The Wittenberg Family, along with Kristi and Priit, gather for our Thanksgivng meal....yesterday....on Sunday! 

Lasnamae Youth Center Pictures

Further down on the blog you can read about the situation, the neighborhood, where the Army has its Lasnamae Youth Center. You can read about the bombings in this immediate area, the last one coming in the backyard of the Center. We mentioned that they believe they have caught the terrorist and great relief has come to the apartments and streets surrounding. Enjoy the pictures!

The kids made the butterflies to go on this cross....wonderful symbolism, dont you think! 

Teele, our secretary, translator (English, Russian, Finnish, Estonian!) tries to open the glue! She taught a wonderful lesson last week....someone commented to us...she is more than a secretary..she is like an associate pastor....that says it! 

Our Emma giving it her all at the Youth Center....and of course her PINK dog looks on! 

Two of the boys hard at work at Lasnamae 

One of God's special girls from the Lasnamae Youth Center 

No, we are not on the payroll of the Estonian Tourist Board!! This is the Gulf of Finland, near to our house...each season brings its own special, unique beauty. 

Lasnamae Youth Center....Another Blessing from a great God!

As some of you know we have begun (we being Susan, myself and our secretary Teele) a ministry every Thursday afternoon at the Lasnamae Youth Center. This is a Center run by the Salvation Army's region but they have given us freedom to enter in and work here in any way we want. Lasnamae is a heavily poplulated "Russian" sector of town..if I may label it so...With many gray, tall, lifeless highrises that many call home. We have also come to find out that it can be a rather dangerous place. Over the past many years, within close proximity to the Youth Center, a terrorist has been at work, seemingly setting off homemade bombs at random....killing and injuring many. His lastest attack came in the "backyard" of the Youth Center killing one. This happened on a Wednesday night and the next day when Susan and Teele arrived (I couldn't come), the police were still scouring the area for evidence, etc. How these precious children must have been living in fear! Susan and Teele had been much in prayer that this person would be caught...for reasons which we will explain in a later post....and yesterday HE WAS! What a relief this must bring to the residents of this area and in particular to these children! We praise Him for this wonderful ministry, for His divine protection. I praise Him for a wife and secretary who did not think twice about being present and loving these kids so soon after the events of last week! Soon we will post some pictures of these kids....perhaps through this form, even from so great a distance, they will win your hearts like they have ours!

And here is our Meaghan! 

Meaghan and Sarah have complained that they aren't in any pictures on the Blog..I told them they have to be home once in awhile...or go on our family outings to qualify...this did not appease them!...so here they are, Sarah, now 14 and Meaghan 16! You are beautiful girls!! 

We have moved!

At this moment we are enjoying our new place....a little northeast of Tallinn near the Gulf of Finland...by the way has anyone out there tried Google Earth?? Amazing what you can find on there! Anyway, our new address is:

Phil and Susan Wittenberg
Jalaka Tee 5
Pringi 74001 Harjumaa
ESTONIA

Our stateside contact remains the same:

Major Doug Hart
211 Rachel Lane
Middletown OH 45042
USA

One of the pleasures of living in our new place....this is at the end of our street! The Gulf of Finland. 

Wayne and Trish Froderberg...Major in the Salvation Army from San Francisco...great supporters of us and the Army in Estonia....they brought peanut butter!!...The beer bottle is not Waynes!! 

Taken in Keila during our excursion with Wayne and Trish Froderberg, our friends from San Francisco. 

OOPS!

See what happens when you press "Enter" too soon!......Below pic....great...what is a supo? O, yes, great supporters of the ministry of the Army in Estonia!

Commissioners Larry and Nancy Moretz....Our guests for the weekend and great supo 

10th Anniversary Celebration

This weekend we all celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Salvation Army in Estonia! Majors Derek and Helen Tyrrell (Our Regional Commanders) did a great job in organizing and planning this time! Sunday afternoon found us adding chairs to accomodate all those who came forward for prayer and intercession! God annoint and bless the next 10 years....Enjoy the pictures!

Our Sarah, and is that Annely or Evelin?? during sacred dance. 

The Tallinn Gospel Choir 

This is Pastor Parlimetz...He was District Superintendant of the Methodist Church in Estonia....Faithful follower of Christ...even during the Russian occupation...A good man...Honored to know him. 

After the grand entrance! 

The hall begins to fill up on Saturday afternoon...by the time we started...we had standing room only....about 250 people or so!  

Our Sarah and Sophia Henderson (her parents are the Corps Officers (Pastors) of the Salvation Army in Narva, Estonia...Watch the Open Air during our Anniversary Weekend. 

Watermellon Party

Last week during our PBK (Pere Piibli Kool....Family Bible School) we had a watermellon party! An idea launched through our youth leadership to tell the Gospel through the Watermellon! We (or was it just me?....Phil) thought we would have 30 kids or so....well we packed out the chapel with 55-60 kids! It was a great night! Enjoy the pics.

Is watermellon in season in late October? 

The gathering crowd. 

Involved in activities! 

Marion enjoy the edible Gospel! 

The Tiimes they are a changin (Dylan!)

This morning we all got an extra hours sleep, as we turned our clocks back! Here that means that we begin the descent into the very short days of winter, where the sun is seen less and less. But there is a beauty in all this...a deeper appreciation for the brief glimpses of light....they become more precious and treasured. Indeed, the times they are a changin. Enjoy the picture below, this sunset, Gods gift to us on this first short day! May the changing winds, tempratures, etc remind us all of Gods faithfulness....and of course that Spring is coming.

The times they are a changin (Dylan). A picture from our back porch towards the sea....on the first night after the time change. 

Our new place! Gods chosen sanctuary for us. 

A wonderful link!

I (phil) love museums! Tallinn has some wonderful, and wonderfully inexpensive, museums! Too be honest, I think too many toursist come here to drink and party and not for the history, architecture, etc...they are really missing out! I recently had the gift of some private time and went to the Occupation Museum...it cost 10 eek..about 80 cents to get it...a very well done, simple museum about those dark days of Estonian history. There is a wonderful web site for this that has free English Language videos about this period....go to www.okupatsioon.ee/english/ and under "useful links" click movies. let me know what you think!

The Wittenberg Home!!

Yesterday we signed a lease on a new home! For over two years we have lived in about 85 square metres...I dont know the formula but it is like 8 or 9 hundred square feet?! We have done ok, the kids have been patient and resilient..but we felt the time had come to ask our leadership for a bigger place....We have wonderful leaders, they recognized the need and said "yes"!! We move into a second floor apartment of 150 square metres! It is outside of town and a short walk to the Gulf of Finland.....It is such a God thing....by far the least expensive property we looked at, yet our favorite! And it comes complete with a dog and cat that belong to the owner...Jacob has already adopted "Cliff" the dog! We would love for you to come visit and see God's new place for us!

Its been awhile!!

Hi, yes, it has been awhile! We havent updated since the Congress in Helsinki in September....Our apologies! It has been a busy and eventful month since then....let us fill you in just a little!!....Congress was certainly a catalyst in many ways....In our delegation of about thirty there were many for whom this was their first "exposure" to the larger Army...and it was wonderful for them!! In this new energy we have begun a new Soldiership (membership) class with 6 people...all of them in their teens or twenties...our own Sarah included! We have had our share of heartbreak in our work here....Satan has won some battles (but not the war) with more than a few...so this comes as a great encouragement to us personally! We have begun our fall "programs" (not too fond of that word..but what else do you call "them"?). Our emphasis is to reach out to the many 65 or so, new kids that were reached with outdoor evangelism this summer and fall....this has started well, with 6 or so of the new children coming, and our people are always following up with phone calls and letters! Keep praying!! We have also begun a work in "Lasnamae" in the Armys youth center there. This is a heavily populated Russian speaking part of Tallinn...notorious for some pretty awful things....that is o.k., the Light always shines brighter in darkness....Pictures soon to follow!