Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, we are gearing up for the first day of school. It is a bit chaotic as all the children storm their schools to find out their and school schedule. For our part, we try to organize ourselves so that the kids have time at the Center each day for homework, lunch, showers, games and other activities.
But before getting thrust back to school, we had a week of camp. We had wonderful weather the whole week. For some of the kids, it was there first time to the mountains. Just watching their faces as they see things for the first time always gives us a renewed sense of wonder. At camp, we hiked, swam in a cold mountain river, played soccer and basketball, rode horseback, jumped on the trampoline, and slept. (Well, we tried to sleep. The first night I was kept awake by one of the boys in my room. Although he's only 9, he snores like an old man.) The younger kids learned about King David; the older kids learned more about walking with God. In the evenings, we did skits and games, and we had a time of worship. Each evening a different staff person gave their testimony. Towards the end of the week, some of the teenagers also told how they became Christians.
On the last evening of camp, the kids were invited to say how God spoke to them or what they will take away from camp. I was a little disappointed because most of the kids said that they liked the horses and the soccer. Some repeated what they learned about David from the Bible studies. But none shared about how God spoke to them personally. As we sat around the bomb fire, on 12 year old boy told me that God spoke to him. He said, "When I was lying here with my eyes closed, you probably thought I was sleeping, but I was talking to God. I asked Him, 'When are you going to come back?' God said to me, 'I will come. I will come.' Twice He said it to me." Then he went on to tell me how he asked God to live in his heart. I asked him when, and he said he didn't exactly know. But he said, "Before when I prayed, God didn't answer. But after I asked him to live in my heart, He answered all my prayers." This, of course, was extremely encouraging, and it made me realize that the kids are experiencing God and conversing with Him more than I know.
As we move into school mode, we also are trying to cover all of our administrative bases. We are asking God to raise up volunteers to help serve with us. In order to keep the Community Center's accreditation, we also need to hire a social worker. We've spoken with a few people who might be interested and are asking God to confirm His calling in them. Mihaela, who has been our accountant for the last 6 years, resigned last month. She had just become an authorized accountant, which opened a lot of doors for us. So, the loss is great. Although we can't replace Mihaela, we need to find an accountant in order to function legally. So, we are asking God to lead us in this.
This autumn we also will be moving forward in our conversation with the architect for the job creation project. We hope to finish up the blueprints by the end of the year and start the long process of acquiring permits. We also continue to pray the funds will come in so that we can start construction next year. Please pray with us for this new project.
This week we also have a prayer team going to Moldova. They will meet with various organizations and churches. But the main goal is to discern the potential areas of collaboration. Please keep John in prayer as he leads this discerning process.
We also continue to pray for our friends who have set up shacks in front of our gate. They are still waiting for the mayor to provide social housing for them. With the rain and the cold weather, it is already getting difficult. Please pray for God to be their provision.
Thank you for partnering with us and carrying our community before the Father's throne.
Yours in Christ,
david