Paldiski is a city near to Village of Hope. Every Sunday, Team Chasing the Deep drives the big blue Village of Hope van 30ish minutes (depending on how explicitly I obey the speed limit), to go to a special church in this city.
The City itself was previously a soviet military base that housed soviet nukes during the occupation of Estonia.
The church building specifically, used to be a theater for soviet military officers.
The pastor of the church was previously in prison, on drugs and addicted to alcohol, as were both the associate pastor and the worship leader.
The youth pastor is a 16 year old boy.
The congregation is small–30 on an average Sunday, I’d say.
And the Spirit is the most faithful of all the attendants.
The service is preached in Estonian and translated into Russian, because the town is predominately Russian-speaking, what with the history and all. But with all the translations, its difficult for me to attentively listen to the service, even though it is often translated into english specifically for us. I just get lost with so many people talking at once.
But I have not failed to have a beneficial sunday service there. The holy spirit is so present that I cannot leave this place without being taught something by him.
On this one, particular sunday, I was sitting in the service, listening to the translation upon translation, and the spirit started speaking to me. He started talking to me about God’s beautiful redemption.
“Wow!” I thought, “Here I am, in the midst of tangible redemption. God’s work is so evident here. I am in a town redeemed from the soviet occupation–a former soviet military base and storehouse for Nuclear weapons. I am in the entertainment central of that military base. The men here all have horrific pasts. But absolutely everything has been redeemed. The potential that God put into everyone of us has been brought to the forefront of this place.”
I thought of the story of Gideon and how, when God called him, Gideon tore down the altars to false Gods, and with their broken, formerly blasphemous remains, he built a new altar to glorify the only living God.
That is what He is all about! Redemption.
But I tend to focus on the hills. Oh he could never get over that addiction. They will never be different. Nothing will ever change.
That is a lie from the enemy.
God has a plan for all things. He is seeking to redeem. He is seeking to make all things new. Nothing is beyond his reach.
And goodness am I glad.
Because that is the news I want to take to the nations. His redemption. His desire to take broken things and make them beautiful.
I am so thankful that I serve a God of broken things.
Be redeemed family, and take the message of redemption to those who need it the most. They are broken and hurting. You have the only piece of true hope. Don’t keep it to yourself!
Please support me financially. My deadline for the final financial goal is quite soon, and I still need about 5000 dollars. Also, my whole squad will be doing a bit of an Internet fast during our time in China, so I won’t be able to blog and ask for funds! Please, Share my journey with your church, small group, youth group, family, neighbor, gardener or whoever. I need all the help I can get, and I know God is ready to meet my needs through his faithful bride.
