Fruit that last
Interview with BPI student Mārcis Dejus (see his profile), 2009.

Tell me about yourself and your family!
In the december of this year I will turn 26. I have been married for four years, my wife's name is Agnese. We have two sons - Ivo and Gints. We live in Riga but my childhood and school years were spent in Ventspils.

How did you become a Christian - were there any special people or events that played an important role?
I became a Christian when I was 18, although even before that my mom had taught me the Lord's prayer, and my parents baptised me when I was 10. I remember my first encounter with God's name was when at the age of five in a green notebook I had to write a fairy tale about God and devil. In my teen years at school I was an excellent student, and altogether obedient child. I was interested in esoteric things. I had my own understanding about the origin of Christianity, that people in their own ideas have come up with Christ and God in order to have someone to complain to, to ask for help and to explain the unexplainable. Right now I think that probably those are origins of some religion but it is definitely not Christianity. You can see the Triune God at work, and it is completely different than just somembody's ideas.
First I can thank God for coming to Him, then many other people but especially Rūdolfs and Arta. Rūdis was my classmate and friend. Arta - my pen pal. Letters on paper are a very good format how to talk about serious subjects including faith, beliefs. As a result of that I attended Matthew's church camp. I still remember very vividly how I experienced a very special kind of love - I was a complete stranger to them from a strange city, but these Christians invited me to their lunch table as if I was one of them. I wanted to be like them. I had never experienced anything like that but had longed for it. At the end of the camp when pastor invited to accept Christ, I had inner struggle but in the end I responded.
Since that time I started growing very fast. In my first love for Christ I got involved in ministry. When I got married, my family became my primary church so I stopped the ministry.

Where and how do you serve right now?
When in February of this year I responded to God's call to become a pastor, I returned to ministry - in the beginning as Sunday school teacher, after that as the small group coordinator at Matthew church. I was also preparing materials for small groups on Philippians. Those are not translated Bible studies but we have written them ourselves. It is a six week long study cycle that consists of sermons and discussions; the goal is to „leave the church" and for every small group to show Christ by serving some people in their need. I am also getting ready for my studies at BPI right now and I am in support raising process.

What is your profession? Do you like it? Do you see any point in it?
After finishing high school I decided to be an architect. I have finished Riga Technical Univeristy Arthitecture and city planning faculty. Last six years I have worked in this profession. I set a goal for myself to become a project manager, and gradually I reached my goal. Architect's work is very interesting. Somebody once told me that architect's fruit are more lasting than the fruit of any other profession. That is what I believed until I saw how a house - monument of architecture gets destroyed in order to provide a place for another buidling - the new city library The Castle of Light. What kind of lasting fruit was that? God speaks to our will and reveals the truth. Only the work of bringing people to Christ has lasting fruit with taste of eternity.

Why did you decide to study at BPI, what does your family, friends and collegues say?
I decided to study at BPI in order to become a good pastor, to develop my skills and character, to better understand culture and the world. My wife supports me because she sees in me the necessary gifting for a pastor. She is my closest and most significant support. I listen to other people's opinions - do not linger on the negative too long, take positive as an encouragement. I have made my choice and I am not planning to change my decision.

What is your opinion of BPI? How was it formed?
I am very glad that BPI where I will be able to serve is not just a school for pastors, but fundamentally formed as an instrument for fulfilling the goal of Baptist Union to have 100 new churches in next 10 years. It is a realistic goal. I believe in it. I don't think that gathering 2500 (100x25) people will be the biggest problem. It will be more difficult to find 100 new pastors. Until the men will be too attached to their old fishing nets or tax collector's booths and will not follow Christ's cal,l this problem will not be solved. Again this is a question about fruit of eternity. I think that every church needs to have this vision of mission - pointed to people outside. I believe that as I work full time with knowledge and skills that I will get at BPI, in God's strength and under His leadership I will be able to do a lot in leading people to Christ and keeping them with Christ.

What do you picture yourself and your family doing in 10 to 15 years?
If God will give me to live so long, I see myself as a father of five living outside of Riga. There will be 100 new churches already, and I will have had active part in that process. I think I will be a pastor in a church that grows in numbers and in their understanding of Christ and love for Him. But most of all I want to be humble before Christ, to have hummility in my heart before people, and to go where He sends me. I have experienced that only when I obey Christ I can be the most useful to Him because then He can use me.

In your opinion what does it mean to serve God?
Serving God means to obey in faith and to do. Serving God is constant pursuit of a goal like Paul describes it in Philippians 3. Serving God gives that wonderful feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction that follows doing a good work.

How can we pray for you?
Pray that God would increase faith and trust in our home. That God could use me fully, and that above all His will may be done.