Europe #3: Lithuania

Greetings from Europe! We’ve landed in Germany with two notable exceptions. Cort and Abby Gatliff (South Highland Presbyterian) tested positive for COVID and had to remain in the US. As of this writing, they are doing fine so we give thanks to God! Yet we are feeling the loss of their presence on this trip! 

During the first phase of our Europe trip, I returned to Lithuania to reconnect with friends and explain the work of The Outreach Foundation. At LCC International University, Europe’s only 4-year Christian liberal arts University, I learned of new challenges and opportunities. Only 20% of students are Lithuanian and the rest come from over 50 countries! Its mission is to transform students through education rooted in Christian values. 10% of the students are evangelical Christian, another 50% are catholic and orthodox, while the others are atheist or Muslim. Lives are being transformed here, including students from places where The Outreach Foundation has long-standing friendships. Future trips here will include visits with these students in the diaspora.

I visited with first-generation pastors Gabrielius Lukosius, pastor of three churches and moderator of the Lithuanian Evangelical Alliance, and Saul Karosas, pastor of Lithuania’s largest evangelical church (City Church). Pastors like them have sacrificed nearly everything for the sake of building God’s church in this part of the world. But, as many young people move away from Eastern Europe, finding and training new leaders is increasingly difficult. the hope for the church’s growth here lies in planting new churches in Lithuania and among the Lithuanian diaspora in Dublin, home to 1 million Lithuanians. 

It was energizing to reconnect with Gediminas and Kristina Dailyde, and Bogdan and Vaida Javgurean. Both couples are planting churches here and spoke about ways they are reaching Lithuanians and their hopes to reach refugees. Saul is joining our team for the week to carry back ways he learns evangelical churches can show hospitality and share the gospel to refugees in Lithuania.  

Also, he is helping us understand the political dynamics of the refugee situation in Eastern Europe. People from Syria, Iraq, and Central Asia have arrived at the border between Eastern Europe and Belarus. Russia has told them the EU will receive them, but instead the families become trapped in primitive camps between armed guards unable to go into the EU or back home. As cold weather sets in, the situation is becoming grim.

The work of the gospel through congregations in this part of Europe is to transform the hearts and minds of Lithuanians by the gospel, minister with compassion to the refugees settling here, and show them the God of love and tell them about Jesus. In speaking with one border guard, who is a Christian and attends City Church, his heart hurts for these people who have been sold lies as a way for Russia to create more instability in this region. He used to think these people are foolish for believing lies and should just go away, but now he sees they are real people and seeks out ways to help where Christ has planted him in the middle of the wilderness. 

Let’s recall God’s promise in Isaiah 43:19, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Thank you for joining us this week as we discover how this promise is coming true today!