Making a Difference

If you have been following my blog over the past week you will know that I really enjoyed my few days in Latvia with friends Jo and Ian Storie.  They feel that it is the place where God wants them to be.  They are not connected to any particular church denomination, charity or overseas society but are committed to what they are doing.  It’s not being missionaries in the traditional sense of the word but about radical living in order to make a difference where they are.  They made me so welcome in their home and shared their work and hopes with me. 

Jo, myself and Ian having a meal in a nearby hotel where they
have become well known and accepted as friends.



Ian is always on hand to help with his tractor – whether it’s to turn over some land or get someone out of a ditch.  They have also been able to help friends set up a logging business in some new premises – Ian helping to clear the land around so lorries carrying the logs can get through to the storage depots.  Wood is an important part of Latvian life, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, and this new initiative will help to create jobs in forestry, lorry transportation, logging and will hopefully lead to exports.

Ian using the tractor on their own piece of land.



Quite a big problem on the land is the way wild boar churn up the land searching for their favourite food.  They leave big holes that are dangerous for anyone driving a tractor in the fields, apart from destroying some of the crops.  Because of small numbers in the past, they are protected by law but now the numbers have increased so much that they are becoming a pest.



Jo standing in a hole made by a wild boar.  (Photo by Jo)



Jo has just finished a degree in Managing Sustainable Rural Development, doing it online with the University of the Highlands and Islands.  This year she has just started her Masters thesis on Monitoring Pig Damage.  She is currently visiting neighbouring farms to get her facts and figures which she then hopes to report to the relevant authorities who, hopefully will take the necessary steps to at least help if not eradicate the problem that is affecting the livelihood of so many.

(Graph by Jo)

Next year they plan to get some alpacas which they will rear on their land.  They hope that the wool from the alpacas can be used in making warm winter clothing, so necessary for the very cold winters they experience in Latvia.  They have already made contact with people who dye wool, using natural dyes and know people who would be able to knit garments to sell – a whole new industry that will hopefully result from this.



Wool at an exhibition dyed using natural dyes. (Photo by Jo)





It has been a privilege to get a glimpse into their world and see how they are making a real difference in the lives of those around them.  This is the last of my updates on my visit to Latvia but you can follow their story on Jo’s weekly update on her blog at http://www.thejourneytosomewhere.blogspot.com.