Sunlight

Today the sun is shining brightly, but it is so cold outside and a blustery wind is blowing. Today in my heart the sun tries to break through the blustery cold....

It is a week since my mom's beautiful funeral, if a funeral can be beautiful. I'm told the pain of grief will last, but ebb and flow within my heart as the tide. Yesterday was not a good day, but a very empty & painful one.

But in the midst of the pain, I do want to say that I'm so thankful.

I'm thankful for a friend, Garry, who was called 2 days before my mom died to pray for our family. He did not know why, but he began to pray obediently and has been praying for us since.

I'm thankful for an incredible God who spoke to my dad the morning of my mom's death and said, "today I'm taking your lovely wife to come home with me." Dad didn't want to lose her, but if God said it, he was willing to let her go.

I'm thankful for the many people from the churches around here where my siblings attend that showed their love by bringing breakfast, lunch and dinner to us for over a week. We didn't have to think about what to cook, but just needed to look in the fridge and pull out what was necessary.

I'm thankful for friends who have written such kind words of encouragement to us and who have just been there to talk and to listen when needed.

I'm thankful that my family could be here with me. That the girls were here to mourn their grandma and especially that Andy could be here to walk through this with me.

I'm thankful for my sister and brother-in-law who have given us a place to stay while we are here.

I'm thankful for the great trip I had with my mom and sister last summer and for the times my mom was able to come to Moldova.

But most of all, I'm thankful for 41 years and 2 months to know my mom. I'm thankful for the godly woman she was. I'm thankful that she taught me to pray and love Scripture. I'm thankful for her love and I'm thankful that she wasn't perfect (except in giving birthday parties!) I'm thankful for phone conversations, even when I was so many miles away and I'm thankful for rapid air travel.

Please continue to pray for us. The rough road is not over. The girls are doing well, but I know they will have moments of ebb and flow too. I know that Lauren's memories of her grandma will become distant and that will bother her. These things are normal.

Pray for Andy as he returns to Moldova on Sunday and then tries to figure out our situation with the living permit issues. This is still in the air and as we try to find out what to do, it is different from each person we talk to about it.

Pray for my family as a whole as we continue to go through my mom's things and deal with what to keep and what to save.

Thanks.

At the feet of Jesus

My mom went to be with Jesus Sunday evening. My best friend from High School said she thinks about that person now sitting at the feet of Jesus. It has been a hard day and we are still grieving her loss. But it is good to be with my family.

Andy and the girls will follow in a day or so. Please pray for our family and pray for all of those coming for the funeral. Many will be flying in over the next days.

I'm really jet lagged right now so I can't type any more.

Nancy

Sadness

I just had a call from my brother a short time ago. My mom had a very serious stroke this morning. She is breathing but not responsive at all.

As you can see from the former post from this morning, I am leaving already in the morning. But my heart is heavy and we are all mourning. The girls feel the great loss of their grandma. I feel the loss of the loss of my mother. She is an amazing woman.

Pray for Andy and the girls as they stay here.

Pray for my mom. Only a miracle will raise her up.

Pray for me as I travel that all goes without delays and I can get there tomorrow evening.

This and That

My titles are very compelling, I know. I always struggled in titling my stories in school. Guess nothing has changed.

Tomorrow (Monday) I'm leaving on jet plane. I'll be back in just under 2 weeks. I'm going to Minnesota to see my parents. So very glad that I have this opportunity. I sit this morning with the same feelings I had before going to India. I hate leaving the girls and Andy. They will be fine without me, but I'm fine.

Every friend we have here has asked how they can help when I am gone. I have told them to check with Andy. Why is it that when the mom leaves everyone asks the mom, but when the dad leaves, no one asks? I have complete confidence in Andy, but I will miss them all.

My emotions are so mixed because I'm glad I can see my dad again, glad I have time to visit with my mom. We'll celebrate my parents 54th anniversary as an entire family and have a few other fun family functions. I'm so glad I get to go and then I also hate leaving. Mixed emotions.

Our living permits are still in limbo. Please continue to pray for this. Andy has his permit, but Shauna, our teacher and I don't have ours yet. Andy and our lawyer meeting with the boss of immigration on Tuesday morning. Please pray for that meeting. This has been such a crazy thing, but we are hanging on through it all.

Thanks for your prayers.

Tuesday Update

Just a short update to say that I am feeling better today and the girls are all staying healthy.

Pastor Jeff was delayed in his arrival, but will be in this afternoon and Andy will leave to the conference after picking Jeff up from the airport.

Thanks for all your prayers for our family and our needs here.

We are back

I get back from a trip and have too much to do, thinking all the time that I need to get back and say how things went. So, now a week later, I'm finally there, ready to write!

The trip to India was good. I learned a lot and came away with a lot of ideas for implementing in Moldova. The girls did fine and so did Andy & I. We all missed one another and they were happy to have us arrive home. They'd made paper ringed streamers which were hung through the hallway and welcome home cards awaited also.

I know many of you have been reading and praying about our need for staff at the Home of Hope in Moldova. On Monday, when I returned, I had a call from a young lady who I'd been told about, but had not met. She is interested and God has moved her heart about the trafficking issue. We had a wonderful meeting together talking and sharing dreams and callings from God. I can see us moving together in this. She is incredibly sharp and willing to work wherever the need is, so I thank God for this connection.

This past Wednesday Shauna, our teacher, and I were called into immigration. Basically, they were going to deny our permits, but our lawyer convinced them to wait until the boss gets back from vacation this week. The boss has said that he will grant them to us. (Andy has his permit, but we are still waiting for our permit). So I ask you to pray for this in the coming week.

Monday evening Pastor Jeff Anderson from Rapid City, SD arrives for the week for the Molodva's Pentecostal Union pastor's conference. Please pray that this is a great week for Andy, Jeff and others to encourage the pastors and also to help them to grow in their vision and leadership. Pray also that Pastor Jeff and his staff member traveling with him have a safe and uneventful time in travel to Moldova.

And lastly if you will pray for our health. I feel like we've had a very healthy winter, but last week Andy had a bug and the same bug bit me today so right now I'm in bed feeling very tired, but unable to sleep. Pray that God keeps the girls healthy this week. I keep thinking that 2 years ago I ended up with a mattress on my floor for all 3 girls the week of the pastor's conference as they were all sick at the same time.

God is good through all that we do and he is keeping us in his hand. We thank him for his mercies that are new with each day. Blessings to you today.

To Travel

On Saturday Andy and I leave for a week in India. We will have 4 days of training on a new curriculum for aftercare for women trafficked in prostitution. After this we will have 2 days of Project Rescue Leadership meetings.

The kids will be well taken care. They don't get upset about us going and are looking forward to time with their favorite baby sitter, Daniela, and time with "Uncle Troy & Aunt Heidi", fellow missionaries on the field (and their 15 year old daughter). I am the one who always struggles with the leaving. I am the one who dreads saying good-bye.

When we entered into missions and attended our first School of Missions we gave our children into the hands of college age MK's and were told "now is the time to learn to trust. Over and over you need to put them into the hands of God and trust him for their care." I think of this every time I leave the kids. I am again learning to trust God for their care for the next week.

Please keep us in your prayers over the next week. Pray for the girls at home. Their safety and their peace. Pray for us as we travel. Our safety and our peace.

And pray that this week would be a great week of God speaking to our hearts about the future of this ministry to women in Moldova and that he would guide us and help us as we go.

Blessings to you today.

Prayer for the New Year

We are now 4 days into the New Year. Here that means it is very cold and icy, but we are glad to have a warm roof over our heads!

I have a few things to ask you to pray for as we start this year.

1. Our living permits are still in waiting. We were told to wait until January and that is here, but now the offices are closed to we are waiting. Pray that now they come through without problem.

2. House of Hope staffing. I need to find the right people work in this home, especially the director. Please pray for that.

3. Continue to pray for my parents. My dad has moved into the care home and it is hard on both of my parents to be apart even when it was so hard for my mom when they were together. Continue to pray that God's peace would reign over them in this time of transition and great change in their lives.

Have a wonderful New Year.

Family Time

We had a wonderful Christmas yesterday. This week we are just enjoying time as a family and at home. It is a nice time. As I look out our village, the trees are covered in hoarfrost and the thick fog covers all the houses. But it is beautiful to be inside and relaxing.

Please pray this week for my family. My dad will be moved to a Alzheimer's care unit on the 2nd of January. This is a hard for the whole family but especially my mom. So please be in prayer all of the family. My dad has been told, but he really doesn't remember or understand at this point.

Thanks for your prayers.

My Day

In Romanian a birthday is referred to as "Your Day". Today is My Day.

Someone asked if the girls were excited for Christmas. Not until tomorrow. They have to get past my birthday on the 16th each year and then they can be excited for Christmas.

With a December birthday people always wonder if the celebration gets lost in the Christmas celebration. Never. Not with Elissa, Natalie and Lauren. The youngest two woke me up bounding on my bed, sang "Happy Birthday" and snuggled nicely. Elissa presented me with a card first thing when she got up.

We had a nice day and their dad helped buy the nice gifts that they presented me this evening. It was a lot of un. So tomorrow, since it won't be my day any longer, we'll try to get Christmas shaping up around here.

New Beds

A week ago the container was released. I have been busy unpacking for the last week, putting things in place. The first night we had our bed set up and Elissa just slept on her bed on the floor. Natalie and Lauren got theirs the next day. We have been sleeping wonderfully ever since.

I could do a commercial for Simmons Beauty Rest. I haven't slept well for years and had constant sore backs, but no more. Before the new mattresses Andy said, "we never need to set an alarm any longer". True. We'd wake at 5 and get up at 6 with ease. Today we definitely know we have to start setting an alarm because we overslept again. Oops.

Thanks Frank and Robin for the blessing of the discount to make these affordable for us!

Our Christmas tree was also in the container so now that is up and we'll finish decorating it in the next few days.

So these little joys in life are wonderful. But please continue to keep our family in prayer. There are still many roadblocks ahead in our life here. We know we are called here and that God will make the way.

Besides the container and permits there are many other little things and the girls are happy to be back, but they also miss life and church in America in a way they have not before. So they are still working to adjust.

The other day a friend from Finland wrote these words, "It is a new day - though here in the north so dark with rarely any ray of light on the horizon for weeks now - and truly comforting to know that His grace is sufficient."

I feel like these words are true to our lives, although we do not have the physical darkness of December in the far north, we have had a darkness in the battles of the spirit. But it is comforting to know, as Marja wrote, that His grace is sufficient for each new day. There is a beauty and peace in knowing we serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who watches out for us and cares for all our needs.

Be blessed today.

Thanksgiving day

Our table will be spread with Ocean Spray Cranberries, which I found yesterday. We have fresh sweet potatoes, which someone graciously brought us from the states. There will be potatoes and dressing, gravy and beans and a skinny village turkey who gave his life for us yesterday. His lack of size will be supplemented with roast chicken. Even without the Butterball it is STILL very much Thanksgiving Day.

So many forget the thankfulness of the day and only focus on the turkey. And the tradition of America is a great meal set on the table this day in November.

But today amidst the craziness of our lives, I'm glad for a day to stop and give thanks. We have so much to be thankful for today.

First is God's great gift of salvation through his Son, Jesus. That is amazing. I'm thankful for His Holy Spirit who intercedes for us when we don't have the words to do so and comforts us with a peace that passes all understanding.

I'm thankful that God called me to Moldova and gives me the great privilege of serving Him here.

I'm thankful for a wonderful husband and three wonderful girls who also love to live and serve in Moldova.

I'm thankful for Shauna, who has given this year to teach our girls, freeing my time.

I'm thankful for all of those who have given to build the Home of Hope and I'm thankful for Misha, Victor, Valentin and the rest of the crew over there that are doing such a beautiful job constructing the home. They give of their time (even if it is a job) so willingly and stay in the home, even still, when the heat is not quite yet in!

I'm thankful for each one who supports us in giving and in prayer.

I'm thankful for our health and our strength for each new day.

God has blessed us so much and it is good to stop and Thank him for all the blessings, even if the turkey has exercised a bit too much in his life to make him fat and tender, I'm thankful that we found one just to say we could taste it today!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Tired of the Battle

Right now we are exhausted. Since returning to Moldova in August we have had one battle after another.

Our container is still not released in Ukraine. It is a waste of time to tell all that has gone on, but the fight with it continues and the shipping company there continues to make problems, although they had promised that the container would be released on Monday.

The problems continue to rise and we are really lost about what to do.

Please intercede for us. We are just lost about this and we are exhausted in the battle.

We want to just get this stuff done and be able to concentrate on the work we came here to do.

Family Matters

Please pray this week for my family in Minnesota.

Some of you know my dad has Alzheimer's. His disease is affecting his physical body faster than the deterioration of his mind. His care is becoming a 24/7 job that my mom just cannot manage alone. The wear on my mom's physical and emotional being is also very evident.

I'm very blessed to be the youngest of 6 children. Four of my siblings all live within a 20 minute radius of my parents. They have been meeting and this week they are going to talk to my parents about how they are going to need to make a change in their living situation. They just can't manage on their own any longer.

It is tough because my dad needs care, but his mind is still enough there that a memory care facility isn't right for him. My mom could still live many years easily on her own and so isn't quite ready for assisted living. But something has to happen that they can both deal with. They'll be married 54 years in March and to talk of splitting them up isn't easy either.

This week my brothers will talk with my dad and a nurse will evaluate him. They will also need to talk with my mom. The holidays are going to be very tough for my family there.

I ask you to pray for my family, the Horns, this week.

And I know you wonder how I'm doing. I'm okay with all of this. I have been dealing with this in a different way and maybe processing longer than the rest because I've been away so. I also knew last year that it was most likely my last year with my dad and that I'd be leaving him maybe for the last time when I boarded the plane in August. So, I'd been dealing with this for some time. But, yes, it is still hard to be slowly losing my dad.

I know that the weeks ahead are going to be hard for all those involved. Please pray for wisdom in words, grace and dignity in actions and peace in the storm as we cross one of these hurdles that is always a difficulty in life.

Thanks for your prayers, once again.

Blessings.

Peace in the midst

Today the rain is falling. It is cold and seems that it could easily turn to snow. I just want to stay indoors! On Sunday morning the wind blew and it kept knocking out our power as I tried to get ready for Church. It would go off and on, off and on. This is the time of unexpected weather!

Our lives continue to hold the unexpected also. We still don't have permits in hand, but we've been told to relax and they will happen. So we are relaxing and we'll see what happens in early December.

And our container with our shipment is in port, has been paid by the company we work with all the way from the US to our fair city, but the trucking company in Ukraine is trying to extort money from us.

Yes, we can say these are spiritual battles and they are. But sometimes I think they are more battles to help us grow in Christ and to help us be formed spiritually. Things don't work right in this part of the world. The governments are corrupt. Our government here is more authoritarian. (No matter what your politics, be thankful for the checks and balances in America). So because of these things, there is a battle.

I think the battle is far beyond only our family. Yes, it is a huge frustration, but anyone who has lived overseas knows that the governments and systems overseas don't operate like in America and people that are corrupt routinely get away with it and get rich doing so. The battle is a spiritual battle not just for our family, but for the very soul of this country.

So please pray that we can quickly resolve the issue with the shipment. But also pray for a spiritual break through here in Moldova and for other countries that are held by such power of darkness.

I thank you also for your prayers because I do feel God's peace on my life in this time.

Found my friend

These last weeks have been extremely difficult. The stress of not knowing and wondering what we need to do has been huge. We are not all the way through this yet, as we still don't have documents, but we are assured they will come and so we wait.

Last Friday we were having coffee at our favorite cafe' and I found my friend, Nastia. I have written about her in the past. Many have prayed for her and written to ask how she is. Well, I couldn't find her. Several times I'd called her cell phone, but it was always off. This usually means someone has left that number. Nothing helped me to find her.

So in the restaurant Elissa says to me, "Mom, is that Nastia?" The woman was going down the stairs to leave the restaurant and I could not see her face. So I ran after the woman and said, "Nastia?" She turned and we had a happy reunion.

It is a long story of what has happened to her life in the past 1 1/2 years, but she is married to a Greek, has a beautiful baby girl and lives here and in Romania. It was just wonderful to see her, meet her husband and baby. They were leaving the country again that day, but she will be back in a few weeks and we will meet intentionally at that time. I'm so glad to have an answer to her where abouts. Thanks for your continued to prayers for her.

No Ground Gained

Thanks to all of you who have been standing with us in prayer for our living permits.

We had a meeting today with the man who can grant or not grant our permits.

The meeting today did not go well. Still no permits. The man was not favorable to our cause, although he knows it well. He really didn't care about our problem.

We are not done exhausting our options. We asked for a document from this man stating the quota and he gave it to us for last year. Andy met with David Franz, from the US Embassy, immediately after the meeting and showed him the document and they will use it for diplomatic leverage because there are many who want to work in America and he has given 10,000 this year already to Moldovans. Maybe it will help. We don't know.

Phillip Cameroon, (AG from Alabama) who operates Stella's House transitional housing here has a great relationship with several people in the government. He comes on Wednesday or Thursday and Andy is going to see if he can do anything for us.

Keep praying. We have until October 31 and then we have to decide where to go! But we are praying until then. We know God can work a miracle in this situation and we do need it today.

We do not want to leave our home or our work here. We have so much to do in the next months and we need God to do something big. Please pray for a miracle!

Blessings,
Nancy

No Permits Yet

Some have e-mailed us and asked what is happening with our permits. We are still waiting. Andy is going to try to meet with some people this week and we keep pressing on. Pray that these meetings are blessed and that God opens the way for us.

Thanks to all who are praying and please continue to pray for us.

Blessings

A New Understanding

This wait and fight for the living permits definitely has given me a new understanding of others who have gone through this! We are not the first and only and it is not just limited to Moldova. It is a stress of missions that I didn't understand until now.

These next weeks are crucial. We need permits by the 31st of the month and it would be nice if they were even before that time.

This month we have a lot of teams helping us with the construction on the Home of Hope. Teams always add a lot more work to life here and added stress, (although we LOVE the work they do!) But this time I don't even notice the stress of that because this whole "Will I be here in 3 weeks?" is a greater stress. The other day Elissa said, "I don't want to spend Christmas somewhere else!" Three months of exile is a long time for kids!

Please continue to pray and believe with us that the heart of the one saying we cannot have the permit will be changed. Please pray also for peace in our hearts and pray that God would just make a mighty way before us so that the work that is happening now will not be stopped because of this.

We would also like to ask that if any can fast and pray with us on this, that they'd let us know. If you fast a meal or fast a day. Jesus said, "these come out only with prayer and fasting" and I do believe this is a great spiritual battle at this moment.

Thanks for your prayers.

living permit woes

There are 3 parts to our living permits. We rejoiced that the first was granted. Now the man in charge says he won't do the 2nd part. If he does not do the 2nd or 3rd parts, we have to leave.

This office continues to make up the rules as they go and ask for off the wall information from us.

Would you please pray that these permits are finished THIS WEEK? We need a miracle. What this process does is take our mental energy and exhaust us. It leaves us with depleted energy for the task we need to do and pulls from us for what we need to do.

We love this country. We hate these processes and we hate the corruption that has caused it.

So as you pray for these permits for us today, pray not just for us and the immediate. Pray also for those that are to come needing this. Not just those with AGWM, but all personnel here. Pray that the process is simplified and can be done quickly.

But pray fervently that we can get the permits and be done with it.

Thanks.