Dear Friends and Family,
By the time you read this, I will be just days away from my May 6 departure to Romania. I am writing to you in the middle of April, unable to believe that the time I have left in the States is so short. It has been good for me to reconnect with so many of you over the past few months. Thank you for being patient as I readjusted to life in the States and for being just as supportive of me as I leave once again. Also, thanks to all of you for your interest in this ministry, for your prayers and for your financial support. I am overwhelmed when I think of the love and support that you all have shown me, and I want to sincerely tell you that I honor each of you as partners in this ministry. It is with great joy that I join with you in this movement of God in the world, praying that each of you is blessed through your participation in the announcement of the Kingdom of God to all people.
For those of you who love maps (as I do), or who are simply interested in knowing where I will be moving, I've included a map of Eastern Europe to the left. (Sorry to those of you reading this online. I couldn't figure out how to include the map here, but a quick google search will give you the same information.) The arrow shows Romania and the approximate location of Galati, a city of 300,000 people situated on the Danube River near the point where Ukraine, Moldova and Romania all come together. Galati is home to the largest iron and steel plant in Romania and also boasts the country's largest shipyard. In Galati I will be living in a community-style house with a family of four from the States, a single Romanian guy who is a few years older than I and surely many guests throughout the year as well. The father of the family is an artist and has graciously allowed me to practice cello in his studio, for which I am quite grateful. This house is located about a 20 minute walk from Casa La Vale, where I will be serving each day. I am hoping to update my blog (http://jwkoon.blogspot.com) more regularly with notes and stories about daily life in Galati.
You will see that I have included another pamphlet in this letter about Word Made Flesh. This one talks more deeply about its vision, philosophy, history and lifestyle celebrations. For further information and resources, see http://www.wordmadeflesh.com.
With gratitude and hope,
John
PRAYER REQUESTS
1) Please pray for my final days in the States, that I would be able to make the most of my time with family and friends. Continue to pray for peace and the assurance of God's call.
2) Pray for safe travel and for my transition to life in Romania as I readjust to the culture, the city, the language, etc. Ask for God's grace as crossing cultures is often quite stressful.
3) Pray for God's clear calling and position for me within the WMF community in Galati. I want to be in the center of His will regarding my day-to-day involvement in ministry.
4) Pray for the children and workers at Casa La Vale. Recently an infant passed away, mainly due to negligence on the part of the mother, in whose life WMF staff members have been investing for some time. This was understandably a shock for the community, so ask God to give them special grace in this time and to allow them to grieve in a healthy way. Pray for the power of God over death (see Ephesians 1:19-21) to bring hope and reassurance. And ask for healing and restoration in the life of this young mother.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
As I wrote in last month's letter, I would recommend the documentary Children Underground (directed by Edet Belzberg) to those of you who are interested in learning more about the lives of children who live on the street in Romania. Although it is not a film that is easy to watch, it is realistic and will help you to know how you can be praying for these children.
Following is some information about the current situation in Romania that was written by David Chronic, a friend living in Galati and the Europe/Africa Regional Coordinator for Word Made Flesh.
* The massive structural aid of joining the European Union (EU) has stabilized the Romanian government, spurred investment and curbed corruption. But Romania is postured to give much more than it gets from the EU. Romania represents a large population (22 million consumers), cheap labor and abundant natural resources that are already being bought up by the west.
* Romania ranks as the second most corrupt country in Europe – one out of five questioned persons declared they had to pay a bribe recently. Globally, Romania ranks fourth in the top nine most perceived corrupt nations (Gallup Worldwide Corruption Index).
* As many as 120,000 preteens and teenagers from Eastern Europe are taken annually to Western Europe to steal, beg and engage in prostitution under the threat of beatings and rape (International Organization for Migration). In Romania in 2005, more than 2,500 victims of trafficking were officially registered; 366 victims were children (UNICEF). But Poupard, the UNICEF Representative to Romania, says these official figures are way off the mark, and the actual number of women and children who are smuggled into other European countries and sold into prostitution is much higher. Poupard believes poverty is the main reason for child trafficking. A Geneva police official says that parents receive up to $6,000 or more per child for a three month leasing period – a sum that far exceeds the normal family income.
* In spite of a booming economy and EU integration, children continue to live on the streets. According to the Care Project of Romania, there are no accurate figures on the number of street children in Romania, but it is estimated that in the capital of Bucharest alone, there are between 3,000 and 5,000 children living on the streets and over 9,000 in the entire Romania.
* As of 2006, there are 76,168 children in the care of the state (0-18 years old). 27,188 are in residential institutions while the rest are living in substitute families (National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights). There are no skills training or job placement services for children in residential care, which creates a high probability that they will gravitate to the streets where they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and crime (U.S. State Department). At least 9,000 babies are abandoned every year in Romania (UNICEF). There are still reports of babies being purchased (for more than $9,000) and stolen from hospitals (Caritas).
* UNICEF says that 16 years after the revolution, about 20% of the country's children live under the poverty line. Furthermore, it has been established that a little over 1,000,000 children lived in poverty in 2004, while some 360,000 lived in abject poverty, accounting f
or 24.4% and 8.2%, respectively, of the total number of children under the age of 18.
* Our hope is not in politics or economics or even in our ministry among the poor; our hope is in the Father who passionately loves this people and who is working by His Spirit to redeem and transform it. Informed with these statistics, I invite you to join our community in interceding before the Father on behalf of those who are suffering from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Pray with us that God's will is done and that the Kingdom comes in Romania as it is in heaven.
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