Dear Friends and Family,
From Rachel:
This month we write to share with you a perspective from one of our beloved teammates, Annie Keith. Annie has been with our team since the beginning of our community in January 2010. We celebrated our 4-year anniversary on the day she wrote this, January 15th. I (Rachel) was talking with Annie when I sat down to write this update, as she was in the middle of writing her own supporter update. We realized our letters were going to be almost identical. I thought, why not share her perspective with you, our supporters? Thankfully, she agreed. Here is an update in her own words:
From Annie:
Four years ago today five of us gathered together for the first time in a little house in Chisinau as the WMF Moldova community. We have experienced heartaches, struggles, and difficult questions that remain unanswered, yet today we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. We are reminded of his care for these vulnerable children, their families, and even for our own hearts.
We remembered the day in March 2010, walking away from the gates of the school, all of us “settled” that the work and relationships should start with the kids of this boarding school. One year later we were registered as an official organization. We have grown to 10 staff, shared in the joy of 3 weddings and the birth of a beautiful baby girl to Adriana. The fact that God has so graciously provided the space – right where the kids are – for a second year is truly a blessing. The host of volunteers, visitors, servant teams, interns, financial supporters and pray-ers who have joined us in serving the kids are a reminder of God’s faithfulness and love. Yet, we all agree that the 40 – 50 kids who show up every week are amazing. They are why we are here, following the heart of Jesus to the least of these.
We are a small, young organization, but we have seen how the kids feel loved and heard. We see them begin to blossom – whether that be in learning to read or simply growing in self-confidence. We see these changes, these ways that God is working, the way his kingdom is being revealed, through everyday encounters with the kids. A few 7th grade girls began to go to a church group on their own. The whole 7th grade group participated in a Christmas nativity play! (Stop. Remember the craziness of pre-Christmas events? Now multiply that by 3, add the energy of twelve 7th grade boys and girls, and you also will realize the success of the Christmas play was, indeed, a Christmas miracle…) More parents came to the parent meetings and Christmas concert this year. The kids come to the program of their own free will. We have the opportunity to tutor 7 kids during the school day in math and reading. Mostly, we have the gift of being able to sit next to them and listen and speak into their lives.
We also see the change in each other. Today during chapel, we briefly described the change we’ve seen in ourselves from the time we joined the community until now. Our responses? Worried but now thankful. Scared, now secure. Stressed, now peaceful. Stable…still stable. Crazy, now less crazy but more aware of the whole picture. I was full of enthusiasm for something unknown, and now understand things more realistically. Moving from being put together in community to friendship. Motivated by fear to more self-realization. Searching, and still searching...
Tomorrow I will ask this question of the 7th grade girls. What is your response?
Please pray for three kids who are receiving medical treatments this month for serious ear, nose, and throat problems. We also seem to have a battle on our hands with lice after everyone has come back from vacation. Our community members Rachel and Vitalie Dyachenko can use your prayers as they make a two-year covenant with our community here.
From John:
This month we want to introduce you to Adriana Ciobanu, La VIA’s executive director. Some of you may remember meeting her when she was in Columbus just over three years ago for our wedding. I first met Adriana in 2006 when I had just moved to Moldova and was searching for a Romanian language tutor. I began lessons with Adriana that fall, and she quickly became a dear friend. On staff with Word Made Flesh Moldova since its beginning in January 2010, Adriana brings much enthusiasm and inspiration to our community. She will begin sending out periodic update letters, and we will be sending them to all of you so that you can benefit from her perspective on Moldova and on the children among whom we serve.
With much gratitude,
Rachel, John and our teammates