Jet lag and culture shock are a deadly cocktail. They leave their victims sleepy and emotionally weakened. This is just the sort of state that leads to confession like blogs. So if later in this entry I reveal some horrific thoughts or actions please forgive me for I have not the energy to stop the sharing. Since our return I have attempted to talk this trip out with friends, strangers, and all the furniture in my condo. Oddly some of the best of those conversations were with the furniture. None of these feelings should shock me. I have been to Moldova five times. One of those trips was earlier this year. So it has not even been a full six months since I have had these now classic return symptoms. I guess the real question is why do I feel compelled to blog about it? Well I am sure I am not alone and I would ask two things...if you are also feeling the pain "Holla if ya' hear me" and if you are our prayer supporters please continue to be in prayer for and with us as we process this experience.
Thanks-h
Monday, July 16, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
A Place Called Hope
This is my sixth trip to Moldova . . . but it is my first trip where I have said goodbye to children that I have grown to love and truly felt hope. Not that I haven't had hope that the Lord had used us in the past - I know He did and I have been so blessed to see the fruit of that over the years. And not that I haven't had hope that the children in the orphanages in Chisinau and Falesti would be o.k. somehow. But, I've never had the kind of tangible hope that I felt today as I said "la revedere" to the children and walked away. I have tangible hope today - and i realize that in some sense, that is a paradox, but it's the only way I can find to express what I saw this week.
The kids in Cahul are different - and they are different because there are good people in their schools, people who are loving and kind, who are casting visions for their future, who love the Lord and want the children to know Him as well. The kids in Cahul are different because of women like Miss Amelia, the director of the orphanage here, who wept today as she thanked us for being here and sharing the love of Christ with the children. And Miss Amelia has surrounded herself with at least 5 really, really good teachers, who ministered with us this week to the kids who came to camp. These teachers, just like Miss Amelia, are believers and are kind and strong and loving - they believe and invest in these kids and want to see God's best for them. And then there are our translators, our voices this week, who so clearly and so passionately love these children and their city. What a blessing to have them - Maya, Elena, Tania, Christina, Mariana, Lydia, Gelu, and Anatol - for the children to look up to and to invest in these children in the future.
I believe the kids in Cahul are different after this week too - it was so precious to hear them this afternoon when Jeff asked the group of 100 kids to share what they had learned. What a blessing to see them jump up and raise their hands anxious to tell . . . . and then to hear them talk about how they learned of Christ, how they learned of His love and forgiveness, how they learned of His Word . . . and of course we loved it when they shared that they loved sewing, journalism, "arta", and pizza of course. I am so thankful that God allowed us to see fruit and change at the end of the week.
Thank you for praying for us this week. God was at work and we are so thankful. It is only by the power and plan of God that we left the Cahul school and can call is a Place of Hope - in fact we wrote hope on the walls and sidewalks there in chalk - leaving a blessing on that place. Will you now join us in praying for these children and for these sweeet teachers and Miss Amelia and also for the translators - all of our new friends that we leave behind. Will you pray that they will continue to invest in each other and love each other? Will you pray for opportunities for them to minister to each other? Will you pray that the teachers and the children will get plugged into a church? (The pastors of Emmanuel Baptist took the names of each child and are going to call each one this week to invite them to church and to another camp in late July - how cool is that!). Will you pray for the teachers and Miss Amelia and the translators that they will be encouraged and will encourage each other in their faith?
Our team is now in Chisinau, resting before our big all night airport experience on Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. As we process and debrief, I'm sure you'll hear more from us.
Gretchen
The kids in Cahul are different - and they are different because there are good people in their schools, people who are loving and kind, who are casting visions for their future, who love the Lord and want the children to know Him as well. The kids in Cahul are different because of women like Miss Amelia, the director of the orphanage here, who wept today as she thanked us for being here and sharing the love of Christ with the children. And Miss Amelia has surrounded herself with at least 5 really, really good teachers, who ministered with us this week to the kids who came to camp. These teachers, just like Miss Amelia, are believers and are kind and strong and loving - they believe and invest in these kids and want to see God's best for them. And then there are our translators, our voices this week, who so clearly and so passionately love these children and their city. What a blessing to have them - Maya, Elena, Tania, Christina, Mariana, Lydia, Gelu, and Anatol - for the children to look up to and to invest in these children in the future.
I believe the kids in Cahul are different after this week too - it was so precious to hear them this afternoon when Jeff asked the group of 100 kids to share what they had learned. What a blessing to see them jump up and raise their hands anxious to tell . . . . and then to hear them talk about how they learned of Christ, how they learned of His love and forgiveness, how they learned of His Word . . . and of course we loved it when they shared that they loved sewing, journalism, "arta", and pizza of course. I am so thankful that God allowed us to see fruit and change at the end of the week.
Thank you for praying for us this week. God was at work and we are so thankful. It is only by the power and plan of God that we left the Cahul school and can call is a Place of Hope - in fact we wrote hope on the walls and sidewalks there in chalk - leaving a blessing on that place. Will you now join us in praying for these children and for these sweeet teachers and Miss Amelia and also for the translators - all of our new friends that we leave behind. Will you pray that they will continue to invest in each other and love each other? Will you pray for opportunities for them to minister to each other? Will you pray that the teachers and the children will get plugged into a church? (The pastors of Emmanuel Baptist took the names of each child and are going to call each one this week to invite them to church and to another camp in late July - how cool is that!). Will you pray for the teachers and Miss Amelia and the translators that they will be encouraged and will encourage each other in their faith?
Our team is now in Chisinau, resting before our big all night airport experience on Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. As we process and debrief, I'm sure you'll hear more from us.
Gretchen
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Carnival rides and Cotten Candy
We have found our match here in Moldova. Emanul Baptist, the church we attended this morning, meets in a school with a small carnival outside the front door. It was mezmerizing for all the children who came with us for worship. Jeff tried to strike a deal for us to ride with the kids but no dice. It is probably for the best as OSHA would not have approved these particular carousals.
It was a great mix of hilarity and joy having 40 children in the worship service. Many of them having never been to church and far more to young to be expected to sit still. It is always exciting to hear people praising God in their own way...for the kids that meant singing and acting out Our God is so Big...for Scott and Eric it was adding some beat to Moldovian praise and worship...for Chey it was sharing her testimony...and for Jeff it meant preaching about Jesus and bouncing around at the front of a small gym turned sanctuary.
Over all it has been a wonderful day. We have had a chance to rest, praise God, eat great food with the pastor's family, and plan for our last day of camp. Thank you all so much for your prayers. We would love for you to pray for a strong finish, a vision for the future ministry in this city, and for each individual on our team as we process what this time means for us as we move forward.
P.S. look forward to stories of ants building colonies in our honor
It was a great mix of hilarity and joy having 40 children in the worship service. Many of them having never been to church and far more to young to be expected to sit still. It is always exciting to hear people praising God in their own way...for the kids that meant singing and acting out Our God is so Big...for Scott and Eric it was adding some beat to Moldovian praise and worship...for Chey it was sharing her testimony...and for Jeff it meant preaching about Jesus and bouncing around at the front of a small gym turned sanctuary.
Over all it has been a wonderful day. We have had a chance to rest, praise God, eat great food with the pastor's family, and plan for our last day of camp. Thank you all so much for your prayers. We would love for you to pray for a strong finish, a vision for the future ministry in this city, and for each individual on our team as we process what this time means for us as we move forward.
P.S. look forward to stories of ants building colonies in our honor
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Salvation, Mineral Spirits and Grenades
Thank you all so much for your prayers! It has been a great day here in Cahul. We had about 85 kids at Camp today (down today from the over 100+ kids of yesterday), but the teachers at the school said it was due to it being on a weekend. Overall, it really was our best day yet! This morning's Bible Story was about Zaccheus which was fantastic for talking to the children and students about salvation. This morning, we had sixteen older boys (ages 12-16) in one group and 10 of them accepted Christ along with one teacher. It was a great way to start the day! In addition, at the end of Camp today we were able to present the plan of salvation, and again, many responded!
What we have found here at Cahul is that we probably have about 25 true orphans at our Camp and the rest are children from the community. Many of the children come in from outlying villages to be at Camp; some traveling from over 40 kilometers away. This has been a different from what we have seen in the other orphanages in which we work. However, the great part about this is the Orphanage Director, Ms. Amelia, is very intentional about integrating the orphan children into the community. The other great part is that almost all of the children from the community are unchurched. It is really remarkable. A few have heard different Bible Stories because of some teaching in the orphanage and some have been to Orthodox churches, but very few know much at all about Jesus and salvation. As so many of you have been praying, our God has truly gone before us and prepared the hearts of these precious children for our coming. The fields are really ripe for harvest!
Again, thank you all for your fervent prayers! They are truly making a difference. We love you, and we miss you (and American food :))! All glory to our God!
In Christ,
jeff
P.S. We painted all the orphanage's playground equipment today and now my room smells like mineral spirits. Also, one of the groups had their children tell of their favorite found treasure which happened to be grenades found in their family garden!
What we have found here at Cahul is that we probably have about 25 true orphans at our Camp and the rest are children from the community. Many of the children come in from outlying villages to be at Camp; some traveling from over 40 kilometers away. This has been a different from what we have seen in the other orphanages in which we work. However, the great part about this is the Orphanage Director, Ms. Amelia, is very intentional about integrating the orphan children into the community. The other great part is that almost all of the children from the community are unchurched. It is really remarkable. A few have heard different Bible Stories because of some teaching in the orphanage and some have been to Orthodox churches, but very few know much at all about Jesus and salvation. As so many of you have been praying, our God has truly gone before us and prepared the hearts of these precious children for our coming. The fields are really ripe for harvest!
Again, thank you all for your fervent prayers! They are truly making a difference. We love you, and we miss you (and American food :))! All glory to our God!
In Christ,
jeff
P.S. We painted all the orphanage's playground equipment today and now my room smells like mineral spirits. Also, one of the groups had their children tell of their favorite found treasure which happened to be grenades found in their family garden!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Cahul N The Gang...
Okey dokey, Well first I may as well be gracious and say hello to my Mother, ...Hi Mom, I'm safe and far from kidnapped! My flights went well. I've can finally say that I've slept on the floor of a German airport! Years of waiting for Pay-Off City! Also I will suggest Moldovan Air to absolutely anyone interested in finding food that makes Fancy-Feast look like a viable source of nutrition and good ole' eatin' fun! Ok now to be serious for a moment. ...(breathe) ...This trip has been incredible to me so far. I've gotten such a culture shock in such a short amount of time that I haven't honestly had time to really process it. From the culture to simply the language, I find myself returning to the childlike wonder of simply being in another country. The lord has shown me things that I didn't expect. I've seen great poverty. But what I have also seen seems to supercede that. God has shown me His love for his children, and how he has great plans for people you may never meet, or who's names you'll never learn. People who, by all my previous standards, would be insignificant, but are loved just as much by my Father. I've gotten to simply laugh with children who need nothing more than to hear me attempt to speak their language for us to bond and giggle together. It's beautiful the love I've experienced here whether it be from the children who by day one have memorized my name (which it turns out in Russian means "A Tire" ...for a car ...sigh) or from my teammates. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful group of people to be surrounded with ..(is "with" a prepositional phrase?). But I've seen more than I can realistically recall here, or would try to. I'll write again if I can. I'll just have to tell you all when I get the chance. I love being a part of this, and am honored God has asked me to be here. I hope you all are well, and I'll see you soon.
-love
Scott
(ps. Under NO circumstance would I ever make a "mullet" joke simply because ...well I'm not sure why, but they are still "in" here ...IN A BIG WAY!)
-love
Scott
(ps. Under NO circumstance would I ever make a "mullet" joke simply because ...well I'm not sure why, but they are still "in" here ...IN A BIG WAY!)
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
We got here and had our first day of camp
Well, we got here without too much trouble! We flew to Cincinnati then to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Chisinau, Moldova. We spent the night in a very nice hotel with air conditioning, which was pleasant surprise! We got to spend a great time with the Falesti team at the hotel. Then after the Falesti team went to Falesti, we went to Interntat 2 to visit that team for a bit before heading out to Cahul. We had a blast on the 2 hour drive there. Again, the hotel Azalia in Cahul is not too bad and we have A/C...YAY! we met our translators and they are awesome, fun people that love God and children so they have been such a blessing to us! Then we went to visit where we will have camp. Everything was great and we met with our teams to teach the lessons and such. Also, we prepared for all that we could! oh yeah...we were told that 50 kids came that morning for camp b/c they heard we were going to be there today! we were sooooooo excited! God truly has come before us and prepared the way! We went out into the neighborhoods with our translators to give children our flyers about the camp. It was so fun to find the children and give them the notice about our being there.Finally,we went back to the hotel and said goodbye to our translators, and ate and met together to have a devotional and pray about the next day!
Well, we get to the camp this morning and we see some 60 kids waiting for us! we were soooo pumped! Not only 6, 7,8 year olds, but 15, 16, 17 year olds...it was so great to see the wide variety of ages who have come to have a blast and give us the opportunity to share Christ with them! God is so faithful!
Everything went so well and we ended up having some 85 kids! God truly made the bread for our lunch sandwiches multiply b/c we were not prepared for that many kids! It was awesome! We changed some stuff to adapt for the children and for some things that fell through, but it all went great and everyone had sooo much fun! our translators were AMAZING even when we had a good many Russian-speaking children and they only knew some Russian....they were flexible and made it all work! God truly helped us all to use our gifts to keep the kids with us throughout the day. It was so great! We all had a blast!
Now this is what we need from ya'll:
pray for the children: that they would be open to the Gospel
Pray for us:
flexibility that we adapt our schedule and prepare for an increasing amount of children each day!
multiplication of supplies; God's going to have to show up here, and we truly expect him to do so!
Thanks for all your prayers as we are on this trip! We love ya'll so much!
Well, we get to the camp this morning and we see some 60 kids waiting for us! we were soooo pumped! Not only 6, 7,8 year olds, but 15, 16, 17 year olds...it was so great to see the wide variety of ages who have come to have a blast and give us the opportunity to share Christ with them! God is so faithful!
Everything went so well and we ended up having some 85 kids! God truly made the bread for our lunch sandwiches multiply b/c we were not prepared for that many kids! It was awesome! We changed some stuff to adapt for the children and for some things that fell through, but it all went great and everyone had sooo much fun! our translators were AMAZING even when we had a good many Russian-speaking children and they only knew some Russian....they were flexible and made it all work! God truly helped us all to use our gifts to keep the kids with us throughout the day. It was so great! We all had a blast!
Now this is what we need from ya'll:
pray for the children: that they would be open to the Gospel
Pray for us:
flexibility that we adapt our schedule and prepare for an increasing amount of children each day!
multiplication of supplies; God's going to have to show up here, and we truly expect him to do so!
Thanks for all your prayers as we are on this trip! We love ya'll so much!
Monday, July 2, 2007
We're Here!
Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers! We all arrived safe and sound at about 7:00 p.m., and we received all our bags but two supply bags. This is truly a miracle for Moldova! Also, when we arrived, we picked up the seven missing bags for our Intranat Team. Those team members were very happy to finally have some clean underwear! We just finished a great meal at the hotel, and everyone is healty but extemely tired. Pray for a good night sleep tonight, so we can adjust quickly to the time change. We will meet for breakfast in the morning and then for a time of prayer. The vans arrive around 9:00 a.m. to take our Falesti Team north to their camp, and to take us south to Cahul. We have about a three hour van ride to Cahul and then we are meeting our translators at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. After that, we will meet with the churches we are working with, tour the orphanage and canvass the neighborhood to get ready for Camp the next day! Thanks for your prayers and your encouragement! We will update again soon! We love you all!
In Christ,
jeff
In Christ,
jeff
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