| Lithuania |
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| Fast Facts of Lithuania |
Population: 3.6 million Languages: Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian Major religion: Roman Catholicism, Non-Religious Date entered by WorldVenture: 1997 Number of WorldVenture workers: 5 Location of WorldVenture work: Vilnius
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| The Land and the People of Lithuania |
Lithuania is a small country, slightly larger than the state of West Virginia, lying on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Most of the land is flat or gently sloping, peppered with many lakes. Attractive white sand dunes grace the seacoast, providing a popular resort area for tourists.
World War II ushered in Communism and Russian control of Lithuania in 1940. Under Communist control, the traditional agricultural way of life ended and the country has become more and more industrialized and urbanized. In 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence.
On April 2, 2004, Lithuania became a full-fledged member of NATO and on May 1, 2004, a member of the European Union. After becoming a member of the EU, prices rose. As a result, Lithuanians are paying EU prices, but with pre-EU salaries. Because of this, there is an exodus of the educated and young adults to the West. Despite this fact, the economy continues to grow, and international companies are continuing to invest.
Lithuanians are highly literate and educated people who work hard and value family and culture. They enjoy music and sports, particularly basketball.
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Lithuania Map | Satellite
Click and drag the map. Use the zoom tool on the right to zoom down on a city or area. Click the Hybrid view to see both map and satellite imagery; click the Satellite view to see satellite imagery. |
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| WorldVenture's Work in Lithuania |
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After a survey trip showed that Lithuanians were a people searching for life’s meaning in the midst of many changes and struggles, WorldVenture determined that this was a field ripe for the harvest. Most national pastors have been Christians for a brief time, in some cases only three or four years. Work in Lithuania has focused on evangelism, church planting and leadership training. Organization of summer camps for youth has proven to be fruitful, and a Lithuanian youth evangelism special project is in place. List ministry opportunities in Lithuania
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| Goals and Future Direction of the Work |
| WorldVenture’s Lithuania team will continue to direct their efforts toward biblical training and discipleship for leaders. Additionally, there are ministry opportunities in evangelism, church planting, women’s ministries, marriage enrichment and alcohol rehabilitation. |