RIGA, LATVIA

Resting on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Riga, the capital city of Latvia, is beautiful and broken—a place of flower gardens, art nouveau architecture, and distrust. During Soviet times, the church in Latvia was so suppressed that it was reduced to nearly nothing. When communism receded and Latvia joined the European Union, Latvians began to explore their roots. Now paganism is on the rise, and though the culture is not anti-religion or anti-Christian, it is a difficult field in which to work.

Here, a small team of MTW missionaries is working with several Reformed churches in Riga, preaching the gospel and advancing a vision to plant more churches in the city and throughout Latvia. They reach out to their community through hospitality, one-on-one evangelism, and discipling relationships. Within the church, they facilitate group Bible studies and train local Christian leaders. Despite the history of church repression, the hope of Christ is taking root in Latvia, and the light of the world is piercing even the coldest Baltic hearts.