teRiga is completed

The cross-denomination service project of teRiga has officially ended. On Friday we completed our clean up of the storage unit sight. We were pleasantly surprized at how much was completed, we thought for sure we would be unable to finish the project, however the team stayed an extra hour to fill up the last garbage bin and brought the entire mound of rubble level with the ground.

Before

After

Saturday was our next unknown, we had planned a work project in one of the cities most honored parks, Mezaparks, the sight of the Song Festival which is held every 5 years and incorportates tens of thousands of people. Our goal was to not only have the youth serving but also the adult memebers of the congregation, we were wonderfully surprized...about 200 adults from 32 different churches throughout Riga and surrounding cities came for Saturday's work project. Add to that the 130 teRiga youth that had been working the past week and you have about 330 people serving their community, that is a loud statement. It is very exciting.

Sweeping the sidewalks in the park.

Workers of all generations came to help in the big work day.

Silent witness to those passing by.

We closed with a celebration service for everyone in the park, some local bands played...my favorite "Metanoia" (who will be comming to the valley and Dox (?) in October) finished out the concert. It was pouring down rain, but the spectators didn't care, youth and adult and senior stayed in the rain, singing along with the bands, worshiping in the rain.

Metanoia in Mezaparks.

Keren Baldwin (middle) worshipping with fellow teRiga participants. The unity between Latvian and American youth in worship is beautiful.