someone hurting

I had the opportunity to meet with a girl in a pyschiatric hospital a few times in the last few weeks. This young woman, Ludmila, had been a victim of trafficking. Now her mind doesn't think clearly, she is sad and without hope. She is exactly why we have the burden to build this home to help women just like her.

Today I just ask you to pray for Ludmila. She is going home to her mother's house, but she is not well. I have gone with a few Moldovan friends and we have ministered to her about the love and hope of Jesus. She really doesn't understand this. We have found a place for her in a Christian rehabilitation center near her mother's home, but she is not yet willing to go there. Please pray that her heart is opened to going and that her mother will see that she needs more help and really only the healing that Jesus can give.

Thanks for your prayers today.

To Kiss the Word

Last summer I asked God to give me more opportunities with non-Christians in Moldova. It is so easy when we work in a Christian world to be isolated from non-Christians. The day I prayed this prayer we took a walk into center with the girls and stopped for ice cream at a favorite restaurant. As we went to leave, a young waitress we know, Nastia, asked if I'd start meeting with her to speak English so she could improve her English. I saw an immediate answer to the prayer I prayed that morning.

So we have been meeting since that time and a friendship has grown. Nastia began to ask questions about who we are and what we do here. We have talked with her about the Lord and she wanted to come see our church. Today she came to church and loved it. After church she came to our house for lunch. She said the service made her feel so good. Before she left our house we gave her some discipleship books and I asked her if she had a Bible. She didn't and I gave her my Romanian Bible. She took it with a smile and kissed it.

To her this used Bible is a most precious gift. I'm not sure I've ever kissed my Bible.

Would you please pray with me for Nastia? Pray that she comes to a true understanding of the need of Christ in her life. Pray that as she reads the Word, it would be alive and real to her and it would speak to her life.

Thanks. Now I need to go kiss my most precious Book.

I really did come back

By now some may be wondering if I really came back from India or went at all. I did! But a week away gives me two weeks to play catch up. I'm getting there.

The trip was incredible. I really know that the prayers of others held me up that week away. We were constantly busy, constantly going and constantly having our emotions pulled.

I traveled with a group of six people from America. We were also joined by different M's while there and also national workers.

Last night I invited the women from the Moldovan church we call home to come to my home and hear about my trip. They had all been praying for me. I served them Indian tea (Darjeeling), wore my Indian clothes, showed them the pictures and spoke for over and hour and then we discussed for another hour. This is to say that there is no way to really put down about this trip on a blog SPOT.

So what I will share with you is something I wrote in my journal as we flew one evening to Calcutta.

How do I discribe the poverty, filth and squalor of a slum in Mumbai?
How do I even understand this?
How do I discribe a child's kiss on my cheek, her longing for my arms and a few minutes of love, touch and peace?
How do I discribe the joy & beauty of a home where children live in cleanliness and health, away from the flith of the streets, the life in a brothel?
How do I discribe the prayers of girls who surround me (girls who were trafficked themselves and are finding healing), crying out to God on behalf of me; but not just on my behalf--really not me at all. They are praying for every girl who is trafficked from Moldova, every girl who will come through our home-praying for rescue and praying for restoration and hope.
I'm not sure that I can....

I left India with an incredible sense and knowledge that we serve a God who is able to bring live and HOPE to the broken. I saw what he is doing in India and know he will do the same in Moldova.

Last night at the close of our meeting, our pastor's wife said to the women that if girls in India are praying for our Moldovan girls, then we should be praying daily too.

God is doing a great work. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for this growing ministry.

A Passage to India

I leave in the morning for India. Please be in prayer for me as I go. Right now we have a lot of fog and the airport was closed this morning. Please pray that the weather is good and my flights all go smoothly tomorrow. Pray also for my time in India. There is so much that I need to learn in this trip.

Blessings!

Pastor's Conference

My trip to Bucharest went great and I obtained the visa to India, so I'm set to go next week. Thanks for your prayers.

This week Andy is in another part of Moldova for the annual Pastor's Conference. He'll be speaking on Wednesday afternoon. Please pray for him as he speaks. Pray also for all the pastors so they would be encouraged and pray for the different speakers that they'd be used of God to touch them.

We also have a team here from West Monroe, Louisiana. The pastor is also sharing in the conference and the team is ministering in different areas of ministry (children, rehab, churches) during the days. Please keep this team in your prayers also.

And pray for the girls and I as we are home without Andy. We need a touch of healing. Colds have invaded our heads. Pray also for safety for us in these days.

Have a blessed day.

visa granted

This is just a quick post to say that my visa for India has been granted. PTL. I will travel by overnight train on Tuesday (with a friend--safety in numbers) to Bucharest, Romania to pick it up from the Indian embassy on Wednesday and come back on the Wednesday overnight train. Please pray for safety in travel and no kinks in the process when I get there. Thanks!

Rising costs

Today I come to you asking you to pray for the house we have looked at and want to buy for our Home of Hope. We are having a typical crazy Molodvan situation right now with it.

Two weeks ago we looked at the house and they asked one price. Then yesterday they told the Moldovan that is looking at it for us (we stay out of it) that it is worth more and now they are advertising it for 15,000 Euro more. The add for it with the raised price goes in the paper tomorrow.

It could make us laugh that only in Moldova will they see a bit of interest and then be convinced the price is too low and ask more!

Would you specifically pray with us that they get ABSOLUTELY NO interest on this house in the next week or two. Pray that no one calls and that no one wants to see the house. This is a wonderful house and a wonderful location and we believe it is what God has for us, but we don't want to pay 15,000 Euro (about $20,000) more than they first asked since it will already take enough to finish the house.

Another side of the Olympics

Tonight I met with a few ladies that I pray with each month concerning the trafficking of women and the start of our own ministry here to women. One of the ladies made a comment that right now, along with all the Olympic venues being built, brothels are going up as fast as they can build them. Since the brothels are going up, they are also busy recruiting right now. This means that the traffickers are working hard to get many other women to "come for work" abroad.

One of the ladies, Mariana, also has been meeting with a young women in a Pysch ward of a hospital who lived 2 years in Turkey after being trafficked. She is broken and hurting. Please pray that we can give the love of Christ to Ludmila.

And as I hear of this young woman, I see the desperate need to get our home going. At this point, we do not have a place to offer her. She needs a place where God can fill her with His love and peace. We are making an offer on a home that is under construction and we are so excited about that.

Pray:
1. That the traffickers who are working so hard to line their pockets by selling yet another girl, would be stopped. That the girls thinking today of answering an add or going to where they think life will be better will find the truth about what lies ahead. That these girls simply wouldn't go in the numbers that the traffickers are working to get.

2. That Ludmilla would find the healing that only Jesus can give.

3. That God would give us favor and speed in buying this property and that he'd make all things come together on it. That we'd get all the needed funds to do so.

Thanks for praying today.

Needing a church building`

Andy met this morning with the pastor from the church we attend here in Chisinau, "New Life" church. Over the course of about 6 years the church has met in 3 or 4 different locations, renting a place until they are told they have to leave. So again they are being told that they need to leave the building they rent.

Please pray with us today for "Viata Noua", New Life Church in Chisinau to locate a new building to ren. We really need to build, but the property values continue to skyrocket and it is getting harder to find this. We need a building to rent for this time, but we also need to find a permanent location. Pray also that God would bring a miracle and provide a much needed building for permanent location.

This whole move also affects the children that daily come to the program to feed and teach children. Pray that the children who come daily to "bread of life" aren't lost in the move!

Thanks today for praying.

Freezing in Moldova

It's been so cold here, we don't even want to go outside! The temperature is below zero (Fahrenheit) every night and climbs a few degrees above that in the daytime. My mother gave me her 20 plus year old fur coat and I'm getting a lot of use out of it now when I do have to venture outside! Schools are cancelled because it is too cold for the kids to walk to school and too costly to try to heat the buildings, which don't stay warm anyway. So we stay inside, dress warm and enjoy looking outside.

Prayer needs for us this week:

1. I've been asked to speak at a women's service in a small town the far Western Border of Moldova on Thursday, January 26. Please keep me in prayer that I can speak what God wants. The topic I've been asked to address is abortion.

2. The reality that we must leave here in about 4 months for a year in the states has hit with full force. I can't believe our first term has flown by so quickly. Pray we finish well. We still have many things to wrap up here.

3. We have possible property to buy for our Home of Hope for women. Pray that if this is the one God wants, all things would come together for it.

4. Pray for the young pastors and their wives that we meet with monthly to teach and encourage. Many pastor several churches, having feeding programs for children or elderly in their churches and are working to bring the gospel to their communities any way they can.

5. Pray as Andy works to schedule services for our year home. He's calling pastors and it has been good, but he still has some to do. This is always the joy of upcoming itineration.

6. Pray for home schooling the girls. We have 1/2 the year to go. They are doing well. Natalie is catching on to reading. Elissa can't get enough to read. But we always have days that are challenging. Pray that I have patience as I teach them!

7. Pray also for a young woman who is seeking God about coming here to home school the girls when we return in 2007. Her name is Shauna. Pray that she'd know what God wants for her the year after she finishes college.

8. And lastly, please continue to pray that we can find housing easily when we return to the states this summer.

Thanks for your prayers.

Jan. 18, Bringing hope to the Broken

When I first came to Moldova, I saw my position of just one as wife, mother, home-school teacher. Over the past 2 1/2 years God has opened my eyes to a huge need here and has called me to respond.

The trafficking of women for forced prostitution has become the #2 money making industry in the world, just behind drug trafficking. It will probalby overtake the other soon, because a human can be sold again and again and used and abused over and over. Drugs can only be sold once.

After arriving in Moldova I begin to hear about the problem of trafficked women from Moldova to other parts of the world. It is estimated that 2 to 5 women leave Moldova a day, thinking they are going for a legitimate job in the west, only to be sold into sex slavery. A lady from a secular organization asked me, "what is the church going to do about this?" This bothered me, but I didn't want to get involved. Somebody else could respond.

I couldn't get away from that question or the overwhelming thought of the pain these women must feel. I knew the only hope they could find is in Jesus. I tried to make excuses to God that I wasn't the person to respond, but He didn't take any of my excuses. He kept bringing the need to me again and again.

I knew that God was calling me to open a home for women who have been forced into prostitution and returned to Moldova--a home where they can find hope, healing and restauration for their mind, body and soul. A home where they can see the hope in Christ and find freedom from misplaced guilt.

Those of you who know me personally don't need to worry that I'm going to begin to combat traffickers or break into brothels. Every year many of these women return having no where to live long term and no way to return to their village or home they left. They are branded with the Scarlet "A" in their small villages.

Our home will be a part of a larger AGWM ministry, Project Rescue, which has operated for 8 years and has 12 homes going in Southeast Asia. At the end of February, I will travel with a small group from the states and visit some of the existing homes, meet the staff and talk with them, learn from them and see what will apply in this culture.

Currently in Moldova we are looking for a home to buy and restore. This will be the first Project REscue home outside Southeast Asia. At the beginning of our next term we will finish the home and begin ministry in the home. We have another woman coming to work with us in this ministry. She will come soon and begin language study.

1. Please pray for this ministry in Molodva. I feel with this blog I really can't express the true pain and need. But it is huge in Moldova. God has gone before us in this entire endevour. As I have said, "yes" to him, each step of the way, I'm amazed at what He then leads us to and opens for us.

2. Pray that God would lead us to the right house at the right price to use for this ministry.

3. Pray that we find the right Moldovan staff to work with us with this ministry.

4. Pray as I travel to India. First, I need my visa to come through. It is not an easy process with India and I will need to travel to Bucharest, Romania to pick it up. But I need it to come through before I must leave on February 23. Pray also that I would be spiritually prepared for this time. I really don't worry about my safety, but I do think about the emotional toll this trip will have on me as I meet girls and women so abused. And pray for Andy and the girls who will remain here.

5. Pray that God will enable us to bring hope to the broken lives of women from Moldova.

January 12

We are home in Moldova. It is good to be home. The conference for students was incredible. The time with family great, but it is good to be back to where God has called us--cold, snow, crazy drivers and all.

The first week in the states was filled with visiting family, Christmas shopping, and doctors appointments. I experienced what is called "reverse culture shock". There is just so much available, so many choices and I didn't know if I wanted to be there. My last week in the states was wild with packing, visiting family and preparing to leave again. The conveniences of America appeared everywhere and I didn't know if I wanted to return to Moldova. My emotions swam with conflict.

As I've unpacked and tried to get over jetlag (I haven't slept the last 2 nights) I have been so glad to be home, and I realize that my conflicting emotions are very normal.

So today I just ask you to take time and pray for by name the missionary women that you know. Ask God to be with each of them.

We leave America and its conveniences not feeling that we are sacrificing, but glad to go where God has called us. But it doesn't make it easy to get to that foreign land and deal daily with the differences, inconveniences and problems here.

Pray for the missionary wife who has recently returned home and is missing her friends and church in the country she left. Pray for the missionary wife who will return to her country of calling soon and is dealing with the emotions of living again outside her passport country.

We are women who deeply love and appreciate two cultures and are forever torn between the two. A friend recently said to me, "When I'm in my country of calling, I so miss some wonderful American foods. And when I'm in America, I miss terribly the incredible tropical fruit we can get on the field. I want to always love and miss both places."

Thanks for your prayers today.

December 28

A month flies by quickly!

We've been in the states for 2 1/2 weeks now. We had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with family. The girls had a great time reconnecting with cousins. We connected with Terri, who is raising her budget to come to Moldova now and she should be with us in the Spring and with another couple who are applying to come to Moldova. We know God has good things in store for Moldova.

We are still in the states, but now we are back to work. We flew today to Louisville, KY for the World Missions Summit. We are working to switch our brains from Christmas preparations, celebrations and times with family to this great summit. In the next few days over 3,000 college students will be arriving in Louisville to be challenged with missions.

During the next few days, please pray for God's safety for all as they travel here by car, bus and plane.

Pray that we have devine appointments with students who would consider coming to Moldova to work with us.

Pray for the hearts of students to be open to hear what God has to say to them about how they can be involved in missions.

Pray for our 3 girls, who have stayed in Wisconsin with Andy's sister, Rachel, and her family. We miss them and they miss us.

Pray also for our beloved brothers and sisters in Moldova who will celebrate Christmas this next week. This is a great time for outreach there, and we pray that God touches hearts as people seek to see the reality of Christ in Christmas in Moldova.

Thanks for your prayers for us.

After the Summit we return to Minneapolis to gather the children, pack and head back to Moldova. But we are excited for the good things we know God will do here in the next few days.

Have a wonderful day!

November 26

Happy Thanksgiving, a few days late! We had a nice time celebrating with 15 other Americans. We are so Thankful for our family and friends. Each year we look and know that God has been so good to us.

Lauren is so much better and our time with the young pastors last Monday was the best yet. They are getting comfortable together and with us.

This week I ask you to pray:
1. For safety in travel. Andy and I need to travel to Country Coordinator meetings in Estonia. The girls will stay here with a trusted young Moldovan woman. Pray for our safety as we travel to Estonia--we have to drive to Kiev, Ukraine to fly from there. Pray for safety for the girls as they are home with Daniela.

2. For the World Missions Summit--Please continue to keep this in prayer (see former blog).

3. For fruitful meetings while we are in Estonia.

God's blessings to you this week.

November 19

Thanks for your continued prayers for us. Elissa and I had a great trip to Kiev. Our friends took us to an indoor skating rink and Elissa skated for the 2nd time ever in her life. That night she thanked God as she prayed that she didn't break any bones! She landed on the ice quite a few times, but kept getting back up.

She did great with her testing and I attended a seminar for teaching writing to our children. Both were great.

Andy's class finished on Thursday. Thanks for your prayers in that. The three weeks of teaching every evening were long for all of us, but he made it through and the students have a better understanding of the book of John.

Prayer requests today:
1. Lauren has a cold. I never used to worry about colds in the states, but here with little medical help and cold buildings, it seems it is so easy for the cold to go to more severe infections. Pray for her healing.

2. On Monday (November 21) we meet with a group of young pastors and their wives. Pray that our time with them is productive. Our young pastors need someone to come beside them, encourage them and teach them. The wives love that they are included, which is a rarity here. We want to build them as a team.

3. The World Missions Summit--You can check out the link on the right. We will be attending this sumit for students in Louisville, Kentucky over the New Year and are very excited about it. It is an opportunity to share missions with college students, build relationships, see young people called and present opportunity for them to respond. Pray that we have great God moments with the young people we eat with around tables, talk to over coffee and sit near in services.

4. Please continue to pray for our housing situation when we go back to the states, our health and home schooling. (See last post for more on this.)

Thanks for your continued prayers.

November 10, 2005

We have now been in Moldova exactly 2 1/2 years. What a journey it has been! I recently heard that the first 2 years of missionary life is the "ugly duckling" stage. Does that mean we are beautiful swans now? I don't feel I'm quite there.

As I reflect on the past 2 1/2 years, I realize that God has been our provider through all the ups and downs of adjusting to life in Moldova. I also realize more than ever how the prayers and giving of the faithful are so crucial to what we do. Each month when I see the list of those who gave (and give faithfully each month), I'm so blessed.

But I'm also blessed when people write simply to say, "I'm praying for you." Or ask, "What can I pray about for you?" Just as the gifts of support are so necessary to keep us here, your prayers are necessary to keep us, help us, sustain us and protect us.

That is what this blog is about. For a long time I've felt the need to put something out that lists our specific prayer needs. I'll also give answers as they come.

So I just ask--Please pray:

• Pray for our health--It seems we battle sickness in our family every winter in Moldova and that battle has already begun. Pray that we have a winter with little sickness and great health.
• Pray for Andy--He is teaching a class on the book of John at the seminary right now. The class meets every evening for 3 weeks. It is a tiring schedule for him.
• Pray for our schooling--I home school the girls. I love the opportunity to be with my girls in an intense manner, but it isn't always easy to be mom and school teacher. They are doing well, but pray that God gives me creative ideas and energy to keep up with them!
• Pray for safety in travel--On Sunday, November 13, Elissa and I will travel to Kiev where she will take the Iowa Basics Test. We covet God's protection as we go.
• Pray for housing while we are in the states--We will be back in the states in 7 months for our year of itineration. We would like to find housing somewhere near our family, which is in Maple Grove, MN. Nancy's parents are getting older and we are feeling like this is the year to take near them. Maple Grove has become a very expensive and we need to find something in the area for a reasonable amount. I know if we begin praying now, God can work this out.

Thanks for your prayers. I will try to update each week.

Blessings to you.
Nancy