But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Tes 3:3
About 9 years ago a missionary Bryan Bullard from Lamar Baptist church in Arlington Texas spoke in Talsi Baptist church. He challenged the church members to find their ministries and serve not only limit their Christian lives with coming to church on Sundays and doing nothing else.
The principal assistant Vesma Linge of Talsi Christian school felt that God calls her to start a Sunday school in a local orphanage that was situated nearby the place she lived. She was obedient to the call and it was how the Sunday school in orphanage was started. The most interesting thing is that Vesma was faithful Communist during Soviet regime; but she became believer in 1991 and since then she serves Lord Jesus Christ.
In two years another missionary Susan Ditmar also from Lamar Baptist church in Arlington Texas started teaching Sunday school in the Orphanage because of her family situation Vesma couldn't continue her ministry.
When Susan went back to the States in 2004 the principal of TCS Inguna Gruznina and her daughter Elina became Sunday school teachers there. Students of TCS also participate in Sunday school by leading music and crafts.
Two times a month we go to the Orphanage and this is great blessing for us to teach God's word, pray, sing, play games and simply love them. These children are left and denied by their family members and they want so badly for somebody to come and visit them…
God has blessed Talsi Christian school with handicapped accessible facilities. TCS still is the only one handicapped accessible Christian high school in whole country. Once a month TCS invites handicapped children and their mums to school for a fellowship. These children because of their illness can't come to school on everyday bases and usually they have to stay at home and have no friends.
This is why coming to TCS is special event for them. TCS students play with them, we pray; teach about God, do crafts together. Mums can meet each other, share their joys and difficulties… We have snacks and everybody feels accepted and appreciated… The last meeting was on October 30 th when kids made Christmas cards that will be taken to the States to say thank you to American friends.
God has blessed us with the opportunity to serve handicapped adults in the Talsi area. We invite handicapped people to our school because this give them an opportunity to have fellowship together as there is no other facility in the area that is able to accommodate them. These people are usually the poor of our society; our cooks prepare them a meal, our kids give them a program; and we always share Jesus with them.
Since 1995 when we opened Christian school we started new tradition in our town – Students' church services. God grew the school and today the local Baptist church is full when TCS has the service. Usually it takes place during the school day; we invite a preacher but our students and teachers prepare program with music, songs and testimonies. It is so important that we teach children to go to church; especially that majority of students come from non – believer families and they are not encouraged to attend church and Sunday school class on Sundays.
Of course, not every student is excited about attending the church service; but since TCS church service is defined as a part of education program; they must participate in it. The greatest joy for teachers of TCS is to see that planted seeds are growing – students who has graduated from TCS or even had been excluded from school by unacceptable behavior come back for these services… And there are many parents and grandparents who come for these services as well.
Since summer of 2004 in August TCS provides a special camp for teachers and staff – to build relationships; grow professionally but the most - grow spiritually. God has always provided finances and teachers from the States to have these camps. Teachers and staff members of TCS know that we must be Christian example and testimony for students. We must have growing relationship with God and we must be educated in Scripture.
For last 4 years Mike and Joetta Cummings from Lamar Baptist church in Arlington , TX have been our Bible teachers in these camps. Our last camp was in Dundaga. It is a small village NW of Talsi. We lived in a 700 years old castle…and poor Mike and Joetta couldn't sleep at all because native hooligans drunk and played loud music right under their windows...
During the camp teachers learned new computer technologies; how to use them in their lessons; we had devotionals, Bible studies, prayer time, fun time and we are very thankful to God that because of American donations we can have these camps.