La La La La Latvia

Lars, David and I were part of a short term missions project, RISK, which sent a Norwegian based team to every country in Europe for the weekend.

The was goal was to bring Jesus to all of Europe.

 But, of course, He was already waiting in Latvia.

:)

Accommodations 

We contacted YWAM Riga and stayed in one of their apartments in the former Jewish ghetto.


YWAM Riga doesn't have a "base" but rather several different apartments throughout the city.



A DTS from another Latvian base was also staying in the building for a week of teaching.



Our team joined them for the afternoon and we handed out free bread with The Baltic Bread Project.
The bread is from the bakery under our unit.

We wandered the streets and gave away fresh, hot bread as an expression of Christ's love.

occupation museum 

Latvia was occupied for over fifty years by the Soviets and Nazis.

Latvia declared its independence in 1991.

Although they are a free nation, oppression still hangs in the air.

When they took the bread from our hands it was like their somber faces cracked off.


The real, joyful, glowing parts peeked through.



We live off bread in Norway.

David and I had the pleasure of introducing Lars to such culinary delights as beets and acorn squash.

It was like taking a three year old to the zoo. 

"I've never had anything like this! IT'S AMAZING!"

I'm an international kitchen wizard!

Dal with spinach and feta.

We ate incredibly well during our stay.

We joined the DTS to watch Latvia vs Malta

Hunting down ingredients in the Central Market.

We were invited to make dinner with Elise (one of the leaders of YWAM Riga) on Saturday.

However, she had a party late that afternoon so she gave us free range of her kitchen as well as directions to the bi-monthly Slow Food Organic Market.

We visited the Central Market first for fresh produce

The Menu:

Roasted Acorn Squash with herb butter and honey

Balsamic grilled Portabella mushrooms with caramelized onions and red pepper

Beet salad with avocado, feta, raspberries, walnut, and radishes with chili and honey dressing

We could not, for the life of us, find the illusive organic market. 

We were just about to give up when we turned down a side street and found it in a secret alley.

Oh man.

We bought a loaf of heavy, dark, sweet bread. It weighed more than my cat. DELICOUS!

Apples. Squash. Fancy hat. Can I take you home?

It was the most amazing market, ever.

I wanted to eat everything.

Then we found the eco-catering booth and I just about died.

Beet and bulgur salad, venison and wild boar burgers, cranberry creme brulee

aaaand mouthwateringly beautiful pumpkin soup (we don't have pumpkins in the arctic)

"Is that PUMPKIN SOUP?! Oh, it's breaking my heart!"

"Try it! Let it break your heart."

*taste taste*

"Is your heart breaking?"

"Totally"

David and I ate the most satisfying burger we've ever had.

Venison. Ciabatta bread. Cranberry chutney. Caramelized onions.

I'm ruined forever.

When you arrive at YWAM Riga's rundown apartment building you wouldn't expect to find the perfect oasis of a home that Elise has made. 

Her hygge nest is filled with paintings, exotic spices, medicinal tea and a jungle of herbs.

She has unique collections of pottery, instruments, and art from everywhere she's "pitched her tent".

From Oregon to Australia to Russia.

Elise is a beautiful expression of Papa's heart for hospitality.

Faithful footwear

"WHAT IS IT?!"
"It's a didgeridoo."
"A WHAAAAT?!" 

Koselig kitchen

The eats.
By the way, Lars loved and ate most of the squash.
Poor deprived Norwegian.

Josh Garrels. Enter the Worship Circle. Twinkle lights. Fancy glasses. Fellowship. Excellent.

Latvian dessert.
Peppermint coated cranberries.
Unworldly.

Such a blessing

I'm a lousy evangelist. I just want to feed people.

House church.

Dave from YWAM Riga leads a house church in another area of the city.

We had a lovely, sunny walk to his home on Sunday morning.

So inspired by that encouraging family of believers.

Lars and I went walking in the graveyard at golden hour.
"You are feeding me so many new words! Misty. Asphalt. Gloaming!"

Gustaf visits Riga.
The "Norwegian" team

And then it was time to go home.

What a blessed time.

Thanks Riga for the fellowship, beauty, and encouragement!

Back to The North

Shelter

Four days of wilderness.

Backpacking. Solo camping. Shelter building. Tree chopping. Fire building. 

Camp

The first day.

We hiked to the same lake I visited with Lars and company last weekend.

After setting up camp everyone left for the mountain.

Rather than tackle the same peak I'd hiked two days before, 

I decided to stay at base camp and choose rest. 

Rolinke claims a spot for our tent

Staying behind allowed me to finally connect with Rolinke 

(Our lovely, dreadlocked, herbaceous, Dutch, base mama) 

We shared mutual passions and visions.

 Hostels. Travelers. Pilgrims. Community living. Big meals on the floor.

God is stirring up something wild this year. 

I'm really glad I stayed behind in camp that afternoon.

Choosing rest is such a struggle for me. 

I feel a feverish need to seize every opportunity.

All the time.

This last winter, my good friend, Collins, confronted me about this.

"Rachael, Most of the time it's an outpouring of joy, but sometimes, it's just restlessness."

What is my motivation? 

I shared with Martina that one of my goals for this year is actually to do less and to say no.

"Don't think of it as saying no. Think of it as saying yes to something better."

I can do all kine stuff, but everyting not good fo me. 

I can do all kine stuff, but dat no make nobody come mo strong inside. 

-1 Corinthians 10:23 from Da Jesus Book

Yes.

Ann J has never seen snow or been hiking.
She is a fearless woman of the wilderness.

Ann J's built her first fire. 

Day Two

Eight hours. Heaviest pack. Ridge. Peak. Valley. Peak. Valley. Peak.

It was a brutal day. Some of us almost didn't make it.

Outdoor trips here are intense.

They can sometimes teeter on the edge of un-enjoyable. 


By the time I get home I'll practically be able to float down the PCT.

The wilderness sure is gorgeous here, though.

Home in the distance.

We wandered all these hills and mountains.

The mountains never end.

It was a long day.

Here, we drink straight from the streams and lakes, without filtering.

It's apparently "safe" but some of us got a bit sick.

I chose dehydration. I probably drank 2 liters in two days. 
Ooops.

It poured freezing rain for the majority of the trip.

We rejoined the rest of our party who'd opted to drive most of the way.

They greeted us with fire and chocolate back at camp.

It was so nice to have a treat after working so hard to get there. 

All day, in the back of my mind,

 I knew we were having salmon soup for dinner and that was not motivating.

Oh, chocolate, you work wonders on a dampened spirit.

We shared raw and honest stories. 

I'm honored to live with these beautiful, messy, people.

Fire-start gathering.

The third day.

We were sent into the woods with a saw and a tarp and told to come back in the morning.

Shelter. Complete with hoards of spiders.

fish cakes

I enjoy being alone. It doesn't happen too often anymore.

Koselig

I crawled into my damp tarp shelter and watched the lights across the fjord. I was just about to turn in, when suddenly, illuminated in the candlelight, an enormous spider that crawled across the hood of my sleeping bag. 

The whole valley heard my unholy, murderous howl

(Think Westley's death scream in The Princess Bride)

He brought friends. 

Not okay.

The rest of the evening I spent, only exposing my nose from the sleeping bag 

and meditating on Psalm 91:10 

(My favorite psalm in the wilderness. Very applicable to spiders)

night

The fourth day

I woke up before dawn and decided to pick berries till I was allowed to rejoin at camp. 

One by one everyone met up in the forest. We were all pretty happy to see each other. 

We hiked back down to the vans and discovered that 
our drivers didn't leave the spare keys.

 We waited an extra 40 minutes to be rescued.

There was great exasperation.

Sometimes adventures are not so pleasant.

Thankful for a weekend of resting (and reindeer cookies)