I can honestly say that four months ago, I didn’t know Moldova existed. Now, I'm living here. Whoa!
Nestled between Ukraine and Romania, it holds to being the most impoverished nation in Europe. It’s ranked NUMBER ONE in the world for International Sex Trafficking. The country was founded in 1991 as the Republic of Moldova. Since its foundation 20 years ago, over HALF its population has fled the country. People don’t feel that there is a sense of hope or a future here, so many people grow up in the mindset that they should leave here as fast as they can.
Places thought of as havens for children in orphanages in Moldova oftentimes provide girls with “opportunities” once they become 16. They are sent on a train to a new part of the country, planning to fulfill an anticipated dream of becoming an office assistant or waitress, they are immediately moved to a location of being bound to a system of slavery. Bluntly– forced into prostitution. And they’re stuck.
Can you imagine? Nowhere to run to, no one to take you in?. No one to claim you as a brother or sister and to help you bare your burdens. These people are stripped of their rights and are demanded to perform over and over again, as if they owe the trafficker something. Theres no one to love them for something more than a mere object. And its heartbreaking. We live our lives as if this doesn't exist, and for 27 MILLION people each year, its reality.
Now thats all about to c h a n g e.
MINISTRY
Here, we are working with Sinai 30, a ministry founded by pastor Vitale and his wife, in CORNESTI, MOLDOVA hoping to build 30 churches in surrounding communities to Cornesti in 30 years. This hope was given in a vision from the Lord.
a photo from our farm, credit to Bri Danese
We’re partnering with him and this ministry to set captives free. We're working with their children's program, in their garden, with the animals, with their shelter for people that have been rescued from trafficking, doing home visits, physical labor of building onto the farm, teaching English, and building relationships with the ladies and children.
The construction of ideas and the way people have been treated for years here has created division. Many women are treated poorly.
We come to give them a voice.
To speak life.
To dismiss the lies
& give them a heartbeat of HOPE.
One of the traffickers literally lives next door to one of the homes that one of our teams is staying in.
Immediate & natural reactions would to be to become angry at him
To put our fist in the fight, throw slandering words and seek to defend the defenseless
It may not be our first reaction
BUT he deserves to be loved, too
and for someone to carry the truth of Christ to his doorstep
How much does God love? So much that He gave His only Son. So much that He emptied Himself; He gave Himself. The amount of this love is indicated by what he gave, which was EVERYTHING. Having no less than an infinite love for us, and we should choose to have the same love towards others, believing that our God is Mighty to save.
DREAM with me here— Imagine, rescuing these women and children. Sharing Christ with this man who is connected to the upper heirarchy of trafficking in Moldova. Imagine the change that could happen. Imagine the transformation of one life and the lives connected. Speaking truth into these lives. Loving in an unconditional manner. Just IMAGINE!
ONE STEP AT A TIME ….
A few of us girls have started developing relationships with girls from the shelter. They have been rescued from trafficking. One of the girls calls me "grandma" because I literally looked like a Grandma with my taboggin, scarf, gloves, layered t-shirt, sweater, coat, sweats and boots. It’s been super sweet getting to know them, even acquiring a nickname thats beyond my years!
There’s a farm here, which they hope to help them to self-sustain eventually. They want to house more women and children at the shelter, but they don’t have the room to do so. They need to purchase more land (the equivalent of $10,000 in USD) purchase a tractor, and then work towards getting funds to build housing on the land for more rescued victims. The farm will enable them to make money by selling crop and animals to provide shelter. This is one of two places in the entire country I know of that rescues these precious ladies and children from trafficking. One of TWO! All in all, these are needs, and we’re praying for people to get involved and support this mission.
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Please be praying for…
1. ...Our teams (Team Perisseuo, Anchors of Hope, & Waldo) to operate under a spirit of unity
2. — Spiritual, physical and emotional health of our teams
3. — Vitalie and his family + orphaned + rescued children
4. — Favor over the ministry + open doors + new partnerships
And specifically, from the pastor, the "multiplication of beavers." Because these are farm animals, the more they have, the more money thats made to rescue victims.
Bet you never thought I'd ask yo to pray for that! 🙂 Me neither!
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There is a shadow of spiritual darkness and warfare that presents itself very evident to us here. But God can do more than is possible for us to even imagine.
This month we may not have–
heat
showers
running water
internet
+ comfortable things
But we do have HOPE. We have the Word of Christ. We have life. And its proving to us that it IS Enough. And we will carry it here, to this nation by the power of Christ at work within us.
love you all! thanks soo much for your financial support, prayers and encouragement! You are SUCH a blessing.
peace & grace,
Kaitlyn
