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Sandijs Aizupietis
Guided by God
First year
student of Baltic Pastoral Institute Sandijs Aizupietis (see profile) was ordained as
a preacher on May 29 in Sigulda Baptist Church. He has been leading this church
since the January of this year.
How did you become a Christian?
I was born
in a Christian home. Since I remember myself, my parents took me to Mateja
church every Sunday. Since my grandfather and grandmother were very active
church members, I often went to church in the middle of the week – during the
choir rehearsals, midweek service, different fellowship events. I attended
Sunday school since I was four. In order to hide the true meaning of Sunday
school from the Communist regime, it was called „the fourth choir”. In Sunday
school I learned all the Bible stories, knew answers to difficult questions
about the Bible. When I became a Christian in my teenage years, I realized that
all of this information is stored in my head like historical information about
the time when God worked among people, when He did different miracles and led the
Israelites. None of what I heard had reached my heart; I had never imagined
that God could work in my life.
When I was
13 or 14 in one of the „Hope” festivāls
I realized that God also works today, that he sees what I do, my heart. What I
heard and saw in this event helped me realize that God could be in my life,
that He could work. I just have to pray for that and confess my sins with all
my heart. Several years later I got baptised in Mateja church, and continued my
spiritual growth in various churches.
When I was
19 Ligatne church sent me to England to study for a year. I was in “New
Frontiers International” (NFI) Bible school. I did not quite understand what it
will be like. Without thinking too much,
I took a year off at my trade school in Cesis and agreed to go. The way my mind
works now I would have not left for a year and abandoned everything. Now I see
it as God’s guidance. Until then I had lived in a small town and a trip to
capital city Riga was the main event of the month. England culturaly „opened my
eyes”. I learned a lot about the Bible, of course, I saw how church life is led
and organized there. My understanding about life in general broadened. There I
realized how real God is, that He holds me in His hands, that I can be His
friend, communicate with Him, be in relationship with Him. When I came back,
several people said that time England has changed me alot.
What did you do after that?
I did not
finish trade school, During the second
semester I entered regular high school and graduated. Then I entered Latvia
University faculty of Economy and Leadership. During that time I met Martina –
my future wife. We often went to Ogre where Vitaly Astapenko ministered.
Previously he was my pastor in Ligatne church. We had great plans regarding Vidzeme
– Vidzeme outreach center, we prayed, we thought, we prepared. During Christmas
Vitaly died. I had emptiness inside. I was very disappointed, we had such
wonderful plans! I asked God – why did it happen this way? Maybe Vitaly was
taken so that I would not be so focused on one person because in my spiritual
development I had relied on him. This is just a guess. Through this experience
I learned that I have to hold on to God, that I have to trust and rely only on
Him. It was a very difficult time. It took me about three years to recover.
Now you are a preacher at Sigulda Baptist church.
Please, tell me how you got to this point?
After our wedding
we moved to Ogre and joined Ogre Trinity Baptist church. We changed where we
lived several times but always stayed in the same church. After we moved to
Sigulda it was very difficult to get to church every Sunday so we started
looking for new church home. We were going from church to church for about half
a year. We decided to discontinue our search and to keep going to Ogre as much
as it will be possible. As we were searching for a new church, we always had in
mind a particular church model that we wanted to belong to – where love is
visible, where person that comes in from the street does not feel like a stranger.
Church where people go up to each other, where they greet and talk to each
other. Also during the week church members have friendly relationship with
neighbours, collegues. This longing got stronger and stronger. Those I talked
to about this longing said that I myself should start a new church, and that
they would join it and support it. However, to me it did not seem natural
because Sigulda already has nine churches; should I really start a new one?
Pastor Edgars Godins called me last November and said that the pastor of
Sigulda church has retired, and I should take over the leadership of Sigulda
church. I said yes because it agreed with what I had thought and felt
previously. After my conversation with E. Godins and some other pastors we felt
that we have gotten our answer – this is where God is leading us!
In my heart
I have always felt a calling to work in a church. I had never had a great
desire to be a pastor, this has not been my goal, something I have been
striving for. But God has molded, changed my heart where I have agreed to do
it. If God will make me a pastor, I will thank Him. Time will show if I have
heard Him and decided right. I try to keep my eyes opened and take the next
steps in the direction where I think God is leading me. My responsibility is to
obey His calling. One of the things that Martina and I have learned in our
married life is that our life depends on God. The growth and development in our
life depends on how much we have been able to trust and to obey God’s guidance.
For example,
one time we were going to the grocery store with our last five lats that are
just enough to fill a small grocery basket. We prayed to God and said,”You see
that these are our last five lats.” We filled our grocery basked, counting
along, paid 4.93. As we were leaving the store, a man met us and said,”So good
that I met you, God put it on my heart to give you 5 lats!” We experience these
real answers to prayers as we hold on to God.
We have had
similar experiences in my work place. Looking back I can say – the work I have
been involved in has been led by God. He gave enough income for each specific
moment, enough experience; when the work ended, sometimes it was hard but half
a year later looking back I could see that it was supernatural guidance, road
to the next opportunity. Now I am self-employed, and not even once I have had
to advertise in newspaper what I am doing. My work situation has always been
better than for those around me. God has always given me work. There have been
some years when I have had work six, seven months ahead, people are waiting. I
can only thank God for that. It is not something I am doing. I am trying to do
everything according to my conscience, of course, I have very high standards
for myself because I want to be able to rest peacefully at night.
There was
one situation that was like a turning point in my spiritual life. First
business that I started was clearing brush in collaberation with the
government. I borrowed money with pretty high interest from people because
first needed to buy instruments. In the beginning the business went very well,
it was a new thing, we had a lot of work, it was just a matter of getting it
all done. One month to go and we would have been able to pay back the entire
debt. Since the work process was very well established, we were able to
accomplish in the last month more than we accomplished in previous three
months. Exactly during that month the government ran out of money, and it did
not pay us anything. They gave us letters of guarantee that they owe us money,
and that they will pay it all back. We went to banks and asked for money for
current expenses. Nobody was ready to talk to us. Everything fell apart, all
the workers scattered. I was left on my own with all the debt that I could not
repay. I could not sleep at night. Then I prayed and promised God – if you will
help me repay this debt, I will never borrow money in my entire life. Some work
turned up, opportunities, and I could repay my debt in one month. Ever since
then I have never borrowed money because God kept His part of the deal.
Tell us about your wife and children!
My wife
Martina works at „Armat Ltd.” as an office administrator. Last three years
every Saturday she studies at Alberta collegue, her major is personel
management. Right now she is writing her diploma paper, and she will have to
defend it in the summer. In a very positive way she is the one who holds me
back. In the right moment she is the one that points out something that I have
not noticed in my excitement. I am quite spontaneous. I do not set goals that I
have reach because I get greater joy not from reached goals but from the
process itself. To join a new event or accept a new idea is not difficult for
me. Often with heavenly wisdom she has asked me,”In your opinion, Sandijs, how
do you think God looks at this? Will He go with you in this?” Then I sit down
and think about it.
Now that I
am studying at Baltic Pastoral Institute she adds something to me in all the
changes that have happened to us. She bears with me, helps me, follows without
complaining even though we don’t know where this road will take us. In that
sense we walk side by side.
After 12
years of being married we have finally understood that we are equals, that we
are God’s gift to each other and not a yoke or a brick around the neck that has
to be carried. We have concluded that two people can be together if they put
God’s love as their foundation; it helps us to think about the other person
more than about yourself.
We have
three sons. Our oldest Toms (10) is a basketball player, he has basketball
practice 3-4 times a week. Emils (7) likes books and music better. He is the
philosopher and artist of our family. Reinis (5) is a little explosive, full of
energy. He is very goal oriented; if he has taken something into his head, then
we have to have very good reasons or bonuses for him to forget about his goal.
How is your family influenced by your studies at
BPI?
Lots of
time things are just happening on their own. We start noticing it in the behavior
of the boys. Constantly we have to think how to divide our time. House and
gardening projects cannot be planned anymore. Martina works, studies on
Saturdays, I am at school all day, we meet in the evenings. Martina’s
grandmother helps out – she feeds Toms, sends him off at the right time to
basketball practices and dancing lessons. When we come back from work and
studies, we collect our youngest sons from the kindergarten. Thank God they
have not been sick all winter! We are waiting for the summer and some rest.
How are you influenced by your studies at BPI?
I am
beginning to understand that until now I have been a loner. I need the Latvian
feeling of having my personal home, space – to go out in the evenings, in the
country silence where you can only hear grasshoppers. Sometimes I am bothered
that two cars pass my house within one minute.
Now I
apprecciate others much more. As we were taught – every person has been created
in God’s image. I am beginning to see that every person is a unique expression
of God.
After the
Easter holiday week I already was missing my fellow students. Each is unique,
has a unique personality, its expression. All of the people in our class have
strong personalities but nobody tries to draw attention to that. We are all
very colorful and fit together very well. If there have been any flare ups, it
has been between two or three, but everything has ended well with all parties
having a discussion about it.
I have been
moved to a different level, my growth, being in God’s presence is much more
intense. Maybe if you only spend time here and at home, it has a green house
effect. But the time we will spend here is short enough so that we would not
get stuck in a green house atmosphere.
Which lectures at BPI have made you think the
most?
Several
things that I thought might be true were confirmed through the lectures. First
Wallie Schoon lectures about God’s purpose when He created a man. The lectures
were so moving that I tried to catch every word and did not write anything
down.
We think a lot about
character formation. Especially I was influenced by Bob Adams and what he
taught us about the pastor’s heart – what it should be like. About openess, love
for people – regardless whether they are Christians or non-Christians. In one
sense we believers often say – we are the good ones, we have gathered here, if
you want to hear about God, come to us. But people who do not come to church
are also created in God’s image. In God’s eyes the are as valuable, lovable and
worthy of respect.
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