Moldova

Next Monday the Servant Team and some staff (Josh, Robin, Rachel, Iosif, and John) will take a train to Moldova for two weeks. We found out some more details about what we are doing this week. There is an organization there that has a group of homes in a camp. The site used to be a pioneer camp years ago (think Communist Girl and Boy Scouts), but has been purchased by the Pentacostal church in Moldova. Each house in the camp has a family that lives with (and ministers to) 10 kids. These kids have been orphaned or their parents are not able to take care of them. They go to school in Chisenau, and then live at this camp with families.

We will be staying with families, doing work on the school they are building at the camp, (hopefully!) working in the large garden, teaching a bit of English, and simply playing with the kids. Rachel, Iosif, and John are moving to Moldova in January 2010 to begin a Word Made Flesh site there. Right now they are really in the process of establishing relationships and community in Moldova. Hopefully the servant team will help with that. I really respect Rachel, Iosif, and John for moving there--right now they don't have a specific program, but know that there is a need and feel called to go there.

We watched a documentary (produced in 2006) about the sex trade in Eastern Europe. It followed the lives of two women, one from the Ukraine, and one from Moldova, who thought they were taking jobs in Turkey but it ended up they were sold. Sick. Taking a closer look at this reality made me wonder why God still bothers with us human beings. Sex trafficking is a huge problem in Moldova. More (and better) information can be found in the International Justice Mission website. Or here. Or, suggest other sites in which you have found information.