Size: 64,000 sq. km. (roughly the size of West Virginia)
Borders: Baltic Sea, Estonia, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania
Population: 2.2 million
Capital: Riga (Ree guh) 712,000 people
Ethnicity: Latvian 59%, Russian 27%, Belorusian 4%, other 7%
Average Salary: $14,000
Unemployment: 16%
Evangelical Christian: 2%
Riga was founded in AD 1201; however, its people were ruled by outside powers (Germany, Poland, Sweden, Russia, Germany) until it finally gained independence in 1918 - after WWI. When the Second World War started The Soviet Union took control of Latvia. Nazi Germany gained control for 1 year during the war, but the Soviets won out. Latvia finally gained independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Soviet rule did a lot of damage to the Latvian culture. Christianity was abolished, thousands of Latvians were deported to Siberia, and many Russians were sent in to break its culture. Now, in 2011 evangelical Christians are at 2%, most of whom are young people.
Josiah Venture: Missions Organization in Eastern Europe
Josiah Venture was founded in 1992 to serve Eastern Europe just after the fall of the Iron Curtain. They started and are based out of the Czech Republic. They currently have missionaries serving in 11 countries in Eastern Europe. Josiah Venture began working in Latvia in 2003. Their vision is:
During the summers, Josiah Venture partners with local church youth groups to help put on summer camps (sports camps, English learning camps, and Fusion (music & arts) camps. This is what our group will be a part of from July 4 - 19.This is the vision of Josiah Venture, a vision for a movement of God among the youth of Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society. Our mission and calling is to equip young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission by reaching and making disciples. More than just conversion, we want to see passionate followers of Jesus Christ, with a vision to reach and disciple their generation for Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment