Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

Back in Tallinn!

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Our first church service in Tallinn was good. Very good. When the presence of God fills a place, fills the hearts of the people, it is good. Very good! The only hindrance yesterday was the torrential downpour that the city received all day long. It was so nice to reconnect with some we have known from our time here before and to meet new friends as well.

Northern Europe is experiencing an unusually cool summer, as we were in the States until a few weeks ago! Temperatures have hovered in the 50’s, sporadically hitting 60, which felt like a heat wave. The forecast this week is for more rain, every day, and temperatures in the mid 50’s. This part of the globe, thankfully, doesn’t normally reach the 90’s, but we would take a little bit more warmth. Summer, where art thou?!

We didn’t let it stop our praise! I forgot to take any pictures. We meet in the Cultural Center and make it come alive for the time we are there!

One of our first dinners was at, of all places, an American BBQ! Our missionary friends from Moscow had already scoped it out and given it their American seal of approval, so off we went! Mack’s delivered pretty well…everything except for free refills, which are pretty much non-existent in Europe! “A slice of America on your plate…”

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Friday evening we had some visitors from Riga, Latvia visiting for dinner and then did a little walking in Old Town. I didn’t have my camera but did take a few good pictures with my phone. We also met some ladies from Chicago and San Antonio during our stroll. It is truly a small world.

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Went in to one of my favorite coffee shops in Tallinn!! Some members of our party were wanting “drinking chocolate”. Oh. My. Word. If you order hot chocolate in this part of the world, you will get what I call a sugar high! It is just straight melted chocolate, delicious, melted chocolate but so rich you can hardly eat, or drink, more than a little of it. Although some, whose names will not be mentioned, were able to persevere and finish the entire cup! I opted for a latte’, delicious and not so rich! But this coffee shop is one of the oldest in Tallinn and down in a little cubby hole. It is just so reminiscent of the era and I love it! Pictures do not do it justice, unfortunately.

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Here are a few more pictures of Old Town…I think you can tell I love it there!

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We hope to be busy with prayer walks, outreach and even Bible studies as the Lord opens doors. Please keep us in your prayers to be a blessing and a help while we are here.

Kingdom2

 

Sharing with Let Me Tell U a Story, Titus 2sdays, Titus Tuesdays

Scandinavian Adventure!

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We are getting settled in our “home-away-from-home” here in Tallinn, Estonia. Thank you all for your prayers and support to help us get here and stay here. We appreciate you all! The resident missionaries are allowing us to stay in their beautiful home while we are “filling in” here for the next eight weeks. What a blessing! You can also see more beautiful, even panoramic, pictures on our Faith Journey page. The Sweetheart captured some gorgeous views! Our short layover in Oslo, Norway was delightful. Here we are right before landing. I had an unobstructed view! photo 1 (16) We have a friend there, Rachel, who was in Riga, Latvia at the same time we were in 2011-2012. She now lives in Oslo and was our friendly tour guide for the few hours we had between planes. photo 3 (13) Thankfully it was a gorgeous day, sunny and a little on the cool side but I sure do not miss 90 and humid! We were to meet at a coffee house and set off from there. Admittedly, we had a horrible time finding it and thought we were following her directions correctly. At the end of the day we figured out what had gone wrong: Rachel was giving us directions from the BUS terminal that she takes every day, instead of the TRAIN terminal, which was adjacent! We just couldn’t figure out why we weren’t seeing the landmarks that she gave us as guidelines. We gave her a break on that one because she flew in to Oslo one hour BEHIND us from the States. She was just as exhausted as we were. photo 1 (15) photo 3 (18)   photo 2 (38)   So from the coffee house we went to the harbor. Look at the view! photo 3 (16)   photo 3 (17) After spending a little bit walking around there we headed to one of our favorite Baltic restaurants, Vapiano’s! We had already decided it would be our first stop once in Tallinn but we had no idea there was one in Oslo! Delicious pasta, pizza and salads made to order, very trendy, very delicious! After lunch we trekked toward the Opera House. What a unique architectural landmark! photo 2 (37) Sitting literally on the water, this was something to see. We had already walked farther than my painful SI joints wanted me to go so once we arrived I told The Sweetheart and Rachel they could walk to the top without me. Persistent Rachel went and found a security guard and asked if there was a way for her friend to get to the top without walking that ramp. What a kind man he turned out to be! He took us on a backstage mini-tour on the way to the elevator! He was getting ready to take a vacation to the States and we had a nice conversation while he escorted us to the top. Norway rocks with hospitality! The views were literally breathtaking. As you can see, the sky was full of ominous-looking clouds which made the scenery all the more beautiful. photo 5 (17)   photo 3 (15)   In this next picture you can see the glass “iceberg” sculpture out in front of the Opera House. Way cool! photo 2 (28)   We also accidentally came across the American Embassy! photo 5 (21) After that excursion we were able to take a bus back to where we started, I was ever so thankful. We found these patriotic toilets in a park…Rachel had seen them before and was intrigued that all of the instructions for these “pay-to-pee” toilets were in French! Never mind that we were in Norway! DSC08877   It wasn’t long before our day was coming to a close. We had a plane to catch to Tallinn and couldn’t afford to miss it. We parted at the train terminal and headed back to the airport. One more flight and our 30+ hours of traveling would come to an end….for now. photo (17) Kingdom2   Sharing with Sunday Stillness , Weekend Brew, Making Your Home Sing, Amaze me Monday

Who was Hur?

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1236524_10201279022071340_513847842_nI know you will all be excited to see my sister-in-law, Sue Elkins, is filling in as co-host on the blog today! Since I am traveling to Estonia, Eastern Europe, I have asked a couple to help out. You will be blessed! Sue wrote another article for Hope in the Healing a while back, Still I Will Trust You, take a look at it as well.

In my Bible reading I am so often reminded of the people that maybe are only mentioned once or only a few times in the Bible and yet they did great things.  We all know Moses, Aaron, Elijah, Paul, Peter and so on.  But what about Hur?  Do you know what he did?

Exodus 17:10-12. “So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Israel was in a mighty battle and Joshua and his men only prevailed when Moses’ hands were raised.  God had told Moses to go to the top of the hill and raise up his rod.  Moses had asked Aaron and Hur to go with him. (I have to believe God told Moses to ask Aaron and Hur to go along, as I think Moses’ consulted God on everything)  Hur might have thought in his mind, hmmm….wonder why I need to go, but Moses has asked, so I will.

As the battle raged on, Moses’ arms got tired and as it so happened, God had supplied Moses with helpers, Aaron on one side, Hur on the other.  Our God is such a great Provider!!  We remember Aaron being there, but how many of us remember Hur?    He was just as important.  Is it because there isn’t much else written about Hur?

Who was Hur

 

Do you think as Hur excitedly related the story of the three of them on the mountain top, that he felt he any less important than Aaron?  I don’t think so!  Do you think he was thankful he was chosen to be there?  I think so!  Do you think it was one of those times when Hur could look back and say, “I was part of God’s plan!” and be encouraged?  I hope so!!!

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4

I truly believe that the book of Acts is still being written, by those of us that have come after it was written.  We as disciples of Christ are still doing mighty acts and works for God.  And somewhere God is writing them down.!!   Does it matter that anyone else remembers our name?  Does it matter that God remembers our name?  Yes, Yes, oh Yes!!!

I don’t care if anyone else remembers my name as long as God remembers it…..and smiles.  As long as God remembers it… and counts me as one of his!!

So no matter what the task may be, or how small it may seem, let’s all be ready, willing, and able to help in the kingdom of God.  Daily talk to God and let him lead our days and put us where he needs us.  Let’s be willing to be a Hur…..not remembered by many, but very important in God’s history book.

Sue Elkins is a mother, a long time Broker/Associate with Re/Max Realty Professionals, and has recently “retired” from being a pastor’s wife for many years. But that has not slowed her down in ministry. She and her husband, Dexter, are still very active in their church teaching, ministering and being helpers as the Bible calls us to be. Her newest and most beloved profession in this life is that of grandmother to Roarke David and another grand-baby on the way!