Helping young people in Cēsis find Jesus and a church to call home

We're Raimonds and Marta. After 14 years as missionaries among Latvian youth, we're planting a church in Cēsis and restoring an old Lutheran church to be its home.

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Fourteen years among Latvian youth

For fourteen years we have served as missionaries in Latvia, meeting teenagers and young adults where they are: on the football pitch, in the gym, at summer camps and around our kitchen table. Many of them had never heard the gospel in a way that made sense to them.

Moving to Cēsis opened a new chapter. As young people came to faith, they needed a church family to belong to. That need has led us to plant a new church here, and to bring an old Lutheran church in the town center back to life as its home.

14years of ministry with Latvian teenagers and young adults
Raimonds and Marta with their three children
Raimonds & Marta with our three children, Cēsis, Latvia

Three parts of one calling

Our mission hasn't changed: helping young people meet Jesus and find their home in the local church.

Youth and teen ministry

Edge football and fitness clubs, camps, and Vīra Vārds ("Man of His Word"), where we mentor teenage boys and young men in character and faith.

Young people gathered in our living room in Cēsis

Planting a church

A new church in Cēsis where young people and families can belong, grow in faith and serve their town together.

Children and families at a church gathering

Restoring a historic church

Bringing an old Lutheran church in the center of Cēsis back to life as a place for worship and community.

Volunteers cleaning out the old church

The old Lutheran church in Cēsis

In October 2026 we purchased a historic Lutheran church in the heart of Cēsis. Today the building is in critical condition, but we believe it can once again be a place where people meet God.

Architects have drawn the plans for the restoration. They include apartments in the attic, which will be rented out to help the building pay for itself for years to come.

  1. ✓Building purchased
  2. ✓Restoration plans drawn by architects
  3. 3Finalizing permits with the Cēsis municipality
  4. 4Raising funds for the restoration
416 m²
total floor area, about 4,480 sq ft
168 m²
main hall for worship and gatherings
2
apartments planned in the attic
Architect's drawing of the church's front facade after restoration
The church's front facade today, weathered and in need of repair
Today. The front of the church, empty and in need of repair.
Architect's rendering of the restored church with a new tile roof
After restoration. The architects' rendering of the same building.
Rendering of the restored main hall with rows of wooden chairs
The main hall
Rendering of the restored church in the evening
An evening on the street
Rendering of the restored church seen through the trees
From the park side

The church is already gathering here

Families from our young church have started clearing the grounds, cleaning out the building and sharing meals beside its walls. The work ahead is big, but we're not waiting to start.

Families sharing lunch beside the old church
Raimonds serving lunch at a work day
Children raking leaves in the churchyard
Children pulling weeds beside the church

Partner with us

We are supported by friends and churches who believe in this work. Every gift, large or small, helps young people in Cēsis find a church family.

Monthly support

Regular gifts sustain our family and the church plant, and let us plan ahead.

One-time gift

Help with a specific need, like camps, youth programs or launching the church.

Church restoration

Use the same form below and add a note that your gift is for the building.

Gifts are received through Faith & Learning International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Wheaton, Illinois. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Questions about giving? Email us at rlogins@gmail.com.

How you can pray

  • For teenagers and young adults in Cēsis to meet Jesus and find a church family.
  • For the new church: for leaders, unity and the people God is gathering.
  • For the permits and funding needed to restore the old Lutheran church.
  • For our family in this new season.