RHCC Moldova 2007 Falesti

Home Safe and Sound

2007-07-12T14:38:00.000-06:00

Thank you friends and family for all your prayers and support during our trip. We arrived home last night later than expected due to delays on every flight we had. But, I'd rather have delays than cancelations any day. God sustained the sick ones and allowed us to arrive with all our bags (minus one, which was mine that arrived this morning at 7:30 on my back door!). Thank you for praying us through the trip. Thank you for investing time and resources in each of our team members. We each have many stories of God's movement throughout the trip and I know that these are thanks to the prayers of many around the globe. I've posted a few pictures! love--rebecca

The Long Road Home . . .

2007-07-10T15:13:00.000-06:00

It's about 12:15 a.m. here in Chisinau, and we are at the team house waiting to leave for our 4AM flight. Today started with a long and hot bus ride from the teamhouse in Balti after eating lunch at the place where we started our week - Andy's Pizza (It was similar to American pizza, but not quite the same.) When we arrived in Chisinau, we met up with some of the Falesti team at McDonalds and then did a little shopping at the art market. We had a wonderful Moldovan supper at a very nice restaurant and have been passing the time in the teamhouse by playing cards, laughing, some of us trying to sleep, and some of us trying to stay awake. I try not to think about the fact that it is still more than 24 hours before we are in Nashville.

I'm definitely ready to be home, but am still not sure how long it will take me to adjust to life again and process all of the things that I've experienced here. It's just so much to take in, so much to think about, so much to react to- the faces of those precious children are constantly on my mind. I just look at the pictures I've taken over and over again- I don't want to forget a single face, a single name.

OK - enough seriousness - for those of you who are friends of those on our team, here are some things you must ask about when you see us.

1.Harry the bus driver and the chicken dance.
2. The corn on the pizza.
3. Marna Jane (MVP) and the lighter.
4. The Wonder Twins.
5. Boom Chicka Boom.
6. The explosion in the a/c room.
7. No dancing allowed.
8. The "mud-ro-planing" bus.
9. The corn field squatters.
10. Dudley, Princess Fiona, and BillBird.
11. Helen and her wedges.
12. The babushkas.
13. Get off the internet, please.
14. Starch and chicken.
15. Sarah and the Moldovan doctors.

There are many more stories than this, but this will get us started talking for sure!

Can't wait to see you guys- we'll be home soon!

Our Day in the Villages

2007-07-09T12:44:00.000-06:00

This is Marna Jane and this is my first time blogging. I am a little nervous, but I will try my best to communicate our day in words...

We have been referring today as our "mystery day" because we really had absolutely no clue about today until about 2 days ago and then we only knew that we would be going into villages to do camp for some kids. All details were unknown. Our team is amazing and no one really seemed nervous about the day.

So, this morning we woke up with 3 sick teammates. Sarah was in pain due to her kidney stone. Rebecca had a fever and her throat hurt. Heather had been throwing up throughout the night. We were three men down heading out. We left these three behind to get lost on our way to find the first church.

We arrived to find probably 10-15 kids outside a small one room building. Our numbers expanded to about 30ish kids by the end of our time in the village. Everything went very smoothly. The kids enjoyed the music, crafts and games. They knew how to get in a line and stay in a line. We were able to play 5 rec games with them in the same amount of time it would have taken us to get the children at the orphanage to get in a line. The next village went just as smoothly.

As one of my teammates put it, "there is a big difference between being poor with a mother and being poor without a mother." I am so glad that God had in his plans to send us to the villages today. The children at the orphanage are lacking in clothes, baths, etc, but most of all they are lacking in love. That lack of love, dramatically changes their lives. The children at the orphanage are constantly touching us as a means to be touched by someone. They are constantly seeking someone to listen, someone to pay attention to them. We did most of the touching today.

In addition to perspective, God reminded me that His heart is for all of Moldova. During my time at the orphanage, I become so focused on the children that God has given me a heart for that I forget that God has such a greater view. In the second village we went to, we were told the church had 12ish members. We had close to 30 children today. God is moving throughout Moldova and I am so glad He has choosen me to be a part of His plans here.

We returned home from the day to say goodbye to our translators (after some yummy icecream), pack our bags, play some cards, take showers, and get ready to leave to go to Chisinau tomorrow. Bitter sweet.

Please pray for Heather, Rebecca, and Sarah. All three are feeling better, but none are healed yet. There is a good story from today from the sick teammates, but you will have to ask one of them for the details.

2007-07-08T12:52:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone. This is Jordan Hester and this is my first time ever blogging. Today was our last day of camp with the children at the camp in Falesti. We had a great day at camp and wrapped up our time with the kids. This is my first time in Moldova, so it was hard to leave the camp without feeling like you are leaving these wonderful kids behind. The only thing that helps is the faith that God will continue to watch over them and protect them even though we are not there. One of the best times of our week was in our evening worship service tonight. Andy Ross has been our speaker all week and he wrapped up our time with the kids by praying a blessing over the kids. Each member on our team reached out and put our arms around, touched, or hugged the kids around us. This time was very powerful and I will remember it as one of my favorite moments so far in Moldova. Below is the blessing that our team wrote:

A Blessing for the Children of Falesti

Dear God,
May the Bible never depart from the mouths of these children. May they meditate on it day and night, so they may be prosperous and successful.

Lord, receive and love these children, even at times when no one else does. May the joy of the Lord be their strength. When the world is full of danger, let no danger conquer them, because You are with them. May they take refuge in You, and may You let them live in safety, so no one will make them afraid.

Lord search for them when they are lost. Bring them back when they stray. Bind up the injured. Strengthen the weak.

Show Your face and Your will to them, so they may never doubt that You are real. May they know You and trust You as they would a perfect Father.

We will always love these children. May our beloved children be wise, be strong, be pure, and be free. Amen.

2007-07-07T14:05:00.000-06:00

So Tomorrow is the last day of camp and I can hardly believe. God has blessed this trip in so many ways, and I think that it has gone so smooth and that is why it has gone too fast. I'm dreading saying goodbye to the kids, because it is really one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Ludmilla came back to the camp, and was dissapointed because she is not going to the school that she expected, but a different one. She will learn how to be a social worker. God does everything for a purpose, and I ask for you to pray that she understands God's reasoning for changing her plans. Please pray for strength, protection, health, and energy for our group tomorrow. During our worship time together as a group we went around and talked about how each of us had been used to do God's work this week. It was amazing to recall all the amazing moments that I had witnessed, and also recognized for the unconditional love that God has given to me for my girls. Thanks for all of your prayer and support, without you I would not be able to invest in the lives of these beauties or be overwhelming effected by these kids if it wasn't for you.

Hey Everyone

2007-07-05T07:46:00.000-06:00

Today we had to cut our day short due to rain, which was sad. I really wanted to spend the rest of the day with the kids. I however did get to know one of the girls in my bible study better, because she was on our bus ride home. We dropped her off in Falesti, because she is trying to get into the college there. She was abandoned 4 years ago along with the rest of her siblings. She is on her own, and wants to go to college for be a primary school teacher. She needs to get a certain document in order to be able to go. I ask for all of you to pray that she can get into this college, so one day she can support herself, and her two sisters and brother. Also, please pray that it does not rain, so we can spend time with the kids. It is amazing how much you can love someone. I have been having a blast with my three girls especially, they are a complete joy to be around. I have taken over 40 pictures of them! They love playing with my camera, and having their pictures taken. Thanks for the prayers!

Rainy Thursday!

2007-07-05T07:37:00.000-06:00

God is working here in Moldova in the lives of these kids that I just met but am already in love with. There is one little boy in my bible study who stand beside me as much as he can, but makes it a point to hit me or pinch me, then when I tell him "noooo" (which is romanian for "Noooo"), he just smiles and shrugs like it wasn't him. I've learned that putting my arm around him seems to work better than telling him no. We'll see if i come back with any bruises from Vasile.

Yesterday at free time it was so neat watching Andy and Darin play soccer and football, and teach the older boys how to throw. I try not to think about what their lives will be like when they have to leave the orphanage. Ryan was a hit with her "Where's Waldo" book, and Jennifer, Heather, and I had a little manicure stand that kept us busy.

Our second day of camp was interruped with a thunderstorm, but it was fun all the same! I think the recreation rotation had the most interesting time adapting for the rain, but everything really has gone smoothly.

So what has God been teaching me? My inclination is to try to fix the problems that I see, but here in this country where I don't speak the language, where I can't give these kids homes, and where there is very little that I can tangibly do to make these kids lives any better, God is big enough to handle it. One of my new favorite songs is a hillsongs song called Mighty to Save and while we were driving to camp yesterday, it was a song that I made sure to listen to to prepare myself for the day. Then, to my delight, it was one of the songs that Jordan taught the group in our devotional time last night. The words of the chorus are: My Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever, author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the Grave. It just reminds me that even though I might feel helpless, God is mighty to save - He has already done more than any of us deserve by giving us a way to have a relationship with Him. And he has these precious children in His hands - even Vasile, my little abusive friend :)

Happy 4th from Falesti!

2007-07-04T04:40:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th of July from the Falesti team! This is Paige writing from the Falesti team house. Word from day one at camp is that the weather is great, the kids are attentive and listening (an answer to prayer!) and the first round of rotations was a big success. Praise God!

Our team does have one prayer request. Our sweet Katie Holquist became ill with a stomach bug last night. She and I are holding down the fort here at the team house. She is resting well and seems to be improving but please pray for a swift recovery for her. Please also pray that the bug she has had doesn't spread to anyone else here in our close quarters.

Even though I'm not there today, there is a sweet girl I will be looking for tomorrow. Her name is Margaretta and she befriended me immediately on our arrival yesterday. This is my first trip to Moldova, though I have heard so much about it from those who have come again and again and again...'you will love them' i was told, and they were right. I don't think a I have seen a sweeter or more excited greeting as the one i saw yesterday as we came down the hill into camp. It was obvious this group of campers had been waiting a long time for us, probably since last year this time. Many of our team received sweet group hugs from children who remembered their names and even the gifts they had been given last year. Instant tears popped to the eyes of several team members as hungry little arms wrapped around them. Ingrid was nearly mowed down byt the force of the love, hugs and kisses. It would be a good way to go. Smile. Even this newbie felt welcomed, appreciated and pulled quickly into this family. Margaretta was a fixture at my side and under my arm for the entire visit. I will be holding her a good part of the week I'd say and it will be a privilege. She'll be a fixture in my heart too. (okay a cheesy line but true none the less.) So we celebrate our independence today by using our freedom to come to a distant country, a place that hasn't long had the freedom we so readily enjoy, to share and hopefully leave behind a lasting freedom in Christ. That is our 4th of July day prayer. With thanksgiving, Paige.

I love Moldova!

2007-07-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone! Today was our first full day in Moldova. It has been an amazing day! We met up with the translators, and they all are very sweet. A bunch of the girls are my age, which is really neat. We got to be at camp for a little bit today. I have not been so happy in a long time! I got to see my three dear friends Mihaela, Doina, and Daniella. Seeing each one was completely overwhelming. God has blessed us in so many ways. No delays, and I think all our bags made it! Also, we got to spend the night in a really nice hotel. I can't wait for camp to start! I'm so excited to spend time with my girls, and to develop new friendships. Thanks for all of your prayers!

They made it!

2007-07-02T13:40:00.000-06:00

The Falesti team arrived safely in Moldova--uneventful travel (which is nice since they had their fair share of horrible travel last year). They ate dinner and are resting at their hotel for the night. Only a couple of bags are missing; they are supply bags, so that is good! They head out tomorrow morning at 9:00, on their way to Falesti.

Almost there

2007-07-02T08:01:00.001-06:00

The teams arrived safely and on time in Frankfurt, Germany. After a brief layover, they will arrive in Chisinau, Moldova at 6:20 p.m. local time, which is roughly 10:20 a.m. in Nashville. They will get to rest well tonight before heading out on their separate journeys tomorrow.

When I get word that they have arrived in Moldova, I will let you all know.

Is it true?

2007-07-01T06:48:00.000-06:00

Who else couldn't sleep last night due to the fact that we leave TODAY! Oh my goodness, we leave today!

Sureal, but nice...

2007-06-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

Well, we are three days away and counting until we leave for Moldova. Hopefully our travel will be less eventful this year than it was last year. =) God has His purposes though, and our team was united in a very tangible way through that experience. Let's just hope our team this year will be just as blessed, without having to go to Istanbul to get there.

I'm definitely feeling torn right now between the numbness that comes when I go on auto pilot just trying to get everything done before leaving, and already having butterflies in my stomach in anticipation of wrapping my arms around Olga and Elmira. There has been so much to do, so much to keep track of, so much to prepare, and this week has been lost in the logistics for me... getting all my ducks in a row in preparation for this trip. But then I think of the kids, and I start daydreaming about all the time we're going to spend together over the next week and a half. I start thinking about how radically they changed my life last year, and how deeply I love them. I start wondering how I'm going to answer Elmira's constant request for me to adopt her when I'm standing there looking into her eyes. Moldova is such a bittersweet experience. There is so much joy in those children, and in me because of my time with them. There are lots of times when we laugh and when we rejoice with them as they find out more about who Jesus is, and who He wants to be to them. There are lots of times when we cry too. Not all tears are an evil, but whether in joy or sadness, they do break your heart. It makes me truly wonder at how high and long and wide and deep is the love the Christ. How does He bear to have such compassion that He looks on this broken world everyday and still chooses to make Himself a part of every intimate detail? I feel honored that He has allowed me to be a part of His plan in the lives of these children, and thankful for the ways in which I know He will continue to reveal His heart to me along the way. There is a quote from a book I read in high school that has always been lodged in my mind since the day I first read it, and I can think of no better situation to which I can apply it than this trip to Moldova. "Then grant me but a drop of Your compassion in my cup, and even then, I can only carry it by Your grace." ~Linda Chaikin

A Peace that Passes Understanding...

2007-06-27T18:06:00.000-06:00

Wow! I can't believe we have only 3 days left until we get on a plane and head back to Moldova! I've been so busy these last few months that July 1 has really come fast! A year later, it still stuns me when I think about how much my life changed after our trip last year. I'm talking about the way I look at things... my thought processes... the way I look at the world... the thoughts I have when I read or watch the news. All of that has changed. I learned that you can't be truly thankful for being born in the United States until you've been outside of this country. I learned that the world is a much smaller place than you think it is. I learned to be joyful. I learned how amazingly blessed I am -- not only in belongings but in friends and relatives. I was reminded of what a truly wonderful family I was born into and what an amazing blessing it is to have so many people around me that love me. I learned how truly incredible the power of prayer is! I had been frozen in fear to go on an international mission trip and then found myself in 6 countries in 4 1/2 days with no fear whatsoever! That can only be attributed to prayer and a peace that passes understanding! I learned that my favorite words are love, joy, peace, faith and hope. God gives us all of those things and they are truly amazing!

As we near our departure day, I want to ask you to pray for our team... pray for peace of mind as we travel (not only for us, but for those around us)... pray for safety... pray for us to sleep and get real rest... pray for us to stay healthy... pray for the kids, the teachers, the translators, the lady that cooks for us at the team house, for our drivers and for all the people we will interact with between here and there... pray for good weather... pray that we share God's love, plant seeds and make a real difference in these kids' lives.

"I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequences of those prayers down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives." -- Peter Kreeft, author and professor of philosophy at Boston College

Christ just wants you....

2007-06-26T22:00:00.000-06:00

I received this email today from a family that I nannyed for last summer. The little girl who you are about to read about is 4 years old. I thought of Moldova while reading it. We are about to travel half way across the world to work with children. We will have a huge impact on those children planting seeds in them that will some day grow. For those seeds that have already been planted, then we will continue to build relationships and spur those children on. I'll shut up now and let you read :)

Bella Accepts Christ

On Monday, June 25th what was typically her sister Joslyn's birthday became an extraordinary day for Bella. Vacation Bible School was a week prior, and I really thought she was all Jesus'ed out. That is, until Monday afternoon outside in the puddles after a thunder storm. Bella stomped and splashed on the driveway and then started yelling at someone, or rather demanding someone to come jump in the puddles with her.
Honestly, I was annoyed. I ran to the edge of the garage where I was cleaning out a stroller and asked her whom she was yelling at, and why she felt compelled to yell. What I noticed was that she was yelling up at the sky.
"God won't come down and splash in the puddles with me." She seemed annoyed too. I explained that God couldn't come down to play with her, but rather many years ago he sent his son Jesus in his place to splash in the puddles with children. She said she remembered the story of when he died. They talked about Jesus in Vacation Bible School. The only way Jesus was with us, and the only way to God, was by accepting him in our hearts where he would always be with us.
An hour or so later on the front steps of our house, Bella had her hands clasped together tight right next to her chin. With eyes closed tight, she asked Jesus to be in her heart.
"Jesus, come down and be in my heart. I love you. Amen"
And the rest is yet to come.....

9 days and counting.....

2007-06-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

Is it weird that I have packed already?

The excitement is almost too overwhelming. I can almost see Moldova. Oh, the rolling hills that are so yellow and full of sunflowers. I can almost hear Moldova. Romanian being spoken all around. I can hear the kids yelling my name. Kati they would call me turning the "a" in to a long "a". And touch, oh the anticipation of the hugs from those kids. There is no other touch in this world that can replace the hugs from those kids. Oh, the taste of Moldova. Chicken and rice. Real bland, but good at the same time. Maybe a slice of cheese and piece of bread for lunch. Can't forget about the smell of Moldova. I can almost smell Moldova. Just picture standing down hill, wind blowing your way and the outhouse right there. You are waiting to squat over a hole and pee but at the same time you are trying to hold your breath due to the overwhelming stench. Not a real pretty picture, I know. But, at the same time - something that I don't mind at all. Last time anyway, I became accustomed to it. We'll see how it goes this trip over.

So, is it weird that I am already packed to go back to a place that I would call paradise? The Peace that I find in places like Moldova or Chicago are a little slice of heaven. So, I'm excited to experience this adventure again. I am also scared not knowing what is going to happen when I return from Moldova. I know God is going to do mighty things over there. Not only in the Moldovans, but also in me. It's time for my world to be rocked. It's time for me to be challenged. I just pray that I can hold strong and not fall and cave to the pressures of society. I pray that when I come back that I will be able to do mighty things here in Nashville -God willing, Nashville will still be called home.

I know that I am excited to board the plane next Sunday. Hopefully, this week, I can contain all my excitement. It's hard to believe that we are at 9 days and counting....

Finding Moldova in Atlanta, GA

2007-06-17T21:06:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I was sitting in a cafe in Atlanta with my boyfriend Jessee; we had gone to Atlanta for a wedding and were taking a nice break on Sunday afternoon before heading back to Nashville. After being seated we were soon greated by our waitress, Anna, there was a strange familiarity about her. Anna spoke with a thick acent and had long dark hair pulled back in a sleek pony tail. Jessee and I sat in the cafe and enjoyed conversation while Anna checked in on us occasionally to see if we needed anything, I just couldn't get over how familiar Anna's broken english was. I asked Anna where she was from and she said Romania. I told her I had been to Moldova and then she said she was from Moldova, I was confused; Anna then went on to say that she is from the Moldova but she tells people she is from Romania because hardley anyone knows where Moldova is.

Anna came to the United States a year ago on a Student Visa but currently her visa is up and if she goes back to Moldova she will not be able to leave again. All of Anna's family is in Moldova and she misses them terribly but knows it is better for everyone if she stays here.

While talking with Anna all my desires, passions and love for the Moldovan people came to the forfront of my mind. I wanted to help Anna, I wanted to fix her visa problem for her, I wanted to take care of her; I felt that same feeling that I have felt while in Moldova, of wanting to do some much but being overwhelmed with the reality of what it would take to meet all those needs. The reality is that I cann't meet all of the needs, I cann't fix every problem but I have an amazing God who does see each of the needs including Anna's. Last Sunday I was not able to fix Anna's visa problem but I now know who Anna is and I can pray for her and her family.
-Becka Spenst

Two weeks from today...

2007-06-17T18:16:00.000-06:00

...we'll be flying away on our adventure to Moldova. I can't believe it! It seems like just the other day it was March. I can't seem to get my mind around the fact that in two weeks all our planning and meetings will be finished and it will be time to put everything into action. We are in the process of raising money to purchase our supplies, atleast the ones that John and Liz weren't able to get for us in Moldova. Hopefully over the next week or so that supply money will be coming in. It is always a lovely adventure to go to Walmart with the church credit card, a tax exempt form, and a long list of random items which usually fill up multiple carts. I love the look on the check out person's face when you seem to never stop getting stuff out of your cart!

Please be praying for the final preparation that each Bible Study partnership will be doing over the next two weeks. We are still waiting on a list of the names and ages of the kids that we'll have this summer. We hope to get that before we leave so that we can pray specifically by name.

Please also be praying for the teachers, orphanage director, and cooks that will be at camp this summer. Pray that God would grant us favor with them and that we would be able to minister to them too.

Thanks for joining us in this adventure!

Kids at Falesti
Summer 2006

Teachers and staff at Falesti camp
Summer 2006

Ludmila and Ana

2007-05-29T11:01:00.000-06:00

Many of you remember Ludmila and her family who have been so important to our work in Falesti with CERI. She, her husband (Vasili), and their four children recently got all their paperwork completed, VISAs, and have moved to America. They are living in Washington state near Vasili's family and attempting to adjust to life there. I just got an email from her today that sounded sad and shared that she is stressed about how to adjust to life here and find work. She asked for prayers and I wanted to send this out to our team. Would you please pray for Ludmila and her family? Pray that God would show her direction about whether to go back to school, what to study if she goes back, and how to find work. Pray that God would help Vasili learn English so that he can work. Pray that their basic needs would be provided for and that they would find community. Pray that God would comfort them and be especially near to them as they are away from their normal way of life.

Ana is the new coordinator of the North for CERI and will be our contact during our stay in Moldova. Please pray for her and her family. Pray that we would work well together and be able to support her. Pray that God would strengthen her for this task before her with many church groups coming this summer.

Ludmila and Vasili

Ludmila and Vasili's children

Ana and Me

Going back

2007-05-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's almost time to go back to Moldova. This will be my fourth summer trip to work with the orphans there. . . and my third time to be at the orphanage camp in Falesti. People ask me why I keep going back and the only thing I can say is because God keeps telling me to go. There is something about being in Moldova and serving those sweet children that gives me such hope and provides me with a greater glimpse of who my God is. I experience Him there with those kids in a way that is meaningful and different. So I go for those kids. . . and I go for myself. There is nothing like pouring out all you have . . . all you can give. . . and then seeing the power of the Holy Spirit kick in and do the real work. I love it! I hope you will be praying for our team as we go. Pray that we run out of what we can give early so the real work God wants to do can get started faster! :)

2007-05-06T15:41:00.000-06:00

Gate to Falesti Camp

Sunflower in Moldova

Getting Ready...

2007-05-06T15:10:00.000-06:00

So Saturday we had our longest planning meeting yet in our preparation for Moldova. We started our meetings in March and will continue until we leave in July. We got so much done yesterday, and it felt great! Plus, how can you beat yummy Mexican food while you meet! We're getting things together for the curriculum and worship time as well as our rotations. Please be praying for the supply lists and the preparation time that we still have. Pray for God to prepare the way for us and to lay His hand of blessing on the precious people of Moldova.

Background: Moldova is the poorest of the former Soviet states located between Romania and the Ukraine. Rolling Hills Community Church has been working with the orphanages in Moldova for almost 5 years now. We work with Children's Emergency Relief International which is a nonprofit organization who has staff in Moldova working with the children there. This summer our team going to the orphanage in the north will consist of twenty people. The city we will stay in is called Balti, but summer camp is located in the town of Falesti. Our church will send a total of 63 people to Moldova this summer in various parts of the country from the capital city of Chisinau, to the north, and to the south doing summer camps and construction.

Thank you for your support and prayers for our journey!