ESTONIA DIARY (Conclusion)

by Tina Engelbart

 

Tuesday, June 2,  1998

We went again to the Hotel Taru and talked to the Manager about some other things we needed to have in the written proposal for Mr. Kubik. Again she served us with the delicious Estonian coffee, which was very strong. She told us she had been in the U.S. for a visit and does not like American coffee at all. It’s much too weak. Then we went to the Kantri Hotel to cancel our Feast reservations with them. We were a little apprehensive because we didn’t want there to be hard feelings, even though they did give some of our rooms away. However, everything worked out fine. They had other tours lined up during that time. So both parties had a win-win situation.

At about noon Anna Schotter came to Luule’s to meet with us. She runs a "halfway house" for young convicts and is responsible for getting the funds for this operation since it is not funded by the government. She is doing a fantastic work. In Estonia once a convict serves his sentence and "pays his debt to society", he does not carry a record around with him like in the United States, and, therefore, has a much better chance to make a new life for himself and turn over a new leaf. She also told us that the scourge of drugs is now affecting Estonian youth, and there seem to be no answers to these problems.

After the visit Tina and Margit went to the University of Tartu to try and make arrangements for German and Estonian translators for the Feast. But we were unable to make a connection. The University of Tartu is the main university of Estonia and goes back to the 1600's.

That afternoon we had an appointment to see Zoya and Hella. Hella’s son picks us up in his car at Luule’s apartment and off we go to Zoya’s house where she lives with her widowed mother and a wonder German Shepherd. The house was a private home as opposed to the apartment buildings with their flats where most people live. It was a beautiful building with a tree-lined entry leading to the front door. Zoya’s parents at one time owned the whole building, but with the coming of the Soviets, it was divided up into several apartments. Zoya’s mother only has two small rooms, a kitchen, and two small baths, all on the second floor. But what really stands out in this home is the fantastic garden. And here again, the garden plots are shared among the tenants, but Zoya’s mother’s garden is a paradise. The flowers again were so abundant, and the vegetable garden was very well tended with much produce planted.


The garden

Here in Estonia when you visit people, the custom is to remove your shoes as the entry, and you are provided with house slippers to wear. They had a hard time finding slippers to fit Ozzie’s larger feet, but they managed. We were greeted with homemade bread and salt which is an ancient custom used to greet friends. Then we were served a fantastic local Estonian currant wine which was absolutely delicious. But the main meal was on the deck overlooking the beautiful gardens. On the table lay a gigantic smoked fish. It was round and flat like a flounder, but much larger. According to my dictionary, it was a bream. Mrs. Reiko bought the fish that morning and had it freshly smoked. We were told to sit under the umbrella and eat, taking the flesh with our fingers. We never had anything more delicious in our lives. She wanted us to have something we would not ordinarily have. It was such a memorable meal. There we were sitting on a second-story porch overlooking the gardens and further the river that flows through Tartu in a misty setting.

Just then a fine rain started coming with the sun shining in the corner through the clouds. We looked for a rainbow, but never could spot one because of the trees. It seemed like such a magical occurrence so far away and so different from our normal lives in America. Then we went back into the living room for some fantastic homemade torte and coffee. Only then could we really talk about the church and the problems facing these ladies. It was much too short a time before Hella’s son came to take us back home.


With Zoya's mother, Mrs. Reiko

 

Luule had a late meal for us, as if we needed it . She had invited a neighbor of hers who plays the bass fiddle in concerts and also teaches music at the university. Luule had told us he had wanted to ask us some questions about the Bible. But when the time came – and even with prodding from us – he turned shy and didn’t want to ask We later found out he didn’t want us to think his question was stupid.. So after he left, we answered his question as Luule told it to us, and then Ozzie continued with her baptism counseling. The discussion centered on the commitment that is required for baptism.

Wednesday, June 3,  1998

It was back to the Hotel Taru to finalize plans and meet the director of the hotel. He told us that if we were willing to pay for half the costs one month before the Feast and pay for the whole thing in one of their foreign banks, we would not have to pay the Value Added Tax which is 18%. So, in essence we would save 18% over the Kantri for much better facilities. We told him we would confer with Mr. Kubik and he would get back to him. Then we went back to the restaurant for some more Estonian coffee. However, it turns out this coffee is not Estonian at all. The Taru imports it from Italy!!

After that we went back to the hospital to see Ylo after his operation. It seemed to have gone well. He still seemed a little drugged up but was in good spirits. He showed us his discolored leg from where they took the vein for the bypass. Before we said goodbye, Ozzie prayed for him and for a speedy recovery.

Ozzie then went back for a river walk and one last visit to Mac Donald’s for a bite, and Margit and I went to buy some of the leather pictures to see what we could do as a fundraising venture.

That evening we had our final Bible Study. Terje, a young girl who is a friend of Margit’s, was able to come in addition to the regulars. They hadn’t seen each other in 6 months and really enjoyed getting together again. We told them that for the Bible Study we would do one like we do in the United States where we go verse by verse in a book. Ozzie covered chapters 1 - 4 in Matthew and told them if they wanted to continue he would send them the other chapters on tape. Then we said our good byes and it was very sad because we do not know when we’ll see each other again. That night we packed trying to fit in everything that was given us, and off to bed.

Thursday, June 4,  1998

Margit comes to the apartment to take us to the airport. But since it’s a long drive there and back, she asks if she can bring her dog for company. We didn’t mind at all. She has the most beautiful black standard poodle named Ruku with the nicest disposition. I was tempted to take her with me.


Margit, Ruku and Tina

 

We stop at Luule’s meat market and say good-bye to her, and off to the airport. We’re getting anxious about making our flight because the roads are being resurfaced on the way to Tallinn. Instead of working just on one side of the road and directing traffic to the other lane, they tear up the whole road and we drive on unpaved surfaces for many miles. It’s murder on the cars! But we make it in time. We say farewell to Margit and off we go to Helsinki. We get there just in time to make a shirt-tail shoot to make our flight to New York, which was already boarding. We arrive at Kennedy seasoned travelers. No problem with customs, which is always nice.

And as we are waiting for my brother to pick us up, we see the friendly faces of Johnny and Hazel Lambert who are at Kennedy to see their daughter off to Africa. What a wonderful surprise that was. The Lambert’s take Ozzie to Newark Airport where his plane leaves for Dallas and home from there. They talk about Estonia, the Feast and about all the people they both know. The Lamberts are planning to go to the Feast in Estonia this fall. Tina stays in New Jersey to probate her mother’s estate and will come home later.

We have come back with many memories of wonderful experiences and wonderful people of our trip to Estonia, and are very thankful to have had the opportunity to go on behalf of God’s Church.

(END)

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