Threads of Grace
I don’t think I live a day here and not think to myself that suffering is everywhere. In every crevice and crack, in every place in the world and in every person, suffering is in all and shows its effects through all. In all of us, in each heart, each mind, each past. Yet still, through the suffering we see and experience, through the suffering we hear about and read about in the world, we still believe that in tiny threads and strands, Grace weaves its powerful and subtle self deeper in all and through all. That in every situation and in every life, Grace is there. Christ is there, leading all to Himself, in gentleness and love. Grace is everywhere. Peace is the hope–in our hearts and in the life of the world. This is the Great Announcement of God entering into the world, “Peace on earth.”
We have seen this Grace clearly in each of the lives of the children this year. We see Christ’s work of showing each of these children that not only they are loved by us, but that each of them have a Father who loves them more than they know or will ever know. Relationships are being formed, Love is given and received, Hope is announced, Peace is becoming a Reality. May God show us more of this Grace.
News and Prayer Requests:
* We are coming home for Christmas! We have said this already in our last letter but we are too excited not to mention it here. We hope that we will get to catch up with many of you, or at least grab a nice steaming cup of coffee somewhere and have a good conversation. We are coming home on the 19th of Dec. and will stay until the 24th of January. Please pray for a good, quick trip back. Let us hope for no delays!
* With the joy of going home for Christmas, there is also the sadness of not being able to stay here for Christmas with the children. Christmas here is like no other place. We will miss it here. We will miss riding on the public transportation through Galati caroling with the children at 10pm, voices belted, that God has become Flesh. Pray for this time for Christmas time is when a lot of deeper relationships are formed with the children. Pray for the staff that they will find rest in all of the madness.
* We recently received 3 new children at the center. 3 more boys! I already like each of them. Please pray that they continue to mesh with the life of the center and that us staff would know how to meet their needs.
* The Servant Team is finishing up their time here. One more month. We will truly miss them. Right now we are finishing up the book Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. We will read The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen after that, then they will leave. Please pray that we will continue to have the wisdom and grace to speak life and love into their lives as they do to us.
May you know that Christ is with you today, leading you to Rest and Peace, even in all of the suffering.
We love you and look forward to seeing you.
peace and even more peace Today,
Joshua and Robin