It's Just Cold Here!

Okay, so I said I would start to say more about Moldova this year so I might as well get started!

Europe is in the news about the cold weather and I just have to say - IT IS COLD!  In the states cold is relative - you have heated houses, you have heated cars and you might experience a bit of cold as you run from one to the other but you don't stand out in it, or live in it.  This is why so many people across Europe have died, especially in places like Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.  Houses are not well insulated - case in point my house is staying around 53 degrees give or take a degree - though it did get up to 60 today.  For you European folk - that is about 11 to 14 degrees!   Burr!  This is with spending just under $400 a month to heat this house.  I've said it once - I'll say it again - "I'm not living in this house next winter."  Small fear is that the next house will be worse!  Things I've learned:

1.  Moldovans and most Europeans don't know what a block heater is!
2.  Warm feet equal a warm body - second to that are warm hands.  The extremities are very important!
3.  When two of your buses pass by you too full of people to take any more passengers and you have waited in frigid temperatures for 30 minutes - it is okay to take a taxi!
4.  last but certainly not least - Thank God for the times when you have warm feet and hands and for the four walls that might not keep you toasty warm - but do keep you from freezing to death.  300 + people learned that one first hand.

Pray for all those that suffer through another week of freezing cold temperatures!

Rejoice, In the Lord

Again, I Say Rejoice!

Lessons from the book of Philippians:

Ever gone through a hard time and wondered why was this happening?

What was your reaction during the hard time, did you fret and worry, did you loose faith, did you cry?

Did you cry out and curse God?

I've had moments where I have done all of that.  I am not perfect and I often do not react the way I would like to say I react.

We had a moment not so long ago - where our support levels fell to dangerously low levels.  We were encouraged to do all we could to raise those levels by a certain date about three weeks in the future.  It was decided if our levels didn't move up in that time we would have to return home to support raise.

The thing about support is it never stops being needed, we were not doing a great job reminding people of their commitment to us and to the work here in Moldova.  We realized that we were mostly to blame in why our support wasn't coming it - because while people had said they would partner with us we had gotten busy in the daily living here that we forgot to connect with people back home.  We slipped off the radar I think.

Right away my dear husband started making the two mile walk to work in the dark after the kids went to bed to make the calls back to America.  I stayed home.  Our internet at home wasn't working very well most of the time and at that time it was working awful.

So as he trudged that first night, I prayed.  I read my journal - because when your support levels fall that low and you are facing returning home a year earlier than planned you start to wonder,

"Am I suppose to be here at all?"

You feel a bit discouraged, you feel like just when things are coming together and you feel like you are starting to belong that something new comes a long to knock you about again.

My doubts, my worries, rear up and I had to decide how was I going to face this?

In fear worrying each night that we would be returning home before planned or what?

I turned to the word, I'm not sure how I decided on what book to read but I settled in Philipians, and I am so glad I did.

If you haven't read Phillipians recently - go get it and read it.

It is that good.

The whole book spoke to my situation, spoke to my trust of God, of my willingness to let him do the work and the worry and to really trust him.  It didn't mean that the support would all come in, what it meant was even if it didn't that I could rest in the fact that God is in control.

Makes me think of my favorite Psalms - 46

When my brother died in 1996 God gave me this Psalms as a rope to cling to.  When bad things happen  or I start to stress out about something I turn to this Psalms to remind myself that it isn't about me, or the situation I happen to be in but it is about the big picture.  I am to rest, truly rest in God and allow Him to work things out.

While this doesn't mean we can sit back and do nothing it does mean that we can move forward in prayer and with a hopeful expectation of God's provision and or that in the end it will all make sense.

Our support levels while a bit low are no longer dangerously low, our supporters came through for us.  It just reminds me again that we are not here on our own strength that we are only as strong as our supporters - because without them we would not and can not be here!  

Thanks for your support, both financial and prayers!  We are so thankful for you!



Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
(Philippians 4:4-9 ESV)

Two very different books: Two radically different messages

This year I have read many books - but none that I have pondered over more than the two books below.

I'm not even sure how to write the thoughts I think about these books.

I have since reading Book 1 of the yada yada prayer group read through book 6 and book 7 the last in the series I should read before the end of the year.  (shh it is a Christmas present.)  But when I read the first book I wasn't sure I liked it.  Maybe because the lead character is too much like me, she seems to have many of the same thoughts I have.  But what I love about the series is that these are "American" women.  The diversity of the group speaks to the "melting pot" of American culture and how messy a melting pot gets!  This group of women are faced with the challenge of how does a prayer group move into putting their prayers into action.  Putting the words into deeds and doing that while working, raising families and growing spiritually.  These are women with questionable pasts, tragic futures and whom form a bond of friendship with each other that changes their lives forever.  I can't promise you will love the series but you will grow to feel like these women are real women - because they are in a way all of us.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 1)

My reaction to reading this book while reading Yada Yada - well lets just say they are completely different.  First of all the above book is fictional but reads like "real" life.  The Heavenly Man, will really I wish this book was fictional, only in the awful things that happen to this real live person.   I'm glad this book is true because of how Brother Yun inspires, shocks and humbles me!  I can't say that I've read a missionary Biography where the person suffered more and did not die.  God is glorified and I am amazed at the underground church in China.  WOW!
The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

As I was reading these books I really felt that I was to learn something from each of them.  Not sure exactly what yet - God doesn't call all of us to suffer the way Brother Yun suffered but he does ask us to be ready to.

Am I ready?  Hmm maybe more in the way the ladies suffered in Yada Yada - (there is some suffering in this series) - but my prayer is that I would be capable of withstanding the suffering that Brother Yun bore.

Musings on Spiritual Growth

This summer we took in a puppy that was abandon by its owners.  It was left in a box to die.  A friend of ours found it on the side of the road half dead.

For the first few weeks we fed it from a bottle with goat milk and yogurt.  As I was feeding this puppy from a bottle and as the puppy grew, I wondered on my own spiritual growth.    Moving from the milk to the spiritual meat in God's word.

After a few days I had to start giving our puppy real food - meat - dry dog food soften with the milk and  as she started to gobble this up I ended up taking away the bottle milk.  At first she didn't want to change from the bottle, I had to spoon feed her the real food to show her how it would satisfy her so much more than the milk.  She grew and began to eat her food quicky and soon she didn't need the milk at all.  

What is the difference between spiritual milk and spiritual meat?  Why do we need the meat, why do we need to grow up?  What happens if all we consume of God's word is milk? What does this say about us spiritually if we don't move beyond milk?

 If we stay on an all milk diet we may grow but we won't have any muscle.  God's word is like that - the more we consume of it the more it changes and strengthens us. 

What does spiritual growth look like?  What does the Bible say about growth?  What does this mean for me?

I don't have all the answers - these are things I am still learning and growing in myself.  I have not had all the meat there is from the word. 

For our puppy - it meant that once she was laying at deaths door - but the milk revived her and caused her to grow stronger.  The meat then caused her to develop and mature.  She ended up growing far larger than we ever realized she would.

We don't have the puppy anymore - she has been moved to grow further in a country village.  But while she was with us she taught us that true growth comes from the meat in life not the milk.  That true growth isn't easy and sometimes requires hard decisions like giving away a beloved puppy so that human relationships can thrive and improve.  

What about you?  Are you satisfied with the milk or do you want more meat?

The day we said Goodbye.  We do miss her!

Welcoming Fall!

I planned this post a month ago - I should change it to anticipating winter.  Fall here in Moldova is very nice.  The grapes came into season and for the first time I realized where the fake candy grape flavor comes from.  The deep purple grapes actual taste just like that.  The seeds aside, the taste was fabulous!  I can't even explain it but just go out and eat a grape Lifesaver and imagine it being the flavor of a real grape!

The leaves are changing and falling covering the walkways and creating a nature carpet.  Moldovan Churches have all held their Fall Festivals thanking God for the provision that as been laid up for winter.

The Ukrainian Grandmother next door is canning the harvest from her huge garden.  One day her grape vines were heavy with fruit the next day they were picked clean.  She is stealthy like that working in the in between while I am busy with other things. 

We started homeschooling for the year on Sept. 6 and are currently enjoying the middle ages.

God has been teaching me in his word with Philippians that in all things He has a plan to work out for my good.  In that as life still presents its problems I am working out rejoicing always.

Soon we will have lived in Moldova a year.  I've hesitated to write much about my impressions this first year as we adjusted and learned the language.  Growing in our understanding of the country and culture.  I think I am ready to share more about life and ministry here in Moldova in future posts.