The Trip in Pictures

I have tried to think of a way to get you the most information about the trip as possible now that it is completed. Feeling that a long written narrative might not be very helpful, I have decided to share with you some of the pictures of the trip with some narration. This is only a small part, since the program limits me to ten minutes. By watching this and listening to my narrative, you can get a good sense of what we experienced. I am hoping that my colleagues, Bill and Lowell, might share with you some more details of the trip. But for now, enjoy the slide show!

Last Post Before Leaving

Responding to several comments and a few suspicious individuals who have wondered if I was really here, I have included several photos this time where I am present. When you see the expressions on my face you will understand why I am reluctant to show my face, in addition, much of the time with the church I had to wear a clerical collar. It feels a little strange to me and looks even funny when I look at the pictures. So for the sake of a little humor, I have included these. In this first picture, we have gathered for dinner with the group that went to the Hill of Crosses. This was one of the best restaurants we found and it had an interesting "Black Forrest" atmosphere to it. Nice accommodations inside, but toilets on the outside in the cold.

Sunday, as you might imagine was one of the best days of all. I'll have to add pictures later when we return as we were too busy to do any photographing. Johanna is sending us some pictures of the service. The church was absolutely packed. There were no more seats anywhere and the young people and children had to sit in the back room and listen through the open door. We had to start late since we were late getting there. Lowell gave an excellent Sunday school lesson even is his time was cut short considerably. Following "Bible study," as they call it, we had a ten minute break before worship begin. This was such a special event; so well planned by the congregation. It began with lots of singing: congregational singing, adult choir, youth choir, and then finally youth and adult choir together. We read the Scripture in both Lithuanian and English and gave the congregation time to lift of prayer concerns of their own. I had a short sermon (Bill said it didn't seem so short to him), and then we shared Holy Communion together. Remejieus, Lowell, and I shared in the Great Thanksgiving and Remejieus and I served the elements. Following worship, everyone put the chairs back along the wall, a table and refreshments were brought out, and we shared a "Love Feast" a weekly practice in their congregation. The Love Feast consisted of good fellowship, cookies, cake, and tea. Following that, can you believe, we went to lunch at the orphanage.

You can see that the gathering was a little tight from this photo. The whole church came, plus some friends from the city council and some members of the Catholic church who had been with us during the week. The room was so full of adults that the children and youth had to eat in an adjacent room. Before eating, the young people entertained us with some songs they use in youth group as Remejieus sister played the guitar.

Following the singing, we had cakes, candy and small sandwiches along with tea and coffee. I love the coffee here because it is always strong. In some places, they just put the grounds in your cup and pour boiling water on top. You stir the coffee and then wait for the grounds to settle in the bottom before drinking it; really good stuff. The sandwiches were spread with butter and then topped with either cheese or a form of sausage and a slice of cucumber. They are all open faced. The point of the meal is not the food, but the fellowship around the food. We found that was often the case. In fact, were didn't even have plates. You just picked up a piece of food and eat it!



You can see how grand the gather was. I am seated with the chairman of the city council, Kestutis Rakauskas, one of the officials who has been so nice to us on our visit. He met with us twice and then attended all of the worship service and the events on Sunday. Though we could not speak each other's language, I felt a lot of support for the church and its ministry. On every occasion he expressed is gratitude for our work in Kybarti.



Following the meal, we toured the orphanage. Bill and Lowell were amazed at the progress that had been made toward the restoration of the orphanage. The rooms were colorful and bright and the dormitories had new beds. There is still a lot to be done, but a lot has been done. You can see readily that the children touch your hearts. Bill is playing with the only girl in the infant area. The young man pictured is a special needs boy that was exceptionally friendly. Of course you can recognize our priest in the middle of one of the rooms.

When we left the orphanage, we visited an association of disabled persons. They help care for over four hundred disabled individuals throughout the county. Believe it or not, they also had refreshments for us. The association has thirty children and youth under their care as well as ten individuals who are completely bed ridden. One of there needs was for five mattresses for these individuals and we were able to provide the money for those through the church at Kybarti.

For our evening meal, Ona, or gracious translator took us to her home for a traditional Lithuanian meal of potato pancakes. It was a great day, our last one in Kybartai. We left this morning for Vilnius and will take our flight home tomorrow morning. I'll add some more information about the meetings and opportunities when I return, so keep reading the blogg for a while as we debrief on the trip. I have to close now for my colleagues are becoming impatient. Pray for them!

Meetings and Surprises

I'm sorry to have been so long in updating the blog. It has been a busy and successful week, but with little computer access since Wednesday. On Thursday we met with the head of the city council in Kybarti. He was very supportive of our work and complimentary of our efforts to help the church and the city. He pledged his support and the support of the other officials in the city government. They may even be able to help with the demolishing of the old facility. He was also gracious enough to set up a meeting for the following morning with the officials for the whole county. He called the mayor, which is what the call the person in charge of the whole county, and we met with him the next morning. He had also heard of our efforts and of our work in the area, and told of his support and pledged his help in getting the new church constructed as soon as possible. Before we began our meetings we had already received a letter stating that the new project would be considered on November 28 rather than February of next year; we were elated with the change in time making it possible for us to get ahead of our schedule.


As you can see we had a very good meeting with the city officials. They were most cordial and even had lunch with us the very next day. After each meeting we had a time of informal fellowship where we talked about continuing projects in the area and felt that they were truly interested in the work were were doing in Kybarti.

On Friday morning, we visited the local high school. There we meet with students and teachers for a while before breaking up to participate in individual classes. Lowell Zollar took one of the classes and talked about his experience at NASA. Bill Roberts spoke in another class on his work with NATO; the class was preparing for a debate on NATO to be held the very next day. I spoke to a third class on values and cultural changes in the United States. We were all most impressed with the students. They asked intelligent questions and were very well behaved and courteous.


Following lunch on Friday, we began meeting with the church members who are responsible for various ministries. Here is Bill presenting teaching materials to the children's Sunday school teachers. We were so impressed with the work they are doing with children and with women. The are working with support groups for women who are abused and considering some educational courses to help drug and alcohol problems among teens. There is also a food pantry that they are developing as well as come programs to help their members learn more about Methodist doctrine. Of particular interest was an neat program designed to teach young people how to play the guitar; sounds like Bobby had a lot of influence the last time we visited.


During a break yesterday, Bill, Lowell and I took a walk around the park area where the new church is to be constructed. For the first time since we arrived the sun was out and we could get a good picture of the old building that needs to be torn down. In the back is the beautiful catholic church and it looks like such a contrast to this old dilapidated building on our property. The park area is supposed to be completely redone in the near future, and the new building we are planning will be a welcome addition for the whole community. The park will then become a gathering area for the whole town. It will nice to have a Methodist church as a part of that beautiful reconstructed area.

Today we visited the Hill of Crosses, a most amazing site. No words can describe the experience of seeing all of these crosses together and feeling the deep sense of sacredness they represent. The whole hill and surrounding area now is covered with crosses, many just stacked next to or on top of each other. They are everywhere; millions of crosses, representing people of faith that the strength and determination of a nation wanting to be free. It was an honor and a privilege to be there as it has been an honor and privilege to be among the members of our partner church this week. As we are worshiping with them tomorrow, we will be thinking of you and your services of worship at home. God bless!

Meeting with Egle

The district superintendent's assistant is a young lady named Egle. She is also an attorney and was very helpful in getting us the information that we needed. We decided to go ahead and share with you what we leaned and the possibilities and challenges that are ahead of us.

The necessary site plans have been submitted or are in preparation for the Kybarti regional government approval. This approval is expected in February, 2007. If all goes well, the contract award for construction can be accomplished in October, 2007 (assuming the necessary funds are available). Optimistically, the construction can be completed in October, 2008, in time for dedication in 2009 on the 100th anniversary of the original Kybarti Church. Overall the staff here in Kaunas is professional, knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and willing to work with Trinity UMC and all the partner churches in order to make the vision of a new Kybarti come true.

A word about funding may be in order. Lithuania is now part of the European Union and this is causing a overall inflation and building costs are also being affected. The end cost of the church is under review at this time and a solid estimate can not be given until the design effort is completed.

By Way of Copenhagen

The flight over yesterday was great; actually, it took us almost a day and a half to get here. On Wednesday, during our layover in Copenhagen, we found time to go into the city. At noon we attended a church service at a large Lutheran church and had a brief time of worship. It was a great experience for us. Bill is an excellent great tour guide and Lowell possesses that great ability to ask the right questions and get clear information. We spent last night, a good restful night, in Kaunas where our host pastor, Remegieus met us for dinner. As you can see by the photo, we all enjoyed a good traditional meal together.

This morning, that is Thursday morning, we are meeting with some officials of the United Methodist church here to ascertain the progress being made on the building. Lowell and Bill are going over some of those details as I am writing this and Lowell is taking copious notes so that we can have a clear idea of how to proceed. A lot of work has done by the people here, but the progress is slow because of European customs and traditional red tape. On the whole, things look good for us getting some final approval by February of next year. I suppose from our end we just keep praying and encouraging our partner church. We are meeting at the district office, and I have a couple of other photos for you bellow:

You can see our crew here: Bill, Remegieus, and Lowell. The office is in Old Town, Kaunas where we stayed in a guest house last night. The accommodations were very nice and it is not cold here at all; maybe in the fifties this morning. We have had cloud coverage and some rain for most of our journey so far. The streets in this area are narrow, cobble stone alleys like you might find in any European city. Our guest house was over a small restaurant where we had a good breakfast this morning. The food has been delicious, though very different from our "down home delights." Last night, Bill and I had beet soup that was so good I wanted the recipe. The breads likewise are delicious, much like the ones I remember from Israel, probably typically European again.

This is a closeup of the sign on the district office. It's so small we had to look several times before we found it. The office is nice and accommodating inside. Even though the district superintendent is not here, his assistants are being most helpful to us. He has a nice driver who picked us up at the airport last night, and his office assistant here is very knowledgeable and efficient. She has everything together for us and has been extremely capable in answering all of our questions.

We will be in Kybarti this afternoon around 4 p.m. to meet with the city officials. Remegieus and I have to wear clerical collars for that meeting as it is customary here for ministers and priests to wear such things in official meetings. It's the first time I have worn a collar since seminary so this might be something of a challenge for me. We'll try to keep you posted as we go along with something new each day. Again, keep us in your prayers. It is exciting work were are doing here among our partner's in ministry in Kybarti.

Preview of the Week

Well, today is the day. We fly out of Huntsville International at 1:30 this afternoon. Bill, Lowell and I are taking our wives for one final meal at Cracker Barrel after we all meet at the church around 11 o'clock. I think we have packed everything we need; surely we have.

As to our daily doings while we are there, I thought I would give you an overview. We spend the night on the plane tonight and land in Copenhagen tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. We don't arrive in Vilnius until 5:30, so we go directly from there to Kaunus where we spend the night at a hotel. Copenhagen is a little over 400 miles from Kybarti (I am never sure which is the correct spelling as I see it spelled Kybarti, Kybartai, and Kybart; we'll try to learn while we are there.) Vilnius is about 50 miles from Kaunas and Kaunas about 50 miles from Kybarti. That gives you an idea of the distance and really Google Earth doesn't do a bad job letting you see things from above; you might check it out as we travel over there.

We don't really get to work until Thursday morning when we meet for two hours (10-12) with the District Superintendent's representative, Mr. Egle, and Remigijus (pastor of the church in Kybarti). At that time we will be reviewing the status of the building and the funding. After that we travel to Kybarti for the first time, but stop in the larger town of Vilkaviskis (about 10 miles away) where we will have rooms in the hotel. We have a short meeting with the authorities in Kybarti that afternoon. If you are checking Google earth, be sure to look for the pictures of these towns. I think they have pictures of everything except Kybarti.

On Friday, Nov. 17, we visit the gymnasium and an English class around 9 and remain there with the people until we meet for lunch at a local restaurant to continue our discussions with city authorities. Later that afternoon, around 3 o'clock, we will meet at the church to discuss the ministries they have put together: Needlework, AGAPE project, the breat of life, stairs of freedom, and others. That night, we have an informal gathering with the whole congregation that I am very excited about. That's one of the reasons we are going, to meet with and encourage that congregation.

On Saturday, we take a day long trip to Siauliai to visit the Hill of Crosses. We wondered if we should take the time to do that since Siauliai is a little over 90 miles away, but felt we must see it as it says so much about the depth of religious belief in this area and their determination to give expression to that belief. As you can see form the picture bellow, it is a most impressive sight.

Sunday, as you might imagine is our day of worship. Lowell will teach Sunday school at 10 o'clock and I will deliver the morning sermon at 11 o'clock. Bill promises to listen carefully to what we say; I suppose he'll be a spear carrier for the day. Following the service, we will share a meal with the congregation at the orphanage. This is their traditional Agape meal they have together each Sunday, a tradition which goes back to the earliest Christian churches.

On Monday, Nov. 20, we meet with the leaders of the orphanage around 10 o'clock. We hope to know the results of our work there in 2004 and to look into any future projects we might help with. From there we will travel to Vilnius where we will spend out last night in a hotel near the airport. Our flight home leaves the next day shortly after 7 p.m., and we plan to be home shortly after 4 that afternoon. Keep us in your prayers and check this site each day for updates on our activities. Don't miss traveling with us through cyber space!

Flight Itinerary

Tomorrow begins our journey to Lithuania. At 1:30 in the afternoon, Bill, Lowell and I will board a Delta Air Lines Jet at Huntsville airport and fly to Atlanta. We arrive there around 3:30 p.m. where we have a two and a half hour layover before boarding another Delta jet leaving for Copenhagen at 6:00 p.m. We travel overnight, arriving in Copenhagen at 9:00 the next morning. There is a lengthy six hour layover in Copenhagen, and I look forward to seeing some of the city before we depart for Vilnius at 3:05 p.m. We'll arrive around 5:35, and then travel to our first place of residence, a hotel in the city if I remember correctly. The trip is a long, day and a half journey, but with ample rest stops in the form of layovers along the way.

We come bearing presents. Dale Clem has put together a rather large suitcase full of gifts for the various churches in the area. These include such items as Christmas candy for the children and other presents they might have difficulty getting in the area. Bill and Lowell have assembled a collection of Sunday school material and classroom supplies for the church in Kybarti that they will be taking along. By way of reminder for your prayers, our schedule includes meetings with various public and ecclesiastical officials in the hope of moving along the building of the church in Kybarti.

As I have considered this trip, Paul, Barnabus, and Silas have been constantly on my mind. As they planned their journeys to Asia Minor and Greece so long ago, did they have similar thoughts and aspirations? Was there a sense of excitement as well as some apprehension as they journeyed into unknown areas? As much as we complain about modern air travel these days, I'll admit that I am very grateful to be boarding a Delta airliner rather than a merchant ship headed for the Baltics. And as many reservations as I have about the kind of ground transportation we might find when we arrive there, I am thankful that we will not have to walk or ride some beast of burden. Nevertheless, we covet your prayers as we leave tomorrow, and ask that you pray especially for the success of our journey. Our objective remains the same: to further the work of Christ in the area of Kybarti by building a new facility for the United Methodist church there and thus strengthening its ministry.

A Church for Kybarti

Lowel and Betty Zollar, Bill Roberts, and I recently put together a video to explain the work we are doing in Kybarti. We have used this video with the charge conferences throughout the Northeast District of the North Alabama Conference this fall. We also plan to mail it with a brochure Lowell has put together to many other churches in hopes of creating more interest in this work. As you can see we have some talented, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic people in this project. I hope that you'll take a few minutes to look at the video and learn more about the church in Kybarti.

Mission Visit to Kybarti - Nov 13-20, 2006

Five years ago, Trinity United Methodist Church began a partnership with the United Methodist Church in Kybarti, Lithuania. A team from Trinity visited in Kybarti in 2004 and found a church filled with strong and faithful people alive with the Gospel and concerned about their community. At that time, the church was meeting in this small store front. You can see from the picture how inadequate the facility is for the needs of a growing church excited to be in ministry for Christ.

The facility hinders their growth and it also hurts their reputation. Churches are considered cults in Lithuania unless they have proper facilities. Even though their constitution guarantees freedom of religion, there is only nine traditional religions that are recognized. Other churches can apply to become non-traditional religions, but they have to meet certain standards in order to be approved. They must apply to the government, demonstrate that their doctrines are compatible with those accepted within the country, and prove that they have the support of the people. The United Methodist Church has applied to become a non-traditional religion but its application has not yet been approved.

Our church there is very courageous and committed to its ministry. They are already involved in work with women who are single or widowed. In addition, they help at the nearby orphanage taking care of the needs of children. Our team found a very special group of people concerned about their community and faithful in their discipleship. In order to be taken seriously, however they need a facility like the one here that is owned by the local Roman Catholic church.

The Methodist church has been in Kybarti since the early 1900's. In fact, the first Methodist Church built in Lithuania was in Kybarti. During the Soviet occupation, however, all church property was confiscated and used for other means. The church went underground and many of its leaders and officials were either killed or exported. It was a difficult period for those who remained faithful to the gospel they had learned as children in the Methodist Church. The original church was located on a nice piece of property in the very center of town near the other churches now recognized by the government.

When the soviets took over the property, they tore down the church structure and built this open recreational facility which is now condemned as a danger to the community. Fortunately, when our partnership first began, we were able to buy back that same property at a reasonable price. We now have to tear down this old structure and make way for the building of a proper facility. When our team returned in 2004, this was the dream they presented to the rest of our congregation:
Rebuild the church by 2009, its 100th anniversary.

On November 14-20, 2006 two members of the former team, Bill Roberts and Lowell Zollar, will go with me to visit the church in Kybarti. We want to encourage our partner church and to look at the plans for the new facility. Much has to be done so that we can get ready to build. We have many questions to ask and hope to have several days to meet with the people in the church and the local officials who will work with them on this project. Even though no definite blue prints have been drawn, the facility we hope to build will be similar to this church located elsewhere in the Baltics and built by the United Methodist church.

Prior to our departure, I want to ask the other members of the 2004 team to share with you their remembrances of the people of Kybarti. While we are there, Bill, Lowell, and I will also use this blog to share with you our daily work along with pictures we will make of the project. God has called us to do a great work in a very special place. We ask for your prayers as we prepare, journey, and visit among the people of the United Methodist Church in Kybarti.

Charles F. Gattis, Jr.
Pastor, Trinity United Methodist Church