Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2007

athered around her, were taken care of by another Swedish lady, Antonina Blomsterlund, who had support from the Swedish Baptist Union at least until 1929. 52 Then, after 1929, there began some hard years of persecution for Soviet Evangelicals. It is not known what happened to Blomsterlund after 1929 but up to that time Emilie Bertelson had regular contact with her as she tried to arrange for children to go to Estonia, but it became impossible. 53 A missionary on the shore of Lake Peipsi Back in Estonia, Bertelson visited a number of Baptist churches and spoke about her work. She also visited Mustvee, near Lake Peipsi, and villages around it. 54 She seems to have believed that her stay in Estonia was only temporary, and she would soon return to St Petersburg (then re-named Leningrad). Before she left Russia, some Communists in high positions had promised to help her return. 55 In 1924 the leadership of the Swedish Missionary Association (SMA) invited her to Sweden as they wanted to 49 Lagergren, Framgangstid med dubbla fortecken: Svenska baptistsamfundet dren 1914-1932 , p. 137. 50 Teated valismaalt [News from foreign countries], in Teekaija [Wayfarer], 10 (1924), p 156. 51 Lagergren, Framgangstid tried dubbla fortecken: Svenska baptistsamfundet dren 1914-1932 , p. 137. 52 Ibid. 53 Ibid., p. 138. 54 Tagasivaade [Retrospect], (Typewritten manuscript 11.07.1937). The original document is owned by Mustvee Baptist Church. 55 Lagergren, Framgangstid med dubbla fortecken: Svenska baptistsamfundet dren 1914-1932 , p. 137. ‘She Worked Like a Man’ 15 send Emilie Bertelson to Brazil to work with Russian immigrants. But Bertelson’s elderly mother lived in Estonia, and Emilie did not want to travel to the other side of the world. As a result of discussions, an idea emerged where Bertelson could work in Estonia in Russian-speaking villages. The Lake Peipsi shore seemed to be an ideal region for this. 56 Another option would have been Narva, the biggest Russian-speaking city in Estonia. But there were already missionaries in Narva, sent by the Orebro Mission Society. In May 1925 the SMA announced that Bertelson’s return to Russia was impossible and she was officially assigned to work among Russians in Estonia. 57 She probably still did not realise that it was not Russia, but the Russian areas in Estonia that would be where she would do the rest of her life’s work. On 9 th September 1925 Bertelson visited Mustvee, having in mind for the first time that this may be the place of ministry for her. Thirty-three years later she wrote in her diary how she travelled from Tartu to Mustvee. The roads were muddy, and the houses were grey and tiny. Her first thought was: ‘I do not want to be here!’ A little later she met the pastor of the Mustvee Baptist Church, Johannes Roodeman, and Sunday School teacher Liisa Hiiemets. Also, a member of the church, Fjodor Morozov, had arrived by boat. That night she slept in