I’ve been sprinting around trying to manage multiple projects for the last few weeks. Two weeks back I dropped everything and spent a week of full days getting the apartment ready to move into. We made it in on the weekend and then I left for a week of Alongside planning in France. Now that I’m back, I’m finalizing preparations for a set of marriage preparation seminars to take place in early April. After I get that done, it’s back to summer preparations for about 2 weeks straight. Then Easter. Whew. (more…)
Prayer Letter: Winter 2009
Download a .pdf of our Winter 2009 Prayer Letter here.
Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas to you from wintry Estonia! For some of you it has been quite a while since your last Edminster Update. Those with whom we were able to visit in March got to see the kids and hear our latest news in person. Others are reading our monthly “Corkboard” updates either on Edminsters.com or by email subscription. But I imagine if you are not in one of these two groups you might feel a little in the dark. So let us fill you in on what’s been happening. (more…)
The Corkboard – October 2009
The Apartment on Köie Street
The last couple of months have flown by at lightning speed. At our last update, I mentioned that we were working to secure a loan so that we could purchase and renovate an apartment we found closer to town. Earlier attempts throughout the summer to build on the family property in Viimsi had been hampered by bureaucracy and neighborhood negotiations. In the end we simply ran out of time and what plans we had been able to make expired. We decided to check the listings once more before retiring our efforts until Spring. Lo and behold, the apartment at Köie Street caught our attention. In the remainder of the month of August then, we filled out applications, requested evaluations and jumped through endless hoops until finally in early September, we sat down in the notary’s office to sign away our next 30 years. Finally on Wednesday the 16th, the realtor met us on the property and handed over the keys. The following Monday we began a renovation project which will hopefully have us moved into a functional living space (though probably only partially finished) by Christmas. You can follow our progress on the blog and you can find the latest pictures of each week’s work in our “Köie Apartment” picture album.
The four of us are now engaged in our normal school-year activities. We found a preschool in the same neighborhood as the Köie St. apartment and were able to enroll both Kevin and Miriam. We had some doubts about making the switch from Kevin’s last preschool and enrolling little Miriam but both have taken to school like fish to water. They love the social environment and seem to be making quick friends and their teachers are great. Lea is back to school with her standard load and has also been given some English courses for upper grades. She continues to excel in all she does and gets a lot out of her work there. Now that summer break has ended for our parishioners, I am back to a weekly schedule of Bible studies and preaching. What time is not put into preparing for these I spend organizing events and projects for the coming months, attending meetings, and trying desperately to keep up with my always lagging communications. [nggallery id=29]
August marked the completion of the kids new playhouse (sandbox and enhancements scheduled for later) which gave me some sense of having accomplished something visible during the summer. Then in September, a congregational work crew gathered for “talgud” – the Estonian equivalent of a barn raising applied to any monumental task. This year we’d been given a mammoth load of logs to be cut, chopped and stacked for our winter heating needs. The crew was assembled in the hopes that we could cut and chop the majority. But never underestimate the work ethic and determination of Estonians. Morning til evening we worked away until every last piece was stacked nicely in four beautiful head-high rows. A few even stayed behind to sweep the parking lot. And to top it all off, it rained during the night so in the morning you couldn’t even tell we’d been there.
In mid September I joined a group of men from the Ristee Church in Tartu on a roadtrip to the Josiah Venture conference in Malenovice, Czech Republic. After a summer of project disappointments I was looking forward to some time away from Estonia to gather my thoughts and seek guidance on the way ahead. The time we spent together on the road (18 hours each way!) and the conference itself proved to be exactly what was needed. The teaching was a straightforward call back to fruitfulness and simple discipleship. I was struck by the fact that in planning projects and filling standard pastoral duties I had drifted somewhat from the call to focus attention on a few people and journey together with them on the road to discipleship.
Here’s a look at what’s coming for the month of October:
- Köie St. Renovation
- Driving School (the epic continues!)
- Preach (10th) and Bible studies (7th and 21st) in Viimsi
- Marriage Mentoring (8th)
- Köie Fight Club and Film Night (9th)
- Family Radio Devotions (18th-24th)
- Rakke Church Anniversary (25th)
- Lea’s Fall Break (26th-1st)
The Corkboard – August 2009
In spite of the fact that much of our scheduled summer changed at last minute, July (and early August) was a very busy month. Matt spent much of the month helping to build a playhouse in the back yard of the Viimsi Church. Then in the last week of August we all headed south with two teens from Viimsi – Martin and Kadri – to help the Antsla Church with their annual summer kids’ camp. Almost 90 kids this year!
This year we have been trying to move closer to Viimsi but we have been stymied all summer long. Then, unexpectedly we found a very well priced and well placed project in Tallinn’s city center. The house is nicely renovated but the apartments need complete renovation. We’ve applied for a mortgage and made our bid. Hopefully in the next few weeks we’ll know if everything goes through. If it does, we’ll be building for the next few months. Please pray for this process. Here are some pictures of the house and apartment pre-purchase. If we get the loan, we’ll upload more pictures as the project progresses.
Today we’ve just returned from Viimsi Church’s 85th anniversary celebration and are heading to Saaremaa (Estonia’s pastoral island getaway) for a few days of rest and recuperation. Stay tuned!
August on the Corkboard
- Preach in Viimsi (Aug 9)
- Viimsi 85th Anniversary (Aug 14-16)
- Bible Study: Gospel of Mark (every Tuesday)
- Preaching in Avispea/Rakke (Aug 23)
- Liturgical Service (Aug 23)
- Lea back to work (Aug 21)
- Lea’s birthday (Aug 27)
The Corkboard – July 2009
May and June were busy months this Spring. In addition to preparing for summer projects and spending a significant amount of time building a collaborating and resource sharing website (www.alevik.net), we celebrated birthdays and our first year together as a family, participated in the Franklin Graham Crusade, attended the Alongsider Gathering in Scotland and enjoyed a weekend camping trip in the Finnish archipelago.
Because our major project for the summer – a multinational evangelistic project in North Eastern Estonia – was recently scrapped, July will be a bit of a slower month than we expected. Matt is on vacation through the 12th and then will be preaching for the next two weeks in Viimsi and Rakke. The month will include building some playground additions at Viimsi and perhaps a childrens’ camp in Antsla toward the end of the month. We are also in the process of translating Marriage Mentoring materials prepared by Paddy and Carole Ducklow in Vancouver, BC and hope to have them ready for distribution by the end of the summer.
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July on the Corkboard
- NextStep 2009 Cancelled!
- Home Group: Gospel of Mark
- Montly Liturgical Services
- Song and Dance Festival
- Viimsi Church Playground
- Antsla Children’s Camp
