%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 20 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250901090359+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250901090359+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1137 >> stream xVM6WLn-˕/ml6@vOE\HKR? >k7,SOaș73 5KX$t4Kʊ0)eŜ-ݼ)+x-̣Nk#}l$[H/ӣ_L7r9uF9K~n9+0%1oA>_*0`g4wggy؝LX[1?iYYC $>3Y)I*~i ? N 4iGI)d{%h+}/=/sYh69<` ;[nZR.!G/da oL)n/ݺ`A>y{}Q-VCr6WA[z2d\G;1Xc^\X dP+#҃txAS?qVqpLЧg R6 b)83(<apvSF';Z=ӷHW`+,)|n Xid<iiHFF;=鹩yyԁ#(A5@ѡiԨJR$b4k5i%dgcC@Mibr >}t}#/wb-~C]T/rvnci`i>V%]'j:>ÒfYM5 w"p~<\R0 2`_ ?ᙽ '$ endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 21 0 R >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1997 >> stream x}XW`ov#Q4mrulo4V*"!0(Zr%ϦhF4a%%]R}_ź7ղ(wOZUY,I|^p*VJԝj~Ru;e"JsֶYK!!\FT!^( :%:xV|v_rA%W ꇨF]F.K#UX@(N6ʷ@ 2z]Arky^& 89/J鰳_p'!M:gtSħXw.=6a蝍]uXe$h ze#:^ qY4|Dܙb-"#֋ 8Z2wD"M6&=`mӮydMBGH9Z`HF90]\ČUa Ҥ9KS3GY h 1&l'v$0miD ڎY,eY9 7^[vˈ/Nb-n¢A[¼*c;/0ZrCUNȴ+k-3qZd&Wr+&QBagsV7GH(^@s~PpapHl!>ު+)9(_lV99~?H;P#?c\[`p5-T9>Da5vUN5\@5ɺJ@:R, rhPNEfY{}`2:a{d ߏuɑ|$DaudWջ;7Fk4x@rMS~ O8));D0璐HGNA$A1y^$RxJ]LR)Q$y7Q܈M+*'N4&ni'jl  HF襁Zre(2`A9f}C/B+f$>QB*AA#[^kx͉?'2 1컁e794Hi >FYǰHW3wҘTnG 3r3lGyKg$ DWi>^- u8̣6kF6pMn"Mi4t_H`$CQwd}N;8cإ>Ax'jQPw=%^Ԗ+R3ˡkuCH>`ƣѵU<Us { "~g5$pc@q/V:8ցgj4zclгj"X(4qsԀ ( Pǽ|_d\a[~,;|0@l[WOc^EH]LJ] OgxW2LY43!ՎyU%_' wcplLz%̃ Wxqxzy~p,(j {@B=x߇1Clvy}SyG endstream endobj xref 0 22 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000401 00000 n 0000000430 00000 n 0000000579 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000001892 00000 n 0000001999 00000 n 0000002107 00000 n 0000002217 00000 n 0000002330 00000 n 0000002446 00000 n 0000002475 00000 n 0000002585 00000 n 0000002642 00000 n 0000002699 00000 n 0000002758 00000 n 0000002817 00000 n 0000002846 00000 n 0000002951 00000 n trailer << /Size 22 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 5022 %%EOF Harvesting on “concrete fields” in Estonia | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Harvesting on “concrete fields” in Estonia

May 31, 2006
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Finland and Estonia

Henderson reports on Army’s work in difficult circumstances.

by Daniel Henderson – 



Salvationists march through the streets in Narva, waving the Army flag. Photo by Daniel Henderson

“It’s like plowing concrete!” These were the words of a short-term missionary to a former Soviet Union republic in the early 1990s. She had experienced people’s openness to the gospel message there and had seen many conversions—and the concrete was a reference to her homeland, as she remembered how hard it was to win the lost in the United States.

At the time— inexperienced as I was—I nodded my head in sage agreement. Now, in our fourth year of ministry in Eastern Europe, I have a better understanding of the concrete that exists here! In this region, where communism’s yoke slowed the recovery from the world wars, materialism is now the religion of choice. Among young and old there is a hardness of heart towards the things of God, and people live desperately, without hope and without a future.

I sit in Svieta’s (name changed) kitchen, talking with her about her next steps in life. At 29, she has already attempted suicide several times, abandoned her children, undergone psychiatric therapy, and lived for years under the haze of alcoholism. After her grandmother’s funeral two months ago, Svieta was given a moment of clarity. Something in the words spoken and songs sung at the graveside moved her, and she began attending the Army. A month ago she came to the altar and gave her life to Jesus! A week ago, her mother backslid into alcohol abuse, and vowed that she would continue drinking until Svieta joined her. Now, as I hear her mother yelling in the next room, I listen to Svieta, and pray for her continued sobriety.

There is no advance in the battle for God’s Kingdom without opposition. Our journey of serving the Lord in Narva has been marked with many battles for the souls of men and women. Looking back, I can say that not a single convert was won for God’s Kingdom without personal sacrifice on our part, great effort and patience, and much opposition. What has surprised me the most is how difficult it is for these new believers to stay on the pathway to heaven.

We have worked with Olga for almost three years, struggling through the ups and downs of her addiction to injected drugs. There were dark days, standing in the snow of Narva’s cemetery, laying to rest her second daughter after eight difficult months of life with HIV. There were times when hope seemed lost, when Olga denied God, and rejected all the help that the Army had given her. Yet, God’s love is not denied! Olga has now been drug-free for over a year, has married her live-in boyfriend, and became a soldier in The Salvation Army last October!

God granted her a beautiful baby boy—born healthy, and HIV-free! In a recent Sunday meeting, Olga testified publicly that it was the ministry of the Army that gave her hope, so that she kept the child, and refused the doctor’s offers to abort him. Now, Olga travels with me to visit people living with HIV, helping to redeem those who were trapped as she once was.

When we become exhausted by our people’s needs, or discouraged by their failures, we think that our work is moving three steps forward and two steps back. Then, God opens our eyes to see that the gains he is making through us are lasting miracles in their lives! Thirteen hard-won soldiers fight for the lost in our corps, and five recruits are in training.

Soldier Colleen Smalley, a short-term missionary from USA West, has joined our force. She has made an immediate impact on the life of the corps and we praise God for her spirit of sacrificial service. A second Salvation Army HIV conference for Estonia is coming up at the end of the month. Many have contributed to this advance through faithful prayers. The battle is hard, but the concrete is broken, and new life takes root…one relationship at a time!

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like