Hey look I am blogging...for once.
Today has been a great day! We got to go to a school this morning (and yesterday) and talked to them all about human trafficking. Yesterday we talked to a group of all girls and a few of them really seemed impacted by our information. The response was awesome to see. We have been so welcomed by most everyone and that has put my heart at ease!
In the evenings we help run a 3 hour camp. We do skits, music, testimonies, and games for children who (most of them) do not know Jesus. The first day was a little rough considering we had only a couple hours to prepare a lot of material.  Haha. But we have found our stride and the children enjoy it much more. They love to talk with us (through one of our awesome translators) and just be around us. Most of them are very poor. It broke my heart to see one little girl taking handfuls of cookies at snack time and stashing them in her bag. She has 11 brothers and sisters and they are very poor.
 It is amazing to have the honor to share with them about God and try to give them something else to hope for through the talents that God has given each one of us. We all have such a crucial role and each of us brings a different and awesome talent to the triangle...well there's seven of us sooo...septagon? Haha I guess God really knows what he is doing. Of course! But it's so awesome to be part of God's plan for not only my life and my purpose but to help others find theirs. Please continue to pray for us! I hope all is well at home and we are praying for you too.

Day 2 and 3 – Together we are stronger

The last couple days we have been putting on an after school program at the transition home in Balti.  Day 2 was Good, day 3 was Great!  The team really upped its game today.  With the help of Oleg's team, we put on an exciting program for the kids that put smiles on their faces and filled the room with laughter.  It is powerful for me to see how God has assembled  such a talented group of people together to form our Mission Team.  Each person has their own way of contributing to the team and together we are much better than either of us alone.  Isn't this really what this is all about?  The hope we are sharing is that we are not alone in this world.  My beloved sent me this scripture today.  “For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone” (Romans 14:7). By ourself this world is boring, difficult, and lonely.  I know when I was at my darkest point, I couldn't get out alone.  I desperately needed the help of others to lift me up.  We are doing that here not just with the Moldovan youth, but also with each other.  I’m seeing how this mission process is forcing is to grow and to come together for and with God.  By lifting each other up we can all get a little closer to God.

Day 1 - A broken heart, joy, and hope

The mission team has been going nonstop since we left Monroe. We have had very little sleep and wish we could be blogging for our faithful supporters.  Please know that God is guiding us and he is doing great things!

As soon as Oleg picked us up from the airport yesterday, we started on all cylinders (at least I hope Oleg  has only 12).  We were exposed to human trafficking about 5 minutes from the airport.  We pull up to an intersection and ahead are a couple of beggars moving between cars.  Oleg tells us they are being forced to beg for money.  He is sure their handlers are close by watching them.  I see the eyes of one of the beggars from less than 6 feet and the lifelessness breaks my heart.

When we got into town,  Oleg took us to casually meet the transition home youth in a park.  I immediately notice the close bond between Oleg and the youth and I could sense the vibrancy in the youth’s spirits.  The boys love to talk about sports while the girls busily engage with the ladies on our Mission team.  We had ice cream with the youth, chat a little more, and then visit a church.  My spirits are lifted and I feel joy to be among this group of people.

Our next stop was Oleg's newest project – a transition home (pictured), social apartment, worship space (pictured), office, and anything else that can be fit inside the newly purchased home.   The home is located in an area where Oleg grew up, an area where you were either a gang member or a baptist.  (I’m so thankful his passion was for Christ and not gangs!)  The transition home has been vacant for 8 years.  It once was a place of much evil.   Now contractors tear down gold leafed ornamental plaster that once stood for the worshiping of monetary idols.  Oleg told of the souls that were torn down inside this home and the evil that went on.  He is transforming a home once used for tearing  lives apart  into a home used for restoring lives all the while an oppressed neighborhood witnesses the miracle!  This transition home gives me much hope.

Reflecting

The word that keeps coming back to my mind as I reflect is that of encouragement. In the past 12 months there has been so much progress - God is truly working his wonders. We arrived to Chisinau, Moldova on Sunday. Our New Hope Moldava Team were so welcoming to us. We went to visit the city center and meet many of the children living in the transition homes. There were familiar faces not only to me, but there were those who remembered that I had visited last year. How could a child remember a face and specific details of our encounter? Wow! Both of our lives were touched by one another - in a way that only God could orchestrate. We visited a new transition home currently under constructed for girls in Chisinau. God thru Pastor Oleg and his team are restoring 2 buildings. These structures now hold the Eklasia Church, and will have both a transition home for girls (roof raising for third floor bedrooms), social apartments (the bridge between the home and living independently), as well as some career traiming space. The church is not only restoring children but also restoring the city back to health. After dinner we took the long, bumpy ride to Balti but were blessed with wonderful accommodations at the Mission House (named the Mission Mansion by our 2013 rev22two team. Our Monday our  team began working with the Team from the Northern Moldova. The Campus for the Balti Oxygen team moved it's operations to a newly purchased property for a boys Transition home. This building is again a restoration (roof raising for  third floor bedrooms). The concept of buying something old and making it new, reflects how Christ makes us new. We were able to assist with cleaning and construction of this home. This day we also worked with our partners on an after school children's camp. Today some 25 children came to participate in a time of fun, games, worship, a life application lesson in time as well as a scripture teaching around creation, of God working to make all good things, including people, who are predacious to him.
God is working to restore lives here, even before a building is finished. The boys and the house family are living in this partially finished building, but one that is becoming better and more functional each day. There are girls living in the social apartmentss. And both buildings have ministries working on ministry in the community as well as ministering That's how God works with us, he takes us, broken as we are, accepting us where we are and begins the work of restoration. He makes all things new! And he does it through the pastors, New Hope Moldovan staff such as Alex, Valisi, and Andrew, house parents,  Moldovan's who love God, and a missionaries from Michigan who while not worthy but are obedient and ready to be God's  hands and feet. I am so thankful  God called me to be part of this team.
Today as my prayer partner shared, I hope to take every chance to let my life and actions be a walking sermon knowing that change can begin with me. Pray for our  team as we continue to laugh, cry and learn together.

Moldova Bound

Please keep the team of seven missionaries in your prayers this week as they travel to overseas to share the love of Jesus Christ with the people of Moldova.  Thank you Elevate Church for your support and encouragement to be a church that is passionate to going beyond the 4 walls of our church to reach the least the last and the lost not only in our community but around the world.

Trip Itinerary - Oleg Reutki

The following plan for the week was provide to our team from Oleg Reutki. Oleg is the founder of New Hope Moldova and our in country host this week.

Sunday
Arrive (3:10 pm) Lunch and tour down town Chisinau (Introduction to the culture - Oleg)
Check in to the Balti at the mission house where you will spend the week

Monday - Friday
Breakfast in the mission house, our team will drive you to the Transition home for preparation for the teaching in public schools and the day camp.
10:00 - 3:00 Public School ministry
4:00 - 7:30 pm.  After school Day camp and dinner with students
Dinner time in the city to minister on a few evenings



Thursday Evening
Concert for the Students and community

Saturday
Shopping,visit historical sites and Transition homes for the girls.  Stay one night in Chisinau

Sunday
Worship with us at Eklesia Church and drive to the airport

In Christ Service!
Oleg and Marina and the team in Moldova

Beautiful Anticipation

I sit here at work, with only 2 more work nights left before our trip.  The excitement is almost too much to bear. 

So many questions race through my mind......  

Am I ready?
Will I be able to do everything that is expected of me?
Will the people of Moldova be able to feel the love I have for them?
What will the food be like?
What will the flight be like?
How will I come back home and leave those beautiful souls behind?

The list could go on and on.  

Our team is really incredible.  4 women, 3 men - all humerous, all loving, all bringing something special to the group.  I feel like having such an intimate group will be an advantage.  The bonding will be tight.

We gathered last night to pack all of our supplies --- we were SO blessed with all of the donations we received!  Many laughs were shared - a small preview of the week to come.

3 more days...........