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Kristaps Kulpe
Do not get attached to the gifts but the Giver
Kristaps Kulpe (see profile) is from Grobina Baptist church, and one of the twelve BPI students of the 2011 draft. Let us thank God for Kristaps and his family, and let’s pray for them!
Could you tell about your childhood – how did you became the person you are?
God was the main influencer so that I am the way I am. I grew up in a simple family. Mom worked in bookkeeping, dad worked on a tractor. We were two brothers. As a child I was very withdrawn, shy, with no self confidence, a gray sparrow. I had a great world in my head, and very few friends. There were some friends who used me.
My first encounter with God happened in the Sunday school of Lutheran church which I attended with my friends in order to get clothes and sweets as at that time came as humanitarian aid from abroad. Other children claimed that we are only coming because of gifts even though we do not believe, but they came for the same reasons. On Christmas we were given Gideon’s New Testament. I put it on a shelf and forgot for a long time.
In elementary school I actively got involved in sports – played basketball. Since I was growing very fast, I had a lot of injuries. Sometimes I spent several weeks in bed. These times were especially hard, I felt lonely and depressed. During one such time I remembered my New Testament on the shelf and occasionally started reading it. I don’t know how much I understood then, but one time I even wrote my name where it says to write your name if you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. At that time my mom started searching for God - she met Christ in Russian Baptist church. She started consistently inviting us to go to the church but I always had excuses ready. But one time I responded to my mom’s invitation. That time pastor asked people to receive Christ, even though it was not easy
How did God change you?
Dramatically! I used to be insecure about everything but God gave me sense of security. I understood that if I was not anything in the world yet now I was God’s child. With that in grade 9 I was very different person. For example, if there was any event happening in the school, I was leading it. At least parents and teachers noticed that I was greatly changed. Teachers said that I am acting as if I was in love. It was like a flower that had been in its bulb, and suddenly blossomed.
There were several times where my faith was strengthened. In grade 11 I dated a girl for half-a-year who was tired of me pushing God on her so she made me decide – her or God. I decided to stay with God saying no to human love although for me as a teenager it was very hard.
Where did you study and work in the future?
I studied at Lithuanian Christain college. The best thing I gained in this college was my English. I majored in business and leadership, and minored in theology. The shool had several teachers that influenced me. One of them was David Shank. I was fascinated by his love for students and that he taught theology with such humility to students who were not Christians. After college I wanted to go and work in America but since there was no such opportunity I stayed in Liepaja. My first work place was factory „Lauma” where I worked as a sales manager. After this job I worked as a translator, in logistics – at the port, railway, peat processing plant.
How did you meet your wife Kristine?
When I started my studies at the college I was sure that maybe not in the first year but at least second year I will find the „real” girl. Then I had a crush on a girl who was indifferent towards me. It was quite painful for me. Then I decided not to allow myself to fall in love again. And with that thought I graduated from college.
After graduation from college my church became Liepaja Nacarete church, and that is where we saw each other. When I first saw her I thought to myself – what a nice girl! Kristine understood that we were to be together first but she did not say anything. Then our boss put us together in the same office room – she was translating from German, and I was translating from English. That is how we got together...It will be six years this summer since we were married. What was our relationship like before the wedding? First we had conversations where we clarified that we like each other. Then for three months we stopped any kind of relationship and did not even talk to each other alone but prayed to God if we are meant to be together. It was quite extreme. Normal guy, if he has a girl that already knows would not do it like that. After these three months passed we started dating. At that time I wanted to move on to Grobina Baptist church. Kristine gave me ultimatum then that she will follow me to this church only as my bride. And I proposed to her. We did not kiss before wedding. And it is our suggestion to others.
How did God change your family after the children were born?
We stongly experienced how God cared for us. It looks like God likes doing everything in my life at the last moment – when I have burned out. Example is our flat – when we got married we were looking for a place to live. I just needed to respond to one advert which was the one and only flat. We lived there entire time until we moved to Rucava. God has taken care of my career. I lost my job. While I had unempoyment benefits I could not find any job but on the last day I had a job offer. God wants us to seek him but we get attached to the gifts not the Giver. When a person burns out they turn to God as their last straw, but it should not be last, it should be first. God teaches us patiently.
We have two wonderful children – Kristians and Jonatans. We are going through a hard time right now. During last five years we have not slept very much, there has not been a single night when we did not have to get up, and it has done Kristine a lot of harm. But because of these trials God has changed us quite a lot. We have grown, our understanding and thinking has changed. God has allowed it so that we could help and be useful. Without the difficulties we have experienced we would not understand how tired, weak and hurt people feel.
How did you understand your calling and that you want to study at BPI?
I had thought that my calling was to work in business, to create work places for people, to donate money. I was focused only on work. I had gone so far that my wife was not taking me seriously anymore. I had to come before God and to confess. I was so focused on some things that God did not have a chance to tell me anything. And then I put everything aside and realized that it was too much. After couple of weeks I was listening to some music, and my heart was sad about people around me. And then I realized it was from God and this thought scared me. It turned out that Kristine had been praying for it for awhile. She had received a promise from God that there will be a time when we will give all of ourselves, our undivided, attention to God. She had come to conclusion that we would need to choose full time ministry.
A month after this experience Aivars Vadonis called me and offered to lead church service in Otanki because he was not able to be there. He did not know anything about my experience with God. God simply worked it out. It was my first time and I really like it. After that I had a battle with God about when I would be able to minister because my work was so intense that I could only do it on weekends. There people we influenced, for example, work colleagues. But very soon circumstances were such that I was fired.
For two more months I thought about it until I realized that God is calling me in full time ministry. As fast as I could I signed up at BPI. Kristne has always been the one who spiritually challenges me. When I told her about my choice it was emotionally difficult for her to react. In some sense she was removed from me so that I was alone with God. It helped me to grow. As the head of the family I had to decide what we should do. God confirmed our choice with signs and financially – through one particular woman God gave us a ground to stand on financially. I also had a loan from the business where I used to work for my flat. . When the man who was in charge of my loan found out what we were going to do he cancelled our loan.
Do you know where God is calling you to minister in the future?
My heart belongs to countryside. It seems that cities have enough workers. I lived in Rucava for two years, understood how people think there, I saw the needs of country people. I don’t know if it will be Rucava but this place is in my heart and my wife’s heart; we have a flat there, it is our home. But maybe God will call us elsewhere.
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