Here are five reasons why sunflowers are like our ministry
in Transnistria…The following information in quotations have been taken from
wikipedia.
1. 1. “The
sunflower is named after its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image are
often used to depict the sun.”
The people in Transnistria are so welcoming
and hospitable, it is like a ray of sunshine. They are passionate about the
work that they do and are always wanting to embrace you with open arms. The
people here are so kind! There is one girl in particular that sticks out in my
mind as a ray of sunshine. Her name is Gala – I met her at the first kids club
meeting we went to. Gala is an orphan and has such a beautiful heart. One day
Kelly and I were walking to class and Gala saw us walking and she ran through
the park to get to where we were just so she could walk the rest of the way
with us. Precious!
2. 2. “The head of a sunflower consists of many
individual flowers, which mature into seeds, often in the hundreds, on a
receptacle base.”
We are working with Yuri, who is a pastor
at Tiraspol Church. He has such a heart and passion for Christ and he has been
able to teach many people about Jesus’ love. These people are growing to become
mature Christians, who are then planting more and more seeds all around Transnistria.
There have been so many amazing people that we have met during our stay thusfar
in Transnistria – God is doing amazing things here!
3. 3. “Sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in
the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a
widespread cooking ingredient.”
Yuri is originally from Ukraine. He came to
Transnistria thirteen years ago as a missionary to spread the gospel. More and
more people are hearing the gospel through Yuri and the church. They have so
many outreach programs! We are just helping them with a few this month, such as
teaching English, evangelizing on the streets, helping with their youth groups
and playing sports with students. This is just a few of the many outreach
programs the church is involved with – they also work with a rehabilitation
center and have a break dance club!!
4. 4. “To grow
best sunflowers need full sun.”
The church here is growing because they
have the full understanding of the SON! They are so deeply in love with Christ!
It is contagious to all who are around them!
5. 5. “Sunflowers
also grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with heavy mulch.”
Continue to pray for this
ministry because they are on fire for God! They are planting many seeds in the
fertile ground. It has been such a blessing being here and being able to
partner with them in their ministry!
