Pilgrim Soldier

And so the most significant weekend in my almost 6 years in Latvia is over. Last night we witnessed the commissioning of 6 new officers of The Salvation Army. It was, without doubt, one of the most emotional and inspirational meetings I have ever been in. I’m sure the only commissioning that will ever top this one will be my own! The presence of the Spirit was evident and you felt a sense that there was a smile on the face of God at the obvious enthusiasm and depth of feeling of these 6 covenanted Heralds of the Good News!

This commissioning takes the officer total in Latvia from 8 to 14, and if you exclude the foreigners it makes it from 2 to 8, which is a significant increase. They have been 18 months in training but many more years in preparation and these 6 men and women from God have a mighty task! However, what is very clear is that they believe in a mighty God, through whose Spirit they will be able to accomplish the task He has for them.

The task ahead of them is incredible. 2 will be building up a Russian speaking ministry in Riga which is a city in which more than 50% of the population speak Russian as a first language. 2 will be off to a corps that has shrunk significantly in recent years, but has just moved to a new location and has great potential. 1 will be leaving the city behind and working in two deeply impoverished small towns where the Army is the only expression of the Church. The last will be building up the youth work in Latvia’s second city as well as being involved in developing the Lord’s work through the Army in some of the most impoverished areas of Latvia, along with the current corps officers.

God bless the newest captains of The Salvation Army and God bless His Army in Latvia and across the world!