Estonians

“Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you.” - Rashi


For years I have taken in, fed, medicated if necessary and found a home for every stray that has come my way. I do this without thinking about it; I do it without weighing the consequences; I do it because it’s just something I must do. For this reason I’m a big fan of Hebrews 13:2, the Bible verse that says “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” The thought of entertaining angels unawares makes all the time and energy I spend on strays seem a little less nutty, like maybe it’s even some kind of spiritual pursuit…


The latest strays to cross my porch were not feline or canine – they were human – a pair of Estonian college students, both girls, here to experience America by selling educational books and software, door to door, for the whole summer – in Winder, GA. Now to me, that seems like a rough card to draw.

First off, Estonia is a small country up by Russia, Sweden and Finland. The hottest temperature there might be around 80 and most of the time it’s either cold or temperate. Imagine what our Georgia heat must feel like to them – especially during these days of heat indexes of 103-plus degrees.


Secondly, they use bikes for transportation. (Actually, one of them has an old car without A/C she uses because her sales area is Auburn.) According to the brochures they gave us about Estonia, you can drive from one side of the country to the other in about four hours. They have a lot of bike paths and a decent bus system. It might not be unreasonable to go door to door selling books from a bike in Estonia, however, here in Barrow County that seems like a stretch. Things are spread out too far; there are a lot of hills; and a lot of our drivers aren’t used to bike traffic.


Thirdly, the company they work for (a reputable American company established in 1868 doing door to door Bible sales) demands an exacting commitment from them. They are to work 13-hour days six days a week, and attend sales meetings in Augusta on Sundays. No dating; no alcohol; no TV; no time. But, since 300 of the 2,500 students the company has here this summer are from Estonia, it must sound like an okay deal to them…One of our girls is in her second summer and she has nothing but great things to say about her experience last year.


Before they came to our door on their first day in Winder, looking for “a room to rent, two bicycles perhaps to use or purchase affordably, and perhaps also a car…” I knew nothing of Estonia. But, having watched these two young women tackle challenge after challenge, calmly, quietly and always with a smile on their faces, I have developed a respect for the Estonian people and their history.


Apparently, some of the first humans in Europe lived in Estonia. Because of their location, or sparse numbers (Estonia’s current population is 1.5 million, compared to our 5.5 million in the Atlanta Metro area), or incredibly even temperament, Estonians have been invaded and ruled repeatedly, by Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and most recently, Russia. If our Estonians are any indication, they don’t have a cultural chip on their shoulder about that; they seem to be a people who simply takes what comes and continues to get the work done.


One of our girls told us, with some pride, that her boyfriend just got back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She said Estonia sends 150 soldiers to serve alongside our troops and has since the war began. “Something to do with NATO,” she said. “It’s just part of our responsibility as a country.”


As most stray stories do, the Estonian one has evolved over time. Initially, it was, “Here’s some water and sunscreen, and yes, we have a couple of bikes you can use…” That turned into “Sure, you can stay for a week or two while you find something a little nicer - less dogs and noise and such…” Now, they’re with us for the duration, which is fine because they’re so hardworking and pleasant.

They leave the house every morning at 6:30 and return, rain or shine, sales or no sales, around 9:30 at night. And, in spite of the obvious toll all that bike riding, heat and door knocking takes, they are always cheerful, upbeat, and enthusiastic - ready to shower, pack their lunches and face the next day - whatever it may bring.


I don’t know if our Estonians are “angels unawares” or just a couple of college students seeing America the hard way. In either case, if you see a tall, thin, very blonde woman riding a bike or going door to door in your neighborhood, offer her a bottle of water and a kind word. I assure you, she’ll thank you profusely and it sure will help her along her way.