The Henderson's

For the past couple of days we have been at the Salvation Army's camp in Loksa, Estonia. From the camp house it is just a 2 minute walk to the Baltic Sea; unfortunately the weather has not been on our side, and so days lazing on the beach have been kept to a minimum.

The camp house has just 3 bedrooms, one small kitchen, a cooks' bedroom/pantry, shower room, two small bathrooms, a dining room and a multi purpose room. To think that just one week ago the Argentina team and the Estonia team were leaving the Lodge at Star Lake with such incredible facilities... we are blest in the west. Four of the team are sleeping in the house, while four of the lassies are out in a tent; (please know, all of the girls offered to sleep in the tent!)

American standards are again challenged when it comes to showering in a house with 5 showers, a population of 35 and limited water supplies, did I tell you that 3 of the showers are co-ed communal? Yes, praise God for swimming costumes and protective Officers!

Let me tell you about the officers, Captains Daniel and Anya Henderson, and their five children. Anya and Daniel are Western territory officers who are tomorrow leaving for their homeland furlough; if any set of officers deserve a restful time, it's them. The team in constantly in awe of their faith, their compassion and their consciencious spirit; fatigue does not stop these officers!

The town of Narva, where the Hendersons' live, is an extremely poor and deprived one; on Thursday evening, Capt. Dan led a prayer walk around the town, sent out four groups in different directions, each pray-er, holding a candle. I was on Capt. Dan's team, and as we were walking we bumped into one of his corps members who joined us on our prayer walk; we were instructed, "Don't pray out loud, they won't let you in the building." We followed Capt and Sveta up ten flights of stairs to Sveta's apartment; as we climbed the stairs, the depravity increased; the smell of urine, the gravity on the walls; everything got darker and greyer, and yet when I looked to my hands there was a candle; my security.

Sveta lived on the top floor with her ten month old son; their was no elevator and so she had to carry his stroller up all ten flights every time she wanted to go out. The building had had a fire a year previous and the effects were still apparent, especially on the top floor. As Sveta struggled to open her apartment door, I was expected a sparsely furnished apartment, a little dirty; it was worse than I had feared. The bricks of the walls were visible as no dry wall was left after the fire; in some areas, even the yellow insulation was visible. The floor was filthy, her bed was just a box spring and mattress and no bed clothes; Samuel's crib had obviously seen better days; a baby bath sat on the floor with dirty clothes in it; I worried for the babies health, but my heart broke for Sveta. Sveta was in goverment housing, and it was this apartment or the streets.

Everything about Narva is grey; the sky, the buildings, the playgrounds, the people; well, most people, except the Hendersons'. We fell in the love with the Hendersons', with Isaish, Sophia, Annuta, Ilusha, wee Mark and their parents. Their appointment is not easy, but they are light in a very grey place. The Word of God says this about people like the Hendersons':

John 8
12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Please pray for the Hendersons as they travel home, and continue to pray for my lassies.

Much love,

Mhairi