Today I walked around the Home of Hope with Rodica and Tanya. They are the two women who will work in the Home of Hope and really have great hearts for the ministry. It was so awesome to stand with them in the backyard and dream of the beautiful garden that will be there next year at this time. To think of what we'll do and make in the kitchen and the LIFE that will happen at the home.
Please pray today for Rodica and Tanya.
Rodica is in her early 40's,is married and has 2 grown children and one little caboose. Her son is studying abroad and wants to come back to Moldova when he is finished. Her daughter was just married to a Moldovan who immigrated when he was small so she will leave the country. But Rodica is excited to have a place of ministry.
Tanya is 40 and single. She has such a heart for ministering to women.
I think so much of both of these women. Both have invested so much in ministry already and they are excited to do minister to these women. Please keep them in your prayers in the weeks ahead.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
The way things go
Still delays with the container and House of Hope...That is they way things go in Moldova. Nothing is ever simple.
Please just pray for us and the House of Hope in the next months. I know that we are in a battle and just when I think the battle is done, it starts up again. There is always something to stop the progress.
It is not just the container, but also personnel. I have 2 great ladies that will work in the home. I have 3 or 4 others who will volunteer. But I still don't have someone who can champion this, someone who can be the Moldovan face of it. I thought I had someone, and in May she had said she would serve in that capacity, but a few days ago she decided that she would not do the job.
Please pray against discouragement. Please pray that women will be committed to doing this work. We need people who are willing to fight for the lives of these women.
We've had a great summer so far in training the workers. They see the work ahead and are ready to help the women.
Please just pray for us and the House of Hope in the next months. I know that we are in a battle and just when I think the battle is done, it starts up again. There is always something to stop the progress.
It is not just the container, but also personnel. I have 2 great ladies that will work in the home. I have 3 or 4 others who will volunteer. But I still don't have someone who can champion this, someone who can be the Moldovan face of it. I thought I had someone, and in May she had said she would serve in that capacity, but a few days ago she decided that she would not do the job.
Please pray against discouragement. Please pray that women will be committed to doing this work. We need people who are willing to fight for the lives of these women.
We've had a great summer so far in training the workers. They see the work ahead and are ready to help the women.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Container
We were blessed when Gwen, in Minnesota, felt led to put together a container of furnishings for the Home of Hope. She raised money and worked hard to get it together. The container is shipped and now we wait for it to come.
It was supposed to be in port in Romania last week, but didn't come so we called. There is some kind of strike in Turkey, preventing what needs to be off-loaded there before it can come to the port in Romania, just south of Moldova.
Will you pray that the container somehow can come on? We are waiting, waiting. The home is ready, just waiting for furnishings and then we can fill the home with women.
Thanks.
It was supposed to be in port in Romania last week, but didn't come so we called. There is some kind of strike in Turkey, preventing what needs to be off-loaded there before it can come to the port in Romania, just south of Moldova.
Will you pray that the container somehow can come on? We are waiting, waiting. The home is ready, just waiting for furnishings and then we can fill the home with women.
Thanks.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Almost reality
A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I received a phone call from a lady who had worked the night shift at Moldova's Christian radio station. I have never met her, but somehow she knew that we were in the process of a Home for Women who had been trafficked and during her shift a woman had called, who had escaped in Odessa, Ukraine and had no place to go. Could we help her?
I talked to Tanya, one of the women who will work in the Home, and she went to work on finding her a place to stay until the Home is open. We placed her temporarily in a rehab center which we work with closely.
Right now we are waiting for the cabinets to be put in the house and the furnishings to arrive by container from the states. They should be here within a few weeks. We are so close.
This has been the biggest step of faith Andy and I have ever taken in life and in ministry. Some would say the biggest step was moving with 3 daughters to Moldova, but really that was just obedience and we love it here. It is not hard. But building this home daily is a challenge to our faith.
We have seen God move again and again to give us the funds we need to continue the work on the home. The work has never had to stop. Building costs in Moldova have sky-rocketed this past year and thus the costs of putting this home up far exceeded what we'd planned. But again and again God has moved on people & churches to give, to work, to help. God has done marvelous things.
And now we are so close and knowing that we are still short of the costs to totally finish. We need to pay for lights and curtain rods, rugs and railings, a garage door, stove and oven and kitchen sink.
So today I'm asking you to please pray and believe with us for these funds to complete and finish the home. The burden is great and yet, we see God move time and again.
Pray for the operational funds to continue to come in. It is a fearful thing that people will say, "well, the home is up" and then there are no funds to run it. But we are believing God for this too.
Pray for partnerships with those that will make this self-sustaining. We met with a Western man who does business in Moldova and wants to talk with us about starting a project in the home that is more than just small crafts, but something to actually fund the home's expenses.
Pray for the staff that has come together to make this ministry a reality--for Tanya, Rodica, Oxana, Maria, Natasha and Xena. Some of these will be paid staff and some will be volunteers, but they all have a heart to see the women healed.
Pray for the women who will come into the Home. That God would help and heal them and they would find freedom and new life in Christ.
Thanks for your prayers today.
I talked to Tanya, one of the women who will work in the Home, and she went to work on finding her a place to stay until the Home is open. We placed her temporarily in a rehab center which we work with closely.
Right now we are waiting for the cabinets to be put in the house and the furnishings to arrive by container from the states. They should be here within a few weeks. We are so close.
This has been the biggest step of faith Andy and I have ever taken in life and in ministry. Some would say the biggest step was moving with 3 daughters to Moldova, but really that was just obedience and we love it here. It is not hard. But building this home daily is a challenge to our faith.
We have seen God move again and again to give us the funds we need to continue the work on the home. The work has never had to stop. Building costs in Moldova have sky-rocketed this past year and thus the costs of putting this home up far exceeded what we'd planned. But again and again God has moved on people & churches to give, to work, to help. God has done marvelous things.
And now we are so close and knowing that we are still short of the costs to totally finish. We need to pay for lights and curtain rods, rugs and railings, a garage door, stove and oven and kitchen sink.
So today I'm asking you to please pray and believe with us for these funds to complete and finish the home. The burden is great and yet, we see God move time and again.
Pray for the operational funds to continue to come in. It is a fearful thing that people will say, "well, the home is up" and then there are no funds to run it. But we are believing God for this too.
Pray for partnerships with those that will make this self-sustaining. We met with a Western man who does business in Moldova and wants to talk with us about starting a project in the home that is more than just small crafts, but something to actually fund the home's expenses.
Pray for the staff that has come together to make this ministry a reality--for Tanya, Rodica, Oxana, Maria, Natasha and Xena. Some of these will be paid staff and some will be volunteers, but they all have a heart to see the women healed.
Pray for the women who will come into the Home. That God would help and heal them and they would find freedom and new life in Christ.
Thanks for your prayers today.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Julia
I know I've been way too long since I've posted. I cracked my computer case and had to send it back to the states with someone for repair (it affected the DVD drive) and then wait for it to be brought back with a team coming...Thankfully the computer is under warranty...
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a girl named Julia. She is Moldovan and had gone to the states as an exchange student, was placed with a Christian family and found Jesus in her time there. She was preparing to come back to Moldova and found our website and contacted me. She simply asked, "are there Christian churches in Moldova?"
I, by no means, take this as a condemnation of the church here. The church is doing much to evangelize, but it is such a small population of believers. It shows me that this country still needs to be reached in such a major way.
The other day Julia and I met to have lunch. Her dad came to the street to meet me. He asked what the purpose of my meeting with her and what time I'd have her back home. I think I understood a bit of a boy who takes a girl on a date and gets grilled by her dad. Then that afternoon Andy and I had to go meet her dad and tell him what we are doing in Moldova, who we are and such.
Julia went the last 2 days to Moldovan youth camp with us with a team that is here from Rapid City, SD. She has loved it. She is hearing, for the first time, the gospel and worship in her language. Tomorrow she is going with the team to do the sight seeing and she will translate. She is so happy to have found Christians (and, yes, her American host family is excited too).
But her dad does not understand. Could you pray for him and his wife? They are both very brilliant people. Both professors at the university here and both wondering why we, as Americans, care for their daughter. They think she was brainwashed in the states, but we know she was transformed by the power of God.
Pray for wisdom in this situation. Wisdom for us as we talk with her father. Wisdom for her as she responds to him and her step-mom. Pray for understanding for her father and that his eyes would be opened to the truth of the gospel.
And please continue to pray that Julia can get rooted in Christ in her homeland. It is exciting to see what God has done in her life. Pray that His work continues in her.
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a girl named Julia. She is Moldovan and had gone to the states as an exchange student, was placed with a Christian family and found Jesus in her time there. She was preparing to come back to Moldova and found our website and contacted me. She simply asked, "are there Christian churches in Moldova?"
I, by no means, take this as a condemnation of the church here. The church is doing much to evangelize, but it is such a small population of believers. It shows me that this country still needs to be reached in such a major way.
The other day Julia and I met to have lunch. Her dad came to the street to meet me. He asked what the purpose of my meeting with her and what time I'd have her back home. I think I understood a bit of a boy who takes a girl on a date and gets grilled by her dad. Then that afternoon Andy and I had to go meet her dad and tell him what we are doing in Moldova, who we are and such.
Julia went the last 2 days to Moldovan youth camp with us with a team that is here from Rapid City, SD. She has loved it. She is hearing, for the first time, the gospel and worship in her language. Tomorrow she is going with the team to do the sight seeing and she will translate. She is so happy to have found Christians (and, yes, her American host family is excited too).
But her dad does not understand. Could you pray for him and his wife? They are both very brilliant people. Both professors at the university here and both wondering why we, as Americans, care for their daughter. They think she was brainwashed in the states, but we know she was transformed by the power of God.
Pray for wisdom in this situation. Wisdom for us as we talk with her father. Wisdom for her as she responds to him and her step-mom. Pray for understanding for her father and that his eyes would be opened to the truth of the gospel.
And please continue to pray that Julia can get rooted in Christ in her homeland. It is exciting to see what God has done in her life. Pray that His work continues in her.
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