Estonia is the most northerly of the Baltic states and includes more than 1 500 islands.

After years of Swedish and then Russian rule, Estonia enjoyed brief independence from 1922 until Soviet troops invaded in 1940. Stalin’s brutal regime murdered and deported a large minority of Estonians. A deep resentment is still felt against Russia and some recent laws have excluded some ethnic Russians from being able to be full Estonian ‘citizens’.

Since gaining independence in 1991 Estonia has been pushing to be more closely related to its Nordic neighbours to the north. The Estonian people and language are closely related to the people of Finland, living just over the water.

Praise God that Christians can now meet and worship freely in Estonia.

Estonia is slowly getting richer but while a few people live in luxury, most live in poverty. Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir in all people a desire to search for God.

In an attempt to restore Estonia’s national identity and pride, many ethnic Russians have been left out in the cold and alienated. Pray that the government would act with wisdom and fairness, for all its people.