EstoniaEstonia map

The most northerly of the Baltic states, Estonia gained independence from the Soviet union in 1991. The economy is undergoing a profound transformation with a rapidly-growing private sector and increased foreign trade with the West. Estonia joined the EU in May 2004.

Population: 1.3 million. Language: Estonian. Main religion: Protestant (Lutheran).

Link man Malcolm Smith

CBM activities Regular visits take place throughout the year with a programme of Study days, Bible classes and home visits in three main centres. There is a small ecclesia at Tallinn, and 4 sisters in the Tartu area, where travelling and health problems make meeting together difficult. A brother from Valga meets us in Tartu when his health permits.

Web site www.sinupiibel.com

Ecclesias Tallinn. 15 members in total. 

October 2006 visitNewly-baptised Leili (in traditional costume)

Newly-baptised Leili (in traditional costume) in Tallinn

The morning of Saturday 28 October was spent discussing the organisation and registration of the church in Tallinn and the afternoon was spent talking to Leili with the help of an interpreter. She was then baptised and welcomed into the church. All present signed a copy of The New Life in Christ for our new sister. Afterwards, we shared a meal, which helped to encourage fellowship across national and racial boundaries. The next morning began with a memorial meeting where Stephen spoke about lessons from Noah. We were joined later by our contacts for Paul’s talk on "God’s Reward for the Faithful" translated into Estonian and Russian.

Malcolm, Stephen and Lisa then travelled to Tartu in south-east Estonia. We made home visits to sister Velta and sister Anne; later on our new sister Leili visited us at our guest house for discussion based on The Statement of Faith, using Russian text and references to overcome the language difficulty. Members and friends attended the evening Bible class on "Life after Death" and shared coffee and cake, and we finished with the Breaking of Bread. Our translator had travelled from Tallinn and returned after our meetings.

We travelled west to Viljandi and met our interpreter there, who asked about the recent war between Israel and Lebanon. We talked for some time about Jew and Arab, human nature, and the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Thursday, snow was falling and settling! Stephen & Lisa took the 6 am bus to Tallinn for a ferry to Helsinki and plane to Copenhagen. Malcolm took the bus to Parnu and contacted several sisters and friends there. Six friends attended an early evening Bible class on "Life after Death".

Malcolm Smith

Estonia diary 2006

Two friends discuss the BibleTwo friends discuss the Bible

Saturday, Tallinn. We began with a Bible class at a city centre school on "The Resurrection of Christ"; 12 friends were present together with our two interpreters - one Estonian and one Russian. One of the contacts asked for leaflets to display at work and another said he wanted to join us. Another old friend whom we had missed during several visits had returned after 10 months in Russia. During the afternoon we travelled 120 miles by bus to an ancient university town in the south-east of Estonia.

Sunday, Tartu. The morning meeting was a repeat of the Bible class on resurrection, followed by a Breaking of Bread with our three Estonia sisters, witnessed by several friends, one of who had travelled for two hours that morning to be with us. Our interpreter also had made the journey from Tallinn that morning and returned there straight after the meeting because her three year-old son was ill with a high temperature - she had made the effort to travel all that way because she didn’t want to let us down! After the meeting one of our friends rove us to her home at Saadjärve, where we had a pleasant time with her and her English-speaking friend and a long discussion about the Bible.

Monday, Tartu. We visited Sister Anne at her village just outside Tartu to discuss the progress of her correspondence course students, then returned to Tartu to catch a bus to Viljandi where we often visit an elderly couple who enjoy Bible talks with us and an English teacher who interprets for them.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Pärnu. We were able to contact two sisters and several friends. 7 attended the Bible class on Tuesday evening. Our interpreter and two others joined us for a meal after the class.

Thursday, Tallinn. We returned for an evening Bible class on "A New World Coming - God’s Kingdom on Earth".

Friday, Tallinn. After visiting the Estonian Bible Society for another Russian Bible, we accepted an invitation to the home of one of our friends where two others were present. We were entertained to lunch and were able to talk about faith, tradition and the authority of Bible; they seemed willing to get together to discuss Bible teaching, and we left literature for them to study.

Malcolm Smith

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