That was the week that was

The band really were right at the top

Wow what busy people we have been this week, it all started with a trip to Ieceva our nearest town,just to get a couple of things. Walking down the main road which by the way is the 'Highway of Europe' we heard what we thought was a brass band playing, but then who would be playing on a Sunday morning? the salvation Army? we just had to find out, the music seemed to be coming from the trees where the Lutheran church is,our guess was that someone with a public address system was playing the music, but as we drew nearer we could see no sign of anything different and then again the music floated over our heads and low and behold high in the bell tower there was a brass band. Now the only brass band we know of comes from Skiastkalne which is 30kilometres from Ieceva and sure enough it was them they had come to celebrate the festival of the bells.

The church interior

Latvian style scaffolding

As with so many buildings in Latvia the exterior looks great, but when we were invited in we found another story all together















There was no floor, no ceiling well pretty much no anything except Latvian style scaffolding




We have been told that the church isn't a building but it'sthe people who gather to worship,we found this to be the case here as we were given the warmest of welcomes. People have been meeting here for 435 years keeping the testimony of Gods redeeming grace alive during times of extreme hardship. God bless them all.

Monday it was back to the mowing, picking windfallen apples, peppers and chillies which we set to and froze,

Our first chillie crop

Yes they really are pink apples

  Tuesday was more of the same,with a couple of indoor jobs thrown in. Gradually I am getting our winter fire wood stacked away in the barn,but the mountain dosn't seem to get any smaller

Only a small part of our winter fuel

The weather was not so good on Wednesday so I got to grips with the green house and cleared all the old tomatoes, peppers and cucumber plants out, ready for the winter.

Some of the new children

Gift packs of useful thing

Flowers for the teachers

          

Now Thursday being the first of September was 'First Day of School Day' and unlike any day I can remember of school children all arrive prompt at 9 o'clock dressed in there best clothes with bunches of flowers for their teachers,new children are led one by one into the school hall by the most senior class and introduced to all present, given a gift of things a 5 year old needs for school, and then school closes for the day and normal service resumes the following morning,

Friday, we were invited in the evening to a hot tub party for the teachers and so we spent the day in 'The Stelpe Kitchen' baking goodies like Cornish pasties and coffee and walnut cake to share we also took with us a jar of our apple and chillie chutney.      A  BBQ was lit and the table spread with all sorts of yummy things and the party commenced, a very good time was had by all. What did we have on the BBQ, well we had a little problem with translation but finally arrived at....................... wait for it!!!!   the only thing we all understood was.............Bambi

The venue for the hot tub party

 Latvians take there Hot Tubs (sauna to you and me) very seriously but only the very brave come out and take the plunge in the pond with the frogs and fish,

We saw this rainbow on the way to the party

 We are so happy to be part of the village now and feel that we have been accepted as 'Stelpians' we are so greatful to our Heavenly Father who made it all possible, and every day we are reminded of His love and care for us in so many ways.