Buna Ziua! [Good Day!]

There was a beautiful sunset the other night and we all just had to get pictures of it.

We didn't have electricity for a few days and on top of that it rained enormous amonts of water. I didn't think it would bother me that much until I had finished a whole book then realized I didn't have much communication with the rest of the world. Stinkin' facebook, e-mails and blogging...you got me hooked! But it was a much needed quiet time. There was solitude and simplicity in the whole household. It was as if this was a much needed time of rest and refreshment. I know the Missionaries I am with deserve as much resting time as they want.

We had bread and cheese during the evening hours. There were flashlights and candles in areas that we needed them and everyone was playing games or reading their books. The Raatz girls have re-kindled my passion for reading once again. Thank you girls!

The girls at the home have been doing great. The precious hours that we get to spend there are becoming more and more valuable to my heart. Today I had to say good-bye to *Ali. She will be going home for two weeks and I won't be here for another two weeks. I go home in 12 days. As she told me to write her letters in English and Romanian and as we kissed each others cheek good-bye, I realized that the 11 other good-byes are going to be that much harder.

Good-byes can only sustain for as long as the heart can hold to being gone.

And one of the girls at the home got ahold of my camera this afternoon. The following pictures are what she took and they are absolutely wonderful and so precious. She wanted to take a picture of everything and everyone she saw. She was so excited to see something stay so still and stay there. What a beautiful smile she had as she snapped each picture.

And know that the photographer is being redeemed, loved and cared for by our Maker.

Enjoy.

God is an amazing God. Didn't think I could be more madly in love! I'm captivated by His beautiful creation all over the world.

And I just finished Three Cups of Tea [recommended to me by my wonderful friend Ninive]. I didn't think I'd ever say this but I'd like to be in the Middle East someday. Lord willing.

Blessings to you and the rest of your week!

[and I am so very frustrated by the way the pictures taken by the girl turned out on the post. They are not supposed to be spaced out that much or that sporatic. So sorry. enjoy though!]

A rainy Saturday morning.

Psalm 40:1-3
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him."

Yesterday when I was at my language lessons my teacher, Olga, said something that was saddening. She asked me (in Romanian) how I thought the people in Moldova felt. I said they were happy. Before I could finish the rest of my sentence her face became sad and she said, "No, no they aren't." I stopped abruptly and just looked at her. My thoughts and emotions were a bit caught off guard. I have heard from other Moldovans that they don't like where they live and they don't have patriotism at.all. Olga continued to tell me that the people in Moldova don't know how to have hope. The people are constantly jealous and envious of those around them.
It made my heart heavy. This woman that I have grown close to in a friendship, who loves her country and wants to best for it, knows that her people are unhappy. That looks so different to us Westerners who think that if you are unhappy, change something about your life so that you are. Why not change if it benefits you? Olga asked me. We came up with that some people are used to a generational cycle of poverty, apathy, poor education (if any), and lack of knowledge about the environment around them.
Be praying with us for the people in Moldova to find joy and happiness and faith and trust in Christ.

Oh beautiful Friday!

This week has been wonderful; full of laughs, smiles, questions, answers, frustration, tears, and love. Life in Moldova has proven to be an assortment of so many emotions.
Each Wednesday night, Caroline and I stay the night at the Freedom Home. This past Wednesday we arrived at the home and the girls were in the kitchen making dinner. They had smiles on their faces and welcomed us saying Buna Ziua Ana, Buna Zia Caroline. We played with the children, outside and inside. Their joy for life that night was contagious. As we all sat down for dinner, it felt like this was a family. The Freedom Home is family for these girls. It probably brings a sense of security and love in their lives. If it hasn't yet, it will. Pray with me right now that if there are girls at the home who don't feel loved or taken care of, that they will today. God is so good and pray is so powerful.
The Freedom Home has a ping-pong table. I'm asked every Wednesday (since it has been set up) to play with one of the girls. Lets just say the first time I played, she felt very bad for me and we quite early. This Wednesday night was not going to be that night. We played and played. We laughed...and at one point so hard you couldn't hear out laughs anymore. We were pretending that we were ping-pong champions and the crowds were cheering out name. It was glorious. Then...then I slammed into the wall. I was the closest to the wall and I was so concentrated on the ball coming across the table that I forgot to slow down as I was stepping backwards. BAM! Full force into the wall. I've never seen her laugh so hard at me. She was on the ground and reenacted the scene quite a few times for the rest of the night. These were precious moments that I have loved so much this week!
There are so many stories that involve the Freedom Home this week, some highlights:
In the mornings they have devotions and it is a beautiful thing to see the girls hungry for the Word of God and willing to ask alot of questions.
They have ALOT of cherries at the home during this time of year. Yesterday I was eating one and one of the girls came up to me and said, carne? I started to laugh so hard! It is a joke that the worms inside some of the cherries are great protein, so hence, they call them carne. meat.
And also yesterday morning I felt like there was a bug on my neck but I was around the kids and I didn't want to scream so I tried to compose myself. The bug wouldn't leave my neck! So I quickly turned around in my chair and who was standing there, the girl who said carne earlier in the morning!! We laughed so hard and she was making fun of me in Romanian. Love it!

well I have a yummy breakfast awaiting me. I pray you are all having a great day! Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

It's Moldova.

Today was a valiant day for one of the girls at the home. She faced her trafficker today in court. We are all so proud of her courage and strength. We aren't sure how the court hearing will go but we are praying for her favor and not the scumbags. If had been in that court room, Lord only knows what I would've done to that horrible man who thought it was a great idea to hurt and abuse women and girls. I'm sure if I ever am in that situation God will deal with my feelings directly.
I'm so happy for her though. God is doing a great thing in her life andbe praying for the other girls who have not yet testified against their trafficker. God is a God of justice and those men who hurt them can be caught! And God will give these girls courage and strength. The Freedom Home has an amazing staff of women who are ready to stand right alongside these girls. So blessed to be apart of what God is doing.
It was a good day at the home. The girls make beautiful art pieces for the local Salvation Army so they were busy with those projects today. One of the girls has been at hair school for the past few days. She comes back with a smile on her face everytime :) The 4 kids at the home are doing great. They have become more familiar with Carolin and I over the past few weeks and it is always so wonderful when they come running to you when you arrive at the home. Their laughs are contagious. Their smiles are contragious. Theire simple love for life is contagious. Little kids are the organic root to the simplicity and happiness of life.
The girls and staff are still in their English lessons and they are blossoming. I love being in the room and seeing them learn. It makes them so happy when they figure out what a word means or how to pronounce a word correctly.
Prayer requests for the home:
-Still be praying for a Director for the home. Transition can be hard for the girls and staff so be praying for peace and security in each one of their lives. (the former director left for personal reasons and the home (and Raatz') are praying and seeking the Lord for a new one)
-Pray for the girls as they (one by one) are testifying against their traffickers. They are heroes and worthy of so much. Though, these hearings can be difficult to go to because they have to see their former trafficker face to face. And sometimes the girls (not the ones at FH) are bribed to not show up to court. It is a horrible cycle and too many pimps are getting off free from the pain and despair they have caused to so many women and children.
-Praying for finances for the home
-Pray for more homes to open up throughout Moldova. (if you read enough books about sex trafficking you may notice that many Eastern European girls are trafficked to Russia, Asia and Western Europe. They are trafficked for many reasons (lied to by others, given fake jobs, poverty, kidnapped..the list can go on) and many go back to the same situations. These homes are a safe haven and a family community for these women and girls.
Thank you for coming alongside all of us in Moldova and praying for these girls!
___________________________________________________________________

There have been some really funny things that have happened in the past week and I just have to share them with you!:
Recently Caroline and I have seen too many big bellies! The men love to cool off their bellies from the summer heat by lifting up their shirts and tucking it in to the top of their belly. These picturesque beauts can be seen on most rutieras that transport us all around Chisinau. Gets me everytime.
Another thing is the hair here. The women have Dolly Parton hair and Im afraid that something..or someone lives inside of it.
Hahahahaha also it's always interesting to muscle your way out of the 101 rutiera at 10pm on any given night. It's usually full of sweaty, smelly, TALL people who pack into the car like a herd of elephants! It's hilarious! There are countless times where when I step out of the rutiera it feels like I go from a heater to a ice-box in less than 1 second.

It has been a wonderful day in Moldova. Finished the day with curry chicken, rice, peas, italian salad, carrots and water made by the infamous Nancy Raatz.

and...

right at this moment: nancy, caroline and I are laughing histerically to just about everything we hear and see while sitting in the living room. you'd have to see it to believe it but you'd be laughing right along with us. It's been a good day. God is so good.

comfy clothes on a Sunday.

Oh Sundays, how I love that you make me want to wear cut-off sweats and a t-shirt right after church. Your slow-moving time with your care-free thoughts has caused me to do exactly that.
I have been in my comfy clothes since I arrived home from church. I am proud of my choice.
And as I sit here, with a cup of coffee at just an arms length away, my mind goes back to the experiences and stories of today.
There was something that I was told on my way to church today that just made my skin ripple. It is a horrible story about a young girl who is a beggar that is frequently seen at this particular intersection in the city. Today we saw her at that intersection on our way to church. She seemed so distraught but was always smiling. I kind of wish I had taken a picture of her. Nancy then told us that she was an orphan at a certain orphanage in Chisinau and she was at this place in the city most all of the time. She said she heard from a friend of hers that this young girl was taken advantage of by thirty men one night. thirty men. I was disgusted at the male race. I was angry at the demand for young girls to suffice the needs of man. When it crosses your mind, be praying for this girl and all girls alike in the world who are coerced to do things they don't want.
That is really the only story that stood out in my mind.

The rest of the day has been spent going to the market and purchasing fresh vegetables. An absolute favorite of mine.
In the past week I finished a book. I recommend reading it if you have the time:
"Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery by Siddhartha Kara".
I sit here thinking, When will we see the beauty amidst the desperation from the millions who have no voice?

a morning not planned correctly.

Psalm 25:12-13- Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.

This morning did not start off as planned. I decided that working out first would be the best idea...hahahha not. Totally wrong idea Annie-Laurie. The T.V. didn't work so no Jillian Michaels and I quickly resorted to frustration at myself and the T.V. Stupid I know, but we all have those mornings. Little did I realize (or want to realize) was that if I had taken a step back, prayed, taken a deep breath, the idea of using my laptop would have been my first reaction. But no, my flesh was the first to respond. The laptop ended up working but after the workout, I practically ran to the Word. I am reading in Psalms and this is what I stumbled upon. He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. To enjoy my day, to enjoy my life I need to be saturated and choose to live with the God-desires of my heart, not the flesh-desires of my heart.

this.week.has.gone.by.too.fast...again.

It really seems that time flies while doing things that you love. I find that concept so alive and true when at the end of the day you plop down on the couch and let out a deep breath and think "Today was a good day. It wasnt perfect, but it was a good." As of right now, my hands still smell like baby. My hair has been in a side braid for more than a month. I need a shower and clean clothes. The dress I am wearing has become my closest companian with the summer heat. My love for cherries is slowly dwindling (as I have too many every time we pick them..). Apples are still my favorite fruit. Hillsong fills my hears and mind with the wonderful praises about my King. I'd say that this sums up the end of my day, everyday.
My heart for the girls at FH just swells up with care and love with each day that I spend with them. I get to see how they interact with each other (and with not knowing Romainan very well yet or Russian at all, I can see that actions definitely speak louder than words :)). Last night we went to the store with a few of the girls from FH to get some late-night snacks (girls are the same all over the world!). I saw that one of the girls was getting some meat from the deli and I was thinking "what is she going to do with all that meat?". As we arrived home (with 10 mins until curfew, whew!), she put her daughter to bed, went straight to the kitchen, counted every one in the kitchen, pulled out the cut bread and then cut up the meat. It was a beautiful thing to see. As she was passing out the food to everyone I leaned over to Caroline and said something like, "Caroline, her gift is to give and make sure everyone is comfortable. I would want to hurt whoever thought it was o.k. to hurt her." Everytime I spend more and more time with the girls and their children, I find myself sometimes thinking that if I ever came in contact with the people who hurt them, I might hurt them! I am so thankful that they are at the Freedom Home. They can find freedom and hope. God is so good and He is revealing His love and safety to each girl, day by day.

Today we picked cherries. There were so many!

The girls at the home are going to make jam, soooo good!

I hope that you are having a great week. Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

Prayer Requests:

-Permanent/regular counselor at the Home

-Continued restoration for the girls

-Steady and secure staff for the Home

good evening!

[two things] first: some men in moldova don't shave their armpits. today a man at the mall was stretching his arms, he had a tank on and there was no hair. I repeat no hair in the pits. Definitely caught me off guard.
second: please try to say "fish mcwrap" 10xs fast.

hahahahaha.

This weekend was nice and relaxing. We found a Moldovan garage sale on Saturday and I fell in love with all of the knick-knacks they had. I definitely plan on going back to that glorious find. We went to the market and got some fresh veggies and fruit. We made a fantastic Italian Pasta for dinner on Saturday and we are still snacking on it. Sunday was a great day at church and it was wonderful to see the girls from the Freedom Home being welcomed so warmly by this small church. There really is freedom rolling through their veins from this church, God is so moving in their lives. Little Elena was a hoot during the whole service :)

And it rained like no other last night. There were instant floods in many of the streets in our neighborhood and man was it loud.

Today as I was walking to the Freedom Home from my language lessons I just had to take some pictures of the cool things I see everyday.

I love the beauty in Moldova. It's so creative, rustic, and simple.

There was a heaviness on the Home today. The women were sensitive and there just seemed to be a heightened level of emotions circulating through the Home. Always be praying for these women and all the women who are victims of slavery around the world. They each go through so much and have to deal with more than we can imagine after. Pray for a house counselor for the home; someone who can regularly come to the home and counsel the women.

And tonight Caroline and I (along with some new YWAM friends) ventured to Malldova and went bowling! It was a blast!

La Revedere!

[Oh! And we were caught in a very closed-quartered rutiera from the Mall tonight. After slithering through the rough crowd, I thought "I think may now know what my child will go through when birthing..." A thought that quickly fleeted from my mind. No worries.]

Friday, friday, friday, fryday, frieday, friday.

At 6am this morning, I was woken up by a loud noise of the rain hitting the tin roof located right underneath our window. Not that those italicized words mean anything other than the tin roof was conveniently built right below all the apartment windows ;) But it reminded me of the times when my family and I lived in Oregon. We would camp by the coast multiple times in the summer. And every morning there was always a morning rain shower, dad was already up making coffee for him and mom, and usually there were hot cocoa packets in the igloo bins for Audrey and I. I remember having to grab a swooshy-raincoat from my suitcase, slip on my flip-flops, pull back the hair, zip up my sleeping bag, then enjoy a yummy camp-style breakfast on the damp, wooden benches with the Pacific coast breeze gently making its way through the campsites. Those times are precious to me and I was so happy that this morning reminded me of those sweet times.

We had a mentoring time with Andy and Nancy this morning, it is a great time and I am learning so much about leadership. We are going through the book, The Making of a Leader. Inside of this I am figuring out that I am in the Inner-Life Growth stage, full of tests; obedience, integrity, and Word tests along with analyzing past experiences and seeing what we have learned. This internship has come at such a great time in my life.

After our time at the Raatz', I quickly gathered all of my belongings and headed to the main road to catch a rudiera to Olga's house for Romanian lessons. I really enjoy my times with Olga. She is such a sweet woman to talk to, she loves talking about "her" Moldova. I have not only learned language but also so much about this culture and who the people are. Over fruit tea, coffee, and little biscuits, we talked about Transnistria. A portion of land that divides Moldova and Ukraine on the east side. It was so interesting to hear what she had to say about the country, such a mysterious place to me. I encourage you to research about this piece of land, it is super interesting.

I was able to spend a few hours at the Home today. The women seemed a bit on edge, but then again it had been raining off and on all morning and being coop-ed up inside a big house all morning is SO not fun. They were out on that swing-set before I could say the rain had let up ;) These girls are becoming more and more dear to my heart. It is going to be so hard to leave. No, I won't think about it.

They had English lessons today. It was exciting to see the girls wanting to learn and catching on to different words and sounds. I think that they help each other too much during the lecture portion but hey, who cares right? Slowly but surely each little one woke up from their naps. Elena was the last to wake up and her momma was out at the store so I had the honors of feeding her noodles. It was a joy to see her act out "cooling-down" the noodles and then pretending to eat them. Her beautiful smile and mischevious laugh brought joy to my heart.

As the sun has completely disappeared on the horizon, Im left with remembering the Lords faithfulness. Not quite so sure why it is on my mind but nevertheless this isn't a bad note to end a day on. God is good, all the time. He is there at the Freedom Home protecting those girls and their children. He is in Missouri protecting my family from whatever may come their way and He is right here beside me as my eyes are becoming drowsy and with my mind thinking, "7am comes too quickly.."

Always be praying for the women at Freedom Home.

freedom [free-duh m]: n.
1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.
2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint.

Last night as we arrived at the Freedom Home, there was a sense of peace. The girls and the children were outside in the backyard playing on the new swingset that had been put in only a few short weeks ago. There was laughing, chattering and smiles galore. The girls have loved that swingset since it was put in. (Some very nice church in America funded the project, well worth it and so needed!) There have been countless times when I look out the window and see the mothers swinging on the "big-girl" swing, with no children around. It is as if they quietly tip-toed outside just so that they could get a quick drink of freedom. The girls will swing as high as they can, with no fear. It is exhilarating to imagine that with every swing pain and despair will go away and joy and freedom will enter in these girls lives. This morning, as I was making a cup of coffee, I looked out the kitchen window and saw one of the girls outside on the swing (with no child in sight ;)). She was singing loud and swinging high...all with her eyes closed. In that instant I thought "These beautiful women could find this swingset to be a place where they could feel their freedom. Where they could sing joyous songs of praise, swing high, and feel the Moldovan breeze...all with their eyes closed." Do you remember doing that as a child? I sure do. The breeze flowing through your hair made you feel invincible, like you had the whole world at your finger tips and nothing was stopping you. I prayed in that moment that the women at the Freedom Home would feel that. Even when the hardest moments arise, that they would feel that they are invincible, worthy of a second try at life and absolutely precious to the Lord.

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 16: 7-11

joy

there is
joy
joy
joy
joy
down in my heart to stay.

Joy is in our spirit. Now it is just learning how to release it.

morning thoughts.

This weekend I learned more about something. I have heard and now I am accountable.

In Matthew 9:16-17. "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into the old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into the new wineskins, and both are preserved.
1. Old wineskins are old ways and thoughts.
-these old wineskins hinder a person from being open and aware to the new things
and creativity that the Lord brings to those who are willing.
-old wineskins are not a part of the empyting process. the time and moments in our lives
where we know that the Lord is the only part of our lives that we are to depend on.
-pride and bitterness are huge hinderances from new wineskins.
2. The new wineskin that we conciously set before us everyday will draw is closer to the Lord.
-new wineskins are a sign of change and growth.
- a new wineskin means that we are aware and open to newness in our lives.
(ex: new ideas in ministry that the Lord is showing us; being aware of those new waves
of ideas for a church)
-Isaiah 55:8; "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
-John 3:30. "He must increase, but I must decrease."
-Psalm 46:10. "Cease striving and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the
nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
It is all about being poor in spirit: "Poorness in spirit is that humility which looks away from self, and depends upon the strength that is stronger and the wisdom that is wiser than we."
(Dr. Spiros Zodhiates)

Be open, aware, accountable to yourself and the Lord in who He wants you to be. If we are choosing to listen to our old ways than there is no room for change and growth in the Kingdom of God.

Be blessed today!

the weekend coming to a close..

this little cutie brings so much laughter and joy into the home.

This beautiful cup of coffee up above has been a life-saver in many moments of my time here. Nancy and I have decided that coffee is an addiction. There have been countless times where I depend on its beautiful caffeine. As so many of you know, I love coffee. As the sun fades into the backlight of the earth, I sit here wondering if I did all, learned all, saw all, embraced all, and changed all I could today. Did I do my best? There might have been times when I was out and about with the Moldovan people where I didn't quite show Christs love to them. Im on the oublic transportaion quite a bit during the day and there are many times when I am so tired that I am capable of ignoring those around me. Yesterday I found myself sitting next to an older lady who was just chatting away in Romanian. She was smiling and laughing and gesturing to me to probably laugh and smile with here. We had a great conversation, thanks goes to my Romanian language teacher who taught me the basics. The lady never knew I only spoke English ;) Oh the beauty of actions speaking louder than words.

[i just thought this was great. a large beer bottle is placed on-top of the fence. niiice]

I saw these pieces of art on our way to the french patissorie.

time flies..

I can hardly believe that tomorrow is Friday. It feels like just yesterday was Monday! This week has flown by so quickly. Caroline and I spent a large majority of our week at the Freedom Home. The girls at the home have really seen alot of break throughs in their lives, Im excited to hear more in the future.

Caroline and I spend the night at the Freedom Home once a week (Weds nights). It is a good time to see more of how the home works and who the women really are. I have loved spending time with the girls and their kids; playing outside, having tea at 11pm at night and not being able to go to sleep until the wee hours of the morning, and having devotions with them.

I am learning that God is bigger than it all and I should have no fear.

Thank you for the prayers. God is good and He is doing a great work here in Moldova!