Latvia Annual Conference 2015
A small team of four headed to Latvia in August to attend the 2015 Latvia Annual Conference. Mark and Julie Croft, Jesse Sowell, and Melissia Mason represented FUMC Grapevine at the meetings, in support of our partner church, Riga First, and all of our friends in Latvia. The worship times were touching, and the hard work of the Latvian church was evident in each of the reports we heard. Click here to read the Conference Report (pdf). In addition to the business meetings, we also got to enjoy Latvian cooking and culture... including a few history lessons about the area. We worshiped in Matras, visited Tasi's manor house and goat farm, and enjoyed time at Wesley Camp for picnics and folk dances. Astra Dannenfelte, the Associate Pastor at Riga First, was commissioned as a probationary member of the Conference (one more step on the way to becoming an Elder). Zinta Dzintara, member and song leader at Riga First, was commissioned as a Lay Pastor and appointed to assist with the ministr