Quiet Time

It would be an understatement to say that our New Years celebration is tepid. Let's just say that the exciting part was beginning a new 1000 piece puzzle. (Not that I want to offend the puzzle lovers among us.)

Anyway, now I'm just sitting here reflecting on the year that has been. In the last 12 months we have followed God by a bolder faith, sometimes walking, sometimes running, and often enough stumbling. We have put ourselves out on a limb for the sake of a dream and the desire to see the Gospel spread. We knew in the beginning that God wouldn't let us down, but we weren't perfectly certain that it was His Leading and not just our idea. Yet with each sermon we heard, with each prayer meeting we attended, with each day's Word jumping out of the page to us, it seemed more and more certain that He was making a way. And so He has. I cannot help but be overwhelmed by His faithfulness. I've had many occasions this past year where I've thought, "I'm not sure precisely what the Lord is up to, but I'm sure that He is UP to SOMETHING." Looking back I can see what some of the things were, and I can see even more clearly that it's not so important that I know what He's doing. It's just terribly important that I be sure to be on board. He is faithful. He is able. And He is inviting along anyone who's willing to go.

If you would, take a moment and pray for the laborers and the people of the Baltic States and Russia. I've found that the world at large is not nearly as Christianized as it seems to us Americans. We still have a lot of work to do.

May He bless and protect each of you in 2006. Thanks again for listening in.

Happy New Year!

Bob



Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Timing is everything

So, as I was saying back in October, we didn't know how this whole immigration thing was going to work out. After our last post, we were told that our time in-country had expired, that our paperwork would positively NOT be accepted, and that we'd have to leave the country and apply from outside of Latvia. That sounded like the end of the world to us. Nobody could promise that our application would be successful at all, let alone in a reasonable time. We were given a small grace period, though, and were told that if we'd leave the country by Nov. 16, we wouldn't be expelled. Nov. 16 just happened to be the day that a new AIM couple was arriving in Riga! Another (final) couple was to arrive a week after that! We'd been here trying to pave the way, eagerly awaiting fellow troops, and we have to leave the VERY DAY they finally arrive?

"Lord, am I missing something here?!"

As it turns out, yes.

If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have had the slightest concern. Of course, now I have "sight" and then I only had "faith". I wish my faith would be as strong as my sight.

Long story short, we spent 4 weeks in Vilnius. We applied for residence from Vilnius without incident. Our residence was approved on December 8. Meanwhile, our empty Riga apartment provided a much-needed temporary base of operations for our compatriots back in Riga, giving both new couples a chance to patiently look for the best apartments for their needs. We were able to stay in the empty apartment of another AIM couple who were back in the States at the time. We left their apartment the day they returned from the States.

During our time there, we were blessed tremendously. We got to teach Bible Studies to some new folks. I got a chance to meet with the young people in Vilnius. I got to earn some dough doing English editing. We even got to attend the big Christmas bash thrown by yet another AIM couple in Vilnius. (For clarity: 2 months ago there were 2 AIM'ers on site in Vilnius and 1 (us) in Riga. There are now 3 in Vilnius and 3 in Riga. Thank the Lord!)

We arrived back in Riga with 48 hrs to spare before Ellie's family arrived. They attended a wedding in St. Petersburg, and ministered in 4 different locations in the Baltics, as well as spending Christmas Eve and Day with us. Ellie's mom cooked and we all ate like Americans. Thank the Lord!

So, in the end, the experience was just the right thing at just the right time. I was really beginning to wonder if God had everything under control. Believe it or not, He did! And it was all in His perfect timing. You're not even very surprised, are you?

Bob




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Ham and Cheese

The small bistro we are all going to goes by the name of "Ham and Cheese". It is our favorite place to go out to as it is the only place in Riga that has true American tasting food. (Of course, we have the ubiquitous McDonalds but. . .well....you know. .McDonalds?) We found it the way we have found most things, by looking at a guidebook called "Riga in your Pocket". It is an English guidebook and reviews all the restaurants. In our experience, the claims in this guidebook are not accurate as the various establishments do not have the expected cuisine. (Imagine my surprise and chagrin when I once ordered the touted fajitas and they arrived covered in curry!-not exactly Tex-Mex) The guidebook did claim that Ham and Cheese was American style as its owners were American. Well, this we had to see for ourselves! Oh the joy of a real meatball sub and the bliss of a true philly cheesesteak. They even have Dr. Pepper!! (Sure it comes in a can and there are no glasses and no ice, but still, real Dr. Pepper!)

We thought we were going to Ham and Cheese for the food, but the Lord has another purpose as well. The owners have warmed, albeit slowly, to us as we have gotten to know them over the past few weeks. We were astounded to learn that one of the owners/investors is the editor-in-chief of the Baltic Times--the only English newspaper for the three Baltic states- Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. We are excited for the doors God is opening.



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Reservations at "Ham and Cheese"

I am Ellie Neumann, wife to Bob, mom to Shohna, Alex, and Charlotte, an Associate in Missions here in the Republic of Latvia, and guest Blogger this week on Ninetyandnine.

Today my husband made a reservation at a small, basement level sandwich shop in downtown Riga for twenty-one people. Twenty-one people! For so long, it has been just us here in this large foreign city, that to be making plans with twenty-one other souls is a great blessing. Two other AIM families have joined us since we last blogged. One family is an experienced group and the other is fresh off the farm. Both are slightly culture shocked, but still excited to be part of what God is doing in this part of the Baltics. Needless to say, we are thrilled to have them!

It is sort of curious what being separated from the main church body does to your relationships. At our home church in Atlanta, we had our pick of many people to be friends with. We tended to pick people of similiar age, education, compatibility, and socio-economic status. But over here, fellow-laborers are like gold. They are valued no matter their intelligence or abilities. Maybe back in the states you would only exchange greetings in passing, but over here you become vitally important to one another. It's actully kind of cool-reminding me of the fellowshipping done in the book of Acts. It will be interesting to see how time will affect these relationships, but I think they will be the forging of friendships formed on the "frontlines".




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A White Christmas

I'm tired. Bone tired. I can't think clearly. My head hurts. That's right, it's the WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS.

Am I the only one who has exactly ZERO motivation to do ANYTHING useful during the week between Christmas and New Years? Between the mild sense of letdown after all the buildup to Christmas day, and the sense of waiting for something important to happen on or around New Year's, I am left with, well, not that very much overall motivation.

'Thought you'd want to know.

BTW, I'm Bob Neumann, the AIM'er to Latvia guy. I have much to tell you, but not right now.

Meanwhile, check this out. If you like spending time on the web, you'll LOVE this. I use it all the time. (During the rare occasions that my internet actually works.)

Bob
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Eric: goodbye, support 90&9, Merry Christmas

Goodbye

I have enjoyed my third appearance on this blog, the last week has been fun. Thanks to all of you who took a minute out of your day to read this space, I hope you have found it worthwhile. Thanks to Editor Kent d Curry for asking me to blog this month.

Support 90&9

I would encourage everyone to support the efforts of 90&9 specifically through reading the articles and telling friends about the site. Also, I know the editors would love to have more readers submit an article. Finally, be a participant with the site by supporting it financially, reading enthusiastically, and contributing when you feel that you can add something to the content. I appreciate 90&9!

Merry Christmas

Finally, may each of you have a very Merry Christmas. During this season of fun, keep the Reason for the Season in mind. May God bless us all, everyone!

Until next time….


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Eric: the next President, Christmas eve plans

The Next President

The next presidential election is still a few years away, but many are thinking about how the 2008 race will shape up. Here are my thoughts: The public will be looking for someone who embodies credibility, competence and who is down to earth. People will be tired of the constant state of war, controversy, and perception that Washington is out of touch. Katrina, Iraq, WMD, 9/11, will have left many exhausted and the electorate will want someone to help return to an era of normalcy, like the election after World War I. Also, budgetary issues and the deficit are going to continue to dominate the political discussion as it is impossible for the US to continue to maintain its current rate of budget deficit while spending billions on the war, and billions in revenue (tax) cuts.

Here are my two Republican candidates to watch.

John McCain – He is my frontrunner. As a crusader against pork-barrel spending he has bona fides on the spending issue. He has kept himself conservative enough while not aligning him with the far-right. Furthermore, he has been an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq; and it seems impossible that a Republican could win without being in support. The media likes him, which is a major advantage. Only one candidate who is more a middle of the roader (Pataki, McCain, Giuliani) will be able to seriously contend once the field is narrowed down. Pataki will have trouble being taken seriously, while Giuliani might just be too liberal (especially since it will be 6 and 7 years after 9/11) for the Republicans to take as the standard bearer.


Mitt Romney – Romney is currently the Governor of Massachusetts who has decided to forgo a reelection campaign and will instead focus on a presidential campaign. He has great stage presence. In my opinion, he comes off with more gravitas than any of the other potential candidates. He has moved more to the conservative side while compiling a decent record in Massachusetts. Romney is a Mormon, but that serves to reassure me that he is actually a conservative and not a moderate masquerading as one. He does not have foreign policy credentials, but I think he could come across with more credibility than many of the others in the field.

I don’t imagine either Bill Frist or Sam Brownback having much success. Frist hasn’t done a good job with the Senate and I don’t think Brownback really connects well.


Christmas eve plans

Tomorrow I am going to spend much of Christmas eve with Janna’s family. Every year her Dad’s side has a big get together. Much of the family lives around here, and so it promises to be an interesting experience. In some ways it is kind of strange. I am meeting Janna’s family because I am her boyfriend, but we have only been dating a month and a half. But it is fine, and it is going to be great.


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Eric: long day, Patriot Act, Christmas Cards

Long Day

I had a nice time with my grandparents today. It was my grandmother’s birthday and it was a good chance to spend some time visiting. However, the drive both ways was long and I am kind of wiped out.

Patriot Act

Congress agreed to extend the Patriot Act for one month. The opposition to making it permanent seems solid, especially in the Senate where four mainline, conservative Republicans are joining with the Democrats to prevent its passage. There will have to be a significant change in order for it to be made permanent. January 7, 2006 is the beginning of the Alito hearings, so there is going to be extensive focus on the questions of civil liberties, presidential prerogatives, and executive authority. My feeling is that the Bush administration will not be able to scare the Senators back into line, and significant compromise will have to be reached. Remember that when it first passed, in the aftermath of 9/11, only one Senator spoke out and voted against it. Now opposition to the Act is widespread, not so much because of what people understand it to do, but because it represents an over-reaching executive, that is viewed as uncaring about the liberties of Americans, to the extent that it should be.

Christmas Cards

One of the nicer traditions associated with Christmas is the sending of Christmas (holiday) cards. It is a way for people to keep in touch when they otherwise would not, and they serve as a useful vehicle for sending photos, letters, and other updates. But when should a person start? I received two Christmas cards this year (to the best of my recollection) that were specifically for me. I haven’t sent out any. Is that alright? What age should a person have their own Christmas card list? Once I have a family of my own?

Cards represent something good about Christmas. Instead of them being materialistically or gift focused they tend to be more family focused, and on the wishing of another blessings and a good year. Maybe in the next few years I will start to get into it more!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Eric: to do list, THRIVE 05, car bumped

Winter Break List

A few weeks ago I started a document and kept it on my laptop desktop called “things to do over winter break.” So far I have not really managed to do the 17 things on the list, but I am sure I will soon. I really need to clean my room, it would be nice to get that done soon.


THRIVE 2005

Through an interesting turn of events, I am attending this year's THRIVE 2005 Conference in the Dallas, TX area. This conference is geared to the college and career crowd, so I expect to have a good time. Several of the classes look interesting as well. My friend Melissa Fross went to THRIVE in 2004. I am also looking forward to a day or two with warmer weather. This is my second trip to Texas; I was in Houston towards the end of summer for a “getting ready for law school” seminar.

My car bumped

Today while driving around with my sister I got bumped in the rear by a woman whose brakes were not working right. Fortunately my car was not damaged.



Well in some ways it has been a long day. Tomorrow I am going to Lincoln, Il to visit with my grandparents…Janna is coming as well!!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Eric: Christmas Carol, online social networks and EVOLUTION

Christmas Carol

The Christmas Carol was really good. The flue/cold season must be in full swing though, as the first 15 minutes of the show was dominated by the coughing sounds of our fellow theater goers. Afterwards we enjoyed a light meal at Houlihan’s. Most importantly, Janna enjoyed the evening!


Online social networks

The internet has sparked many internet social networks, including the facebook and everyone’s connected. I have a profile on both, maybe you can find it. They are an interesting development as they allow one to stay in contact and find long lost friends. People can and do spend hours on them, I try to be reasonable about it though.


Evolution and Intelligent Design

A federal court has struck down the teaching of “intelligent design” in a school district in Pennsylvania. This issue is difficult for me. On one side, it is an objective fact that 40+% of Americans have a sincere belief in Creationism. Therefore any education would be incomplete without explaining this to students. However, I can also respect the fact that the teaching of science (and current scientific theory embraces an evolutionary understanding of the origin of life) should not be easily influenced by those pushing an agenda. “ID” seems to me to be an attempt to clothe creationism in scientific sounding language. From my point of view real science and real religion are the same thing, so I am not afraid to examine what science currently understands because it is an imperfect revelation of truth. If that truth were fully understood I believe science and the Bible would match up; although perhaps in ways we wouldn’t expect or currently imagine.

But then again, I always went to Christian and then private school………


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!