodation and food at the end of the day!
The local deputy-mayor, a good woman who cared deeply about her town met me and questioned me about my faith. She was so pleased that I had come to pray and share the good news of Jesus in her town.
Another time I was able to stay at the local Baptist church and witness alongside a Latvian-American guy who worked as a missionary there. One young mother that we shared with came to the church for the first time to receive practical help. The missionary was thrilled at this instant response and is aware that people are starting to trust the church.
In one Lutheran church we began to pray and suddenly the heavy presence of Jesus was there. We all sensed Him. It is typical of God to show up so strongly, not just amongst young exuberant Pentecostals, but also in a meeting full of gentle, formal, elderly Lutherans. Wonderful!
In Jacobpils, we talked to many young people and had an especially good time with a young man on a stunt bike. He initially told me that he had no faith, but the Holy Spirit began drawing him to Jesus and he went off with a copy of John’s gospel, assuring me that he was going to look into Jesus. He was yet another guy I met where God clearly seemed to have his hand on their lives.
I felt it was a great visit in Latvia and was helped so much by so many great Baptist folk and my prayer is that Jesus will move strongly in that beautiful country.
Carrying the cross in Riga