Hello everyone!
We are now at our fourth month ministry site. We are in a small country inside of Moldova. Most people speak Russian here 🙂 Privet! That means ‘Hello.’
We are living in the country of Transnistria, which used to be part of Moldova but now is an independant country protected by Russia. This country is only recognized as a country by Russia. There is a constant disagreement between Transnistria’s government and Moldova’s government about this land.
We are currently living in a church which used to be a bar. The Pastor is from here and has a great heart for the young people in this area. Around the church are many apartment buildings. During the Soviet Union these buildings were full of factory workers. Now, the buildings are around 60% full. The factories shut down when the Soviet Union collapsed.
There are many poor families and the church has started a feeding program for the children of these families. The church provides one meal a day and for a few children this is their only meal.
The very first day we arrived we were greeted by the children who come to the church after school everyday. Along with the feeding program, there is a daily children’s program and youth program. I have really enjoyed playing with these children and just yesterday we were able to act out and teach the story of Jonah!
Three times a week we will leading a youth program at the church with music, testimonies and stories while the other days we will be playing sports with them. I hear they like volleyballlllll 🙂 I hope we can be good examples for the youth and share with them our life story. These youth lack good examples because many adults are addicted to drugs and alcohol. This church is a safe place in this district for them to go where there are no drugs or alcohol.
Yesterday we had our first home visit! We visited a paralyzed man who is 78 years old. We shared with him about what we are doing, life stories, music and we were also able to pray with him and his wife. He became a Christian in 1998 and now finds his joy, hope and meaning in Christ! It was great to be able to encourage him but he also encouraged us with his gentle and joyful spirit. We plan to visit him again next week.
I look forward to working with the children and youth but I also hope we can encourage Pastor Andrew and his family. Although it is a country that has religious freedom there are a lot of people who are stuck in Orthodox tradition and have no clue of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I constantly pray that we are a light for Jesus. Please pray for the children and youth we will be building relationships with and also that we can serve and encourage the Pastor.
The Dniester River!! Super windy….am I in Newfoundland???
Thank you for reading 🙂
Pa-ka (Bye)
Anne
