Reaching out to the community in Scarborough has meant, at St Martin’s church, Scarborough, recognising that there are many in the parish from eastern Europe. On the Saturday afternoon of our Come and See Mission (12-15 March), John Carter enjoyed a glimpse of Latvia!
‘Strangers to Friends’ was an opportunity to extend an invitation to local members of the Latvian community to share their culture and music – described as hopefully the first of many opportunities to get to know each other’s traditions.
Wearing authentic folk costumes, local Latvian families sang and explained more about the country, its culture and traditions.
"For us the biggest cultural tradition is singing, expressing our sorrows and our joys. In a country of under 2 million it helps keep our traditions alive."
In a moving video, visitors were able to see the way thousands of local people gather together each year in the capital, Riga, to join in song.