April 2010
“…when Jesus rose again God’s whole new creation emerged from the tomb, introducing a world full of new potential and possibility. Indeed, precisely because part of that new possibility is for human beings themselves to be revived and renewed, the resurrection of Jesus doesn’t leave us as passive, helpless spectators. We find ourselves lifted up, set on our feet, given new breath in our lungs, and commissioned to go and make new creation happen in the world” (N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, p. 116).
Dear Friends and Family,
The ice-covered streets and sidewalks of Chisinau, Moldova are transforming into pools of muddy water as the days grow longer and the sun in shining brighter. We have been here for almost two months (I write this on March 14), a period that has gone by faster than I can express. We will celebrate Easter in just three short weeks! Today, as I was reading N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian, I was reminded of the calling we have to be bearers of hope in the world. As we step into orphanages and villages and children’s homes over the next months in Moldova, we want to be people who make new creation happen, who act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
This past month has been a time of trial and of seeking for our new community as we have spent much time in prayer together questioning the direction God has for us. At times, the sense of not knowing has been hard and has brought stress to our relationships with each other, but we have been making every effort to be honest and to discuss the hard things we are experiencing. Lately I have been thinking about the miracle of five people who come from three different countries, who have very different church backgrounds, who have radically different personalities and who are all going through a major life transition succeeding in meeting together each morning for prayer. Certainly it is God who unites us and draws us together in love despite all of the reasons we might have for division.
We continue to find ourselves in a period of exploration regarding our service here in Moldova. Over the past month, we have visited countless organizations that serve among vulnerable children. So far, we have encountered four main types of ministry models:
The first is a placement center for children who have been orphaned or abandoned. These types of centers seek to reintegrate the children into their biological families or at least into a home with relatives or an adoptive family within a year’s time. If they don’t succeed, some of the children are moved to the second type of ministry we’ve seen, which is a family-style children’s home. At these homes, children stay long-term and form a parent/child bond with their adult care-takers. The third type of ministry we’ve seen is a day center, much like the day center that Word Made Flesh has in Galati, Romania. Generally children who come from socially vulnerable families frequent such a day center in their neighborhood for help with their homework, games, vocational orientation and spiritual instruction, and usually a hot meal and shower are also offered. The fourth type of ministry model we’ve encountered is the transitional living home for teenagers who have graduated 9th grade at an orphanage and who are essentially left on their own at the vulnerable age of 15. These homes offer the teenagers a place to live, help in entering high school or trade school, counseling and vocational orientation, life skills training and spiritual instruction.
Our goal in visiting these organizations was to see how people are already responding to the need and the cry of children in Moldova and to find places where we might be able to volunteer over the next six months to one year. We know that we have much to learn and to observe from these already functioning organizations.
At the same time, our desire is to also learn from and to enter into deep relationship with children who are among the most vulnerable and whom existing organizations have not yet reached. What we’ve come to understand over the past month is that the most vulnerable children in Moldova, in general, live in state-run boarding schools (orphanages) or in villages outside of the capital city, Chisinau. Our desire is to get to know these children and to listen to their stories as we continue to seek guidance as to how to respond to them in love. It has been a huge challenge to figure out how we can legally spend time with the children who live in orphanages, but this week we finally came across a realistic solution. There is a Christian organization here that has legal authorization to work in these institutions and that has agreed to take us on as volunteers. Our hope is to be involved several days a week playing with and organizing activities for these children through which we will get to know them better. This same organization also leads activities and camps for children in villages close to Chisinau, so we hope to be present there as well.
In other news, I will be taking a vacation/work trip to the States at the end of April/beginning of May. For those of you in the Nashville area, I will be at Rolling Hills Community Church on Sunday, April 18. Please let me know if you would like to get together on that Sunday or during the day on Monday the 19th. I will unfortunately only be in Nashville for two full days but would love to see as many of you as possible. Following my time in Nashville, I will be attending a wedding, seeing some good friends and then coming to Columbus from April 29 to May 8. The plan is to have a get-together at my parents’ house on Sunday, May 2, so keep your eyes open for an invitation in the mail for those of you in the central Ohio area. I will also be in Columbus for just a couple of days after our Word Made Flesh staff gathering in Nebraska in July. So, if you are unable to stop by in May, I’d love to see you in July. Again, please contact me by email (john.koon@wordmadeflesh.org) if you would like to get together sometime over a cup of coffee! I would love to share stories from Moldova with you all in person.
Finally, I wanted to make sure that you all know that Iosif Chiriac has made the final decision to not come on staff with us in Moldova. He was hired as staff this fall and was able to raise some support, but later decided to resign due to personal reasons. Please keep him in your prayers as this was a hard decision for him.
I leave you all with the prayer and hope that you might receive new breath in your lungs this Easter season, eager to see new creation happen in the world.
With love,
John Koon
PRAYER REQUESTS
1) Pray for our team (Adriana, Magda, Rachel, Annie and I) as we enter into relationships with vulnerable children this month. Ask that we would be attentive to the voice of God in and among them.
2) Pray for the children we meet and get to know this month, that Love would be present and even tangible to them.