Month three on the World Race marks the end of the first
“season” that racers typically go through. This time is usually when we are broken down from our old
identities and restored in how God views us and what He wants for us. It’s not a science, obviously, but it’s
really interesting to look around me and see how all of us really have changed
since we started this thing last July.
Month three also is when teams are changed around. This could be the first of a few
changes or the only one we do all year.
The main reason we do this now, though, is to promote two group leaders
up to squad leaders for the rest of the year. The squad leaders we start the race with are alumni and only
come to help start us off until we can have leadership arise from within our
group.
With that, I am extremely proud and excited to announce that
Lia, CRASH’s team leader, was recognized for her leadership and has accepted
one of these squad leadership spots!
She will do amazing things now that her primary ministry will be
directly to us as a squad rather than out in the field with our contacts. Joshua Maisner is the other new squad
leader and we are just as excited to have him in that position as well.
So I guess I should introduce everyone to my new team,
right? I’m sorry for my awkward
smile! I did it for literally half a second, which is, of course, when they took the picture.
Jessica Smith (team leader)
Tommy Shireman
Alison Wilms
Emily Milroy
Stacey Hume
Kameron Kissinger (we’re still together!)
Our name is “Walking Third.” Some of you may be familiar with the acronym for JOY: Jesus,
Others, Yourself. The idea of
Walking Third came when Jessica was telling us how she felt an enormous amount
of joy when she found out who was on her team, which led to Stacey bringing up the
JOY acronym. We all felt good
about the idea of intentionally putting ourselves in the that third position,
behind Jesus and others, so we settled on Walking Third since Jesus called us
to walk out into the nations.
Walking is both an action and a choice.
So, that leads me into where we are this month! Part of Moldova made itself into an
unrecognized nation called Transnistria.
Eighteen years ago, this area won a short civil war and formed their own
government that operates independently with their own border and customs and
everything. I’m not entirely sure
of what happened and how it’s set up because I picked up bits and pieces from
Andrew, the pastor of the church we’re living at and Peter, our Moldovan
translator. Anyway, we’re in the
gray area between two areas called Transnistria and Moldova, in a town called
Varmitsa.
As we live in the church, our primary ministries are going
to be spending time with several kids who come for lunch and activities Monday
through Friday. It’s similar to a
youth group type of thing that we have back there in the States and the kids
are between eight and 14 or 15.
Most of these kids are from broken families so our initiative with them
is centered on simply showing them love.
We also will be spending time with cell churches around Moldova and
Transnistria.
I don’t know what story I want to tell you about more…
Zena, the
92-year old woman we visited and prayed for today who reminds me of a warm,
friendly fire on Christmas Eve (it’s COLD here).
Or maybe Eugene, the blind man we met last night, who is
strangely thankful he lost his sight due to Diabetes because it was the event
that led him to Christ.
Or maybe about how the toughest border we’ve crossed so far
(and will have to cross several more times) has been a border that technically
doesn’t even exist, between Moldova and Transnistria.
Or the many other crazy-awesome experiences we’ve had already. Life is just very different here but
God is working!
It looks like Internet is going to be pretty tough to come
by here so please be patient with me!
One thing I want to make sure I bring up is that I have a support
raising deadline coming up at the end of this month and am still in need of
about $200 to reach it! I hope you
will act on any callings you feel.
Thanks for reading, as always
