Dear Friends and Family,
“Come, Lord Jesus, come,” I sang in a worship circle one afternoon while I was living in Galati, Romania. My mind was drifting from person to person–one of my English students whose single mother was facing severe domestic violence, a friend who couldn't afford the hospital bills for the tumor that had to be removed, the children who spend their days begging on the streets and their nights seeking warmth in the sewers-and then I found myself crying out with greater intensity for Jesus to come, to bring His presence, grace and justice into each of these situations. This is the Jesus who announced and demonstrated the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom where the sick are healed, the ostracized are restored to community and where good news is preached to the poor. He said that this Kingdom is among us, growing bigger and bigger like a tree that will overwhelm all others. With this vision of hope in my mind, I began praying to discern God's call on my life to serve Him among the poor, those so close to His heart (Proverbs 14:31, 19:17, Matthew 25:31-46). I had already spent one year in the small eastern European country of Moldova, where I taught English in a state-run boarding school, built relationships with my students and studied the Romanian language. In August 2007 I moved across the Prut River to the small city of Galati, Romania where I did a four-month internship with an organization called Word Made Flesh. After much prayer, I decided to apply to return to Romania as field staff. I interviewed and was accepted for the position this February, then signed a three-year contract with Word Made Flesh and will be leaving for Romania on May 6.
For those of you who are not familiar with Word Made Flesh, I would like to direct you to the pamphlet included with this prayer letter. It will give you a brief overview of the organization as well as some of the work that is being done in locations all over the world. Also, please visit http://www.wordmadeflesh.com for more information.
As a field staff worker in Galati, Romania, I will be involved in the life of what we call Casa La Vale, or The Valley House, in many capacities. Casa La Vale is a day center frequented by children who are highly at risk or who live on the streets and who come for help with their homework, an art therapy program, music Bible studies, discipleship, computer recreation, gardening, and a host of other activities ensuring the well-rounded development of each of them. In addition to these daily activities for the children, we are also working on a job creation project. Our hope is to help children walk into sustainable job situations as they grow older, and we already have one young man employed through this project building furniture. Word Made Flesh's ministry in Romania is also for the parents of the children with whom we work, including our ministry with young mothers as well as with the parents of the children who frequent the day center. We serve among them in various capacities, from building relationships to providing seminars on a range of issues from parenting to alcoholism. My specific role in these various ministries will become clearer as I integrate into the community.
In order for me to serve Jesus by continuing on this journey to Romania, I need a team of supporters who desire to actively participate in this beautiful movement of God. Specifically, I am seeking prayer, which is powerful and effective (James 5:16), and financial support.
Regarding prayer, I will always include prayer requests in these monthly letters that are mailed out to you, but I am also looking for a team of prayer warriors who are fully committed to regular participation in the work of God in Romania through prayer. I am planning on emailing prayer requests and answers over the course of each month as needs arise, so if God is calling you to this ministry, please include your email address on the response card.
Regarding finances, I want to be as open with you as possible about my needs in this area as 100% of my income depends on gifts. I have included an estimate of my yearly budget and current needs so that you can see where things stand. I want to encourage you to pray about the opportunity to joyfully participate in this movement of God in Romania by giving.
My Annual Budget (May 2008 to May 2009)
Salary (day-to-day living expenses and U.S. income tax)
$4,043
Work Visa for Romania
$120
Savings for U.S. Staff Retreat (next one in 2010)
$220
Travel Expenses (airfare is the biggest)
$2,450
Health Insurance
$1,632
Administrative Expenses (postage, printing, etc.)
$480
Staff Development (mainly for books pertinent to life and ministry in Romania)
$240
Medical (includes a cushion in case of an unexpected need)
$1,000
Administrative and Processing Fees (allowing the U.S. office to continue supporting staff members all over the world)
$1,522
Total Annual Need
$11,706
Current Balance as of March 15, 2008
$1,518
Amount Needed for First Year
$10,188
Also, Word Made Flesh provides several options for retirement, but I have not yet reflected this in my current budget as I am still seeking wisdom and making decisions in this area.
Just as Paul wrote of the Macedonian churches, I pray that each of you may first give yourselves fully to the Lord and then to this ministry in keeping with His will (see 2 Corinthians 8:5). Some will be called to pray, others to financial giving and yet others to various other ministries, but God is calling each of us, with all of our words, actions and possessions, to worship Him and to cry for His Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:9-10). Please return the response card as you feel led, and remember to NOT write on the memo portion of the check. There is also a form included for automatic monthly deductions if you find this method to be more convenient.
As this letter is already quite long, I will save some of the information I wanted to give you about the current situation in Romania until next month. But for those of you who can't wait, there is a documentary called Children Underground (dir
ected by Edet Belzberg) that is quite worth watching. It is about the lives of children who live on the street in Romania and will help you better understand how you might pray for them and for this ministry.
As you give yourselves to the Lord, may you each know how deeply you are loved and more fully understand the grace of God offered so freely to each of us.
With gratitude,
John Koon
PRAYER REQUESTS
1) Please pray for the children and their families that I will be serving among. Ask God to bring His love, mercy, grace and justice.
2) Pray for me as I prepare to say goodbye to folks in the States all over again and as I reintegrate into the community in Romania. Pray for peace and the assurance of God's calling.
3) Pray that God would meet all of my financial needs and that I would trust Him as Father and Provider.
4) Our community in Romania is considering expanding into the neighboring country of Moldova. Pray for God's clear call and leading as we discern His plan for us.