first Sunday

We can hardly say that yesterday was our first Sunday at the Tallinn Kopli Corps, as that was in March 2003 when we visited here on furlough! And of course, we have been here many times on a Sunday in our two years living in Estonia. But yesterday was our Installation and Welcome Meeting, and our first official Sunday here as the COs of this corps.

We were warmly welcomed with special music, including Onward, Christian Soldiers by the band (8 players yesterday!), speeches, flowers, etc. (even cake and ice-cream!). An interesting British-style installation by Major Derek Tyrrell, our Regional Commander. More symbolism (flag, mercy seat, Bible, etc.) and less scary than the one I remember from America. When we arrived in Chester, I just remember thinking that we could never do and be all that the Army expected of us -- very humbling indeed!

Here, the language and cultural differences and several other things already serve to humble us on a daily basis more than we care to say!

We felt like we were getting away with something yesterday, it was such a short day for us! We got to the corps around 10, a short band practice at 10:30, had meeting from 11-1 (well, it started a little after 11 and ended a little before 1, but I know it was 12 before Tim was even starting to preach!), left the corps around 2, and was eating a nice lunch of spaghetti at home at 3!

In Tartu, our Sundays were much longer! We often went to a local Baptist church at 11:00 (Elizabeth sang in their lastekoor), had lunch either with us just or with whomever dropped by (lots of dropping-by ministry in Tartu!), did final preparations for our Sunday meeting, had meeting at 3:00, Sunday School at 4:30, then supper of sandwiches or noodles (maybe a cookout if it was nice) with everybody, then a meeting at the Homeless Shelter at 8:00. After driving our jr. soldier and translator, Maret, home to her village about 20 km outside Tartu, we usually got home just in time to watch Hercule Poirot at 9:50!

But we are completely exhausted from packing and cleaning and moving. Our attention has been divided between
our old quarters (and used to be the corps also) in Tartu
the new corps hall in Tartu (needs a little renovation work)
the new quarters in Tartu (for Captain Pirjo Mikkonen)
our new quarters in Tallinn (we have been moving in slowly so it is nice already)
our new office in Tallinn (a new room recently created)

We are impatient because of course Rome was not built in a day and neither will all of the things we want to get done happen all at once!

But anyway, we are grateful that we have arrived here in the summertime when things are slow and we can get used to our surroundings and so many new procedures without too much other pressure.

Everyone is on vacation this month! Our social worker, our translator (who also plays piano on Sundays!), and both secretaries from RHQ.

But when we got here at 9:00 this morning, one of the girls from the corps, Kristel, met us and she has been helping a little with translation.

I think I am going to get lots of good Estonian practice here, and I have lots of eager and patient teachers!

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, so of course we are going to camp for a cookout! Really, we are having an officer meeting for the day. But we will also celebrate the holiday a bit, as well as Sofia Henderson's 8th birthday!

Back to work! A meeting with a woman from the American Chamber of Commerce soon!

Please keep praying for us. This is a hard month as we have so many people away, and we feel the responsibility still for the Tartu Corps until Captain Mikkonen arrives in August.

Evelyn