Latvian christian Mission

Latvian Christian Mission

Latvian Christian Mission, (LCM) provides food, shelter, and Christian spiritual guidance to Latvians and Russian in Riga, Latvia as well as throughout the former USSR. The mission urgently needs your help. Please contact the current President of the LCM , Mr.Vjaoeslavs Altuhovs, at #13 Baznitsas St. Riga, 1050 Latvia. Telephone directly to: 13 7 217777 or email: LCM at info@gospels.com The Mission (LCM) was founded in Riga, Latvia during the Soviet years and was one of the first Christian non denominational organizations to be allowed to provide charitable work throughout the old USSR. Literature was and is produced and Bibles were sent to the various Republics. Extensive work is done with the homeless , Widows, Orphans and those suffering from the Chernobyl disaster. The LCM has worked closely with Dr.Serebrov (who now has been contaminated from working directly with the Chernobyl victims ) and the Association of Chernobyl Veterans. They also work with the Chernobyl children. Pictures and video are available. Would you please help financially. Now that the free market is being established in Latvia there is little money available to the Mission and what was previously free for people now costs money in a country where the average wage may be under $50 per month. Even $100 would be considered a major donation. Send your check directly to the Mission or wire transfer your US$ contributions to the Riga Commercial Bank, #6 Smilshu St. Riga 1803 Latvia Account number 2030008262 code 601765. Please note on payment for the work of the Latvian Christian Mission or designate it for assistance for Chernobyl victims, widows, children the hungry or children. Thank you for helping.

EXTRACT FROM THE LITERATURE PRODUCED IN RUSSIAN BY THE LCM Who is the Latvian Christian Mission of Mercy and Charity Usually people just call us "The Mission of Mercy". We are made up of 450 representatives of different denominations and churches who practice what they believe. Our Mission opened on December 1, 1988. We began with 100 people under the leadership of Vadim Kovalev. The common goal of the people was to carry the light of the gospel to all people, serving them with love and mercy without distinguishing between rich and poor, worthy or unworthy, ministering to those who were hurt, in pain, and in need-greatly desiring to imitate Christ's love, purity, patience, generosity, meekness and humility by meeting physical needs as well as spiritual needs. The organizers of the Mission knew from the diseases of a hurt Latvian society that had lost faith in everyone and everything. There was much work to be done. Now the Mission has been open for more than 9 years and we are still excited about the different opportunities god has provided to meet peoples needs. Some of these include: · Ministering to old people in hospitals, convalescent homes, and shut-ins. · Providing hot meals each day for needy people in the Missions charitable kitchen, as well as bringing meals to homebound invalids. · Providing helps for children in orphanages, Chernobyl victims, and families with many children. · Ministry to prisons and follow up support for released prisoners and their families. · Teaching of children at the Missions Bible School · Ministry in public schools, including training school teachers to understand the Bible. · Support groups for alcoholics and drug addicts. · "Telephone of Trust" to help people in the evenings and during the night as they call in seeking answers for their problems. · Literature distribution- in 3 years the Mission distributed over 2.5 million Bibles and New Testaments in Latvia and other parts of the former USSR. The mission has had branches in White Russia, Ukraine, North Caucasus, the Urals, Siberia and the far East. All the workers of the Mission agree they are building a foundation in the peoples lives. "Every one who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock."

VARIOUS MINISTRIES of the LATVIAN CHRISTIAN MISSION MERCY How unbearable is the fate of the one who is seriously ill. Especially if he or she is a lonely old person or helpless child or invalid. If you add to this misery the lack of medical personnel, deficits of medicines, and poor nutrition because of constantly increasing prices, you can imagine the whole picture. It is only natural that Christians would want to help. Through the Mission Christians from different churches join their efforts to help people by forming special groups of volunteers to minister in hospitals. These practical helps are carried out after their full-time jobs, and on their days off. The aim of these volunteers is to ease peoples sufferings, loneliness, and to bring them closer to Jesus Christ. One example are brothers and sisters from the Baptist Revival church. Every day they would visit Hospital#6. The patients from this hospital see the warmth of their hearts as they help to clean the hospital wards, make beds and give them baths. Through this ministry these servants impart Jesus’ love and compassion to the patients. Some chronically ill patients are even taken care of in their homes after they have left the hospital. All of our volunteers work in hospitals, sanitariums, and boarding houses in Riga and Jurmala. They also distribute bandages, medicines, and syringes that the Latvian Christian Mission receives as humanitarian help from the West. DAILY FEEDING PROGRAMS (DAILY BREAD) In July 1991 the Latvian Christian Missions charitable kitchen was opened. Each day needy people are referred to the Mission by the Red Cross, the Social Security Department and the media. The kitchen staff prepare dinners (when funds are available, soup and bread when there is little money) for people in need, suitable for their age and state of health. In the past, 100 people each day, were coming to the Mission to receive hot meals free of charge. The Mission staff also delivered meals to the homes of 65 others who were not able to come into the Mission because of health reasons. It is a great blessing to these people, as for many it is the only way that they would survive. Please help us to continue this work. When faced with the hungry, helpless, and despairing we realize the great need for people to know Jesus. We have a great desire to feed, cloth, and comfort those who are in need. Just as Jesus met many physical needs, then He was able to minister to the spiritual needs- so it is with our work. As we meet the needs of the hungry, then we are able to proclaim the truths of the Gospel to them, in order to meet their spiritual needs. CHILDREN'S MINISTRY "We are all the children of God, we are all different and special before the Lord, however He loves the little ones in a special way..." Dmitry Rosier was the main organizer and inspiration of the work among the children and teachers. For several years he was collecting materials for Sunday schools and organizing forms of activities for children. As a result, the Mission now has wonderful materials for working with children. Each month the Mission holds seminars for the teachers of Latvian Sunday schools. They come together to exchange their experiences and new ideas. Fifty teachers consistently attend these seminars. The Mission is also in close cooperation with the Gideons International. Our staff and volunteers have visited hundreds of schools and orphanages. They have also been able to minister in prisons for juvenile offenders, giving hope for a better life in Jesus. Over 2 million copies of spiritual literature have been presented to school children. Each time the Mission's representative visits a school they are able to donate a set of 46 books to the school's library. Another way in which the LCM provides help for children is through our Children's Helps Program. This program works to provide for the needs of orphanages, and large orphanage families. In Latvia today there are thousands of orphans and invalid children. Most of these children suffer from diseases such as cerebral palsy. The Mission supplies these orphanages and families with food, clothing and medicines. There are nine family orphanages in Latvia. Family orphanages are normal families with children who are also raising at least five other children. The largest family orphanage is the family of Eleonora Pavovskaya. Being the mother of two children she has also adopted 13 other children. The kids are of many different nationalities; Russian, Ukrainians, Latvians, Tartars, Koreans, and Yakuts. Now these children are living in peace and comfort with much love. (permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these Luke 18:16) PRISON MINISTRY The most mail that we receive at the Mission is from prisons. Not only from Latvia, but from other former Soviet republics as well. As our evangelists go out to minister in prisons, letters come back to the Mission with requests, prayers and thanksgiving: " I will write simply as the Lord put on my heart. I can not find the words of love and thanksgiving to express my gratitude for all that Jesus Christ has done for me! It was for me, who wallowed in my sins. He pulled me out of a deadly swamp and washed by His precious blood all my sins. Thank you dear brothers and sisters that you shoed me the Way of Truth" (Vladislav M. Prison#349/5 Nizhne Tagil, Tatarstan) "it is so difficult for me.. the only thing I can comfort myself in is reading the New Testament that you have bought for me. I thought that I was a martyr, but now I see that Jesus Christ experienced more intense torment than I " (Vladimir C. Prison #78-1 Riga Latvia) At one time these people have overstepped God's commandments. They were punished, experienced suffering and often through these sufferings came to Jesus. The new converted prisoners have acquired another meaning of life. They have found freedom inside prison walls. Ligita Krastinja was the founder of the prison ministry at the mission before she joined forces with Prison Fellowship International. In previous days she was a doctor and now she is a healer of peoples souls. Ligita has a call from God for that ministry. The doors in the reformatories and prisoner's hearts are open for her words. Missionaries from different churches have regular ministry in 8 prisons of Latvia. Our staff at the Mission communicates with ex-inmates after they are released. The main purpose of the Mission in this work is not only to provide them with clothing, shoes, and food, but to create reasons for independent, honest life based on Christian principals; to lead people towards a Biblical system of values, teaching them to love their neighbors. TELEPHONE OF TRUST Telephone of Trust was a ministry of people who are on duty on a telephone number willing to be patient and full of love for the caller. People who can not cope, or have addictions of alcohol or narcotics. MUSIC MINISTRY There is a universal delight at the Mission. They are four musical ensembles. Among them are two adult groups "Roshdestvo" and "Revival" and two children's groups: "The Miracle" and "The Singing Violins". These small, but resounding groups have a vast repertoire. Practically every evangelization has at least one of these groups participating. MISSION LIBRARY It is know that many have come to the knowledge of God through the reading of spiritual literature. That is why the libraries were created in the Mission. There are about 100 different titles and a total of 8000 books available. Our sisters rejoice as they open the doors of their room to anyone who wishes. They treat every edition eagerly and carefully. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" This is the way that the apostle Paul defined the origin of faith. It is very good to have spiritual literature in addition to the Word of God. For that purpose, the library was started. As a result, the circle of readers is broadening. They start to communicate with each other regarding their interest in spiritual things. Many of these people decide to attend Sunday Schools to learn more about their faith. MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER Dear Friend, I am happy to greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of all the staff and volunteer workers of the Latvian Christian Mission. I hope that the information represented here will help you to understand the full extent of LCM’s work. The needs of the Mission are endless as you have read, we provide different types of help to meet many needs, such as food, clothing, litrature, medicine, finance, teaching, love, compassion, encouragement. Much of our humanitarian and material help come from many individuals, churches and organizations in the West. We appreciate these helps and pray that God will continue to provide this material and humanitarian aid in the days to come. I would ask that you would join us in prayer and giving as we continue to minister in Latvia and the other Republics, carrying the light of the Gospel to those in need.
Vadim Kovalev, Founder MESSAGE FROM THE MISSION PRESIDENT Dear Friends, Our needs for 1997 are even greater now than before. High prices for everything are making it very difficult for the Mission and we are making some cutbacks. Please pray with us for the financial support of the Mission in the years ahead. You may make contributions to our accounts listed below, or mail us directly. Mr. Michael Markham has agreed to represent us in the West and you may contact him directly to assist us in any way. He is providing us a web page at http://www.gospels.com/lcm.htm and he may be contacted anytime at 1 441 293-8087 or Fax: 1 441 293-0425. We have been told that the LCM has a relationship with the National Fund of Latvia and the International Relief Fund which have tax deductible status in the United States for those who need such a deduction of their gift. Thank you in Christ, Vjaceslavs Altuhovs, President LCM. Phone in Riga, Latvia: 13 7 217777

Pictures CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF LCM WORK The Music Group "Christmas" with Evangelist Bob (BMEA) at a concert inside a Russian prison with the prisoners who came forward for prayer.

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