Traveling Mercies

June 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

My favorite time of year is upon us – that is, any time of year when I can go outside without a coat/jacket/parka.  I hope you are enjoying summer as well!

As you unfold this letter, the first Servant Team for Word Made Flesh Moldova will be ending their time in Eastern Europe.  Courtney, Laurel, and Tirzah have been a terrific help to us.  From the very beginning they jumped right in and helped wherever needed.  They have done a multitude of tasks, but they also brought a lot of encouragement and energy to the community here in Moldova.  These young women have also been flexible and forgiving, as we’ve navigated the first WMF Moldova servant team experience together.

Through their stories, reflections, and willingness to ask hard questions, Courtney, Tirzah, and Laurel have so much inspired me.  Each has become a part of the WMF Moldova family and will be missed.  The month of June will be filled with goodbyes and transition.  May 31^st is the last day of school, and consequently, their last day with the children.  All three women have worked with the kids from day 1, so this will be a difficult goodbye.  The last day with their host families is June 8, as we leave for a week to Odessa, Ukraine.  Finally, they fly back to the US and Canada on June 15.

Please remember Courtney, Tirzah, and Laurel in your prayers this month.

• Thank God for them!
• Pray for them to continue to process what they’ve seen, heard, and experienced in these last 4 months.  They are not going back home as the same people.  Their hearts are changed.
• Pray for them as they listen to God for the next step in their lives.
• Pray for them as they reconnect to loved ones back in the US and Canada, and begin to connect the stories of God’s work here with the lives of people back home.
• Pray for traveling mercies.

Thank you so much for your prayers, emails, and encouragement this spring.  It carried me through some really tough times.

Much love,

Annie