Mission Moldova

For the last two weeks there have been about 80 foreigners working with us doing short-term outreaches throughout the villages of Moldova. Some of them built a playground and invited the local children to come to a day camp to learn about Jesus. Some of them served the missionaries living in the tiny village of Paicu by improving their living conditions. Often our summer missionaries complain about not being able to have a shower while they are in the villages (no running water, you understand). This group took the matter into their own hands and built a shower for the girls who are serving there year-round! Some of the summer missionaries went to hospitals for children and presented a program, while others visited the elderly in a community and offered assistance with practical needs. Other young people ran a sports ministry, playing soccer with local youth and then sharing about the One who can help us to be victorious in all areas of life. The stories and presentations we heard and saw yesterday were a rich feast of the blessing of God in a country that needs the hope and help of the Gospel. It was exciting to hear the young people speak of the inspirational people they had met in their outreaches - pastors dedicated to the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church, church members of a tiny church doing everything within their power, while calling on God's, to transform their community into a place of hope and blessing. Sometimes you wonder what a 2-week mission can accomplish but when you hear these stories and see the faces of children who are being touched with the love of Christ, and when you understand that the lives of these young people who have come are probably changed forever because of these two weeks, it is a cause for rejoicing.