fall07'

fall07

These are a few photos from my numerous trips to Southwestern Missouri this month. I'm the coach for the corps down in that area and have had a great time visiting them and getting to know about their work. But, it is a 4+ hour drive each way and I'm glad it's done for a while. And as you can tell by the photos, I was getting a little bored with the trip.

Christmas started for The Salvation Army in our division early in November. We had our Tree of Lights kickoff, which was excellent. We have a good team here. I've been helping out playing my horn for a few events. It's been a few years since I did that and I can tell! I've aged a bit, including my eyesight. It's much harder to read the music these days, especially if I'm supposed to be moving at the same time I'm playing. I tried to play in the Thanksgiving Day parade while trying to stay on a moving float, but am afraid I just blurted out some horrible sounds. I'm sure it was funny to watch but maybe not the best PR for us. I'll post some pictures later. I've decided to let the younger ones do that next year, I can walk along beside and hand out candy!

After that I traveled to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with the Jordan/Arnold family. The dinner was excellent. I do love this holiday and since it is uniquely American, have definitely missed it. The rest of the weekend has been casual, hanging out with the Jordans - until this afternoon. The Chicago Staff Band 100th anniversary concert event starts. I've decided to play in the Alumni band (after the parade I'm seriously considering I've made a mistake!), so have a rehearsal then the CSB concert tonight. And tomorrow more of the same. It's nice to be home for this, as I'm sure I'll get to see lots of old friends. I'll post some pictures later. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who it applies to. To the rest - I am thankful for you and your interest and frindship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LATVIA

my first day in Riga (August 04)

and Happy Birthday Sian!

this was when Sian and I first became friends - 3 years ago!

and on one of our last days together in Latvia.

Pray for Latvia, please. Read Sarah's blog to give you some clear direction: http://ilsters.blogspot.com/

Corps I visited since last post: Maplewood, Marion, Carthage and Mattoon
Corps I'll visit in the next few weeks (that I'm aware of now): Springfield, Branson, Joplin, Carthage, O'Fallon, Euclid
Topics that came across my desk today: Disaster work, Development and Advisory Boards, Social services, service extension, Mission Planning Council, homosexuality, complaining people, Come Join Our Army, Christmas cards, Camp, pastoral care and encouraging the field, Christmas events, Vital Signs (corps reviews), job descriptions, Officers' councils, and more but I can't remember now what it was
Blessings today: Benny who visits every day with a big smile, Mary who takes care of me, Carla who listens and makes me feel good, Vicki who is patient with me, the fall colors, lots of smiling children 'trick or treating' at my house, getting to know my coffee shop girls, talking with my sister and more but I can't remember now what they were

Here are some pictures from a few different events and especially showing you my daily drive to and from DHQ. And for my non-American friends, a few Halloween pics. Commentary included and comments welcome.

fall 07

fall 07

Sighs, Cries and Joy

Last week my good friends (the Stuarts) lost their mom and grandma. The funeral was beautiful, a real testimony to God's faithfulness and Jean's faithfulness to Him throughout her life. But, still my friends are sad and my heart hurts for them. I know something about losing a parent and that pain isn't easily removed. In fact, some of sadness and loss remains even 10+ years later. I pray that they will also find joy and peace, knowing that Jean is at rest and her body is healed forever. There is hope even in grief.

Officers' Councils was amazing, if I say so myself, since I was responsible for it. God's faithfulness came through in so many ways. Everyone pitched in and made the week go smoothly. The Holy Spirit was evident from the first meeting and His work continued all 3 days. We had time to pray, worship, learn and laugh. All of it was needed. I especially appreciated the retired officers. They are a wonderful group, who offered support, encouragement and friendship. I am so glad they were with us and look forward to good times with them in the future. I also loved working with the DHQ staff - what a great group of friends. God has put us together for a purpose and I'm excited to see how that works out. And the officers in the division were great - positive, friendly and responsive. It will be a blessing to visit them and support them.

Latvian friends (you know who you are!) I really have missed you these days. We sang songs that we also sang in Latvia, I've been telling stories about you and well, I miss you! I'm not very good at communicating but it doesn't mean I've forgotten you. I pray for you often and think of you daily!

Once again, I am so thankful for God's faithful and loving work in me and around me. In spite of challenges in 'transitioning', I know God's presence and guidance. He's in it all!

Looking for a new name

Any suggestions for a more up to date and relevant title for my blog? Although most days I still feel like I'm somewhere in between Latvia and the US.

Let's see...what's been happening since I last updated? Do you have a few hours? Here are some of the highlights:

• Men's camp was fun to be part of - I loved hearing the men sing. Have to admit I didn't stay 'til the end, though. I was beginning to feel like I was in the way. Reports are that the Spirit moved wonderfully among them.
• I've visited 5 of the corps for their Sunday meetings, so far. They are as varied as can be, kind of like the 7 corps in Latvia! I'm hoping to choose a corps to soldier at by the end of the month. Pray that I make the right decision.
• We had a great United Meeting here in St. Louis at the Temple Corps. Their worship team is amazing and it was a good opportunity to meet lots of the people from the division.
• Our DHQ staff retreat was exactly what we needed - a spiritual retreat and lots of fun. It was a wonderful start to our team working together. I'm so glad that our DCs see this as a priority. We have some big challenges ahead and unity will be extremely important. The Lord was faithful in meeting with us. We laughed a lot, too!
• Last weekend we had a city fund-raiser at Grant's Farm. It was super - fun working with other DHQ employees/officers; great music (70s & 80s), including a chance for a couple of our young adults to play with the band - they were amazing and impressed the pros too and a good PR moment for the Army.
• Sunday morning I went to the Gateway corps, where I was corralled into playing in the band and then stayed for the best pot-luck lunch I have had in a long time. This corps has lots of retired officers, many who are important in my life. It was good to be with them.
• And the best thing I've done so far is attend the Multi-cultural Conference this past weekend. I can't begin to explain how powerful and inspiring it was. 2 of the best speakers I've ever heard challenging us about building multiethnic congregations - all Army leaders need to hear them. Great worship led by the St. Charles worship band, including Brian R., a phenomenal musician who I haven't heard in years. And lots of fun catching up with old friends and even meeting some new. Maybe I'll write more later.
• Had my debriefing interview at THQ on Friday. I blabbed on and on, although I didn't intend to - are you surprised?! It was a good meeting.
• This week is a little overloaded with Officers' Councils preparation and starting tomorrow evening I'm attending a Christian Community Development Seminar for the rest of the week. It should be very good, but maybe not the best timing.
• I'm adjusting to life in the suburbs. That includes living in a large house, commuting up to 1 hour, 1 way every day (that means getting up in the dark and often coming home in the dark), figuring out how to maintain a lawn when I'm never home, trying to get rid of a skunk who seems to be living under my house (we've called an expert in for that!) And trying to avoid eating fast food for most meals. To handle that, I've joined Curves and am excited about feeling healthier and having more energy.
• Want to pray? Pray for our officers, especially our meetings together next week. We need unity of vision, they need to know they are cared for and supported and we all need to worship and pray together. I'm expecting the Lord to do something great among us - pray toward that end, would you?
• Finally, I've been reading Nehemiah - what a great book! I'm finding great inspiration from his life and from the rebuilding of Jerusalem. That historical story seems applicable to much that is happening today. Need a good read? Try it!

The Cost of Declaring His Glory

Today we learned that Colonel Bo Brekke was shot and killed in Pakistan. (www1.salvationarmy.org) All of the other things I had thought about writing seem petty and insignificant, compared to this...in other words, all about me. Then I read this article on the Urbana website. (click on title for link) It's long but worth the read.

So many lessons God wants us to learn. But, first pray for the Brekke family and friends. I cannot imagine their pain and sorrow at this time.

Remember Rich Mullins - the "Awesome God" guy

click title

New Liepaja Corps

Here are some great photos from the dedication of the new corps building in Liepaja. (go to page 4 of the gallery and click on Liepājas korpuss. Check out those 2 beautiful corps leaders and their new hair dos! Velta and Ilona - I'm so proud of you!

http://ieva.class8.be/main.php?g2_page=2 photos by Ieva

So much to say

and so little time because I'm sitting at Panera since I still have no internet at home. Anyway, I'm quickly writing to ask for some prayer support:

• Our divisional officers are meeting for the next 3 days for a spiritual retreat - pray for our relationships with each other to be developed and for unity in vision for the division
• 3 officer friends in this division with serious health concerns - they are each trusting the Lord and have great faith, but need to really feel His presence during hard days
• Just came from a Kroc center meeting for the Quincy community. I have a strong feeling that we need to surround this place and the leadership/steering team with prayer.
• Steve and Ketsia can use your prayer support (www.xanga.com/haitisteve)
• Me - starting well and figuring out what the priorities are and what can wait (much more to write about that, but later)

Now for some fun - here are some crazy family pics (and videos) from my vacation:

family

Yes, I'm still here and every day my intention is to update. I could tell you all of my excuses, which would also serve as reason for not writing any personal notes. But, you would probably just say 'blah, blah, blah' - just write! So, here goes.I've been in St. Louis for just under 2 weeks. It's been a whirlwind which included:

• my sister and family were wonderful and came for the first weekend to help me get settled. The boys and Steve moved a lot of boxes and furniture and made sure the cable was working. Abbie, Chris and I unpacked boxes and decided what should go where. I could use them for a few more days. I'm so grateful that they found time to come.
• Chris and I attended a family wedding in St. Louis. That was a special treat, because we hardly ever see my mom's side of our family. Some of them live just minutes from me now. My oldest cousin, Pat, was close to my mother and was moved to tears when he saw me. Not because he was so glad to see me but because I look just like my mother!
• neither my phone or internet work in the house so for the first few days before I went to the office I felt like I was without my life line. Of course, I can survive without those things and that time let me get some good rest and do more unpacking. The house is beautiful and has lots of room for company. (yes, that's an invitation)
• I do have some friends down here and have been able to meet up with a few and get some tasty meals already. Thanks to Polsleys and Davises for welcoming me into your homes.
• Friday was my first day in the office and well, that's going to be a good challenge. I think the divisional team is going to be great to work with. There is a lot that falls on my desk and right now the learning curve is more like the upward ride on a very steep roller coaster. I just hope there will be some leveling before any downward action. I keep reminding myself this is only my 4th day in the office. I am not an expert in anything and I still can't even find my way around the building! This task(s) will require lots of prayer and dependence on the Lord for wisdom and strength. On the other hand, there are lots of exciting possibilities and good people who are here to support me and the work from this department. I've met with several of the staff who are within the divisional secretary's responsibility. They know their jobs, are happy to be in them and I'm looking forward to seeing them in action. (I get to go to Men's Ministry camp next weekend!)
• Finally, here are a couple of pictures from the Missionary Debriefing and Renewal conference. The whole group and our amazing leaders, Bob and Linda in our daily setting. This was one of the best gifts I could have been given on my return to the States. I'm so grateful to the Army and especially, to the Lord for working it all out in such a meaningful and helpful way.

To the Thursday night English-speaking Bible Study Group

the rest of you can read this, too! It's Thursday evening and I just finished spending an hour worshipping with a group of missionaries. We were singing songs in English, most of them familiar to our group. As we were singing, I realized what day it was and that this was as close as I would ever get to being part of a group like ours was. I felt like this was a little blessing the Lord gave me. I did occasionally sing in Latvian, too. I don't want to forget. Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you all and while we were singing I was praying for you. Oh, one more difference tonight - the sun was setting over the Rocky Mountains as we were singing. Beautiful and a reminder - "How Great Is Our God"!

A challenge

garden of the gods"

Here's the game - tell us what you see when you look at these photos from the Garden of the gods. I made a few comments, but leave the rest to your imagination. Leave a comment on Picasa or here. Also, check out the new Picasa map feature. I love Picasa!

Debriefing and Renewal

I'm in heaven! Well, I walked through the Garden of the gods and I imagine there will be a place something like that in heaven! If you've never been there, it should be on your list of 'must see' places. I flew into Colorado Springs this morning and had a few hours before I had to be at this Debriefing and Renewal conference. Between here and there is the Garden of the gods. It has been a beautiful day and I took advantage of it. (I'll post pictures tomorrow.) The rock formations are amazing and awesome. This garden is definitely evidence of THE Creator, in spite of the name. Besides the curious rocks, there was a lovely scent of pines trees and forest flowers. I breathed it all in and thought, this is exactly what I need. I've loved having time with family and friends, but I need this time for me before I go to St. Louis. Oh yes, I think the conference will be good, too. I've already made connections and realize again what a small world it is - especially among people in ministry. I met someone who knows my friend, Kjell in Sweden; Malcolm from Riga and who knows who else - we could play that 7 degrees of separation game. Also, there is an Army couple just returned from Spain who of course know Brad and Heidi. I'm looking forward to lots of wonderful stories of how God has worked in over a dozen different countries, a number of different organizations and with a wide variety of personalities and gifts. I'm looking forward to what God has to say to me, too!

Newly painted Pestisanas Armija building in Riga
(RHQ, Riga 1 corps and my flat housed here)


Beautiful Art Nouveau faces taken by Ieva


The last couple of days my heart and thoughts have been in Latvia. I guess I've been home long enough that it's hit me, I'm not going back. Monday evening was a fun get-together at Dani and Jeremy R.'s house, with Brad and Heidi, Lindsay, Steve and Ketsia and the Jordans. I brought pictures (actually, my laptop because I haven't gotten around to printing any yet.) It struck me while Lindsay and I were talking about her summer in Chile and how she felt going 'home' and then leaving again. Later, I was showing her some of my Latvia pics and while our experiences are so different, I felt like she got what I'm feeling. Torn between here and there (thus my blog title remains.) Last night I had dinner at Bob and Maribeth S.'s house. They are so great and show real interest in my life in Latvia. They sat through my picture presentation and I think that 2 nights in a row were too much for me. On the way home, I was overwhelmed with my emotions. Then today I was on Messenger with Dace. I don't think she could tell (then again, maybe she could) but it was another emotional moment. Of course, this is normal. And when I go to Colorado next week for a 'reentry' conference, I'm sure I'll experience more emotions.

One of the things I haven't done is mention some wonderful gifts I received when I left Latvia:

• A CD rom with lots of pictures, music and a very special farewell video from my friends in Latvia. If you want to see it, I'd love to show you! Thanks to Ieva for putting it all together.
• A music CD from Edgars of Shawn McDonald (http://www.shawnmcdonaldmusic.com) which I love listening to. Thanks, Edgars!
• A collage of pictures from the girls to hang in a special place in my new home. Thanks, girls!
• 3 beautiful photographs of Latvia, taken by Aivis, also to be hung in a special "Latvia corner" in my new home. Thanks to Sarah, Aivis and the Riga 1 corps.
• A mug with two important faces smiling at me - Sian and Abigail Evie. Thanks, Zoe and Graeme!

Back to Monday evening...it was great to spend time with Brad and Heidi. Good timing to have them home from Spain while I'm here. I love being with all of the people who were there. It felt like a noisy family reunion. We ended with a very big game of Boggle and I have to confess I'm the Boggle Queen! (comes from having a boring life, so I do a lot of crossword puzzles!) Tuesday started with a root canal! Yuk! And the most unpleasant of experiences. 1. I was having a bad allergy day - that's bad when your head is tilted back and down for over an hour. 2. When the dentist covered my mouth with a piece of rubber material it also covered my nose for an instant. I had a little claustrophobic response, also called inability to breath through my mouth or nose. 3. After working for over an hour the dentist said 'you'll have to come back in a week, so I can finish.' Problem - I'll be in Colorado, then on to St. Louis. So, I'll be finishing on Friday. Sounds like fun - what a way to spend vacation. Today Steve, Ketsia and I went to see "Bourne Ultimatum" - I loved it but was a bit confused at the end. I have a couple more relatively lazy days and then on to Colorado. If you think about me, pray for those days. My desire is to figure out how to apply all that I experienced and learned in Latvia here, especially as I move to new and very different opportunities in St. Louis.

Family

The last week has been spent with family. Here are the highlights...

• tonight sitting in the family room with Steve, Ketsia, Matt and Abbie enjoying a movie and time together (the rest of the family are at a funeral which I'll refer to later.)
• talking about Latvia for my sister's Home League program as her last resort because their field trip was cancelled due to the funeral. The second choice was a joint Diaz/Merritt program but Ketsia had to have 4 wisdom teeth pulled and Steve's 1st priority was to take care of her. So, that left me. It was fun, the group was great and very interested. I was glad to be helpful.
• Listening to Chris's pastoral guidance with the mother of a murdered young man, whose funeral is tonight at their corps. Feeling proud of her and sympathetic to her difficult task.
• Last night we had our traditional Thai restaurant meal with my aunt Char and cousin Tim, Brigit and Myles and Cash (newest addition to the family).
• Playing 'Bang' - a card game - with Matt, who knew all of the secrets, Steve and Steve. Matt won every time but we all had fun.
• Enjoying our Monday evening get together with lots of extended family members, some who I haven't seen for years.
• Being at the corps Sunday with all of my family. Playing horn next to my sister in their corps band (because they were desperate). I'm not sure we've ever played together. Watching Steve and Chris lead their corps people, especially during the pastoral prayer time. They are great. Enjoying lunch at 'Kings' with a good number of the corps family, along with our family. The Dearborn Heights people welcome us as if we belong. It's a joy to visit there.
• Attending a funeral for my aunt LeEtta (actually a cousin, but best friends with my Grandma throughout their lives and mine.) Our extended family were together, which rarely happens and resulted in the Monday party. Hearing about my aunt LeEtta from the corps people. We thought that since she was 90+, most of the corps people would not come out. The chapel was full, including a band. We heard stories from former Girl Guards (my age), Sunday School members and Songsters. LeEtta influenced several generations of people at the Royal Oak corps and it was a huge blessing to hear those testimonies.
• Driving up to Michigan with my brother and sister-in-law in the middle of the night to get to the funeral. Those 5 hour drives always give us time to catch up and have some good conversations.

I thank God for my family and for this time we can spend together. Thanks for listening!

An amazing weekend

Yesterday was a lazy, recovery day for me. I had a great weekend but it took a lot out of me. The end of the week included a doctor and a dentist. (the dental hygenist said I had good oral hygiene!) I also spent time with good friends who are sisters and their families - Gortons and Yoders. In fact, I met the Seilers (chief secretary) and she immediately thought I was one of them. But, to make my sister happy, as soon as she learned who I was she said "You are Chris Merritt's sister." Chris thinks that doesn't happen very often, but being out of the territory for 3 years has changed things. Anyway, back to the events of the weekend.

I was reminded of what I really love about this territory when I went out to CBLI on Friday. It was the summer mission team program and the best one I've seen, both from the program side and from the missional effectiveness side. The passion of the youth and young adults was strong - whether they had been in a far off country or visiting little corps in Wisconsin and Michigan. They get it! A lot of that is because of Chris, Kristin and the other leaders who have influenced them. I loved the fact that each team memorized scripture together during their summer. They taught us lots of songs and shared powerful testimonies. I've known a lot of these 'kids' from birth or a very young age and watched them grow up to be godly, maturing and confident disciples of Jesus. Of course, they are not perfect and I'm sure their parents and corps officers could tell some stories - but there is definitely a lot of hope for the future of the Army and the kingdom, in this territory and beyond. One funny thing happened, well I thought so anyway. The worship team had us singing "Heaven Came Down" and the whole room (about 500 people) started clapping just like we used to 20 years ago. I burst out laughing. I never thought I'd sing tht song again, and if I did I was sure it would be in a nursing home not in a youth meeting! Personally, I have to admit I felt a little disconnected and it was hard not to be in the middle of it all, but reality is that life goes on and I'm thrilled to see the great things the Lord is doing. I went home tired from seeing so many people and trying again to have those little conversations.

Saturday I had a very nice time catching up with Bill and Sue Harfoot and then met Gortons to go out to camp again. It was the final program for the children and youth programs. The kids were cute and there were a lot of proud parents. The best part of the evening came at the very end. The teens and young adults had memorized a recently popularized speech, describing the character and life of Jesus. (sorry I can't give you a better description, I tried to find it online but couldn't. Can anyone help me?) They quoted it with power, passion and at a very high volume. I got chills as they described our Lord with certainty and faith, acknowledging their belief in Him and proclaiming Him as Lord to all of us. It was an amazing ending to a good evening. Here are a few pictures.


august07

Dace at the Art Museum

This is Dace...
This is a pig! (no offense meant to Dace)

Alive and in America!

I safely arrived on Friday evening, about 1 1/2 hours late but with no complications, including the Warsaw connection. Thanks to all of you who prayed about that. Just a little about my last days in Riga before I move on to current experiences. On Thursday (has it only been 6 days? Wow!) I had a delicious lunch with the Riga 2 crowd. Ilona RT fixed one of the most tasty meals I've every had. If you get invited to eat something she's cooking - say yes! And Ilona and Evelina made me some great cookies, traditional Latvian, to take with me. I just ate the last one yesterday. I have to admit I didn't share them very freely. That evening the Smiths and I went to the Big Lido. I had my last pankukas. We had a nice time together. Later, Veronika and Marina came over for a while. We had a good talk and said goodbye. Friday I finished my packing and cleaning then to a good bye coffee break for Linda Silina (off to a mission trip, then something new) and me. After some nice food and words, I was on my way to the airport. The girls said goodbye at the office, then followed us to the airport to say goodbye 'one more time!' The Smiths and Larssons stayed with me for lunch (at Lido!) and then it was the last goodbye. It was hard to say bye but I was tired of being in 'farewell' mode and ready to get on with the move. While in line to check in I met a couple also headed to Chicago (then on to San Francisco). She had looked into all of the travel rules and got opposite answers from what I did. She put me in a little panic but it all worked out. We continued to talk when we got on the bus to the plane, then while we waited in Warsaw. They were an interesting couple and if I was headed back to Latvia, we could probably have become friends. For you in Latvia, they are going to be featured in a couple of magazines soon - Ieva, Sieviete and Apelsinu (OK, maybe not spelled correctly but you know what I mean!) She will be on the cover of at least one - red hair and called Airina, I think. He's from the UK and of Indian heritage. Read their story, it should be interesting. I think they kept me from dwelling on leaving and getting too introspective. That was a good thing. I had a great group meet me at the airport - Chris and Steve and kids, Lisa and girls and Joe and Kristin. The 3 little girls came running and calling my name as soon as I got through the door and I felt well welcomed home! My sister's family stayed for the weekend. It was good to be with them without any pressures of schedules. And they helped me get on to a normal routine right away. No lounging or jet lag for me! Well, for a couple of days anyway. On Sunday we went to CBLI for church - it was good but a bit overwhelming to see so many people at once. I headed to OBT afterward for their day camp musical and to see people there, then to Jordans for a while. A very nice Sunday but I was tired. So Monday was my lazy day - and piggish - I ate lots of junk food! Some of my initial impressions of being at home:

• my cell phone is a portable PC - EEK! I have not figured out how to use it and feel overwhelmed by it. If you try to call me, be patient! My car also has some high tech things I've got to figure out. If you know me or you look at this blog, you understand that I'm not very good with technical stuff.
• I had Twizzlers (thanks, Kristin and Lisa!) and a Portillos hot dog and what ever else I eat, I've had my favorites!
• I went to get my driver's license replaced and had a Latvian 'de ja vu' of my immigration experiences as I walked in to the Secretary of State's office and saw the numbers above the desks. I brought something to read, expecting to wait for a long time. The whole process took less than 30 minutes, really! No hassles, no questions.
• Today I went to THQ and was amused when I realized the smell of THQ never changes! It's not bad - just unique. However, I did have some strange feelings as I realized I could quickly settle in to my routine there - coffee break with Carol and Kristin, lunch with the IT crew and visits to the usual offices. Again, not a bad thing, just interesting to think about.
• I get tired easily when I've been having lots of those quick conversations with people I haven't seen for at least a year. I wish I could sit with each person for an extended time and really get caught up. I can't easily or quickly answer the question "Are you glad to be home?" So, if you really want to hear the answer, let's meet for coffee or a meal together.
• I don't really have a plan for my holidays and I'm finding that stressful - how crazy is that? Why can't I just relax and enjoy having no responsibilities or people needing me?

When Sergejs said goodbye to me, he said in English "Let God bless you. Let God use you in your new work". I guess you could call that a missed translation, but I think they were important words for me. I know God wants to bless me and use me. The question is, will I let Him? During this holiday time, I'm looking for God's blessing every day and He is faithful!

this is it!

Tomorrow at noon I leave RHQ to go to the airport. My flight is at 2:40. And I'll be in Chicago at 7:35 p.m. Lots to write but no time, energy or brain left. I'll try to write soon after I get home. Unless I'm enjoying my vacation too much! Love to all who have lived with me in Riga through this blog.