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