April 2010
Dear Friends,
Happy Easter! While I do realize this letter may not reach you before Easter Sunday, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity for us to celebrate our Risen Lord together. He is risen! Happy Easter!
I also want to thank you for praying for Ana’s visa situation last month. She had a much more positive experience at the embassy this time around and received another visa quite easily. And better still, she received a ten-year visa! That doesn’t mean Ana and I can or will come to the States to stay for ten years. Rather, it means that we can visit as often as we like over the next ten years without Ana having to go through the visa process. This is such a blessing for us (and such a relief). Thank you.
This has been somewhat of a long, dark winter for us in Galati. We’ve gotten more snowfall this year than has been in decades. And it has been very, very cold. Ok, I know those of you in Omaha can relate. I’ve heard about the winter you all have had. And my friend Chris (who is the same age as me) told me recently that it’s the most snow Omaha has received in our lifetime. Believe it or not, I would normally have been a little jealous. I love winter and I love snow. But the Lord saw fit give us similar weather and snow here in Galati this year, so what can I say? I guess I asked for it.
It seems this long, cold winter has been felt in our community, as well. I’ve mentioned before all the changes we have experience in the last year or so. We have had three weddings (mine included). A long-term family has returned to the States with a second family making preparations to leave this May. We had one staff member leave for a time of sabbatical and have two others that will begin their time this summer. We had three full-time staff members leave to help start a new WMF field in Moldova. We have had children leave and new children come. While many of the changes have been positive, it has still been a lot to go through in a year’s time. I think there are a number of people in the community (Ana and myself included) that are just feeling a bit tired. And when I do a bit of math I get a little discouraged.
If we look back a year or so ago, we had 14 full-time staff members spending the majority of their days with the children. If we look ahead to the beginning of this next school year (in September) there will be 7 staff members with the same number of children. Please pray for the Lord to give us wisdom and direction as we start this new chapter of life together. I think we can continue to serve in a healthy way, but we will need to have wisdom as we once again reshape our programs. And we will need to work even better together as a team. Please pray for our relationships (which are quite good) to grow and deepen in love and trust.
In closing, I will again mention that Ana and I are planning a visit to Omaha this summer. We will be attending two separate conferences/retreats while we are there, but will still have some time to see many of you. Please do let us know if you would like to get together.
Love,
Paul and Ana