Gnome Away From Home

Many hours spent in the van traveling today. This afforded some quality bonding time with the “Christmas in Moldova” team. These “team moments” will hopefully help establish a comradery that will help our team more effectively take on the mission God has sent us here to do.



Today was a “scouting” day to an orphanage in a Russian occupied area called Transnistia. The mission was to see the orphanage and the bed situation in order to prepare for another team to build beds on a future trip. We also took a treat of bananas and chocolate for the 260 boys and girls that live there year round. While our time at the orphanage was not long, we were able to see the living quarters and distribute the treats to the children.

While I have seen children in a variety of improvised conditions, this was my first experience in an orphanage. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the situation of this facility was better that what I was anticipating. I was very impressed with the orphanage staff and their apparent care for the children and desire to improve the environment for the children. While the bedrooms and classrooms are basic and outdated by our American standards—what they have is clean and well kept.





As with every mission journey I have been a part of, God reminds me of His Kingdom agenda for ALL people. It is so easy to get caught up in where I live (which is Brentwood, TN) and be so focused on what is going on in my little world. Often forgetting that there is a whole world of people who live in drastically different conditions and many who have never even heard about the love of Jesus.



I’m reminded of lyrics from one of this year’s VBS songs…

You said, “Go,” so I will go, You said, “Tell,” so I will tell
Sharing Your story, proclaiming Your glory
To a world that needs to know what they’re worth
I will take Your name to every nation
Spread the Good News of salvation
Baptize in the name of the Father
The Son and the Holy Spirit
I will teach the things that You’ve commanded
Make sure that Your truth is planted
Jesus, I will do whatever it takes, To bring glory to Your name

Easy words to sing but more difficult words to live out. God has been challenging me over the last few years that His command is not complicated-it is simply to “go.” It’s not always around the world; sometimes it is across the street. But my job is to obey when He says, “go”—no matter where it is or to whom it is. My prayer is that glory is brought to the name of Jesus through building beds and loving on children this week!

Posted by Amy Carter