Tuhala

Yeaaa,

Well, it's the 1st of October and winter is moving in here in Tallinn. Today the Reynolds and I went for an excursion to the village of Tuhala to see a natural spring. I was able to drive their car for about 2 hours through the winding forest, which was pretty exciting. After about 2 hours of searching, we found the spring...which had run dry.

This picture is of the "sacred" juniper of Tuhala...there is a lot of pagan worship that goes on up in this area of Europe...sun, moon, stars, nature=gods. Anyway, I had to run through a crop field to get this picture, but it was worth it.

The conference is in 4 days! Groups are beginning to get here and things are starting to roll...thanks for your prayers and support.

Love you all!

Halley

This is actually Keila-Joe...pronounced "keelah-hoe"

Psalm 98:7-8

"Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that live in it. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord..."

So, Keila-Joe is this really awesome park with water falls and old manor homes from the late 1800's, which were almost demolished during the Russian occupation. The above picture is of the Keila-Joe bridge.

There are locks on the bridge because, as Russian tradition goes, when a couple becomes engaged they must close the deal by placing a monogrammed lock on a bridge. This just happens to be a pretty popular bridge...hence all of the locks:)

God is so faithful, and I am really thankful to be here. Have a great day!

Halley

Keila-Joe

Shalom:)

And a happy day to you all! This is my 10th day in Estonia and I am seeing so many amazing things and meeting all kinds of interesting people. The conference is approaching quickly, which means we all became extrememly busy! I went to a Russian occupation museum yesterday in Tallinn...how crazy to think of what actually happened here during that time. The picture above is of the Stalin statue which was here in Tallinn up until the 90's when Estonia gained it's independence back from Russia.

Well, just wanted to share and say hello. See you all soon:)

Halley

8 days of the week

Hello World, This is my 8th day in Tallinn, Estonia and what a crazy 8 days it has been...good crazy:) It is autumn here, and all of the leaves have turned gold and orange. It is absolutely beautiful...i think my time here is more of a vacation than anything else, haha, which is fine with me! We have begun to prepare for the conference coming up at the beginning of October. The other groups are not here yet, but should arrive in 5 or 6 days. Rick and Marlene took me to the open market yesterday and I bought this hat in the picture above...at first i put it on wrong, and this very excited sales lady fixed it for me...she was hilarious. Last night we went for a prayer walk throughout the city and invited people to the conference. That was a really neat experience and I was able to get to know some of the church people of Tallinn better. The sun is shining today, and I think we are going to a park with waterfalls or something...i'm not sure exactly, but it sounded interesting:) I love you all very much, and am so thankful you are in my life!! Halley

TALLINN

Hey All,

Well, I am now in Tallinn, Estonia...right on the Baltic Sea...1.5 hrs south of Finland and 2 hours west of Russia! Things are going great and I am really enjoying the city. This picture is of the Russian Orthodox church here in Tallinn. Marlene took me to old town today and I was able to explore all of the ancient wonders! 41 days until I am back in the States:)

Love you!

Halley

Estonia

Well, I finally made it to Estonia today after a 9.5 hour bus ride from Vilnius to Tallinn. Even though the journey was LONG, the scenery was beautiful! Lithuania is full of lakes and rivers, as well as national parks. The bus also drove through villages with wooden houses and gardens...overall it was an enjoyable trip. The Reynolds met me at the bus station and we headed back to their house. They are really nice people! Tallinn is larger than Vilnius, and completely different. I can see the Baltic Sea from my window, and Marlene said that Finland is only 1.5 hours away by ferry...I think I might have to check that out... Just wanted to tag in with everyone and let you know I am well...though a little homesick:) 6 weeks until I land back home...so keep sending the love! Halley p.s. This statue is of someone called Adonis...i don't know the significance of it, but it looks pretty cool!

Sunday Sunday

Hey!! Church today was WONDERFUL! We had 19 people in service...which is SO amazing! A new person has recently joined our church. His name is Audrus and he has been leading the Lithuanian song service...he sings, plays the guitar, and the piano. He will also be leading Home Friendship Group and song service while Tony and Shasta are in the US. The Millers' are so excited that he has joined the church and that he is willing and excited to serve. Today was Tessa and Jurgita's last time to be in service since Tessa is leaving for the US tomorrow, and Jurgita is leaving for university in London on Tuesday. We had a special going away service for them and a small reception. We all cried a little, but are excited for the new chapters of their lives. I am going so see Tessa off at the bus station tonight at 9:00 and then I will leave for Tallinn, Estonia tomorrow morning. I am a little nervous about the 9 hr ride, but Tessa and the Millers have all traveled it before and they have said nothing but positive things. The Reynolds will be waiting for me at the station and I will spend the next 3 weeks helping them and serving their church. They are holding a national conference Oct 5-7 and people from Latvia, Estonia, and Norway will be present. I will keep you all posted on the details. Hope you all have great services today and a happy monday! Halley