Dear Friends and Family,
As I sit on the couch writing you from our office apartment in Chişinău, I am reminded of how quickly life changes, of how dependent we can become on our things and on the stability they offer us. Two weeks ago, while I was still on my vacation/work trip in the States, I found out that the owners of our rented apartment were able to sell it after two and half years of not finding any buyers. While we are happy for them, the news came earlier than we expected and sent us on a frantic search for a new place to meet.
Upon arriving in Chişinău earlier this week (I write this on May 15), I was able to help on the last day of apartment hunting when we found a two-room apartment that is located a 5-minute walk away from the boarding school where we volunteer each day. The rent is a little bit cheaper than that of the apartment where we are now, and we already really like our landlord. These are two things to be thankful for.
Please keep us in your prayers as we transition both into our new office as well as into the summer. The children who live and learn at the boarding school where we have been volunteering will be spending the summer with relatives or at a camp just outside of Chişinău. We will be helping out at this camp as well as at several other camps that the Ark Foundation (our partner organization) sponsors. Other activities this summer will include continued language lessons, working on a project promoting community service among young people in Moldova and continued presence in Văratic, the village we visit once a week. We hope to visit other villages as well this summer, seeking to understand and to learn more about the current situation and how we can continue to be a presence of hope. Please pray with us as we seek direction for the future. We are full of ideas and dreams but need a lot of wisdom in knowing the next concrete step to take.
On a personal note, this office move has made me realize that I need to find a place of my own. After living at the community center in Galaţi and now at two different office apartments in Chişinău, I’ve become aware that, for my own well-being, I need a home where I can stay long-term. So, I’ll be looking for a one-room apartment over the next weeks. And because I’ll now be paying rent and utilities, I will have to raise my salary approximately $200 to $250 a month. I want to be open with all of you about this and will communicate details more clearly next month once I have found a place to live.
Finally, I want to thank you all for your presence and for your words of encouragement while I was in the States this time around. It was wonderful to be able to see many of you and to share about our work in Moldova. For those of you in Nashville, I am sorry that my travel disruptions kept me from being able to come, but I hope to make it there sometime soon. Your continual support, prayers and love are vital for what we are doing here.
With love,
John Koon