Îmi place!

Spencer McDonald feeding a boy at Orhei's Casa de Copii today.

Debra Thedford feeding a boy breakfast (yogurt) in bed.

Our Sweet Sleep beds, Moldova style, made neatly with their teddy bears at Casa de Copii.

There are lots of things "I like" in Moldova. (Îmi place is "i like" in romanian/moldovan) :) All day I've been looking at this team, this place, the children - thinking... I really like to see ________. Tonight I'd like to share some of the things Îmi place.

Today I liked...

• pancakes for breakfast
• stopping at Metro (Moldovan Sam's Club) for the 3rd time in 3 days
• bringing bananas and yogurt to our special friends at Casa de Copii orphanage in Orhei
• seeing the smiles on the faces of the boys there when we hugged them, spent time with them, fed them - loved them
• watching one of our team members, lannette, in her element -- comforting, feeding and being so sweet with the little ones confined to their beds
• hearing martin and victor sing songs about Jesus to us in the "art gallery" at Casa de Copii
• seeing my friend Vasile again - walking up to me on his knees and telling me how much he missed me and how he had waited so long for this day of celebration when we would visit again
• seeing our Sweet Sleep beds - all 350 of them - neatly made with the teddy bears our Texas friends brought last year on top
• seeing my little buddy, Lilian, smiling and getting closer and closer to getting out of that stroller and walking - hopefully in time for his 7th birthday this August
• branching out to the "atomica" pizza at Pizza Forte after a 16-month love affair with "the diablo"
• seeing kids run faster than our van today to be in their seats in the "salla festiva" (festival hall/auditorium) so they wouldn't miss a minute of our VBS program 
• seeing kids glued to Arlene and making fun sounds as each character stepped forward as she told them the story of Esther and how "God is in Control"
• having discussions with a young man who refused to say God is in control, but that the universe was in control - and watching him listen with such great intent as Arlene shared about losing a child and how God was still in control in the midst of difficult circumstances 
• sharing with 50 sweet children how they can have a relationship with Jesus in their Bible study groups and watching their little gears turn in their heads as they process all they've heard this week

There will no doubt be another list of things Îmi place tomorrow as we have VBS in the morning, throw a big party for the kids after lunch and spend some relaxed time with them before we say our good-byes and head back to Chisinau. I am thankful for this week - a time to refresh, to serve the Lord and to serve the "least of these." 

Thank you for praying for us - for our team - and for these children. Please join us in praying that the children, who are back in their rooms in their Sweet Sleep beds tonight, would spend good time with the Lord, would make decisions to follow Him and that their sleep would be sweet.


Noapte Buna! (Good night...)


jon