Dear Friends and Family,
Sitting on the steps of the orphanage school building, with Skip-Bo cards and watercolors scattered everyone, I was suddenly reminded of why I am here. At one point there were no less than 50 children painting, jumping rope, playing board games and kicking a soccer ball all within the vicinity of our small team of five people. It felt exhausting but also exhilarating, the freshness of the new school year still lingering.
In the middle of an intense game of Uno, a young boy sat down next to me and struck up a conversation. He was smiling and full of energy, but his eyes were sad, reminding me of the presence of the suffering Christ among these children. After a summer spent at camp with these kids, many of their stories remain in my head and heart, and in the sad eyes of the boy who sat next to me, I was reminded of the abuse, abandonment, neglect and mistreatment that these children face every day.
Our prayer is that we would live as people of hope in the midst of suffering, believing fervently in the existence of a good God when these children have so many valid reasons to not believe. But more often, surprisingly, it is the brilliant faith of these children that brings us back to the heart of God when we are the ones prone to doubt, reminding us that love is real and alive and that suffering and injustice will not have the final word.
We have many hopes and dreams for our activity this school year at the orphanage, many of which surfaced during three planning days we had in September as well as after several meetings with the school director.
Our advocacy team is currently collaborating with the school’s technology teacher to create the first school newspaper for the children at this orphanage. Our hope is that in this way, the children will be given space to be creative and to have their voices heard. Our education team is busy planning activities for the children which include homework help, art, music, dance, spiritual discussions and sport. And our community care team is working on recruiting volunteers to join us in the hope that they too might see the beauty in the lives of these children and maybe even want to join us as staff someday.
On October 4 we will welcome a team of volunteers from the States through an organization called Invest-Credit who will help us work to repair one of the classrooms in the orphanage. Our hope is that we might eventually use this space as a safe place in which to continue to offer tutoring, counseling, discussions and other activities for children. Please pray that we might find such a space, whether it is on the school property or not, and that the process of registering WMF in Moldova might continue to go as smoothly as possible.
May you know the goodness and love of God today.
With love,
John Koon