Hope International Ministries
Sharing the Good News to New Generations in Eastern Europe
LIEPAJA, LATVIA
You are probably wondering at which end of the earth is Liepaja, Latvia?
Latvia is one of the three Baltic countries located near Belarus and Russia. The population is only a few million and about 34% are Russian. The city of Liepaja has about 83,000 residents and was closed to foreigners for the last fifty years during the Soviet occupation because of the Soviet Naval base located there.
With the loss of thousands of Soviet Naval personnel and their families, Liepaja changed tremendously. A large section of the city is deserted and the former military apartment buildings are left derelict. Gone are the Soviet warships and in their place today is a busy commercial seaport. More importantly the religious situation changed tremendously. Instead of persecution and harassment by the KGB, Christians are free to gather together. Quite a few churches now exist in Liepaja and one called, the “Light of the Gospel” or “Svet Evangeliya,” is preaching and reaching out to the community.