Liepaja Trip

On Monday we went to Liepaja.   It was a 3 ½ hour bus ride.  Liepaja is a sea port and industrial city.   Its largest employer is a huge metal works.  They told us Liepaja had over a 100,000 people 20 years ago, but now has 80,000 people.  A lot of communist controlled industries closed when Latvia became independent. They weren’t efficient enough to make it without government support.  There were a lot of Russians in Liepaja - some of them left and others stayed. 

Liepaja also has the largest Methodist church in Latvia with a very large building.  This can be a blessing, yet is also expensive to heat.

Liepaja UMC

 

Liepaja's Sanctuary

 

In the countryside is the small rural Matras church.   The same families that built the church in the 20’s came together to reopen it in 90’s.  The congregation needs its electrical service upgraded and would really like to get running water at the church.

Matras Church

Matras Fellowship Hall Sanctuary - that they use during the winter.

The third church we saw was the Tasi church.  It has grown from prayer groups 10+ years ago into to a two apartment church.  The apartments (flats) were given to the church by the local officials.   The flats were in rough shape before they started renovating them - 7 years ago.  The congregation’s next goals are to have some playground equipment and a formal church building one day. 

Tasi Church Sanctuary

Apartment Building that Houses Tasi Church

 

Our hosts for this trip were Ilze and her roommate, Lamma; both were great hosts.  Ilse translated for us and showed us all over town.  Lamma made us supper two nights.   They are both in college, on break.  Both are also Sunday school teachers - Ilze at the Matras church and Lamma in Kuldiga.   Lamma is from Kuldiga.  Her father was an engineer, but her parents are now retired and live outside Kuldiga on a farm.  Ilze's mother is a physics professor and her father works for the railroad.  

Ilze and Lamma our hostesses in Liepaja

 

A Large Lutheran Church In Liepaja

A Large Russian Orthodox Church in Liepaja

An Old Traditional Designed House in Liepaja

We left Riga on Monday after lunch and returned from Liepaja about the same time two days later.   We saw and did a lot in the two days and we were really tired, so Thursday we worked on reports all day.  This is a beautiful, interesting country and we've been meeting such great people.   They love to sing!