Some pictures from Suhat

Like I had mentioned before, Suhat is my favorite village to visit besides Tocuz. The young girl below, with Kim and I, is a 15 year old orphan..her mom and dad are not in the picture and she literally lives on her own.

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

I am always humbled when I visit an orphanage and village and stare down at the kids' feet. I then look down at my own feet~it's a dark contrast. I feel like every time God slaps me in the face..back to THEIR reality.
Many of the kids were wearing sandals with dirty socks that had holes in them. This is what they would wear through the winter. Not warm boots like what I was wearing. Thankfully Little Samaritan's Face of a Child project included new sneakers for every child! The joy on their faces is almost indescribable.
We were at the the orphanage in a small village, Socii Noi. You couldn't help but notice one of the kids standing in the back row. It is very rare to see tall people in Moldova..but we did this day. This young boy was at least 6'4"..GIANT! And just so happy! He was more happy than most of the kids...and it dawned on me why. Today was the day he was going to receive shoes that fit him. As I glanced down, I saw the same sandals with the same dirty socks..only this time I noticed his heel hanging way off the end of the sandal. His feet were too big for him to be able to find shoes that fit at the orphanage. Can you imagine going through life with shoes that don't fit? It is something I can't even fathom.


But today he received brand new sneakers..and the smile on his face showed that it was worth the wait.
Here he is..it came out a little blurry..but you can still see the joy.

Talk about attention getting...

A t-shirt found through philip-cameron.org

Challenging quote

I tend to "blog stalk" and I came across this quote..so challenging!
"A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing." ~M. Luther

The Girls of Moldova

It's very easy to be drawn to the younger kids when visiting the various orphanages and villages. They are just beautiful and when you look into their eyes you can still see the innocence that any child should have. They love toys, they love candy, they love attention.

But as I scan the crowd of children that are waiting for our team at each place we visit, I can't help but stare at the older girls, who are usually in the very back row. I am desperately burdened for them because their future is grim. You see, Moldova is one of the top countries who sell young girls into the human trafficking ring.

For those girls who live in the orphanages, the government stops funding for them at age 16. This means that they will then be released either back to their village and back to their families (if they have any) or they will end up on the streets. Even if they do have families, I have come to find out that many of them don't want the children back, because they cannot afford to take care of them. Heartbreaking.Frustrating.

These girls have dreams~some of the girls I talked to dream of being a cook, a tailor, a teacher. They are ordinary girls with ordinary dreams. So they will do anything to pursue these dreams~try to find a job anywhere..they look "abroad" to another country so they can save up money to go back to school. However, this is when Evil preys upon these young girls naivete. They become tricked into thinking that these adults ~men AND women~ are there to help them "find their dreams". And before they know it, they are locked into a living hell and are held prisoner. Innocence is soon taken away. They are threatened that if they do not comply their families will be killed and they will then be killed.
I know that I cannot save all these girls..there are millions that are thrown into this disturbing lifestyle. But God calls me to pray. And how can I pray?
Pray:
1. For their souls. ONLY Jesus can give their lives hope. I am comforted by Revelation 21:4, which promises that there will soon be no more pain and suffering.
2. For more transitional houses to be built. These homes give young girls the chance to learn a trade, receive education, and be spiritually changed.
Click here and learn how one ministry is changing lives, one girl at a time, and is offering the hope of Jesus.
May God continue to keep me humble and burdened.

Do I know what it is to sacrifice?

No...I sure don't. This is one of the many lessons I was taught while in Moldova this year. Sacrificing and giving are two totally different words with two totally different meanings. According to Webster's dictionary the definition of "sacrifice" is a "destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else." I saw this definition lived out in two Moldovian women who worked with our team. They shared with me over dinner their love for the children in the villages/orphanages and how sometimes they give up their grocery money for the week in order to provide special meals for orphans. I was brought to tears when they told me this..they are living the life of sacrifice.
After this conversation I started reflecting on my own life...what have I sacrificed? I came to the conclusion that I haven't really sacrificed anything..yes, I have given my time, money, resources to various friends/organizations..but it has always been within my comfort zone or within my budget...
But God wants us to sacrifice..and I know for sure that He will provide opportunities for each of us to do that. I had been reminded continuously while in Moldova of the widow who gave all the money she had to God...an amount that would be pennies to us today. She gave it sacrificially because she loved the Lord and knew His promises.
God is calling us to be weak..quite the contrast from the messages in the secular media. Christ promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Transitioning back to home...

...It is so hard~this time being harder than years past. I am not sure why, I but know that the Lord has opened my eyes to things that I hadn't noticed before and caused me to feel things that I needed to feel. And I welcome this growth..I NEED this growth. This is my 4th time to Moldova and before leaving I had prayed that God would not allow me to view this as a routine trip for me, but a time where He makes me uncomfortable and stretches me.

The past two years I have been making a more conscious effort to get to know a couple of the children and/or adults on an individual basis. It is always amazing who God brings across our path. I met Adriana for the first time this year. She is a twelve year old girl who has been living in the orphanage in Tocuz since she was in the first grade. It was heartbreaking to hear of some of the more personal things she revealed as we continued our conversation. But I am thankful that God brought her to me. Adriana loves God..she told me she wants me to pray that God would help her to pray more. I love the honesty of children! We prayed together right before I left the orphanage..and my prayer for her is that she know Jesus..not to just know OF him, but to KNOW Him.

It has been very sad for Adam and I to leave Moldova this year...we just love the children and families. But with every return home, I feel that God continues to show us what He needs us to do to in the mean time..to prepare, to grow, and learn more about Him.

We come home to a place where we know we are surrounded by people who are hurting and both of us have been challenged to be prayerful for the needs of those around us...not only to be prayerful, but to take action. We have been blessed with so much..more than what we deserve!!

Suhat village

Our team was able to visit Suhat~our third time to this particular village. It is wonderful to see how they remember us from years past. It is one of the poorest village~by poor I mean many of these people live day to day, not sure if they will have food to give their families.
There is one particular woman who we have been able to know beter as the years pass. Her name is Ana, a young mom of three beautiful children. Her husband is in the picture sporadically, and alcoholic and abusive. Our team talked this morning about "feeling the pain of the poor" based on some Scripture verses. As I looked into her eyes I just see a woman who loves her children and wants to give them the best life she can. It is humbling and heartbreaking to step into her small small home and see that she only has one small twin sized bed that all the kids sleep in. Our team was able to deliver food and some blankets that will be able to take some of the pressure off of her for at least a short time.
Ryan was able to sing "My Jesus I Love Thee" and were all able to pray with her at the end.
Going to this village is always the highlight of my trip. To see that these people literally have nothing but feed us a meal that they normally only get once a year gives us a new perspective on the life we have back home.
We also served a meal at a soup kitchen in a small village. There about 20 or so people, elderly and small children. For most, this was the only meal that they would receive that day.
I feel that words don't even do this experience justice. It is hard to write down what we are actually feeling. I have felt almost at a loss for words.
Please keep praying for us..we so appreciate it. Please pray that we continue to see these people as Jesus would see them and that we would continue to be humbled and broken.
Love to you!

Having a blast!

Friends and Family,
We made it safely in Moldova Friday evening and just completed our first distribution at Tocuz. Tocuz is the orphanage that our church directly sponsors. We spent the evening there and just had a wonderful time. We were able to get to know the children and staff in an even more deeper way and I feel that each year that we are there the relationship continues to get stronger and stronger. The director says that she considers us like family and "has complete trust in us." The girls decorated picture frames and were able to get pictures printed out by a photo printer that Kim and Joe, 2 team members, donated. The girls were ecstatic! The boys were able to learn "American football" and played many games of basketball with our guys.
Our team was very encouraged by how the kids are growing in their Bible knowledge. They have a wonderful teacher who is dedicated to these kids and is dedicated to their spiritual growth.
When we said goodbye there were many tears shed, not just by the kids but by the director herself.
Our team continues to be humbled by what we see. The director told us that they are in financial crisis and that before we arrived, they did not have any laundry detergent or soap for the children. But she knew our team was coming and that they would be supplied with the necessities.
Tomorrow we go to the village of Suhat, one of the poorest villages.
Love to each of you!

Our team schedule

MOLDOVA MISSIONS TRIP ITINERARY
OCTOBER 22-Leave Boston at 10PM
OCTOBER 23: Arrival in Chisinau,Moldova.
OCTOBER 24-25-Distribution at Tocuz;sleep over at Tocuz;Pizza party
OCTOBER 26: Distribution at Suhat;Serve at LSM Soup Kitchen ;Visit LSM After School Program
OCTOBER 27: Distribution at Socii Noi;Visit LSM After School Program
OCTOBER 28: Distribution at Zuzuleni;Kim will spend entire day at LSM Clinic in Sofia;Serve at LSM Soup Kitchen
OCTOBER 29: Distribution at Poiana;Serve at LSM Soup Kitchen;Visit LSM After school Program
OCTOBER 30: leave Moldova and spend overnight in Budapest,Hungary
OCTOBER 31-Home

Prayer requests:
Safety for our team as we travel
Prayer for our drivers-we spend many hours in a van travelling
Good health and strength for each day
That the love of Jesus will be evident through us as we minister to the children and adults of Moldova.

Back to Moldova!

For those of you who have never heard of Moldova,Moldova is the poorest country in Eastern Europe, located between the Ukraine and Romania. It was a former part of the Soviet Union, just becoming free in the 1990's.
It's hard to believe that in just 24 hours or so Adam and I will be headed back to Moldova. This will be my 4th time going! I love the timing of this trip because it is right before the American holiday season kicks off into full gear. These trips have put my life into a perspective that I may not have gained otherwise. We will be with moms and dads who don't know where their next meal is coming from to feed their family. We will be with children who are beyond ecstatic to receive toothpaste. (and when I say ecstatic, I am talking about the equivalent to a child here getting Xbox under the Christmas tree) It is mind boggling and humbling at the same time. I look around my apartment and in my refrigerator and in my cabinets and am amazed at how blessed and easy my life is compared to some of my friends across the world.
The words "intentional" and "deliberate" are two words that I have been focusing on for my personal life,my family life, and my marriage. And when I think of Moldova and what this year's trip means to me it is the same two words that come to mind. In preparing our team these last few months, we have been discussing our goals. Yes, we will be distributing out food,clothing, and basic necessities. Items that the adults and children are lacking. Our goal is to be INTENTIONAL and DELIBERATE with the message that these items are a testament to the grace of God..that he sees them and loves them. And that we are hear to tell them of a Gift that will change their lives forever...truly the Gospel message of the Cross and what Jesus has done for each of us is the only thing that can change a person's life.
We covet your prayers as we travel tomorrow! We will be gone 10/22-10/31. I will be doing my best to update the blog as time allows.
Thank you for your prayers!!

Some Summer Fun

Adam and I in Boston on the 4th of July~had dinner with friends at Whiskey's

and then headed to Storrow Drive to get our spot for the fireworks.

Two of our closest friends, Sandy and John, were up visiting from North Carolina.

Had dinner at Salem Beer Works. Miss them tremendously! Wish they lived closer!


John and Sandy

Me with the best husband ever..LOVE HIM!

Running with God

I have always loved running. I know..weird. I don't know what it is that draws me to it, but I always feel like I have REALLY accomplished something after working out. What I love the most about it is that it is something I do by myself. I have tried running/working out with others before and I absolutely hate it. I either get distracted or feel like I have to go at someone else's pace other than my own. It is kind of my time all to myself.

These days it has been a valuable time for to spend time with God. Lately I have been so focused on what figuring out what God's plan is for me..and it is in these moments outside that I have been able to voice these thoughts to Him. It has been awesome.

Some of my favorite songs on my iPod:
I Saw What I Saw~Sara Groves
Add to the Beauty~Sara Groves
When the Saints~Sara Groves
Walk By Faith~Jeremy Camp
Praise You In This Storm~Casting Crowns

Sara Groves has become one of my most favorite artists. She has such a heart for social justice and her song lyrics attest to that. I will definitly be writing later about her songs.

Off to bed for now..xoxo

Being still when I like to move

This is always a hard time of year for me. Planning is in full swing of my trip to Moldova in October. I LOVE leading this trip~I love the country, I love the staff we work with, and above all I love the kids and families I have gotten to know over the past 4 years. I feel like Moldova has become my second home. And I LOVE that I get to serve with Adam who is just as passionate about this as me.
So what's so hard about it? The hard part is being still. I always feel like God is begging me to slow down and listen. This planning process before the trip is vital in spiritual growth. The first year I went to Moldova, the team leader read the story about Mary and Martha hosting dinner for Jesus. Mary was so attentive to what Jesus had to say that she did not run around trying to get things prepared. She was found right at His feet, listening. However, Martha was not. She was busy in the kitchen making sure that everything was perfect for their special Guest. (Now, don't get me wrong..I think Martha tends to get a bad rap for this..but that discussion is for another time.) She was so busy, she missed out on time with Jesus.
Whoa! I always get slapped in the face with this when I am running around with all my planning. God is looking to teach me something.. am I inadvertently ignoring Him?

Hold on..it's about to get bumpy!

Today was another HOT day in New England, but absolutely gorgeous, so Adam and I decided to take our jetski out and head to the beach. Well, for those of you close to me, you know I hate deep water..I mean, HATE! But Adam was so excited about doing it, I could not say no. We are very blessed to be able to dock the ski right on the river in a storage unit 2 minutes from our house. So all we have to do is drop it in the water and off we go.
Going along the river is fun...it is beautiful and the water is very calm. Until you hit the mouth where the river and ocean meet. Not so fun. In fact, I thought I was going to die. (slightly exaggerated, but still was not fun)
Whenever Adam sensed that it was going to be extra choppy..he would turn around and say "Hold on, it's about to get bumpy." Thankfully, Adam knows what he's doing and got us to the beach safely...and we had an amazingly fun day.
Doesn't life seem like that ocean sometimes? Bumpy, choppy, unpredictable?
During those times, the Lord is right in front of us, turning around and encouraging us "Just hold on" .
Sometimes that's all we CAN do because some circumstances are out of our control. Sometimes that's all the energy we have for the day~to just hold on to God.
Thankfully, the bumpiness ends and God delivers us..safely..to the destination He has chosen for us.

Are you living your life like a prison sentence?

Most of you know that for the past 2 months or so I have been working at a local prison. If anything it has been a learning experience. Everyday, I see almost the same inmates and there a few that I have started to know better than the others. I always ask them"How are you?" or on Mondays "How was your weekend?" I usually get the same response "Just another day in jail." Depressing. I observe many of them just sitting at the table, staring off waiting for time to pass. They are wishing time away, and I guess rightfully so. Many of them are in jail for years at a time and every day that passes is one day closer to going home.
When I got moved to work in the jail, my life became similar to these inmates~I started wishing that the weeks and days would go by and that I would find myself at a different job.Depression had overtaken me and it has almost felt like time had stood still. But in the mean time, how had I been living life? Not well. I missed out on moments with friends, conversations with my husband,etc.
I have just now come to the point in this journey that I need to make the most of TODAY. I have been blessed with a new day to live and enjoy the life God has given me. And I, for sure, have not been living each day joyfully.
God has been challenging me with this verse" So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I corinthians 10:31. Trust me, I feel like I argue with God everyday about this, but He continues to challenge me.
Here's to living purposefully..in the good and bad.

Love for missions

As I was getting ready for work this morning I was trying to think back to when my love for missions started. I would have to say it was around when I was 7 or 8 years old. My church that I grew up in supported missionaries from all over the world and I was always fascinated by hearing them speak during our services. They were like celebrities to me..my mom or dad would always walk me over to them to say hello because I was too shy to talk to them by myself. I kind of relate it to if I were to meet Tom Brady or Bon Jovi in real life..I would not know what to say.
I loved writing to them..2 in particular that I remember. I loved hearing updates from former communist Berlin, Germany and from Senegal,Africa. I kept those letters for many years. I was recently at a women's conference at my old church and the feautured speaker was my old missionary pen pal from Germany. I hadn't seen her in over 20 years and I felt so blessed to be able to reconnect with her. Her life has been devoted to the people of Germany..I am encouraged and humbled by her sacrifice.
Thankful to Ms. Christine Sears for influencing my life at such a young age and impacting the life that I am now living.
Who are you allowing to impact your life?

Because my life is so interesting...

....i'm starting a blog (*sarcasm*) honestly, i have no idea why i even want a blog~i have a facebook page that i'm addicted to keeping up with. but adam and i have family and friends across the country that aren't on facebook....so i thought this would be an easy way to keep up with them and vice versa....

let's see how long it takes for me to get bored with this...=)

love to all of you...xoxo