God's Goodness

I looked and saw the goodness of the Lord...

Let's celebrate some of the great things God has done!

Ludmila is still at the Christian Rehab center and she is doing great. Continue to pray for her, but we are seeing God change her.

The house is purchased for our future Home of Hope. It only took 5 months to go through, but God has provided. (This is the original home we picked).

We have a place to live when we get back to the states. A few weeks ago Andy called a pastor about a service. The pastor asked if we had a place to live and said their church has just finished a home to use for missionaries. It is beautiful and perfect for us. We are excited about having a place to stay and a church to connect to. It is not far from our family. God is so good!

The girls decided they want to attend the public school here also and we hear great reports about the school and the Supt. of Schools goes to the church. They are all really excited to go to school with other English speaking kids next year.

I ask you to keep us in prayer as we finish our packing here and say good-byes. The stress is high!

Pray that the girls would adjust well to life in America. Our youngest still doesn't understand going for a year. The other day she asked me why I was packing so many of our things!

Pray that God would go before the girls in giving them friends for the next year.

Pray God's protection for travel. Our entire summer is moving between car and airplane travel. Pray that God goes before us and we have no problems there.

We will still need to get a vehicle and a lot of things set up our first week in the states. Please pray this goes smoothly.

Transition is always a difficult time, but we have a wonderful God who will help us in all things.

If I only knew then....

No one told me it'd be like this. Would I have signed on the line anyway? Would I still have committed my life to missions? Yes, I'm sure I would have, but it is still painful.

Last week my oldest daughter had some wonderful times playing with friends. At the end of a long day we tucked her into bed, but she didn't go to sleep. Many times she came down looking for us. Sadness shown on her face. Finally I told her that it is okay to cry. For over an hour she cried, already missing the friends that she'd leave behind. Some she may never see again.

God has blessed her with some wonderful friends, but with wonderful friends comes the pain of separation.

Today would you remember to pray for Elissa, Natalie and Lauren as they prepare to make a transition back to the states for our year of itineration? Natalie and Lauren really don't remember life in the states and to Elissa, Moldova has clearly become home. Thanks.

Keep Praying

Today I spent the day driving on bumpy roads and sitting, praying and hoping that Ludmila would respond to the help we wanted to give to her. Tonight I'm exhausted. A spiritual battle has truly been fought.

We talked with her at the home of the pastor from her village. Then, with her mother, we went to the women's rehab center in another city. There the women and director of the center worked to convince her of her need to stay. I'm not sure she was convinced, but she stayed. They said that it is this way with every person that comes to them.

Please continue to pray for her. Nearly 100% of the victims of trafficking which return to Moldova are diagnosed with pyschological disorders. Today Ludmila told us all the medications she is on for those disorders. She is quite doped up by the medical community. Please pray for the days ahead and for the women who will stand around her and pray for her as she come off of the many perscription drugs she is on. Pray that God will make her mind clear. Pray that she will see the hope that Jesus can give and that she can find new life in Christ.

Thanks for standing with us in prayer.

These things

Jesus said, "These things come out only by prayer and fasting." The Lord has called me to fast and prayer for the meeting with Ludmila tomorrow and for the purchase of our Home of Hope. This is not something I'd normally shout from the rooftops (a blog is a modern day version of that!), but I feel challenged to ask you to do so with me.

It will be a difficult day tomorrow, confronting the forces of evil in the hope of Ludmila's freedom. It needs to be entered into with prayer and fasting. (See last blog).

We also need to agree for our Home of Hope purchase. It has been totally bogged down and we are getting no where with it. We would love to have this happen before we leave in June.

So if you can fast and pray a day or a meal with me. Ask God to break through in these areas and give the freedom to Ludmila through the rehab center and new life in Christ. Ask him to help us in the purchase of a place for Home of Hope Moldova.

Time to Help

Over a month ago I wrote about a young woman, Ludmila, who I met in a pyschiatric ward. She had been a victim of trafficking. Together, with a Moldovan friend, we tried to encourage her to enter a Christian rehab center not far from her village, but she refused to go.

Now she is ready to look at it. The home she returned to is led by an abusive alcholic step-father. At this point she wants to get out. We will pick her up and take her to the rehab center to see what it is about.

Pray for us this week as we try to bring hope and healing into Ludmila's life. Pray that she will be willing to stay at the women's rehab center. Pray that the women at the center will be able to minister love and healing to her and that she will find hope and peace in Jesus.

Pray also for our friends who will accompany us. Edward runs a ministry to police and military. He will go along and try to talk to the step-father, who is a policeman. (There is no law in Moldova against abuse at this time.) Pray that Edward can effectively talk to this man and that, through Christ, we can see a change in the entire family.

Thanks for your prayers this week. This can only happen through prayer.

Transitions

I'm packing. I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming of packing.

In my dreams it never gets done. I'm always late for the airport and there is more to do.

Yes, I'm in a time of transition. We are praying to leave the field after our first term for our year of stateside assignment. We are in the midst of packing our belongings to leave here in about a month. Today we hit the toys together and try to get them packed. AHHH....

Transition is hard. In the dreams I have, we are never here packing. In fact, I don't know where I have ever been in the dreams. They are just unfamiliar places. I think it is my subconscience taking over. For the next year we will have a place to live, but we will be traveling a lot. I'll be packign a lot!

Today I just ask you to pray for us as we make transition. We need to have everything packed in the next few weeks. Ministry is winding down, but we still have commitments for the month. Pray that God gives us his strength and help in this time.

We are very excited to go to America, see friends and family and visit churches. But good-byes are never easy. We have dear friends here that we will miss. This summer we miss 3 weddings of young Moldovans who we love dearly. Leaving is never easy. So please keep us in your prayers. Thanks.