At the end of February in Malawi, every member of my team (Zealous Love) said yes to a two-month ministry opportunity in Estonia. We had no idea who we were going to work with or what we were going to do. After a few days of travel across Africa and Europe, we arrived in Parnu, Estonia, met our contact, Alari, and learned about his ministry. He shared a vision of opening up a café in Valga, Estonia where local young adults would come in, hang out, and share life with a group of Americans who love Jesus.
In the beginning of March in Valga, we opened up the doors to Elutuba Café, thus named by Alari based on John 10:10 where Jesus declares, “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full.” And as winter melted into spring, the dead came to life and these words came to pass.
For the two months we were there, we didn’t do anything flashy, glamorous, or earth-shattering. Every day before we opened up, we would pray for presence of God to fill our café, and then we waited. People showed up and life happened. We watched movies, played card games, jammed on guitars, sang karaoke, and danced. Laughter filled the room as we ate together and talked about the stuff that fills up a lifetime – past, present, and future. Somehow in the simple things, there were moments where we felt the earth shake, heaven open, and its light shine upon us.
There is so much I can write about each and every one of the amazing, unique individuals who walked into our café as strangers, and left as dear friends, making permanent places in our hearts and memories. Every new friend showed me something different about Jesus – His loyalty, wisdom, sensitivity, faithfulness, persistence, fearlessness, and love. I saw in each person a masterpiece – God’s beautiful workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10).
In the end, there were tears shed generously for the sweet, but brief period of time in which we were blessed to have each other and remember that we are not alone in this world. Despite the dark times and trying circumstances that tell us otherwise, we are wanted by the Hound of Heaven seeking to fill our life with a genuine humanity we can sink our teeth into.
As for Team Zealous Love, we lived well because we loved well, and that love came from the satisfaction of being intimately known by an infinite God. Praise be unto Him and to Him be the glory for all things said and done.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:1,11
