Update on John Pyle
Notes from a few of the team that have been passed on for all of us to share
> from Bob Pyle
> from Chris Jost
> from Doug Smith
> from Connie Hulse
Phone message from Bill Morris
Note from Jim Carlson
Email, snail mail and phone number
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Update on John Pyle
<<Many of you have written and asked "Have you heard anything
about John who missed his flight? Did he make
all his connections and get there okay?" In the last update I sent we
were praying for John - he had missed his original flight, repaired his car,
drove up to Modesto, was booked to fly out of SF with the MacMillan boys and was
praying he could fly all the way over with them. Well here's the answer to
all our prayers!! READ ON :-) >>
Dear Ann: I told Bob I would let you know all is well. John
arrived yesterday with Andrew and his brother. The men are pouring
concrete today and yesterday, so working very long hours, but so far all are
healthy and doing well. They really work hard, so please have everyone
pray for their health and strength. Also pray that Jim Hulse's containers
will be released and our last container will arrive.......Must go to the
kitchen. Love, Rosie
<<THANKS ANN for passing this info on to us and please thank Rosie for the
good news too!!>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Note from Bob Pyle
We finally got a computer where we are so this is my first chance to send an
E-mail. It is now Wednesday night. I am not staying at the Seminary which is
where the Tartu Radio station is (although a few of us are). Most of us are at a
milk processing plant owned by Tiit who has just re-modeled the upstairs. It is
really pretty nice. John made the plane with no problem and got here Wednesday
with the McMillans. Everyone was so glad to see him. We have been working very
hard. Things are going very well. We still don't have all the containers but we
think were getting them tomorrow from Latvia. The one that fell into the ocean
seems to be fine. As near as we can tell nothing was damaged. So far we have had
pretty much what we needed.
Bob
<<THANKS ANN for sharing this!!!>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Note from Chris Jost
Well all, here I am, finally in ESTONIA!!! We are all working very hard on
the radio station and it is coming along very well. I miss all of you VERY much
and wish I could just pick up the phone and call you but I can't because that
would be around $5.00 a minute. For those of you who don't know where Estonia is
it borders the Baltic sea and right by Finland. All the people here are very
nice. The sun rises at about 2:00 or 2:30 in the morning and sets around
midnight. Sometimes the sun doesn't set at all. At 5:00 in the morning I'm
trying to sleep and the sun is shinning in through the window at me like it's
10:00 in the morning in California and I can't
sleep! It's kinda weird. My internal clock has finally adjusted. We are 9 hours
ahead of your time over here. It took us a little over 24 hours to get here,
about 17 of those hours were spent on 3 different planes. One from San Fran to
New York, one from NY to Helsinki, and one from Helsinki to Tartu. We took a bus
from Tartu to Tallinn and that took about 3 hours. We have done A TON of
sitting.
The only injury I've had so far (besides MONSTER mosquito bites) is from a
sledge hammer. I went to drive a stake into the ground and missed the stake and
hit my shin instead. It almost broke it but I'm alright. I almost accidentally
hit the construction boss with that same sledge hammer but he moved just in
time. I'm not very good with that sledge if you haven't figured that out
yet.
Please pray for me because I think I'm starting to get a cold and I don't need that right now.
With love,
Chris Jost
<<NOTE from Lynda: Our youngest son tested positive for
Mononucleosis before Chris left. We suspect our daughter and I both have
it too and maybe even Dad. (We aren't real diligent about NOT sharing our
soda's or water bottles - especially on hot days in the car or outside so it's
been a hard lesson learned.) Please pray that Chris is not coming down
with the same thing. Mononucleosis takes about 3 months to get over and that's
IF you are resting resting resting!!>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
~~Note from Doug Smith
Well... We made it here safe and sound. The trip was long and tiring, but got a few cat naps here and there. Slept really good the first night. I am staying at the seminary again this year. I wanted to be close to Tartu so I could sight see again. The weather has been somewhat rainy and cool so far.
Please pray that God will cause the sea containers to all be released from customs and get here soon. The tower's containers have been held up for some reason. Our first day of work consisted of sorting out all the building supplies, and then working at the building site on the foundation. It drizzled on us most of the day.
I am thinking of going with some of the guys to stay in Tallinn Saturday night. We would go after work on Sat, going to Olevista church on Sunday morning, and then touring the town on Sunday afternoon. I think it would be great to go to a service in this old, famous church.
~~Later in the week
We put the walls up today. We moved along very fast, except when it
started raining. It comes on rather fast, and then can clear up just as
fast, and then get nice and sunny. We just hid under plastic to wait it
out. I am getting sort of tired and worn out. Hopefully will get some rest
on weekend. Will work a half day on Saturday. A few of my friends and I
will be going to Tallinn on Saturday night, staying overnight, and then going to
Olevista church on Sunday morning. We will tour the city that day, and
then come back that evening. All is well here. Talk to you
soon. Send your e-mails to both the "tartupr" address and
the "friends" address as the "friends" address may not be
working.
<<In another note from Doug he wrote that one of the containers had fallen into the water before it left here so the metal was rusty and the wood mildewed when it got there after 3 months. But of all the containers, that was the best one to have had that happen because the rust could be sanded off and the wood would dry out and kill the mildew. They sound like Nehemiah's crew who were encouraged to keep working even when the enemy was doing everything to either stop the work or discourage the workers. Doug said he was very tired but otherwise doing well.>>
THANKS Nancy for sharing this!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
~~Note from Connie Hulse
Jim and son Christopher arrived Friday June 23. Our return date is September 1st. Our Anniversary of 16 years.
Jim has e-mailed me 5-6 times since arriving and I have only received 2. I have e-mailed him at least that many and he has only received 2. Guess e-mail there is not to reliable.
Our 40' container with our tools, equipment, food, tent, (see photo's)
anchors for the tower, rebar for the anchor foundations is presently in
Tallinn. We are praying it will be delivered their Friday. I pray
too so they can get it all unpacked and our personal things carried up those 4
flights of steps, that way I won't have to help. I have a feeling I will
be in pretty sad shape by the time I arrive. I fractured my tailbone the
day before Christmas in Wisconsin At Wal Mart so I have a hard time sitting for
any length of time. And I was helping Jim with a canopy on the
container for Estonia and injured my back. The 1st few days it was sore
but it is
progressively getting worse. I double up on the pain pills in the
morning so I can at least get some work done. The Doctor we see said
it is going to take time. But praise the LORD for all things.
Jim called me this evening around midnight Indiana time. He said it had rained all night. Sounds like they don't need anymore rain for a few weeks. He said Boo (our Christopher) has found many friends there already. Glad to hear that.
God Bless
Connie
<<We need to remember to not only pray for our team over there, but for
the jobs and the families they left here. Obviously that's US but we can
pray for each other and for the other team members jobs etc. I know some
of the men on the team are self employed and left their businesses in the hands
of others. Be sure to pray for those businesses too. As you can tell
with Connie, the enemy has not forgotten these people and the attacks
continue. I'm sure glad to know that no weapon formed against us shall
prosper and that He is our refuge and our fortress. Because we have made
Him our habitation, there shall no evil befall us or our families or our
businesses... neither shall any plague come near our dwellings for He has given
His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways!!! >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
~~Phone message from Bill Morris
Bill Morris is on the team in Estonia. He and his wife of more than 20
years, Sharon, started and ran Morris Nursery until a few years ago when they
sold it and now run only the wholesale side. Bill called his wife this
week on Thursday at 5:15 AM (8:15 PM Wednesday here) and he was REAL excited to
report on the progress of the tower construction. Sharon has passed on
this information:
He is SOOO excited about what is going on in Estonia!! He is amazed at how
hard the crew works and hustles every day and how everyone is giving their
ALL. He's used to managing big projects and says this is a very cohesive
group with lots of hustle.
There are still three containers that have not arrived although it isn't
really holding up anything - every thing they have needed has been there.
Paint is in one of them and they need that but it isn't holding up the
project. He is amazed at how fast things are going together and how things
are there right when you need them.
Having worked in a nursery for so many years, Bill has a pretty good
estimation of what a yard of soil looks like. He reports the first day or
so the team moved 300-400 yards of soil, by shovel, to prepare for the
foundation. Having done that, the foundation is in, the rebar is in place,
the plumbing is in, 1/2 of the slab is poured, all the lumber is measured and
cut, ready to nail and stand. The tower is being assembled and they are
just waiting for the paint to arrive.
He said it's amazing to see the project take shape sooooo fast. This
from a man who is known for being a very motivated, driven, HARD WORKER yet he
is more than amazed to see this all taking shape so fast.
There are about 11 people at the seminary, around 18 at the dairy but with
everyone working all the time it's pretty difficult to count heads. He is
sleeping at the dairy and says the facilities are VERY good, the food is super
and all is going well.
He said the unity and cohesiveness of the team is astonishing. They are
getting to know each other as well as can be expected when everyone is working
all day. It is raining some daily but so far it is no hindrance to the
work.
Mostly, he is quite impressed with the whole project!!!
<<Please pray the crates they are waiting for will arrive TODAY if they
have not already!! THANKS Sharon for taking notes on the phone call
and then sharing them with us!!! >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Note from Jim Carlson
Today is Friday, June 30, and we are trying to catch up. We have had
some delays due to the remoteness of this area we are working in. It is
simply beautiful, like being out in the middle of Alaska or in the back woods of
the sierras. There is forest all around, mostly white birch trees and a large
cleared area about 60 acres where the antenna will be. We have been
working to put in the 40x60 foot transmitter building. It has taken us 4
days to fill the 6 foot foundation with dirt and pour the concrete slab
floor. Today we will start framing and hope to have it framed in one day.
Tomorrow we hope to put on the roof trusses bought at dura-bilt in
Riverbank. The Estonians here have never seen such things. We are
all in good spirits here. The waiting for trucks and supplies has been
tedious at times but overall, we are progressing well. The Lord has
answered many prayers already. We expect two of our containers today and
still need the last two with the tower in them. We really appreciate your
prayers for us and this big project here to reach many lost people with the
gospel of or Lord. There have been rainy days but it hasn't slowed us down
much. The accommodations here are great. One of the Estonian men here
built a bed and breakfast above his milk processing plant and we have nine
bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining room, and an office downstairs where this
computer is. Our e-mail address is [email protected]
Thanks again for remembering us here. God bless you all. Your friend and brother, Jim Carlson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Email, snail mail and phone number
Many of you have written to ask about the address, the email, the phone
numbers etc. I have been corresponding with Paavo Pihlak, the Estonian
"co-ordinator" (I'm not sure exactly what he does but I know he works
HARD, works at the radio station itself, and always seems to have all the
answers to my questions.)
Here is what I know:
The [email protected] address is very unstable. I think what
happens is it gets overwhelmed with email (probably from all of us) and just
closes it's doors so to speak. At the Tartu Family Radio web site there is
another email address listed also that some of the guys referred to so you might
try that one too: [email protected]. I have written to Paavo to ask
about a better way to reach our family and will let you know ASAP.
I also have a "snail mail" address if you want to try that:
Tartu Family Radio
Annemõisa 8
Tartu 50708
ESTONIA
I'm not sure HOW to make a phone call to there but should you feel like
trying here is the phone number:
011 37 27 488 458 .
This is also the FAX number so if your email is not getting through, perhaps you can just print it and send it by FAX. Be sure when the person answers the phone that you say FAX so they will know to accept it. Then press the start button on your FAX machine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Web Page for Estonia Christian Radio Project
I have been working with a guy named Meelis Suld in Estonia to try to add a
web page to their site. We have finally decided there is too great of a
time delay from the time I write an update (in html format - that's web page
format if you don't know computer-ese), then send it to him, then he adds it to
the web site. Sooooo - we are going to try it this way.
I have a web site for our business and family. Not a big pretty one -
but one that will work. I have added a link on there to the Estonian
Christian Radio Project. This is simply another page on our own site but
at least I can update it as often as possible without ANY delays (except for
demands on my time such as 3 yo daughter, 13 yo son, Dad who needs dinner after
work - you know - the basic full time job of a wife and mom.)
Anyway - here is the link. http://www.geocities.com/computerbasicsmodesto/Estonia/2000Title.html
I will try to get some pictures posted this week if I can get Jim Hulse to send
some our way. PLEASE send me any suggestions or info we can post on
there. Remember - this is NOT MY web page - it is ECRP's and we are ALL
part of that so send in anything we can use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Well - I think that's if for this time. THANKS THANKS THANKS to those
of you who sent me emails from your family. I am passing on ALL the info I
have so if you get something else, please include the rest of us in the
loop.
And now, let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not. AS we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto
all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith!!
LET'S PRAY THIS FOR OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN ESTONIA!!
Blessings
Lynda Jost