March 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

We just said goodbye to dear friends who came to visit us in our new home in Chişinău, Moldova. Chris, Phileena and Liz left the WMF office in Omaha for a field visit to Romania and decided to take a few days to explore the land beyond the River Prut along with us and some other friends from Romania. Our time with them was so encouraging as we retold the story of Word Made Flesh and saw how the formation of our WMF Moldova community and our vision for what lies ahead falls into the bigger picture. We learned more about Moldova together by eating a traditional meal in a village home, visiting a winery and a monastery and also sharing lunch with children at a state-run boarding school just outside of the city.

Thank you for your prayers as we have transitioned to our new life here in Moldova. We have sensed the hand of God carrying us and guiding us over these weeks in a profound and gentle way, something for which we want to remain grateful. During our first two weeks here in January, we were able to find a place for everyone to live, to get our office/meeting space set up, to gather and turn in all necessary documents for our living permits and to visit several organizations where we hope to begin volunteering. It was an extraordinarily busy time, but we are grateful for the grace that carried us through.

Last week (the second week of February), after saying goodbye to our guests, we began volunteering together as a team for the first time. Our goal for this time of service is mainly to learn and to build relationships—relationships with vulnerable children and their families and with people who are also interested in this type of service. We are also seeking guidance from God in the direction our ministry will take long-term. Please pray along with us for unity in our vision as a team. Already after just a week of interacting with children at a state-run home, we are deeply feeling their cry for love, for consistency and for presence.

On the last day our visitors were here, Chris left us with a really important question. He said, “What will best facilitate imagination for a collective vision?” Please pray for us as we wrestle with this question, seeking collective vision for service that is sustainable and grounded in relationship. As we continue dreaming and seeking creative imagination in how we orient ourselves for the long-term, ask that God’s hand would lead us. Our deepest cry right now is for unity among us as we form this collective vision for service over the months and years to come.

Thank you for dreaming and praying with us.

With love,

John Koon

PRAYER REQUESTS

1) Pray that our imaginations would be freed as we continue to move toward a collective vision for long-term service here in Moldova.

2) Pray for the relationships we are already beginning to build with children and their families. Ask that we would sense the heartbeat of God as we are among them.

3) Pray for our continued cultural adjustment to life in Moldova. From language to public transportation to all sorts of other aspects of culture, ask God to give us grace in this time of learning. Also pray that we would continue to healthily grieve the goodbyes we’ve said and changes that have taken place in order for us to be here in Moldova.

4) Pray for the children at the three organizations where we will be volunteering over the next month. Ask that they might know that they are full of dignity and that they are capable of great things. Ask that hope and love would be present to them.