Time Keeps On Moving....

A lot has happened since I last updated this blog.
We had a busy summer in 2012 with outreaches and packing up our house.
In Aug. 2012 after our team retreat we headed to the states for 6 months of furlough.
Now we are back in Moldova and it is already 2013!

Time has that way of just moving right along and before you know it it is gone.

FROGGER

Remember the game frogger?  

I do - I am reminded of it every time we leave our house to walk the half mile to the bus stop.  On the way to the bus stop we have to cross five lanes of traffic.  With three small children in tow it is an exercise in care and sharp eyes.  Though there are cross walk signs - pretty much no one stops, and in the off chance someone does stop - you still can't just mosey across the street because some moron will try to zip by in the next lane.  More then one life lost here by an unobservant pedestrian. Cars always have the right of way.

They are bigger and well - they hurt!

Meatloaf

Life in another country is interesting to say the least and the longer I am here the more things that once were odd seem normal, but sometimes it is the simple conversations that really throw you off.  You realize that in deed I am "no longer in Kansas."  Not that I have ever lived in Kansas mind you.

Living in another country and then working with people from all over Europe is also very enlightening.  Especially when you get asked an odd question - well at least I thought it was odd.


"What is meatloaf?"

Ahh, "meatloaf?"  How in the world do you explain what meatloaf is - in short I said - it is liked a great big baked hamburger.  But well it is more than that.  I went into the history of meatloaf - ...made to stretch the meat.  

Then went on to explain how now there is a kind of art to meatloaf is very different.  People have taken a simple recipe and jazzed it up.

So something as well - normal as meatloaf becomes a topic of conversation.  Now when well I ever say that again.

I have a few people that I will schedule to have over for dinner the next time I make meatloaf though and then the real education will come with the first bite!

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)