Well, friends, I won’t lie – it was hard to say goodbye to Romania. We truly had an incredible month in Draganesti, where after only one month, we felt like we were leaving behind our family. We were asked many times to stay, sometimes jokingly, sometimes not so jokingly – and who knows? Maybe I’ll go back there someday. God and I are still talking about it.
But now, we’re in Cornesti, Moldova, where the temperature hovers just above freezing, the showers are once a week and most of the clothing in my backpack is intended for 90+ degree days. Also, there are beavers. Or what the Moldovans call beavers, but we think they’re muskrats. They raise them on their ministry farm, along with chickens and pigs. And they raise them for the same purpose as raising chickens and pigs…yep, to eat. There is a high chance I will be eating barbequed beaver/muskrat (beavrat?) this month. Here’s hoping that will be my birthday dinner.
We’ve once again been blessed with an incredible contact this month, Vitale. He has a vision to plant 30 churches in 30 years throughout Moldova. We’re working with him at Sinai 30, his home base/church/orphanage. He’s a very funny man of God, full of wisdom and words that just hit you right between the eyes sometimes. We’ve already had the chance to bond with some of the orphans who work in the kitchen and live in the farmhouse where three of our guys are staying.
I am happy to report that this month I will be once again lending some of my photography skills to our ministry. During our first day of work, I told Vitale about my past life as a photographer/studio manager/writing major and asked if he could use any of those skills this month. In about five seconds, I had a list of various ministries to write about and photograph in the next month. Another racer, Stephanie, is gifted in videography, so she will be working on some videos for Sinai 30 this month and we’ll be combining our skills to get creative and bless Vitale as much as we can in the next few weeks.
Disclaimer: I know I won’t get the chance to minister every month to our contacts through photography and writing, but I am so thankful to God (the One who created me with my hobbies and interests and passions, the One who brought me to these specific ministries and these specific countries at these specific times) because He is good and noble and desires to bring us happiness by doing what we love to bless the ones He loves. And when the month comes that my photography skills will not be needed and I will be doing ministry that is completely unfamiliar to me, I will strive to thank Him for giving me the opportunity to be stretched beyond my comfort zone and into the realm of completely relying on Him to give me the words I will need.
(Not Very) Fun Facts About Moldova
#1 in Europe for human trafficking
#1 in Europe for alcoholism
80% of the population lives in poverty
in 2010, 19,000 children lived in orphanages
So, my friends, pray
for Sinai 30 and all of its ministries
for my team and the two other teams here, that we'll feel unified as individual teams and as a pack
for sunshine
for grateful hearts
for the orphans who live in Cornesti
and lastly,
for the multiplication of the beavers
