Uninvited and unwelcome, it came.   Every person and every action was assaulted by its arrival.  Going outdoors became dangerous, and simply breathing was painful.  The journey to church could be life threatening, and each venture outside was made with much caution.

For two weeks, all of Northern Europe was in the grip of bitter cold.  Lithuania endured temperatures as low as -30° F with wind chill factors down to -50° F.  Skin exposed for more than a few minutes would freeze, and cars simply stopped working.  Hundreds died in poorly insulated apartments or due to exposure outdoors.  Then it was gone; the extreme cold has been replaced by temperatures, hovering around freezing.  Rock hard ice and snow are softened, and the danger is past.

Just as the cold affected everyone, so sin grips each life without a chance of reprieve.  Yet, there is one hope for each person affected by the bitter reality of sin—that hope is Jesus Christ!  Just as we have seen the horrific cold with all its dangers replaced by warmer temperatures, so we have seen hundreds of Lithuanians have their eternal punishment replaced by the everlasting security and hope in Christ!

Mark and Michele Hale, Lithuania