POLICE ACTION II

This week started with more 'police issues'! Apparently we have been reported yet again! The police came to see the director of the 'Family Crisis Centre' (where we meet) during the week. Allegedly one of the youth got home late the other week, apparently we teach the young people "to disobey their parents" and also to "switch off their mobile phones so their parents can't contact them". Just for the record - no pun intended - we don't teach that. we teach what the Bible teaches, Eph.6:1 & Col.3:20 tell us; "children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." Once the young people leave the centre at the end of the evening I am not responsible for them. In the end, how long they choose to take to go home is not my business. They could (but don't) go and sit in the park for 3 hours! Doesn't logic suggest that the issue of when a child gets home is surely a parental one, not a police matter? Wouldn't logic further suggest that the parent/guardian firstly talk to/discipline the child and secondly come and chat with me, rather than go straight to the police? I also find it strange that the police simply take the parents word. They haven't spoken to the child concerned or me!

The point is that, the director wants us to finish each evening at 9pm. I have concede to this for one reason and one reason only. The director is a very helpful lady who greatly supports our work with both the church and the youth, although she is not of our religious persuasion. Indeed I don't think she is of any religious persuasion, she simply appreciates our work. All the more amazing, a real 'woman of peace' (Luke 10:6). Indeed, she has on previous occasions, informally defended us before the both the police and the Smiltene town council. This isn't her fight, and I don't want to drag her into anything.

However, Latvia is a democratic republic and an EU member state. Part of her constitution prohibits a person being treated differently simply on the basis of their religious beliefs. If I ran an English language club or a table tennis club or a 'rock school' (guitars & drums, not stone collecting) would the police 'insist'(?) we close at 9pm? If not, then am I / are we being treated differently because of our religious beliefs? It is very early days but, I might try to hire a translator, and go and have an informal chat with the police sometime. Will this stir up a hornets nest? Should I let sleeping dogs lie? Should I stop using zoological analogies?

Interestingly, when I mentioned to the young people that we had been reported to the police again, they all cheered! In real terms we are starting to see this for what it is, and are not worried about it. There is an enemy out there who prowls around like a roaring lion (1Pet.5:8). He doesn't care if a table tennis club or a rock school is started, he does care when young people are getting born again, are growing in God and telling their friends about it.

So, what about this weeks meeting? This week we had a team with us from Sweden. Lotta, her sister Susanne and two teenage girls. They are all from the same church in Sweden that some of us visited recently. Lotta is very prophetic (Acts 21:8-9). We had a short time of worship, then we had a time of prayer & prophecy. Currently there are between 10-12 young people attending the meetings each week. So, numbers allowed for everyone to receive some ministry. It was a very powerful time, many of the young people were greatly touched. With some you could see a physical difference from before, to after ministry. Several of the young people were released from the fear of difficult situations at home as well as from real or perceived expectations being placed upon them. The news that we 'had' to end by 9pm was only relayed to us as we were setting up the hall so, it was quite a tight schedule but, God was good, and everyone received something.
I literally herded the youth out the door at 21:02hrs!