Saturday, July 29, 2006

Two Weeks and Counting

I can not believe we leave two weeks from today for Moldova. Seems as if I was just there last month....WAIT...I was there last month. As Jessica stated, there is just something about the kids and Moldova that gets into your blood and you just have to keep going back. It's definitely an addiction, however it's a positive one.

The August team, led by Moldova Guru Miller Hancock, will be doing construction work . As Scott Harris is so found of reminding us, we must be flexible, and in true fashion our work assignments have already changed several times and we have yet to leave the USA. No matter what we work on , we will do in with the love of Christ in our hearts and use the time to bond with the orphans and translators we work with. Maybe we will even have the opportunity to introduce a few of them to our best friend, Jesus!!!

Stay tuned for more on our trip Aug 12-20, 2006.

Roger

Monday, July 24, 2006

Three trips down, and many more to come...



There is just something about the orphans in Moldova...it's something that I can't quite put my finger on, but it's something that keeps drawing me back to this tiny country. I'm still sick and still trying to get over jet lag, but whenever someone asks me about my trip and the kids, all of that goes away. I'm always so eager and willing to talk to anyone who will listen. Someone needs to speak up for all of these precious children...

I will never forget the kids in my Bible study all raising their hands to tell me that they've accepted Christ into their hearts. I will never forget washing the children's feet in that tiny cabin. I will never forget hearing them giggle while I tickled their feet as I put lotion on them after we washed them. I will never forget seeing them run to the buses as we pulled up each day. I will never forget the "Cristina and Jasica's," the "Elmira's and Jasica's," and the "Sasa's and Jasica's" that were written on the mirrors, canvs bags, and other things made each day during craft time. I will never forget Sasa beating me in arm wrestling. I will never forget dancing with Iura to songs from the 50's. I will never forget painting nails that I tried my best to make beautiful but there was just so much dirt on their tiny hands. And, most of all, I won't forget being told "I love you," hugged so tightly that it hurt, and the tears that fell from their eyes and from my own as I left on Friday. It's moments like these and many more that melt your heart. It's moments like these that keep me returning to Moldova...

There is something about each and every kid that I have met in my three trips to Moldova that makes me want everything and more for them. It breaks my heart to know that not every child will make it, that every child has been hurt in some way, but it gives me hope to know that God loves His children in every way possible...in more ways than what I will EVER be able to...

I told myself before leaving this time that this just might be my last time to go to Moldova. I'm in college and money doesn't grow on trees for me. However, before even stepping off the plane in Chisinau, I knew that this was by far not my last trip. Every child I have met and have yet to meet keep me coming back every few months...

All I can do is sit and wait until my next opportunity to go back to Moldova, and in the meantime I will cherish every moment that I have spent with the children I have grown to love in countless ways. Not a day goes by where I don't think of them. I constantly pray for them. Sometimes, I think people get tired of hearing me talk about Moldova, but I don't care, each child is worth every conversation with anyone...I used to think that I would go on trips such as these to help other people, but I have realized that these children are the ones who show God's love to me and who bless me in ways I can't even fathom...they're all precious bundles of joy that completely melt my heart...

Friday, July 21, 2006

Tomorrow, tomorrow...

Hello everyone! It is late and I am tired so I apologize that my thoughts are probably going to be all over the place. Today was our last day at camp. we left early, at noon, and drove about 3 hours to Chisnau to the home we are staying at tonight. we ate dinner at the same restaurant we ate at last year in town.

there are so many stories that will be much better in person, trust me. our team is incredible and Emily has provided outstanding leadership :) I was able to reinforce relationships I built last summer, especially with my sponsor child, Carolina.....and also make many more new little friends. it was wonderful sharing hugs and kisses with Dad's sponsored boys and their older sister Mariana. They are such beautiful children (as all the kids are). Dad - One of the men on our team really bonded with Gehorge (sp.?) and Trofim, and I would love for him to be able to tell you a couple stories about them. Everyday when I arrived they called out my name and ran to give me a hug. I also played ball and stuff with them throughout the day.

I am really sore from doing recreation with kids for 5 days in a row! I'm so out of shape! I have tons of pictures to share of the kids and also of the country and the things we saw. Our drive to and from the camp every day proved very entertaining :) I have laughed SO much this week with our team members! This trip has been even better than last year. I'm not excited about the 20 or so hours of travel we have ahead of us, but I'm trying to look on the bright side!

Well I should wrap this up. Thanks to everyone for the prayers....they have worked in amazing ways! I will be home soon!

For me to...

Hello everyone! We are in Chisinau now...our final destination before we leave in the morning. Wow, it's been an a-mazing week. I can't even tell you all the amazing things God has done. I started calling this team the "Dream Team" in the beginning, just trying to be funny. But I can honestly say this was the Dream Team and the Dream Week for me for so many reasons. I look forward to telling you many stories. I know you'd like to hear them now, but I'm so tired and I'm so close to home that I would rather wait. Just know that God is good and worthy of glory, honor and praise. See you soon...

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Heading home tomorrow

What an eventful week this has been!! It's hard to believe it's coming to a close..... Today we had the most awesome experience--we washed the feet of our children. We told them about how Jesus washed his disciples' feet, and that we wanted to follow His example and wash their feet. We explained that we had come to the camp to serve them and show them the love of Jesus. Our group was the older girls. At first they were very embarrassed and didn't want us to wash their feet. They finally acquiesed, and amidst much teenage girl giggling, we washed their feet, dried them, lotioned them with sweet smells, and put brand new socks on their feet. What a blessing it was to kneel before them, gently love on them, and show them the love of God. I learned that you have a whole new appreciation for someone when you care for their feet, when you see the dirt, the crooked toes from years of wearing ill-fitting shoes, the blisters and mosquito bites. How humbling. Tomorrow morning will be our last day at the camp. It's been awesome to spend time with my sponsored child--whom I now consider to be my daughter --I can't believe I'm not going to see her again for another year! It will be SO HARD to leave!! But how blessed I am to have been able to return to the camp and to spend this week with her! It's been a great week, though much too short, I'll tell you all about it when I get home. Love you all.

This is Laura. Yes, I forgot my password.

Yes, I am really here. I know some of you thought I just took the money and ran. This has been an amazing week. The children are absolutely adorable and are just craving some time and attention from anyone. This afternoon, we read the story of how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and then washed the children's feet. (and lotioned them) It was an amazing experience. They are not used to anyone serving them. At first they werent sure they wanted to do it, but after we convinced the first one to do it, they followed right along. It was the first time all week that they were very calm and reverent. It was something we will never forget. Nancy scrubbed those little feet until they were pink, and sang to them. They loved both. How can you be sooo ready to come home and sooo ready to pack all you own and move here. Thank you to everyone that made it possible for me to be here. Christie, you wrote the devotion I gave this morning. Thanks for that. I love you, Will and Megan. Mind Grandma! I'll be home in a few days.

Nu Plinge (dont cry)

This is gonna be quick. I haven't been able to bloc all week but its been an amazing week. I have made several new friends and have learned a lot of Romanian. I have had kids correct me on my Russian and have official quit talking to them :). I have gained a new brother named fan(stas)tic. The cutest boy in the world. I have had so many experiences here that I am so unbelievably sad that I am leaving. The translators are the bomb and are so fun to be around. We have created bible study lessons for the kids and it has gone great. The little s\kids keep hanging on me and it is adorable. I also keep telling my mom that I really am an orphan and that I should stay here with two translators I have fallen in love with (Alina and her husband Dima). The other missionaries here have also gotten closer with me and I have made new relations with them. With all the friends I have made I need to come back to Moldova. I am on the verge of tears thinking how I will miss these kids. You'll have to ask for the details later. I've got to go.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Hugs from Moldova!

The children here are so loving! Everyday they have been flocking to us when we arrive at the camp. Have you ever noticed how a child can become attached to one of their stuffed animals and no matter how dirty or tattered it becomes, they continue to love it and don't want to give it up? Well, I can now relate to those children! Even though these children are dirty and tattered, I have come to love them more each day. Every day has been a humbling experience for me. Each day I have listened to children pray to God and thank him for all their blessings, and I look around and wonder how they do that! Most of them have one set of clothes, shoes with holes in them, parents they hardly ever hear from, (many have no contact with them or their parents are gone) dirty shacks to live in, poor food and water, and bathroom conditions that would equal the concentration camps I visited in Dachau Germany. How humbling! Today during prayer requests one of the little boys that Rhonda's dad sponsors named Ghiorghe, whom I have really bonded with this week, prayed that I would have a safe trip home. For someone with so little, he didn't ask for anything for himself, but for me. Although there have certainly been children who have asked for us to give them things, especially our watches, there have been even more who have only wanted to be loved on and nothing else. Actually, I am surprised that there are not more behavior problems. I have had several boys that always beg for me to sit next to them during our Bible lesson or music time. They want me to hold them and hug them, and I can almost feel their hearts filling up with the attention they crave so badly. Often when one of them is sitting on my lap or I am hugging them and I let my hand relax, they will put my hand back where it was and press it toward them. They want me to continue hugging them very tightly. These children are so beautiful! I see so much potential in so many of them. I also know that without the proper guidance and opportunities, many of them are going to end up just being a statistic. Another boy named Ion, who has not left my side the entire time I have been at camp wrote me a letter today when our team went to lunch. At the end he quoted a Bible verse. John 14:1, which says, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. I really need to hear that because my heart is really troubled for these children. Please pray for them! DonMeyer

Cel mai bun ziua...

What a great day! Really, how many days can you say that you got to see cow intestines, haggle for wash tubs, sing a duet with Dierks Bentley (aka Matthew) and be part of a bunch of orphans giving their lives to Christ? Well...that was today in a nutshell. I know it sounds like a lot of random events or at least the start to a really bad Nicholas Sparks novel but in reality, it is only one day in a trip to Moldova to work with a team of incredible people who only want to serve Christ. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I learned to speak Romanian 12 years ago and really, at that time, had no idea that it would culminate in a moment that would have ETERNAL consequences. The Bible tells us that God only uses broken vessels and honestly, you could lump me in there with them, but today I had the opportunity to tell the group at evening devotion time about God's Plan of Salvation for us. At lunch, I had enlisted the help of some of the other ladies on our team (thank you Nancy!) to really pray for the hearts of these kids and for a move of the Holy Spirit. However, I really didn't expect that move to come so quickly! After I walked the kids down the Roman Road I asked them if they had ever prayed the Sinners Prayer and asked Christ for salvation. Some hands shot up, our teams included (thanks for the moral support guys...it helped in a HUGE way to help out with crowd participation). However, when I asked if anyone would like to come up and pray that prayer with me...one little tiny dirty orphan girl (Doina) came forward and hugged me...and before I completely lost it...8 others came up and prayed with me to accept Christ! I wish I could say that I remember exactly what I said (maybe it had something to do with the afformentioned cow intestines...probably not...but really, I just wanted to mention the cow intestines again...OH...I did it again...wow, I am tired) but honestly, I don't...I was totally on the J.C. autopilot and ALL of the Glory be to HIM! An incredible, incredible day. I will share more and it will mean a lot more when you can see the video and pictures. (Yes...we did take pics of the cow intestines...OH, I did it again!) But thank you, THANK YOU for all of your thoughts and prayers. I mis you all and will see y'all soon!!!! Yours in the unbreakable bond, Will P.S. Dierks and I album will be out in the fall....so look for our tour to be in a city near you very soon!

Lots of chickens have had to die for us to come to Moldova!

I have never been fed so much chicken and potatoes in my life! I commend our cook Loliana for coming up with so many variations for chicken breast, but wow- when we leave will any chickens be left alive in Moldova?!! Today is Wednesday at about 10:00PM Moldova time and we have come to the Internet cafe to blog our thoughts for the day. I sit here listening to some R&B song in Romanian booming from the bar next door and honestly I find it hard to remember hearing familiar songs in English. It seems as if we have been here for much longer than 5 days. The last few days have been exhausting, exciting, heart breaking and convicting. So many emotions rush over you during the day as you spend time with the kids. I am trying to learn all of their names and I repeat them everytime I see them. They look at me with a curious look like "gee, can't you remember my name??" Many of them are hard for us Americans to pronounce, but when you do say their names their eyes just light up and they give you a big hug. Here are just a few details about some of the kids I have met: One girl, Olga, has nearly taken my breath away when she hugs me. Everytime she sees me she hugs me so tight. Almost as if she hugs me tight enough I will stay. She tries out English words on me like "hello" and "goodbye" and giggles when she gets them right and I say "bravo." Ana is like a leech. She mets me at the bus and grabs my back pack and wants to carry it around all day for me. She has big brown eyes and is just precious when she watches my mouth as I pronounce Romanian words and she corrects me. Igor is super smart and is always very eager to answer questions in group time. You can tell that he is eager to please and is good with the other kids. He says my name like a song "Sunny, Sunny, Sunny." Vacile is a real jokester and is always covering my eyes and hiding from me. Eugene is a quiet boy, but he is very intent when he listens to you. I have been reading stories from a picture Bible and he is just catatonic looking at the pictures. He wears a Superman shirt everyday and when we were looking at some pictures I had of my family, he was very excited to see my newphew Graham in his full Superman outfit. Another kids came into Arts and Crafts in a Batman shirt with full cape. It was cute. I called his name during evening worship to come sit beside me and when he sat down I put my arm around him. He looked up at me and smiled and then hugged me and kept his arm around me the whole worship service. These kids come up to you and just rub your arms, smell your hands and clothes and run their fingers through your hair. Even if I never said a word to them, they are happy just to sit in my lap, play with my watch (endless facination with the indiglo watches) and rub my arm. I have to say that it is difficult to hold back the tears several times during the day. You just want to scoop them up and give them everything that they need- clothes, a warm bed, love and attention and the opportunity to reach their potential. We have brought many things to help meet their everyday needs (underwear, socks, toys, etc) and have focused on feeding them the love of God too. It is funny that when you get off of the bus at the camp you seem to forget anything you have on your mind or anything that is bothering you. I have no concept of time or place since I have been here. Not just because we are all the way on the other side of the world, but because these kids just suck you in. You can just sit with them and watch them flip through a picture Bible and point out characters they know and talk in a language that you don't understand for hours. I need to get off now as we are heading back to the house to prepare for tomorrow. Thanks for all of your prayers!! Hope all is well and I can't wait to see everyone when I get back!!! I have fabulous pictures!!!

Message to USA from Willa

Hey everyone!!! We're having a lot of fun in Moldova. We are staying in Balsti. The camp is about an hour away. I have made several friends, Alina B, two translators, both named Elina, Ludmilla, Lilia, Carolina and Angelina, to name a few. We play hand games and talk. I help with the recreation group which is a lot of fun. The kids have to leave the camp when they are 16 and they will have no where to go. A lot of them get very sad when their 16th birthday comes close. We visited the orphanage today and it did not look good for living in. The buildings were dreary and cold looking. They were very old and did not look safe to live in. Also in the winter the one dorm they live in would be very crowded. The children have very few clothes, and have been wearing mostly the same clothes since we arrived. The Preschool children had their clothes washed today so they were running around in just a tshirt and underwear. Even the boys had girls underwear on and they were all grey and dirty looking. It was sad. Tomorrow we are washing their feet. I think that will be a little exciting because their feet are really dirty. Their shoes are broken and their shirts and pants have holes. We will also be giving them the socks and underwear we collected before the trip. We are all getting very tired. At supper everyone is silly. Most of the time we go over the day and pray. By then it is late and time to get ready for bed; however, there are still showers to be taken and supplies to get ready for the next day. Over and out from Willa!!!!! Susan: I am very proud of the kids today. It was a hot day (not complaining since it was not raining). They are tired, Willa has bags under her eyes. And everyone is getting a little testy. Still they are troupers. They are holding out everybit as well as the adults. The kids still cling to them and they still give them attention right back. Willa played soccer (futbal) with some kids today and apparently made a really good block at the goal using her stomach (that's my girl!). And Sam was able to convince a few of his new friends to come up to the front to pray with the group during evening worship. I was very proud of both of them. Sam surprised me as we got on the bus to go home however. He came up to me and said he was thinking he wanted to stay until the end of the year. He said he was starting to empathize with these boys and wanted to stay and help them. He even promised to go to school. I couldn't answer him and told him to sit down. It was a good day. Of course Willa wants us to bring them all home with us, which would also be great, but she would have to share her room! Again, I am so glad God allowed us to be a part of this adventure. He has allowed us to be used for his purpose, and it is a wonderful thing. As much as I am ready to come home to something to eat other than chicken and potatoes, I am dreading having to say goodbye to these beautiful children. I will certainly keep a part of them in my heart.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Sandy speaks from Moldova

Greetings from Balti, Molda. Today has been the best day yet!. Beginning with, God blessed us with a day of sunshine which was wonderful after 2 days of ran! We are all getting to know each other well and in my opinion working together wonderfully as a team. I have felt God's presence here so strongly. This is trully a life changing experience for the children as well as myself. The children seem happier more each day that we are here. It has taken me a day but they seem to we "warming up to me" and all I can say is that I love them even though they are not my own. They are so easy to love. Today I watched as they were in "free time" , learning English, playing cards, painting, etc and they are so eager to learn! As we go through the day, the children just want to be touched and held - I am blessed to be here to hug and hold them. The pictures we are taken are many and will be great to show ya'll when we get home. If anyone reads this today or any day this week will you Please forward this to my sister at the e-mail address 2thmkrlyons@comcast.net. thank you, See you soon.........Sandy

Greetins from Moldova

Today has been an eventful day and God has been awesome. I got to share my testimony with the children at the orphanage. God loves them just like He does our children in Tennessee. I have many things to share with you and I am looking forward to doing that after our arrival home. God bless you and please keep praying for us! Moldova Has some of the richest farmland that I have ever seen . God is doing some great things here. See you soon. Nancy Weatherspoon

the toilet paper is PINK!!!!!

I don't have long to blog so this will be short. these past few days have been wonderful. I have really bonded with this 8 year old girl named Cristina. She is WONDERFUL!!! she says that she is new in the orphanage. All the children are so loving... they will carry your backpack, give you kisses, and NEVER let go of you. My bible study group, as i said before is a group of 6 eight year old boys and two girls. The boys are SOO crazy. God is really testing my patients with these children. Hopefully by the end of the week i'll be able to keep them from jumping on the beds during the daily lessons. One of the little girls in my group, Elina, has such a sad story. She was found by the police when she was three and her sister was two. They were living in a hut on the side of the road and eating garbage. There parents left them with nothing and no one. Since she had lived alone so long she would act like and animal. Now at age eight she still acts like that from time to time, like biting the translator on the leg today, but she is getting better. Please pray that i will be able to work with her bc she has asked my to pray that she can have Jesus in her heart. Today i adventured down to the camps bathrooms... it was unbelievable. They have a SMALL hole in the group which they squat over and use. There is feces all around the hole, and no toilet paper to use. It breaks my heart to think that these children do not even have a toilet to use. On a better note the children have been wonderful....everytime you leave they will not let go and we have to explain that we will back the next day. i am STILL struggling with romanian and can only say "what is your name" and "thank you". Today Cristian and a girl named Alexandra made my braclets from "floss". I told them i would think of them everytime i saw it and would pray for them. at this point cristiana started to cry. it breaks my heart to think that these children so not have anyone at all. Martha Blair has bonded with an eight year old girl, and yesterday she gave MB "the only piece of jewelry she has ever owned". even though it was just a small string with a few clear beads on it, it meant the world to both her and Martha Blair. Just today was the first time cristiana had changed her clothes. From Sunday to this afternoon I have seen her wearing the same outfit, and this is not uncommone. I don't have much time, but hopefully i'll be able to blog one more time this week. please pray for me and all the wonderful children of Moldova.

Sam and Susan Sharpe say "Hello"

We finally saw sun today! It actually was hot for a while and the kids played out in the yard. I have been surprised by a lot so far this week. The kids are all so happy to see us. I am working with the young ladies who are in their early teens. Sam is with grades four through six and Willa is with first through third. Willa's group is a rowdy bunch. It is amazing to see how the kids have been accepted by the children at the camp. The kids follow them around and love to be involved in whatever Sam and Willa have going on. I don't know how Sam is communicating with the boys, but they seem to be able to discuss things and figure out games to play. God is certainly breaking down the communication barriers for him and it is beautiful to see. It has been a blessing to be with the team of workers we have from Tennessee. The are very uplifting and do their best to encourage each other whenever the going gets tough. Of course we always find something to laugh at, which is what you do when fatigue makes you slap happy! During the afternoons we have free time with the kids. We can do whatever activity we want. Sam has made a duct tape wallet for one of his closest friends and has help the boys with basic origami projects. Willa has helped the kids with making bracelets and braiding hair. Today I was working with a couple of students teaching them some basic English phrases. One of the girls was trying very hard and had some difficulty with the "th" sound. Most Romanian words use hard consonants and she had difficulty getting it right. She was very upset, but she kept trying and eventually got there. The best part however, was hearing her say "Jesus is my friend" and "Jesus loves me". We were even able to carry on a basic English conversation by the end. I could tell she was very happy. I have been very uplifted by this whole experience and am very grateful that I have been able to come here. God is good. I hope that we are being a blessing to the children and bringing glory to God's name with our work. Sam: What my mom says is pretty much it, except she omitted the part where I made up a cool game with bottle caps. It's almost ready to be sold to the Parker Brothers. A couple of guys I have met include but are not limited to(By the way, I really don't know how to spell the last names): Sasha N., Sergio, another Sasha, and Yuri. So, that's it. By the way, a big shout-out to my peeps at BGA. SAM SHARPE Rachel, Henry and Seth, I love you and see you soon!

Monday, July 17, 2006

This is Emily reporting from Balti, Moldova...

Well, so much to say, so little time in the internet cafe. First, let me say God has been good..so good. It has been so evident that Jesus has prepared our way. I'm sure you've read about that in the other blogs. We have had obstacles - what else is new - but the team has a great attitude and we are bending (not breaking) with every trial that comes our way. Today was the first official day of camp. Just like yesterday, it rained. For those of you who don't know the Falesti camp is called "Dirt Camp". Dirt Camp+Rain="Mud Camp". Oh the joy! :) But it's been nice and cool, which I am thankful for. We have had to readjust our plans because many of the acitivities require being outside. But then you feel arms wrap around your waist and you look down into the face of a broken and dirty child. They smile at you and you realize you're looking into the face of your Savior. It's a powerful thing. And somehow you don't care about the rain or the changed plans. Meredith, Jura is here (and Irina and Vova) from the handicapped orphanage. I have given many special hugs to Jura. Today, a couple bulleys were messing with him. Jen and I of course reprimanded them. A few mintues later (while Jen was talking to one of the bulleys), the bulley's shoe fell off into the mud. Jura walked up, picked up the kids shoe, and handed it to him. That's a picture of Jesus if I've ever seen one. Jura sits around camp, reading his bible. I looked over one time and it was upside down, but I have a feeling he was getting something out of it anyway. It is so good to see him.


One major piece of news...my Mihai is not here. I thought he would be and found out he wasn't when I got here Saturday ngiht. :( Apparently he is with a family in a village near Drochia. He was here a couple weeks ago when another team was here, but they sent him back once the team left. He MIGHT come tomorrow - on the bread truck that comes every day. I certainly hope so. I have been very sad about this, so please pray that he will come tomorrow. On the other hand I know God has a perfect plan and purpose for this trip, and I am getting to spend lots of precious time with new kids that I might not have met if Mihai was here. I've spent a LOT of time with some of my friend's sponsored kids like Angela, Aliona, Vasile. I spend most of my time walking around camp, trying to bond with the kids that are by themselves or not participating.

One kid's name is Jura (different than the one I mentioned before). The teachers told me he's no good..causes trouble. But I find him quite adorable and am determined to love him this week. He has definitely opened up to me and seems to always be at my side. He meets me at the van in the morning and walks me to the van when we leave. It's amazing how love - unconditional - can melt the coldest heart. We're all doing really well. Everyone is healthy, getting along great.

Oh...I almost forgot. The sunflowers are in bloom! I missed them last summer (I was here in June). But they are in full bloom. It's one of the most amazing things I've EVER seen. It's literally a field of gold. Sunflowers as far as the eye can see. When you're driving in this amazing countryside, you forget you're in a third world country. The landscape is so beautiful and fertile. I wish you all could see it for yourself. A picture does not do it justice. Maybe some of you WILL see it someday! ;) Thank you all so much for your prayers. Keep it up. Stay tuned and love to all...E

Moldova musings!

Hey everybody, it's Rhonda! Our trip has been really good so far. The 25 hours it took to get here, seemed like it would never end at times. I took Tylenol PM on the 8-hour flight with hopes to sleep. It worked, I was so tired, but yet I could not fall asleep because I was so uncomfortable on the plane! I will NOT be doing that again....I'll just let myself sleep naturally or else not sleep at all on the flight. I will try not to be repetitive with what others have already written. Sunday when we went to just visit the kids for a couple of hours, I got off the bus and a boy walked up to me and said "Hello Rhonda!" He remembered me from last year! I was so excited that now I can't even remember which little boy it was LOL But it was very neat. I hugged many other children but did not see my sponsored girl, Carolina. A couple minutes later I turned around and she was coming towards me and I gave her a hug and began to cry. I held onto her for a long time - I think that Jane snapped a great picture of us :) I am teaching the 11-year-olds for Bible Study time. My partner and I have about 16-17 of them, and they are pretty crazy! Hard to keep their attention and to keep the quiet in a small room. For afternoon time, I am on the Recreation team. Today we had relays and games planned but had to stay under the tent because of the rain. We were able to do the Hokey Pokey, and a couple other song games. The weather has not been cooperating, which changes our whole plans for the day. It is raining a lot, which makes the camp one huge mud puddle. Plus it was VERY cold today...well, very cold for July, probably 60 degrees - and raining and windy. I could see my breath at times. I only brought 1 pair of pants and I really want to keep them for the trip home. I've got a fleece though, so don't worry Mom and Dad! Dad - I have talked with your boys today. I told them that you became sick and could not be here but you really wanted to. I said that you love them so much and wanted me to tell them that. I said that you really like writing to them and would be here if you could. They are beautiful kids....the 15-year-old Maxim is at home though, not at camp. Trophim is adorable, but I spent more time with George today. He would look at me while we were doing games and stuff, and gave me hugs as we were leaving today. I am also spending a lot of time with Carolina also, as she is in my 11-year-old bible group. I know everyone's mentioned the bumpy bus rides here, but I forgot just how bumpy it is! I am seeing a few places that I recognize from last year. The countryside is gorgeous and I plan to take many pictures when it's sunny again. There are huge fields of sunflowers that I just want to run through!!! We plan to stop and take photos of them/with them. Our team house is nice and the food is great and plentiful! I miss all my friends and family a lot, but time is flying by and I know we'll be home before we know it....which is good and bad. It's strange that we've only spent about 9 hours with the kids so far, considering this is the end of Day 4. Here is how you can pray for us: Pray for the rain to stop and the weather to warm up. Pray for positive attitudes and that we may be flexible. (We've had many things throw kinks in our plans so far and satan is trying to hinder our purpose.) Pray that the kids will ask us about salvation if they have not accepted Christ, pray that we may begin conversations about that. Pray for our translators and the teachers as well. We are not certain about their salvation, and also the work that the translators do for us. Most of them are young and we are getting along with them well. Several I worked with last summer. Ok I feel I've talked for a really long time so I'll wrap it up! I miss everyone and you are in my thoughts daily....dad, mom, Sam, Joe, the Elite 8, and everyone else! I love you all! Thanks to my prayer partners for their notes that I get daily! Personal e-mails are much appreciated, I might be able to check them once before we leave. Love you all, goodbye for now!

Taking life for granted...

In 1994 I had the opportunity to live in Romania and experience life by living in a foreign country with a foreign family in a foreign culture for a year. During my time in Romania those 12 years ago, I learned a lot of conversational Romanian and culture...and wow, in the past 48 hours those language skills have been put to the test. (Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me postpone my undergraduate graduation and allow me to study in Romania!!) At the time I was learing Romanian, I had no idea that it would benefit me so much later in a way that I could not even begin to comprehend at the ripe ole age of 23. Fast forward 12 years and here I am again, speaking Romanian and emersed in a culture that is totally foreign to what we call 'home' in the United States. I am surrounded by children who have little or no family and definitely no parents that can love them and nurture them like mine did. Thank God, that I have the limited gift of communication so that I can talk to these boys and girls and pour a little of Christ's love in their young lives. Upon arrival at the 'camp' for the kids the overwhelming needs that are immediately apparent are almost too many to count. Everything, and I do mean everything, that we call creature comforts at home, these kids do without. They don't just do with out on a limited basis but every day. Once the initial shock of the conditions sank in, I really had to focus on the task at hand and realize that you can't do everything in one short week. Immediately, I resolved to do the best I could with the gifts that God has granted me to pour out for these children who so desperately need to have hope and love in their lives. Little things have become big things. Even it is just a hug, a smile, or just being able to talk to a little 7 year old boy and ask him how his day is going and what he wants to do today. These children love to have their pictures taken and I know that the pictures I have taken, I will treasure for a lifetime. After our initial introductions, I was paired up with a group of 8 boys that are between the ages of 14 to 16. While these boys don't have families as we know it, clothes as we know it, rooms as we know it, they are still teenage boys who want and need the same thing American boys need and want at their age. Again, thank the Lord, that I can at least speak passable Romanian. We made some big strides in finding common ground and getting to know these guys. In getting to know them, they do want the same things that American kids want but the main and obvious difference is the lack of hope and opportunity. I was amazed at how smart they are with their limited education and means! Hopefully, through work like we are doing and continuing perserverance this can and will change. We have only been at the 'camp' for two days but both days, the boys don't want to see us go and make sure to ask us what time we will be back tomorrow. Truly, I am looking foward to going back tomorrow and sharing with them a little more of what has been given so much to me. However, if nothing else does come of 8 days in Moldova, I will definitely come back a more thankful husband, father and son. Truly, we are blessed to live in the U.S.A. but more so, I am blessed to have a loving family, wife and son!

I have been transported

After a 45 minute ride to Falesti we arrived for our first full day at the camp. The countryside of Moldova is so beautiful. There are huge fields of sunflowers and vineyards sometimes on both sides of the road as far as you can see. It is hard to believe that a country so rich in agriculture it so poor in so many other ways. Arriving at the camp for day 2 wasn't quite as overwhelming as yesterday. Some of the children greeted us at the front entrance of the camp because they knew to watch for us today. They are so excited when we arrive. They immediately come running and want to hold your hand and hug you. There is one little girl in particular (Mihaela) who picked me out the very first day in about two minutes and now has become my buddy for the week. She is 11 and she also has a sister at the orphanage who is 13. Whenever we have worship or any free time, she immediately appears by my side. Everyone told me before we arrived that this would happen- there is always one that becomes your friend for life. They just so long for attention, it is their opportunity to feel special to one person for at least one week out of their lives. I guess what I have been most shocked about is just the extreme conditions these children live in 24-7. There is no way to adequately explain unless you have been here and touched, seen, and smelled the atmosphere of the camp. I am in the group that works with the preschoolers (ages 3- 7). They are so adoreable. We waited for them to wake up from their naps so we could spend some time with them. When they wake up they get up, make up their beds and put on their clothes without any help - even the three year olds. They were so proud to recite rhymes and sing songs for us. Again, it is difficult to express in words what this "world" is like here. (Yes, I do feel like I have been transported to a different one!) The children are so precious and no different in their desires, loves and fears than my own children. Their smiles are contagious and they so long to be loved. God reminds me today that although these children barely have enough to survive - "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is for all those who believe; for there is no distinction" (Romans 3:22) To Gary, Caroline and Audrey - I love and miss you. To Mom - Happy Birthday!

"People pray when they ask Jesus into their hearts"


One more day down in Falesti, and I must say that rain and all it was a good one...I won't get into all that we did today at camp like recreation, arts and crafts, yada, yada, yada because what happened in my Bible Study with the 12 years olds is a great story all in itself...Don, Sam, and I are the leaders for a group of 17 12 year olds, mostly boys. Today was my turn to lead the Bible lesson, and our topic was prayer. I talked about when to pray, why we pray, and other such things, and I asked my group of kids to go around and say one thing that they were thankful for and give me a reason that makes them pray. What happened next threw me completely off guard because I wasn't prepared for such an amazing thing. One of the kids said that people pray when they ask Jesus into their hearts. Good, good answer...this led me to ask them who had accepted Christ into their hearts. Before I tell you what was said, I have to tell you that I asked a lot of these same kids the same question when I was here in January and only a few raised their hands and an argument started between the kids. Well, this time was a lot different...all but two of my kids raised their hands before the translator even finished asking the question. For some reason, it threw me for a loop and I broke down. I cried hard...to see these same kids that I asked the same question to a few months ago be so eager to tell me that they had all accepted Christ touched me in so many ways, words really can't describe. I think me crying confused the kids because they thought that they had done something to make me mad or upset because I was crying but I quickly explained to them that I was happy and that what they just told me, well actually showed me by raising their hands, would NEVER make me upset. I was so taken aback by such a powerful moment that Don had to step in and pick up for me because I could speak...these precious children left me completely speechless...my little Ludmila that I met at Christmas isn't here, but I picked up on building relationships with two other children that I met at Christmas. Both of them asked me if I remembered them and ever since then Sasha and Christina haven't left my side. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that at this moment I belong here...Oh yeah, today was the first Bible study I have ever led in my entire life, and I msut say that it was an amazing one, don't you think?

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Day One- Moldova

We made it!! After approximately 26 hours, three countries, three plane rides (including a diversion to Kentucky- fearful we were headed to Frankfurt, KY instead of Germany) and a three hour van ride through the countryside of Moldova (incredible pot holes that I was sure were going to swallow our van whole), we arrived at the IMB house in Falesti at 10:30PM Saturday evening (where did Friday go?). After a wonderful dinner of chicken and rice and a dessert of chocolate banana cake, we all crashed in all the glory that was our travel funk in hopes of recalling where we were when we woke up. We spent most of the morning organizing all of our supplies. Apparently we are the first Moldova team to make it to Moldova with all of our luggage (sans one suitcase that was accidently left at the airport-opps- no worries everyone has underware for the week) and by-pass any questions from customs!! Rock on! We made gifts for our translators and the teachers at the orphanage and organized all of the supplies into their various categories (musica, recreation and arts and crafts) and then all piled into the vans to meet our translators for pizza. We had a great time getting to know our translators and enjoyed what would prove to be the last time during the next few hours of the day that we could communicate fully. Ohh to be able to speak Romanian- I would have so much to say! We were then off to the orphanage camp to meet the kids and their teachers. We steppped off of the van and the kids at the camp looked at us curiously and many of them slowly came up to us. Many of the people in our group knew some of the kids from previous trips or from being a sponser and the kids just ran into their arms so excited to see them. I approached a few of the kids and tried out my first few crude words of Romanian. "Boona Zewah (sp?)" I said and the kids' eyes lit up and I asked their names. As they got more comfortable with us many of them would just come up and grab your hand or just give you a hug. I was overwhelmed by the affection. These children didn't know my name or who I was but they were so glad to see me! I berated myself for not learning more Romanian words and longed to tell the kids everything. That we loved them, that we would be here all week and that we had so many great things planned for them. After a few minutes of introductions, we headed into the cafeteria to have cake and fellowship with the camp teachers. We met Ana and through the help of Daniel, our translator, learned that she was the nurse for the kids and that she was very glad that we were there. We asked her lots of questions (always the curious Americans) about her children and where she lived. We also asked about the kids and what they need and if she had any advice for us for this week. She said to be patient with the children and reminded us that by being here we encourage the children and that she was very thankful for that. Thank you Ana for reminding us of our purpose here. We enjoyed cake with Ana and chatted some more before going out to meet the kids that would be in our Bible study groups all week. As Emily read off the names of the kids that would be in our group they ran over to me and Bekah and we asked all of their names. They seemed so excited to learn our names and just talk with us. Alena, our group translator, helped us explain that we had lots of things planned for them and that we were very glad to meet them. We read a few Bible story books with our group and they had a great time teaching me the Romanian names of the animals pictured in the books. They were very tough teachers and made me say the words over and over again until I got it right. We must have read those books 5 times a piece and they would look at me funny when I just couldn't remember the name for the turtle (actually two words and pretty hard to pronounce with a Southern accent). I will practice, I told them. We did the Hokey Pokey and turned ourselves around and just got to know the kids. They were so happy to be around us, it was amazing. I was sad to say goodbye but we made sure they understood that we would be back tomorrow with lots of games and fun stuff for them to do. I got back on the bus and thought of a million games or books that I wish I had brought, but more importantly I tried to repeat the names of the children I had met in my head. Each little one made by God for a purpose. I had seen lots of pictures of the children on the Sweet Sleep website and in pictures of people who had travelled to Moldova in the past, but until you meet these precious children you can't imagine how it feels to look into their eyes and to tell them your name and to give them a hug or hold their hand. I can't wait until tomorrow when we bring in full force all that we have planned for them- the games, the crafts, the Bible stories, the Bibles of their very own. We have planned so many things to show these kids that they are loved. Not only by us but by their heavenly father who made them. "Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me that I may fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." The mystery to these kids is that they are loved. Although the world may not be the most kind place for them and they may not have mothers and fathers here on earth to love them, they have a most holy God that calls them His own. So that is our first 24 hours in Moldova and I have to say: price of one bottle of water in the Frankfurt airport- $8; price of small bottle of hand lotion in the Frankfurt airport due to my inability to exchange Euros to dollars in my head- $60; cost of smelling the food on the Air Moldova flight- loss of appetite for a good 4 hours; van ride throught the Moldova countryside- loss of approximatley 2 inches in height and one or two vertebre in my spine; cold shower in the morning with only driplets of water- loss of feeling in most of my body and residual shampoo in my hair all day; meeting the children of the orphanage camp in Falesti- PRICELESS! Look for more to come for our group!! God bless!!!!

My first 24hrs in Falesti

Hello everyone! This is quite an amazing place. We have only been here for 24hrs. and I am really to pack up and move here :) We went to go visit the orphanage today to meet the children we will be working with this week. When we got out of the van and the children ran and jumped in our arms holding us very tightly. There were so starved for affection. I am teaching 7th-9th grade girls and I want to adopt all 10 of them. I hope and pray that God is able to work through us this week to reach these children for him. For more details read my sisters's blog. (Click on Jane Thompson, she types faster) :) The Romanian boys are crowding me and trying to take my picture I must make a mad dash to the van. (by the way we are riding in style in a mercedes-benz and I am driving:) bine!

A whole new world!!!!

so here i am sitting in an internet cafe with a bunch of teenage boys looking over my shoulder trying to figure out what i am writing but cannot read or speak a bit of english. luckily matthew is here to translate and tell them to stay away. so the flight over here was VERY long, not to mention very cramped. Our flight to germany was so long and so uncomfortable, when we reached the germany airport i took a two hour nap on the airport chairs. from there we took a two hour flight to moldova where i sat next to a very nice lady who is from moldova and teaches english. she explained alot about moldova and their culture. after landing in moldova at seven at night (11:00 nashville time) we took a LONG, bumpy, three hour ride to our house in Falesti we had a VERY late dinner and went to bed around 11 (3:00 in the afternoon nashville time) we finally went to bed. i woke up at 6 in the morning (10 @ night in nashville) bc that was when the water was turned back on and took a FREEZING cold shower. from here we had a wonderful breakfast and gathered our supplies for the day. we then had lunch with our translators then went on to camp. here we were greeting with so many smiling faces or little orphans who LOVED to have their pictures taken. A translator named Aileena helped me say hello and speak to the children. Even though i tried to learn a few words in romanian i still had to write how to say hello on my hand, so that was the only thing i could say ALL day to the children. There was this one girl named Christina who is absolutly adorable. We took about 25 pictures of all the children and the attempted to split up into our bible study groups. From here I was put with about 12, 1st-3rd grade boys, and two girls. We went into one of their cabins, which had about 4 beds in. The boys were jumping off the beds and screaming words i had no clue what they were saying. Luckily my wonderful translator, Vesilly, was there to help me out. It seems that I have the wildest children in the whole orphanage in my group. this is where i will need prayer for patient with these boys. We took them in to the cafeteria bc they were too wild in the cabin. From here we played 3 rounds on the hokey pokey, simon says, and sang a song about animals eating, drinking, and running in romanian. It was very interesting might i say. The children all have short hair and wear about 3 layers of any clothes they can find. Their shoes (if they have any) are all torn and are barely there. it's so sad to this these children are living like this. I have yet to see the outhouses at the camp or sinks.. that will be interesting. we said our goodbyes, pulling the children, especially christina, off of us and telling them we would be back tomorrow. In the morning we will go back to camp to start a regular day with the children. It seems that there is rain in the forcast for the next few days (as well as all day today) so we will see what God has planned for the next few days. Being in Moldova is like a whole new world..haha. Our mission house is very nice but other than that there only seems to be very run down, old apartments. I tried to post pictures but it seems the internet cafe does not have a plug :( So stay tuned and hopefully i'll be able to post pictures later. I'm not sure if we will have a chance to come back to the cafe the rest of the week but this is just a peek of my trip so far. Sorry if this seems scatter brained but the romanian boys are surrounding me and martha blair and trying to read my english typing (it's a little distracting having peopel looking over my shoulder speaking in another language about me) But the real journey begins tomorrow.....I miss and love you all and can't wait to return with tons of stories and pictures.

A whole new world!!!!

so here i am sitting in an internet cafe with a bunch of teenage boys looking over my shoulder trying to figure out what i am writing but cannot read or speak a bit of english. luckily matthew is here to translate and tell them to stay away. so the flight over here was VERY long, not to mention very cramped. Our flight to germany was so long and so uncomfortable, when we reached the germany airport i took a two hour nap on the airport chairs. from there we took a two hour flight to moldova where i sat next to a very nice lady who is from moldova and teaches english. she explained alot about moldova and their culture. after landing in moldova at seven at night (11:00 nashville time) we took a LONG, bumpy, three hour ride to our house in Falesti we had a VERY late dinner and went to bed around 11 (3:00 in the afternoon nashville time) we finally went to bed. i woke up at 6 in the morning (10 @ night in nashville) bc that was when the water was turned back on and took a FREEZING cold shower. from here we had a wonderful breakfast and gathered our supplies for the day. we then had lunch with our translators then went on to camp. here we were greeting with so many smiling faces or little orphans who LOVED to have their pictures taken. A translator named Aileena helped me say hello and speak to the children. Even though i tried to learn a few words in romanian i still had to write how to say hello on my hand, so that was the only thing i could say ALL day to the children. There was this one girl named Christina who is absolutly adorable. We took about 25 pictures of all the children and the attempted to split up into our bible study groups. From here I was put with about 12, 1st-3rd grade boys, and two girls. We went into one of their cabins, which had about 4 beds in. The boys were jumping off the beds and screaming words i had no clue what they were saying. Luckily my wonderful translator, Vesilly, was there to help me out. It seems that I have the wildest children in the whole orphanage in my group. this is where i will need prayer for patient with these boys. We took them in to the cafeteria bc they were too wild in the cabin. From here we played 3 rounds on the hokey pokey, simon says, and sang a song about animals eating, drinking, and running in romanian. It was very interesting might i say. The children all have short hair and wear about 3 layers of any clothes they can find. Their shoes (if they have any) are all torn and are barely there. it's so sad to this these children are living like this. I have yet to see the outhouses at the camp or sinks.. that will be interesting. we said our goodbyes, pulling the children, especially christina, off of us and telling them we would be back tomorrow. In the morning we will go back to camp to start a regular day with the children. It seems that there is rain in the forcast for the next few days (as well as all day today) so we will see what God has planned for the next few days. Being in Moldova is like a whole new world..haha. Our mission house is very nice but other than that there only seems to be very run down, old apartments. I tried to post pictures but it seems the internet cafe does not have a plug :( So stay tuned and hopefully i'll be able to post pictures later. I'm not sure if we will have a chance to come back to the cafe the rest of the week but this is just a peek of my trip so far. Sorry if this seems scatter brained but the romanian boys are surrounding me and martha blair and trying to read my english typing (it's a little distracting having peopel looking over my shoulder speaking in another language about me) But the real journey begins tomorrow.....I miss and love you all and can't wait to return with tons of stories and pictures.

WE MADE IT

We are finally here! Things didn't start out so good when we first started our journey, but God led us through it. On our first flight out, which was only supposed to be 45 min, it ended up lastng about 2 hours. There was a thunderstorm over Cincinatti so no planes were not allowed to land. We had to go back to Louisville to get more fuel then go back to Cincinatti. At first I thought, "Man O Man this is just going to be a wonderful trip." We got onto the long 8 hour stretch and just crashed. After our long lay over in Frankfut's boring airplane, we were finally almost to Moldova. I sat beside my sister, Jessica, and a man that I kept hitting with all of my stuff. I could tell he was starting to get annoyed with me. Our dinner was out and I realized this was my opportunity to butter this man up by being extra nice and offering him some of my "wonderful" Moldovan dinner. I started having this conversation with him and then noticed he didn't speak English. A little while later I tried again to be nice to this man, so I offered him a mint. He accepted with a huge smile on his face. We ended up having a long conversation by acting out what we were trying to tell eachother. He turned out to be a nice man. Today we got to go out to lunch with all of our translators. When I got off I saw Dima! A translator that I had befriended last summer. I immediantly run to him and gave him a huge hug. I was shaking from being so excited. We then finally got to go to the orphanage to meet the children we would be sharing God's love with. Within minutes I had warmed up to the kids. When then met up with the teachers; which was fun just to get to know them. We then splitted up into our bible study groups just to get to know the orphans and to get a feel of how they worked. Sunny, my bible study partner, had all the children crowded around her while she was reading them David and the Lions Den. I looked over and saw this little girl crying. I went over to her trying to get her to smile. It was raining outside so it was absolutly freezing. I saw that she was shaking because she had her summer clothes on. I picked her up, put her on my lap, and just wrapped my arms around her to get her warm. She then became happy! Her name is Ana. The other kids saw us over there, so they started coming up to me. It was amazing. I had a photo album to show them that they looked at over and over. The rest of the time we were there, Ana held my hand tight and wouldn't let go of me. I think I might have found my little girl! I got my prayer partner letters; speaking of which, HI MOM, HI TOM, AND HI CRYSTAL, I LOVE YOU ALL! But for some reason when I got my prayer letter from Bill Bedi I started to tear up. His letter meant so much to me. I felt like he had jumped into my mind. He knew exactly how I felt. Not that my other letters weren't wonderful, but I enjoyed reading Mr. Bill's. Everything is going well, I just hope the ran stops. Pray for all us women and our 3 men! Mom- I have seen about...20 sunflower fields and think of how much you would love it everytime we drive by one. Before the end of the trip I will take a picture for you. I was wrong, we aren't going out to dinner with the guys and eugen until friday night! BUT guess what, FRIDAY IS EUGEN'S BIRTHDAY. so it works out good. David-I miss you very much and hope you got home ok from Florida. Bill- I saw Tim and told him hello. He looks good! PRAY FOR US! WE NEED IT! God bless, Bekah Beasley

All the Little Blessing....

As anyone who has traveled any distance at all can imagine, there is never a perfect course from start to finish (especially when 17 women and 3 men are involved! :) ) However, if the trials we have faced to this point are as bad as it gets, I'll gladly take them!! Upon leaving Nashville, we all boarded our flight to Cincinnati full of hopes, fears and joyful expectations. The flight itself was perfect until we got close to Cincinnati. As luck would have it, Cincinnati was being barraged by terrible storms and no planes were allowed to land. So we were put into a holding pattern in the hopes that the storms would lift. However, after circling for some time we were informed by the pilot that we were getting low on fuel and were going to have to head back as far as Louisville, KY to refuel. After refueling we sat in our sardine can/airplane for about another 1/2 hour before the storms cleared and we were able to finish our journey to Cincinniti. Finally after 3 hours in our sardine can we landed in Cincinnati safe and sound where we met 2 additional team members who had left Nashville 2 hours after we did and arrived in Cincinnati only 20 minutes after us! Gotta love God's sense of humor! :) We finally arrived in Moldova at 6:30 pm, a full 10 minutes AHEAD (yes, I said ahead!) of schedule. Our Moldova friends and staff were amazed!! Then we all loaded onto the vans and headed off on our 2 hour journey to the city of Balti (but not before a quick stop at the Chisinau McDonald's for a bathroom break). I know my youngest daughter will be thrilled to learn that I could find a McDonald's and even more excited that is had a PlayPlace! When we arrived at the team house where we are staying we were greeted by the smiling face of the amazing Olesea and a delicious home-cooked meal! (No Kati, Mc Donald's is not a home cooked meal! :) ) This was much better. Really!! :) After a much enjoyed night of rest stretched out instead of sitting up right as on the plane, we woke to race for the showers. In the team house, the water is turned off at mid-night and not turned back on until 6am. Since we didn't arrive until 10:30 and then ate dinner, only a select few of crafty individuals made it into the showers before mid-night. So the rest of us set our alarms for 5:50am and as soon as they went off set off in a mad dash to be the first ones to get a much needed shower. Unfortunately us early risers found out that even though the water is turned on at 6am apparently the water heater is not!! Nonetheless the shower was wet and refreshing which is all one really needs. After breakfast we started organizing all of our camp supplies like a finely tuned engine before taking off for a local pizza place to meet the people who will be translating for us this week. We had a great time getting to know each other and then it was off to the camp. As soon as we arrived the children began to appear out of EVERYWHERE! Tons of smiling faces wanting to talk with us and get to know us. Lexi, my oldest daughter, was standing in the crowd of faces when on little girl latched on to her and decided that Lexi belonged to her. When we finally asked this little girl her name we were amazed to find out that her name was also Alexandra! How cool is that! We were also able to meet one of the girls Lexi writes back and forth with named Carolina. Then it was off to spend some time with the teachers. We brought pizza and a layered chocolate cake (mouthwatering doesn't begin to describe it) and spent time talking with the teachers about their families, their work and sharing our pictures and stories of our family. It was really a great time. Then it was back to the kids to divide them into the various Bible study groups. Completely by chance, Lexi's e-pal Carolina is in my group! She is a beautiful, shy, loving girl who took great pride when I was sharing my pictures from home, to show all of her group mates which one was Lexi and tell them about her sister and our dog! It was nice to see this shy little girl shine while she told everyone else about her friend. As will happen, is had started to rain while we were meeting with the teachers so we had our get acquainted time in the children's cabins. Each cabin has 4-6 beds in them, are no larger than many master bathrooms in the US and anywhere from 10-15 children sleep in one cabin. The cabin we were talking to our group in belonged to the girls of our group and their camp kitten. When it was time to go we said our goodbyes to our new friends and promised them that we would be back tomorrow which made them very happy. As you can tell, we have had a few small bumps in our road to spending time with these children but I hope you can also see the far greater number of "little" blessings we have experienced along the way. We all arrived safely, we have loved ones and friends praying for us back home and have been given the amazing opportunity to meet, get to know and give some love to a lot of wonderful people. Thank you all who have supported Lexi and me either financial or spiritually in pursuit of this opportunity. There are not words to relay our thanks to you but when we return to the States, hopefully our stories and pictures will provide the words we can not find. Until next time, Laurie (p.s. we are using the Internet Cafe "Next" to blog/e-mail and the enter key on my computer doesn't work so please forgive the huge run-on paragraph!! :) )

Friday, July 14, 2006

Moldova bound!!


Well, the day is finally here - July 14th - and we're headed to Moldova. 20 team members are going to Falesti, Moldova to minister to over 100 orphans and teachers. Stay tunes for tales of our adventures. Please pray today for safe travels, all of our bags to arrive, and that we make it through customs with all of our supplies. Thank you in advance for your prayers. We know God has big plans in store for us these next 8 days. La revedere!

Pictured above: (first row) Susan Sharpe, Jane Thompson, Martha Blair Thompson, Sam Sharpe, Willa Sharpe, Rhonda Walsh, Bekah Beasley. (back row) Laurie Toft, Sandy Lyons, Will Turnipseed, Sunny Smith, Don Meyer, Lexi Toft, Shelly Willis, Emily Borders, Gloria Jones, Nancy Weatherspoon, Laura McAlister, Jen Gash. Not pictured: Jessica Beasley.