Happy Birthday Kim!

Today is Kim Cox's birthday!!! Dan bought a cake so we could celebrate, along with fabulous Moldovan candles that resembled fireworks more than our traditional, small, easy-to-blow-out candles. We won't reveal her age, but you should definitely check back for the pictures later since we can't upload them now.

As Aileen wrote, we went from Chisinau to Balts to meet our translators. A two hour trip ended up taking us about 3 1/2 hours- we're guessing because our first driver didn't know how to shift into third gear, so we were only going 30 mph or less the entire time. We all looked behind us to make sure we didn't drop the transmission. My family will definitely appreciate the "Little Miss Sunshine" reference, sine we all laughed hysterically at that part of the movie. Watching Rusty and Andrei push and run to jump in was one of the funniest parts of the trip so far. I pulled my Moldovan-English Dictionary out during this trip to communicate with our driver. Luckily, we made it to Balts, but the Red Van had the best experience of driving on Moldovan roads and "interstates" than any other transport vehicle.

Today was the first day of camp and everything went very smoothly. Emily told us it was the easiest first day of camp in Moldova that she had ever experienced. All of our hard work and planning did pay off, but there is still a lot to do. The kids are amazing and so well-behaved. God definitely blessed us with children who are ready to learn and have fun. We are working with a local church called "Bethany" from Balts. They are very helpful in communicating with the children and are adding so much to the camp. The translators are so patient with us and we have gotten to know them very well, after only meeting them yesterday. We couldn't have asked for kinder, friendlier people to work with and interpret everything for the children and teachers.

About the bathrooms, since I'm sure you're all wondering... The toilets are new, but we bought our own toilet seats. The bathroom smells like, "Ca-Ca," according to Emily and you can guess what that means in Romanian. Originally, there were doors to the indivual stalls, but we don't know what happened to them... now there are shower curtains for privacy. We took very, very, very cold showers this morning. But, at least we have showers, right? The shower area doesn't smell much better, but as long as you have a "shower buddy," (thanks Nat), then you're better off- they hold your stuff while you're showering. We experienced Jen's dolphin noises, which seriously did sound like a dolphin when she gets under the freezing water.

To my family and friends reading this... I love you and miss you soooo much!!!

Good Times and Great Oldies

Man, this has been quite a trip. I'll do the best I can with the short amount of time I'm given to blog. We are at a little internet cafe in Marculesti, which really should be shut down for false advertising. The internet is slow that it's taken us about 20 minutes just to access our blogs.

I knew it was going to be a trip with great memories before we even boarded the plane in Nashville. It was about 5am, and our group is sitting around about to go through security when Amy and I realize that we have the same sports watch. Being girls, this of course gives us something interesting to talk about. Casi then asked, "What brand is it?" to which Amy replies, "It's a WR 50M.""Amy," I say, "I think that means Water Reisistant, 50 Meters." And that my friends, is why I love Amy Helms so very much.

In New York, we had about a 5 hour layover, so most of us decided to take a short "tour" of the city, which basically included going to Madison Square Garden and looking for a pizza joint. On the way back, I had my first experience with the NYPD, which was exciting. You always get to see them in action on tv, but in person, it's sweet. In order to get the attention of the NYPD, all you really need to do is have a crazy guy walk through the train station yelling, "Why are all of you peoploe in my county?" It only takes about 3 of those statements to cause 5 NYPD officers to swarm around the individual. If he decides to protest, they will promptly pull out their black gloves and start putting them on. At this point, they quietly took him away. It was awesome!

We got to the orphanage last night after about 3 days of traveling. It is nicer than I thought, although the bathrooms and showers are something to behold. They have no doors, no privacy of any kind. We brought shower curtains to put up, so the whole team didn't have to watch us use the restroom. The most important thing is to have a shower and bathroom buddy. Your buddy goes with you when you decide to take a shower. Casi is mine, and it's worked out quite well so far. Your buddy holds your towel and clothes while you scream bloody murder because the water is so cold. Once you take the fastest shower you've ever taken, you and your buddy switch, and you do the same for them. Casi, you're a great shower buddy.

We are sleeping in the Infirmary of the orphanage in old beds. I am praying like crazy that we don't get lice. Mom and I brought Nix just in case. I slept better than I thought, which was nice. We all took Pepto Bismol before dinner last night to coat our stomachs, just in case we couldn't handle whatever the cooks fixed. So far, so good.

Amy and I had Musica today. We had planned on teaching the kids fun dances like the Hokey Pokey and line dances, etc. However, we found out the church we are working with frowns upon such things, and we hd to come up with activities from the top of our head. We played some great oldies and did the limbo, duck-duck-goose, Screaming Ninjas, Rain Storm, and other such kid games. Some games went over well, but the girls just couldn't get the Screaming Ninjas game. We found out it's because the orphans don't like to sream. Just goes to prove the point that Americans are loud!

Alright, I gotta go. My time is up. Bye!

"Consider it pure joy!"

After several long days of traveling, we are all every excited about starting camp today. The trip has been an interesting adventure so far. Yesterday, we left Chisinau and set out on what we thought would be a two hour van ride to Belts. However, most of the team ended up in a van with a driver who didn't know how to drive the van! The trip ended up being about four hours, with some of the team members having to get out of the van and go to the bathroom in the woods! When we tried to get the van going again, it wouldn't start, so Rusty, our man of the trip, actually had to get out and push the van to get it rolling! For those of you who have seen the film "Little Miss Sunshine," we definitly had a similar moment! Our verse yesterday was James 1:2-6. Throughout the ride, everyone would laugh and say "Remember, consider it pure joy!" I think that will be the theme this week!

Aileen

P.S. I miss you and love you Mommy! :)

In less than a week (5 days to be exact), Team 1 will be heading out for Moldova. My roommate Emily is leading the trip, and we've been sitting at the kitchen table tonight making lists of all the things left to be done. I've got 2 skits to finish up, costumes to make, final preparations for my assigned Bible Study devotionals, a meeting with my fellow Worship team members to plan the night speakers and skits, and packing. Yikes! Is it weird that what I'm most excited about are the unexpected twists and turns we're going to experience all along the way? They have a way of keeping one humble and on their knees, and I think more than any amount of planning, that's the most important thing we can do.

I'm also looking forward to the fact that my mom is joining us on this trip. For those who don't know her, she's an incredible woman of faith, strength, and tenderness. I can't wait to see how the Lord is going to break us both, and how amazing is it going to be to get to experience that brokeness together? I pray that Mom and I can be an incredible witness to those kids whose only experience of a parental relationship has brought deep hurt and pain. I want to be able to show them that that relationship can be one that encourages, uplifts, and respects the other, not tears down or abuses.

A personal prayer request. Pray for our skits that we, the worship team, have prepared. Pray that they would connect with the kids, that they would draw them in. I'm nervous. We've come up with an emcee-type character that will start off the morning group time. It's a Superhero whose crazily dressed and can hopefully keep their attention. I think I've been nominated to be it. I have no problem being a goof, because that's a big part of who I am, but being a goof and making children who don't speak my language want to watch is a little intimidating. Pray!!

I'll be chatting at you soon!

Natalie

My time here is almost over

This trip has really flown by this summer. I can not believe I only have three weeks left. It feel like the just the other day I was getting off the plane to my new home for two months. I must admit I am so excited to see the teams from Sweet Sleep. I can not wait to tell them all the stories and wonderful times I have had. These past couple of weeks I have really gotten to see what it feels like to be a true Moldovan. I have taken many buses and mass transit. I have eaten at all the nice little restaurants. I have seen God's love surrounding all the Moldovans day in and day out. I have grown so close to the children at internat II. I know every smile of every child. I know each child laugh. It has been amazing. Before coming here I didn't know what God had planned for me. All I know is he wanted me to come to Moldova all summer. Now that I am actually living it I know why he wanted me here. God's plan for me is different everyday. Some days it's making a child smile that I haven't seen smile all day, some days it is having a talk with an older girl about what she is planning on doing when she graduates, and some days it is just telling a child that I love them but more importantly God loves them. Everyday is different and I wake up saying to myself, "What does God have planned for me today?" The Rolling Hills team left early this morning. This team was amazing. It was so much fun to see how much the kids loved this team. Last weekend I had been kind of sick so Monday wasn't much fun for me. Tuesday I woke up feeling a lot better and decided to go to camp. I found out that the one of the teams from Rolling Hills was going to Cahul. I had always wanted to go there so I asked around and got to go. Not knowing that it was an overnight thing I hopped in the van and was on my way to Cahul. I had no extra clothes and no toothbrush. The children there where so different than at Internat II. The kids at Internat II are so used to Americans so they are very open and loving. In Cahul they were distant and quiet. No child would just come and talk to you. This was a huge struggle for me. I did have a blast there with Connie and Steve David and the rest of the team, but with the kids it was hard. I have been praying for this team all week. I know it was a struggle for them. I returned to camp on Thursday happy to see all the kids again. My little sponsor boy, Eugen, had gone home to his mothers for the week. He returned on Friday. I was so thrilled that he came back because I didn't know when he would. Please pray for me this week. I have a lot to do to get ready for the sweet sleep teams. I also just need rest. Can't wait to see you all and I will be praying for you all week! God will truly bless these two teams!!!

preparations

Well, it is about three weeks until Team 2 will depart for Moldova. I will admit, I am very nervous about the trip. This will be my first mission trip as well as my first time out of the country. It will also be very hard for me to be away from my family for so long. Last night at our meeting, Stuart had us go around and tell a fear each of had about the trip. Whether a person is afraid of flying, losing luggage, or even getting arrested, it was comforting to know that I was not the only one with fears. It was comforting to know I had a strong team to help me.

To introduce myself to the readers, my name is Meghann Searcy and I will be a sophomore at Brentwood High School. I was saved when I was young, and I have always wanted to be part of a mission trip. As I said, this will be my first. My friend had been on a trip to Moldova before, and I heard amazing things about how it was incredibly life-changing for her. I began to look into it more and went to a meeting about it. My family and I prayed for a long time, and then one day it all became clear to me. I had a vision in my head about me sitting next to a little child in Moldova and leading them to Christ. This was a moment I will never forget. This was the moment I knew I was going to Moldova.

So, in all of the preparations for the trip, I have had nervous feelings, but I am comforted by knowing that I have people here to help me. I have a wonderful team and most of all I have God on my side and I am so excited to see what He has in store for me.

<3>

But God does!

Front: Emily Borders, Casi Bryant, Marilyn Wilson, Jane Thompson

Back: Amy Helms, Rusty & Stephanie Fish, Lesia Goddard, Natalie Wier, Aileen Wark

Not pictured: Jennifer Bausman, Bekah & Jessica Beasley, Kim Cox, Jen Gash, Darlene Wier

Two weeks from today, 15 women and 1 man (I know - pray for him!) will be headed to Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, to share Hope and Love to some of God's precious children. For the past few months, we have been planning away in hopes of making this a memorable week for the kids. This particular trip is unique in so many ways.

First, we are going to a new orphanage where we've never been and where no other team will go this summer. It's an orphanage for the mentally handicapped in a town called Marulesti. Now, "mentally handicapped" can mean a lot of things in Moldova. For example, if someone has Dyslexia, they're considered mentally retarded. We don't really know what to expect when we get there...but God does!

Second, we have been invited to stay AT the orphanage for the first time ever. We will literally have the opportunity to walk a mile in their shoes. This is an experience that I think will challenge us as a team and as individuals, but I think it will challenge us in a very positive way. Honestly, it's one of the things I'm most excited about for this trip! We don't really know what to expect when we get there...but God does!

This trip has two main parts to it. Most of the team will be running a VBS-like camp for the kids at the orphanage. In fact, the kids at this orphanage will have already gone "home" for the summer (I say that in quotes, because many don't have a place to go and, therefore, live with another family in the village. That family gets paid $1/day for keeping the child), so we are having to literally bus them back to the orphanage, where they will be allowed to stay for the whole week. This is a great thing, because many if not most of them will be coming from places where they've had little food and no shower for the summer. We'll be able to provide three meals and a snack/day, a good shower, and not to mention lots and lots of LOVE. We don't really know what to expect when we get there...but God does!

The other part of the team will be working with some of the older orphans to build all 130 new Sweet Sleep beds for the orphanage. What an awesome privilege it will be to put comfy sheets and pillows on their new, clean beds with 7-inch foam mattresses...and then to tuck them in and pray with them. We will be able to leave a tangible evidence of God's love - a place where they can literally feel God's arms around them.

Finally, we are going to be working with two local, Baptist churches and a Moldovan missionary couple to help build relationships between them and the Marculesti orphanage. The hope is to engage them in ministry with us and light a fire in their hearts to continue pouring into the children long after we leave. It is our goal for continued discipleship to take place. We have no idea how this partnership is going to look or how the church will help us the week we're there. We don't really know what to expect when we get there...but God does!

So yes, there are a lot of floating pieces to this trip. But we've prayed and asked God to direct our steps. We've planned as best as we know how. We don't really know what to expect when we get there...but God does! And that's really all that matters.

3 weeks and counting!

With only three weeks to go, I really cannot explain how excited and overjoyed I am to be a part of this experience! Though I leave for Spain on Monday for a trip with my friend's family, honestly I'm way more excited about coming home and getting ready to go. Everything has been a little crazy for me lately since I'm trying to get ready for two major trips at the same time! However, even though I feel a little anxious, I know God is totally in control and I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. Worry and trying to do things on my own is something I struggle with, and I know this is God's way of teaching me how to just give all my worries and stress to him. This particularly applies in the area of my passport, which has still not arrived! But it's all good, I know it's taken care of and it's coming. The team has also been awesome in supporting me and helping me organize everything in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to come back and head to Moldova! Bekah, we are praying for you girl and can't wait to see you!

Salut

I send you greetings from Moldova! It is 8:30 am here so that means it is 12:30 am in America. How weird is that? Today is rainy and cold,which is a bit different than last week. Last week was so hot and sunny. So I must admit I was quite happy when it started to rain. Well, the North Carolina and the other two from Texas left yesterday morning. I have been a little bit lonely. When the team got up yesterday morning, Mark, the family that I am staying with son, was very sick. He was vomiting everywhere. He could not stop. Later on that morning Victor and Valentina took him the the hospital. I have been very worried about him. Mark and I have grown to be very close so I was sad when I had no one to entertain me yesterday. Last night Victor and I went to visit him in the hospital. I could not believe how run down the hospital was. Being there reminded me of some kind of horror film. Even the nurses seemed a bit scary. Mark is having a rough way to go with all the shots and IVs they are giving him. Please pray for him! Tonight a team from San Antonio are coming in town. They are going a camp for a week. Starting tomorrow morning I will go to the orphanage with them. I am excited because I already miss all of the kids. Well, I guess that about says it all for what is going on for me right now. I will put up another blog soon to let everyone know how the camp is going.

WHAT A WEEK

This week has been wonderful. I have seen God plant his seeds everywhere this week. I flew over with a team from North Carolina and one more team member from Texas. I really don't even know where to start because so much happened this week. First off, my luggage was lost until Sunday night. I had to wear the same clothes from Thursday morning to Sunday night. I hugged my luggage when I went to pick it up. People were looking at me funny. I wish the only knew how happy I was to see them. Our first day to get to see the kids was on Saturday night. We gave them a huge pizza party. I can't describe the feeling I got to see my little boy, Eugen. I decided not to tell him I was coming to Moldova for the whole summer because I thought it would be amazing to surprise him. He ran up to me and immediately began to cry. He was so quiet. I think it was because he was so shocked. He asked, "Why are you here, I thought you weren't coming this summer?" I told him I wanted it to be a surprise and I was going to be there for two months this summer. He just could not stop hugging me. I also got to see some kids that I met in January so of course it was fun to see them. Sunday we went to church and a translator, Anna, got married right in the middle of the service. It is really common to do that in Moldova. Then while the rest of the team went back to the house, Connie took me to Anna's wedding reception. WOW that was an adventure. I just kind of sat there because I was so in shock of how they celebrated the weddings. I also got to try a lot of new food. Some I did like and some I didn't. This week I taught a 10-12 year old girl's bible study. My girls were awesome. I had so much fun with them. They listened to me! I was pretty shocked that they wanted to know what I had to say. Just picture me with 13 girls hanging off of me everyday. On Tuesday night Mary and I got to lead the evening worship. The theme for the day was forgiveness. We got 6 bottles of whipped cream; 3 for me and 3 for her. We told the kids that the whipped creme represented sin. You know it's bad for you but you want it anyways. We then had two buckets of water with two volunteers. Then we got 3 volunteers each to get one bottle each and spray the ENTIRE can of whipped cream all over us. Then we had the other two boys to dump the whole bucket of water on us to represent that when we accept Christ He washes all our sins away. THE KIDS LOVED IT! I have only been here for one week and I have grown so close to the kids. I love every single one of them! I will have to write another blog to tell about the rest later.