Caldwells overseas

Anita's feet continue to improve following her dual surgeries. Jason and Jaron should be back in classes at their respective colleges any day now. Brad is preparing his curriculum for continuing education and local officers' training (for lay leaders in our churches).

Also, we had a nice bit of cheesecake today, which presented us a fresh opportunity to chat about matters not tied to work. Nice to be in love...

Caldwells overseas

Cadets arrive!

The first half of the Heralds of the Good News have spent the month of August attending classes in Moscow and preparing for their upcoming Spring Campaign in St. Petersburg. Cadets from Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia have studied Salvation Army doctrines, competencies for officership, public ministry skills, creative prayer seminar, the Salvation Army Minute Book, and foundational skills. They depart tomorrow for St. Pete and then return home for two months of work in their various appointments. In November they will be back in class.

The second half of the Heralds arrives in Moscow in September to take the same classes just taught to their sessionmates. The two halves will not meet officially until the Eastern Europe Territory's Fifteenth Anniversary Congress with the new Salvation Army General in September, 2006!

Major Alexander Kharkov addresses the cadets in his sermon on their welcome Sunday. 

Colonel Raemor Pobjie dedicates the new session flag for the Heralds of the Good News. The second half of this session will arrive in September, while the first half returns home. The two halves will not meet officially for over a year! 

Svetta Gherman is greeted by Colonel Barry Pobjie on welcome Sunday for the Heralds of the Good News. 

Commissioning weekend

A flurry of activity consumed the cadets of the Preparers of the Way Session as they polished off last minute tasks before their big day. Following two years of flexible training (group classes in Moscow combined with service in their own individual corps back home) the Preparers would soon become Captains in The Salvation Army, one couple in Poland. The other captins would spread themselves throughout Romania, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova.

A full day of worship and reflection was given to signing personal covenants of service as future officers. Many responded to the messages of our Territorial leaders by praying at a makeshift altar in the meetings' rented hall.

Members of the USA South Summer Service Team played in the small but spirited brass band which marched cadets up to the platform and into their futures of ministry and witness for Jesus Christ.

Anita and Brad with two of their three sons at the commissioning service in the Izmahlova Complex. 

Cadets saw wood for the barbeque fire during the final celebration picnic during a trip well outside the urban boundaries of Moscow. 

Anita performs a duet with Captain Pasha Gorbunov during the post-commissioning concert. 

New Salvation Army Captains Beso Niberdze and Andre Inutochikin place their second year cadet bars on newly promoted second year cadet Kostya Jmakin during commissioning weekend in Moscow. 

Anita helps commission Cadet Maureen Diffley, a USA Southern Territory cadet who completed her training in Russia. 

Summer service members perform at Eastern Europe Territory Comissioning. 

Our sons await instructions at our Mission Training and Education Center lobby. We are so glad to see them face to face!

Cadets covenant day

Today our second-year cadets--so near their ordination through comissioning--sign their covenants of service in a day-long series of worship meetings to celebrate their dedication.

The Preparers of The Way sang songs, gave testimonies of their feelings about becoming officers, and signed a unique document in which they pledge their life's service to God. Their faces reflected excitement and accomplishment as two years of training, both on the field and intensive united classes in Moscow, come to an end...or to a new beginning!

Colonel Barry Pobjie, our Territorial Commander, recalled his early days of success and sacrifice as a young officer. Chief Secretary Lt. Colonel Bo Brekke recalled how he signed his application to become an officer by travelling to a darkened Divisional Headquarters, only to meet the Chief Secretary coming to building--at 10:30 at night!

Tomorrow is Commissioning--13 new Captains on the planet, and in God's Kingdom.

Summer Service Team in Moscow

Seven American pairs of tired feet now walk the streets of Moscow, as the Summer Service Team on which two of our sons serve applies its talents here. Fresh from a childrens' camp in the woods of Northwestern Russia, the team has visited two Moscovian Salvation Army Corps and several historical sites. Saturday some of the team will play in a brass quintet for our Territorial Commissioning.

Monday we will have the whole team over for fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and other good "home-cooked" items to celebrate the 4th of July.

Anita remains frantically but productively busy finalizing Commissioning details. Please pray for a meaningful and (logistically) successful weekend.

In His peace,

Anita and Brad

Summer Service Team arrives luggage-less!

Two of our sons, Justin and Jaron, arrived in St. Petersburg yesterday without any luggage for them or their five other teammates. But since they arrived in St. Pete around seventy hours after leaving the Atlanta airport, they were just happy to have achieved their destination. We should see the team in about a week!

Brad and Anita by the Aegean Sea, at the port where the Apostle Paul landed during his missionary journeys 

Michaelgelo's "Pieta" in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, seen during our travels on the "Footsteps of Paul" educational tour 

International Chief of Staff Commissioner Israel Gaither salutes the flag of each Corps in the Eastern Europe Territory at our Territorial Congress 

Officers participating in continuing education, an annual event for an officer's first five years of service