“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14, TNIV).
Dear Friends and Family,
I spent a week this month in the small mountain village of Lepşa on our regional staff retreat with Word Made Flesh folks from Sierra Leone, Moldova and Romania. Surrounded by mountain valleys and the warm sunshine of spring, we had two hours of solitude each morning for prayer and reflection after a time of worship and sharing. One morning, someone shared the story of a professional ninja who had to pass a test in which he stood in front of a mirror for 24 hours without blinking. Contrary to what you might think, he said that the most difficult part of this test was not keeping himself from blinking—this can be learned—but, alternately, having to look at himself continually for 24 hours. Likewise, for many of us, this retreat was a time of honest and intense self-examination that we often found to be extremely difficult.
The theme of our retreat was transformation. Personal transformation. Transformation among the poor. Societal transformation. One of the questions we were asked was if we believe that transformation is possible for each and every person. Faced throughout the week with my own weaknesses and shortcomings, I struggled to embrace this—not only for myself—but also for my friends I’m serving among. At one point, however, as I was reading Ephesians, I felt God speak to me through the verse quoted at the beginning of this letter. I understood that if I am honest about my weaknesses and bring them into the light of Christ, I, along with those around me, will be transformed.
One of the most important things I took with me from the retreat was the fact that God is calling me to live as a person of hope, even in the midst of an often dark world. If I really do believe that complete transformation is possible for everyone, I am able to live with hope in the midst of despair. 1 Corinthians 15:52 says that one day we will all be changed, or transformed, into persons with glorious resurrection bodies. This is the hope that allows us to say “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). While weekly hearing stories of alcoholism, abuse, neglect and other forms of oppression, I will continue to place my hope in the God who is transforming and making all things new.
Our regional retreat was special this year as it included for the first time staff members from Sierra Leone, Moldova and Romania. Although some of the Sierra Leonean staff members were not able to enter Romania (which was a source of real sadness and frustration for us), Adriana, who will be on staff with us in Moldova, was able to come. Because of her presence with us, I really began to get excited about our new field that is coming together. We are still planning to move to Moldova in January 2010 and to begin our work by volunteering with several organizations that work with at-risk and vulnerable children.
As I write this letter on May 14, my family is here in Galaţi visiting me. I’ve enjoyed this week with them as they have been able to participate in many of our activities at the Valley House as well as to see a bit of what my daily life is like in Romania. We will be spending the weekend and the beginning of next week exploring several Romanian mountain towns before their flight back to the States Wednesday morning.
And finally, as I shared in my last prayer letter, I will be in the States for a vacation/work trip from July 14 to August 10. My schedule is still in the works, but here is what I know so far:
July 14-19: New York City
July 19-??: Columbus
July 31?-August 4?: Nashville
I will also likely be in Atlanta and Denver, each for a few days. Again, please, please contact me if you have a small group or Bible study where I could come and share some stories about my time thus far at Word Made Flesh in Romania and Moldova. If you contact me soon, I am even willing to travel to other cities not yet on my itinerary. I would also love to share a cup of coffee or a meal with any of you, so please contact me as soon as possible if you’re interested in getting together. Email me at john.koon@wordmadeflesh.org or call me in Romania with a US number: 614.364.4098. This will be helpful for me especially as I make travel plans within the US.
With love,
John
PRAYER REQUESTS
1) Pray for all of the kids at the Valley House as we transition into our summer program this month. They will continue coming to our center each day, but for more hours than they are able to come during the school year. Pray that the summer would be a time of real growth in our relationships with the kids and in their knowledge of God.
2) Continue to pray for our newly forming Moldova field. We will be going through several significant transitions in the next month. Rachel, who has been on staff in Romania for over 6 years, will be leaving on sabbatical for the next 6 months. She is a vital part of our Moldova community, so pray that our preparations for the big move would come together in her absence and that we would be able to support her well as she enters into this period of rest. Also pray for Adriana, our Moldovan staff member, as she continues to prepare for her role with us and as her family adjusts to this change in their lives.
3) We are currently having trouble finding a place for camp this summer that is affordable and that fits our needs. Pray that we are able to find a good place soon as camp is a vital time for us to deepen our relationships with the kids.
4) Pray in general for us as we are seeking direction in the way in which we disciple and do Bible study with the kids. We are sensing God leading us to make some changes and improvements, so ask that we would be sensitive to His voice.