As many may already know, this month for us is Unsung Heroes month. What this means is that our team, Akal Esh, has the goal of reaching Unsung Heroes in the country of Moldova in an effort to come alongside them and provide lift to their efforts to further the Kingdom. Unsung Heroes are those dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the world, yet rarely receive recognition for their dedication and service. They may live with meager conditions, but give consistently from an abundance of God’s love. This is exactly what Emanuel Baptist Church has portrayed to our team since our time in Balti, Moldova.
We came to this city because it was placed on our hearts and we had a couple of leads in the area. However, the pastor of this church so graciously took us in, without even knowing us, and has allowed us to live in his home for the past week. Last Sunday, Pastor Constantin preached a message on Titus 2:14 which says, “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” This is exactly what he and his family have taught us. His wonderful wife, Sandra, is up every morning cooking and feeding us breakfast. She is constantly thinking of us before herself and is always making sure we have enough blankets, pillows, and clean clothes. Even if we suggest not having to eat at their house, she never takes no for an answer and will have a feast awaiting us regardless. They truly live out Hebrews 13:1-2 which says, “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” It is so encouraging to see a family truly live out this scripture not only in words, but in action.
While sitting down and having a meeting with the pastor, we had the privilege of learning all that his church has to offer and all that they do for their community. Pastor Constantin met his wife in Romania and they moved back to Moldova and started the church in 2007. One of the pastor’s original goals was for the church to be a mission focused church. With this, they have a heart to train Moldovans to be raised up as pastors and leaders in their own country. Since 2007, they have trained and sent out 11 pastors into surrounding villages. They also currently work with 7 surrounding villages and send someone to preach in each of these every Sunday. Church planting, evangelism, discipleship, VBS, and village outreaches are only some examples of the heart of this wonderful church. In the villages, they will do door to door ministry, building churches, and other construction projects.
Children’s ministry is another big part of Emanuel Church. Every day after school, kids are invited to come to the church to receive help with their homework and a meal. They are offered free English classes once a week and have Kid’s Club every Saturday. Around 60 children from Christian and non-believing homes attend Kid’s Club and are able to take part in various games, bible studies, and are provided a meal. They also have a big involvement with teens and young adults and have bible study every Thursday evening. They have started sports groups and love playing volleyball in the afternoons. More recently, they began walking to the city square after church on Sundays to sing worship songs and hand out flyers as an outreach to invite their community to church. In the summer, they have a camp for the youth, which consists of around 150 kids and another week of VBS for the youth in August where around 70 kids will attend. The heart of Pastor Constantin and his wife is displayed through the passion of the church congregation. It is a place of joy and selfless serving. They have made us feel like family and I am so grateful to have been a part of their work for even these four short days. If you would like to learn more about this church, please visit their website at www.emanuelbalti.md.
We have made wonderful contacts here in Balti, but our time is quickly coming to an end and we will be departing tomorrow. Our hope is to visit the southern villages of Moldova for the remainder of the time. Please pray for our team as we are travelling and that God will provide the contacts and people for us to meet and partner with. Thank you for your continuous prayer for me and my team and remember to love always, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it…
