jstine

We took the children to a camp the orphanage owns called Ratnieke. It is near Tukums, about an hour's drive from Jelgava. It was about 60 acres with a pond, fields, a house, a treehouse (thanks to our hard-working men from WV), and some barns. Ratnieke has electricity and water, but it is like a camp. The children have so much fun running and playing outside. In the mornings we would start with exercises, breakfast, then an outside activity. The activity would always involve a walk somewhere, a very long walk. Next, lunch and naps for the younger kids (under five years old). The older children had some free-time to ride bikes or jump on the trampoline. After naps, we would do another activity or go to the sea, which is only five miles away. Later, ... read more

I am home now and have begun piecing together my thoughts about the trip to Lativa. My husband asked me when I got home what my favorite part of the trip was. I thought for awhile. There were so many great things that narrowing it down to one was difficult. Instead I made a prioritized list. #3 was being at Ratnieke, which is near Tukums. There the children had lots of room to play outside and be kids. I enjoyed watching the girls pick berries and the boys make swords and play guns out of scrap wood. It is good to be in nature and let God's creation speak to us. #2 was being with my church family in Bauska. It broadened my understanding of how big God is and how faithful He is. My faith ... read more

We spent Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening in Bauska. We went to Pastor Andrejs' church and then to Rondales Pils. This country is so full of history that it is hard to absorb. Rondales Pils was built by a German Duke. It is in the process of restoration, which started in the 1930s. This process takes a long time and much money. My favorite part, though, were the gardens. There was a formal garden with hedges and roses. I was pretending that I was some foreign dignitary at the pils visiting and how we would stroll down the rows. In center is a lovely fountain. There is also an outdoor theater and gazebo. A sad part of the history of the pils is that when Latvia was taken over by the Soviet Union, it was dishonored, ... read more

We spent Friday in Jelgava at Centrs Elizabete. Today was special because we got to be at the orphanage the whole day and eat lunch and dinner with them. In the morning we took the kids to buy them school shoes. Everyone got their own new school shoes. This is special for them because they always have hand-me-downs, and this time they got new that they picked out. Back at the house they put them on inside to show everyone, but then they were put away for school. We ate a simple lunch: zuppa and maize. The soup was milk-based with shell pasta and slightly sweet. The bread was somewhere between a granola and a cracker with raisins in it. After lunch the little ones took a nap and I played outside with Volda, mosly ... read more

Toured Riga today. Beautiful...lots of history...great food! Went through the Museum of Occupation and learned a lot. ... read more