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
Friday, June 29, 2007
Flight information
Trip There: Flight Information Team A (Cahul team minus Kathy and Jeff)
July 1st Delta #6334 Nashville—Cincinnati 12:10pm—2:25pm
July 1st Delta #48 Cincinnati—Frankfurt 7:40pm—10:15am next day
July 2nd Air Moldova #864 Frankfurt—Chisinau 3:00pm—6:20pm
Trip There: Flight Information Team B (Kathy & Jeff)
July 1st Delta #1571 Nashville—Atlanta 8:39am—9:26am
July 1st Delta #20 Atlanta—Frankfurt 6:00pm—9:20am next day
July 2nd same as Team A
Trip Home: Flight Information Team A & B
July 11th Air Moldova #863 Chisinau—Frankfurt 4:05am—5:40am
July 11th Delta #27 Frankfurt—Atlanta 9:45am—1:50pm
July 11th Delta #1446 Atlanta—Nashville 7:50pm—7:55pm
July 1st Delta #6334 Nashville—Cincinnati 12:10pm—2:25pm
July 1st Delta #48 Cincinnati—Frankfurt 7:40pm—10:15am next day
July 2nd Air Moldova #864 Frankfurt—Chisinau 3:00pm—6:20pm
Trip There: Flight Information Team B (Kathy & Jeff)
July 1st Delta #1571 Nashville—Atlanta 8:39am—9:26am
July 1st Delta #20 Atlanta—Frankfurt 6:00pm—9:20am next day
July 2nd same as Team A
Trip Home: Flight Information Team A & B
July 11th Air Moldova #863 Chisinau—Frankfurt 4:05am—5:40am
July 11th Delta #27 Frankfurt—Atlanta 9:45am—1:50pm
July 11th Delta #1446 Atlanta—Nashville 7:50pm—7:55pm
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
T - 5 days
I cant speak for everyone but I'm not sure what to do next...pack, make another run to target, breath into a sack, study the bible stories, pray, work or sleep. This will be my fifth trip to Moldova but every-time I still feel nervous in the last days leading up. We have spent months talking and planning for this trip and now it is five days away. Will you pray with us as we wrap things up at work, make final preparation for the trip, and just general live life pre-Moldova. Thanks!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
In The Details
Have you ever wondered if God is concerned with the details of our lives? i have. I'm sure we all have. Sometimes, it just seems like the details of life don't matter - and often they don't. But, i firmly believe that God cares about the details of our upcoming trip to Moldova. i believe that not only because it is 10 days that we have set aside for ministry and service, but also because I have already seen God answer prayers about the details of our trip. For instance, just last week, we found out our lodging in Cahul wasn't secure - that we didn't have a sure place to stay for the 8 days we will be there. So as leadership, we started to pray - and God answered. Not only do we have hotel rooms booked and secure in Cahul, but one of the issues that existed before (a festival in town that had booked up the hotel) is now no longer a problem. We have been praying also in the last two weeks about God providing for the supplies we need for camp - and He has. Pam's basement (where all our supplies are laid out) is a testimony to His provision. Another answered prayer is that Scott's passport has arrived - we were worried and wondering if we were going to have to send him to Chicago, Illinois to expedite his passport, but it came! God is good . . . . and so we continue to pray about these details. Will you join with me in praying for the following details for our team?
Packing - please pray that we are able to pack efficiently - using as few bags as possible to get everything we need to Moldova
Prayer - please pray that our team is called to pray, and that our time with God is rich and meaningful as we prepare for our trip
Health - please pray that we remain healthy in the 10 days or so before we leave and that He protects our bodies
Safety - please pray for our pilots, our planes, our stewardesses and stewards and fellow passengers that we would remain safe
Courage - please pray for those of us who haven't traveled much or been on a mission trip before - pray for courage and strength despite fear or anxiety
Opportunity - please pray that we would be so aware of opportunities around us to talk about the Lord, about His grace and mercy, and to share the Truth of His salvation with anyone we come in contact with as we travel and interact
Rest - please pray that we are able to sleep in these days before the trip, that we would be rested and energized
Translators - please pray for these new friends, for strong personal connection with them, for a sense of team and unity with them, for deep and meaningful interaction with them that influences us, them, and the children
Camp - please pray for the details of camp, pray that we are attentive to the plans God would have us carry out, that we are flexible, that we have what we need, that we can share Him effectively and meaningfully, and that the kids have fun
Children - please pray for the children, pray for their hearts, pray for openness to the gospel and to growth, pray for boldly for their salvation, pray that God would raise up Godly leaders for them
Teachers - please pray that we know how to effectively communicate with the teachers, that we know how to encourage them and walk alongside them for this week of camp, and that we are able to share Christ with them, please pray also for their salvation
Immanuel Church - please pray for this church, that the Lord would build a partnership between Rolling Hills and this church, that we would encourage each other in godliness, that we would know how to serve them while we are there.
God IS in the details. It says in Matthew 6 that we are not to worry about the details of life. In verse 31, Jesus said, "So do not worry saying 'what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them." He KNOWS what we need and He wants us to "cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us." 1 Peter 5:7. I'm praying that we all will believe more and more that God our Father is in the details and that He will use the answered prayers about this trip to remind us of that. Thank you for praying with us and for us.
Packing - please pray that we are able to pack efficiently - using as few bags as possible to get everything we need to Moldova
Prayer - please pray that our team is called to pray, and that our time with God is rich and meaningful as we prepare for our trip
Health - please pray that we remain healthy in the 10 days or so before we leave and that He protects our bodies
Safety - please pray for our pilots, our planes, our stewardesses and stewards and fellow passengers that we would remain safe
Courage - please pray for those of us who haven't traveled much or been on a mission trip before - pray for courage and strength despite fear or anxiety
Opportunity - please pray that we would be so aware of opportunities around us to talk about the Lord, about His grace and mercy, and to share the Truth of His salvation with anyone we come in contact with as we travel and interact
Rest - please pray that we are able to sleep in these days before the trip, that we would be rested and energized
Translators - please pray for these new friends, for strong personal connection with them, for a sense of team and unity with them, for deep and meaningful interaction with them that influences us, them, and the children
Camp - please pray for the details of camp, pray that we are attentive to the plans God would have us carry out, that we are flexible, that we have what we need, that we can share Him effectively and meaningfully, and that the kids have fun
Children - please pray for the children, pray for their hearts, pray for openness to the gospel and to growth, pray for boldly for their salvation, pray that God would raise up Godly leaders for them
Teachers - please pray that we know how to effectively communicate with the teachers, that we know how to encourage them and walk alongside them for this week of camp, and that we are able to share Christ with them, please pray also for their salvation
Immanuel Church - please pray for this church, that the Lord would build a partnership between Rolling Hills and this church, that we would encourage each other in godliness, that we would know how to serve them while we are there.
God IS in the details. It says in Matthew 6 that we are not to worry about the details of life. In verse 31, Jesus said, "So do not worry saying 'what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them." He KNOWS what we need and He wants us to "cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us." 1 Peter 5:7. I'm praying that we all will believe more and more that God our Father is in the details and that He will use the answered prayers about this trip to remind us of that. Thank you for praying with us and for us.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Doing Good in Cahul
I wanted you all to see this great article about the orphanage in Cahul where we are going to be working. The orphanage director there, along with UNICEF, has initiated a program that helps the kids there to develop lifeskills, etc. Read this article - it is so cool!!! http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/reallives_4459.html. Please be praying that the kids learn and grow and that we can further their education about the Lord and about the world this summer!!
Sunday, June 3, 2007
2 More Meetings
So, only two more meetings and less than 30 days (just 27 days actually) until we head to Moldova! It is so hard to believe that it is almost here and that in just a matter of time, we will get to meet and love on precious children and find out what God has in for each of us. I'm super excited. I hope that all of you are too - those that are going on the trip and those that are staying here and praying and loving those of us that will fly over there. You all that are staying here are an integral part of our trip . . . it is your prayers and your support that will sustain us and guide us. And, God has always done mighty things in the life of our pray-ers too - so be ready everyone!
We do have two more meetings - Sunday afternoon June 10 and the last one is kind of TBA - we'll see when we need to have it based on what we accomplish at the June 10 meeting. Will you pray for us that we are focused and efficient in our meeting times, but also that we take time to connect and get to know each other and pray together for each other and for the trip? Also, will you pray for those on our team who are still attempting to raise money to cover the costs of the trip? It is $2100 which is alot to come up with. Pray that God provides for those in need in a mighty way.
thank you for traveling on this journey with us . . . there is more to come!
We do have two more meetings - Sunday afternoon June 10 and the last one is kind of TBA - we'll see when we need to have it based on what we accomplish at the June 10 meeting. Will you pray for us that we are focused and efficient in our meeting times, but also that we take time to connect and get to know each other and pray together for each other and for the trip? Also, will you pray for those on our team who are still attempting to raise money to cover the costs of the trip? It is $2100 which is alot to come up with. Pray that God provides for those in need in a mighty way.
thank you for traveling on this journey with us . . . there is more to come!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
I have an idea...
Okay... So we have all these activities and things planned for the kiddos this summer and I'm thinking it could be really fun and helpful if we practice a little. Our church works with an English as a Second Language program that meets at the Thriftsmart off Nolensville Pike and we watch the kids while their parents learn English. So why not practice some of the art projects and play some games with kids from four or five different countries to see what it is like. If you are interested, email me and let me know: heather.manning@comcast.net. I promise it will be good for you and you will walk away with some funny stories.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Baby Stas
So, I realized that we didn't have any pictures of any of the sweet children I was talking about in my last post. So, here is one of my very favorite little ones in Moldova - his name is Stas and he is 4 years old now. I met him when he was 2 at the Falesti camp, and he is about the cutest thing ever. We started calling him "Baby Stas" . . . and the name has stuck. As you can probably tell, he knows how to work it!Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A New Beginning
So, I'm sure you're asking - Why Moldova? . . . where it is? what's there? and what's in Cahul? Well, Moldova is both the smallest and poorest country in the former U.S.S.R. It is located right between Romania and the Ukraine. And why? Our church felt led to Moldova in 2002 to work with an orphanage called Internat 2 in that capital city of Chisinau. As a church, we couldn't turn away once we heard the statistics and realized what these children in Moldova were facing. Statistics tells us that over 70% of the children in orphanages in Moldova will end up in the danger sex trafficking trade or in prison, and 10% will commit suicide -- all within a year of leaving the orphanage at age 18. So, these children face a world that seemingly has turned against them with no family, no resources and no hope for the future. In the face of these odds, we have a hope and a future to offer them in Christ and the love of a Father who will never abandon them. So Rolling Hills took a team of 18 in 2002 to do summer camp at the Internat 2 orphanage and have been back every summer since -- expanding our camps to two weeks long and to other orphanages including Falesti, and now this year, Cahul.
Cahul is the third largest city in Moldova, which is actually a pretty small city - of about 150,000. We are partnering with an orphanage right in the heart of the city where about 120 children go to school during the school year. In the summer, most of those children have family members or friends of some sort to go stay with, but about 30 are true orphans and have no one to keep them and end up staying with their teachers. So, we are doing a day camp for these 30 children, and any others in the city that want to come and learn Bible stories, do art, play games, learn skills like sewing and cooking, and just have a really good time. Hopefully during the time that we are with them, they will come to know something more of God, who He is, and how He loves them.
Fourteen of us set out on this adventure to Cahul on July 1 - returning to the States on July 11. We'll have day camp with the kids July 4-9. Please begin praying for us and for the children that we are going to encounter and certainly come to love.
We are: Gretchen, Heather, Jeff, Pam, Kathy, Stefanie, Scott, Eric, Erin, Jana, Sam, Lindsay, Che, and Ashleigh.
Cahul is the third largest city in Moldova, which is actually a pretty small city - of about 150,000. We are partnering with an orphanage right in the heart of the city where about 120 children go to school during the school year. In the summer, most of those children have family members or friends of some sort to go stay with, but about 30 are true orphans and have no one to keep them and end up staying with their teachers. So, we are doing a day camp for these 30 children, and any others in the city that want to come and learn Bible stories, do art, play games, learn skills like sewing and cooking, and just have a really good time. Hopefully during the time that we are with them, they will come to know something more of God, who He is, and how He loves them.
Fourteen of us set out on this adventure to Cahul on July 1 - returning to the States on July 11. We'll have day camp with the kids July 4-9. Please begin praying for us and for the children that we are going to encounter and certainly come to love.
We are: Gretchen, Heather, Jeff, Pam, Kathy, Stefanie, Scott, Eric, Erin, Jana, Sam, Lindsay, Che, and Ashleigh.
Monday, May 7, 2007
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