This Team Amazes Me

It’s difficult for me to even begin to summarize this trip or craft any final thoughts about the team and the work we’ve done. This week has simply been extraordinary. The children were wonderful, and the team has been more than I ever imagined it could be. Our group is comprised of nine new high school graduates, one new high school senior and three adult YoungLife leaders. I said this to the team just a little while ago, and I’ll say it again here; I have been on many great mission teams in Moldova, and none have exhibited any greater spiritual depth than this group has. I did not expect this from a group with so many young people on it. Their love for Jesus has absolutely blown me away. And as a result of that love that they have for Jesus, they have exhibited great love for his children in Straseni, Moldova. They have been amazing ambassadors for Christ to 120 kids this week, and I know the children’s lives will forever be impacted by what this team has done.

Two days ago Jerad presented the concept of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross providing us all with the opportunity for eternal life with Jesus. At the end he prayed a prayer and asked the children to pray that prayer with him silently if they wanted to accept Christ as their savior. Yesterday during the birthday party, he asked if any had prayed the prayer and asked Jesus to come into their hearts. I didn’t count them, but at least ten kids came forward and said they had accepted Christ! What an amazing moment! It’s incredibly meaningful and fulfilling for me to see kids like these receive their new beds and to know that they will sleep in comfort because of the work we have done, but to see kids desire a relationship with Christ and accept him as their savior is beyond any words I can use to describe it.

There really are just so many thoughts swirling around in my head right now that I think I’ll just stop here and post more another day when I have had more time to process it all. I consider myself lucky to have been here with such remarkable young men and women, and I’m so grateful for the incredible ways God has chosen to use them this week for his purposes in Moldova.

Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible with their prayers and financial support. We could not do it without you.

Stuart