Some People You Should Know

In one of the kids club neighborhoods, 

with a neighbor's horse

Today was another joy-filled, fellowship-filled day in Draganesti. I got a late start this morning, enjoyed a cereal breakfast and conversation with my temporary roommate Christy, and then hurried down to the church, not because I knew what the plan was for the day but because I knew it was certainly time to do something and that most plans start there.  Sure enough, I quickly met up with my friend Vera, who oversees 5 kids clubs here in town.  I got to go with her to 3 different neighborhoods, participate in 2 of the clubs with her, and enjoyed a lunch and great conversations with her at the church also.  Our last club of the day was the same group I was with when I passed out last Saturday, and I feel like that group and the other we did today allowed me to replace those memories with happy new ones.  Today I was filled with strength and joy and energy and able to jump right in - playing

Teaching some somewhat distracted but extremely 

well-behaved kids at club #1

Rata rata gusca (Duck duck goose), singing songs, and telling a Bible story.  After the last group, our friend Dorothy took us and Laura (another American missionary) out for cappuccinos at the local café.  We talked and prayed together, then all went our separate ways.

At Nico and Tavi's house.  Their daughters are on the far left

and far right

tonight's delicious dessert

I was invited to Nico and Tavi's house for dinner - these are dear friends that I connected with 2 years ago, and I am so glad that spending time together is an annual tradition.  Their oldest daughter was in the hospital for the first part of our trip, and it was a joy to see her happy and healthy and to enjoy this sweet family for the evening.

Instead of dwelling on the details of my amazing day, I want to give some d
etails about my amazing friends here - really, just ordinary sinners saved by an amazing God and serving Him with a faithfulness that encourages my heart in ways I cannot explain.

Vera with the youngest

member of the kids club

Meet Vera.  She is about my age and was adopted by Raul and Ana as a 12-year-old girl, and her heart is for the children of this town.  When she finished school, she was offered a job in England...and she turned it down because she knew that the kids of this town would have nobody to take her place.  She meets with 5 groups every week, and meets 1:1 with many of them as well.  She brings them food and clothes and shoes when they need them, and brings them love and encouragement in the Lord when often their families don't offer any such thing.

with Dorothy and Laura at the Art Cafe

Meet Dorothy.  Many of you have heard me talk about her because of her work with the widows here in town, her kindness to me during last year's trip, and her amazing bilingualism of which I am quite envious.  But I am seeing more and more how crucial Dorothy's role is as an encourager.  She does kids clubs and widow ministry and other practical tasks, but she also makes purposeful trips to see other missionaries and to bring them fellowship and encouragement when it may be lacking.  She loves to bless other people, to hear people's hearts, and to pray with people.

Meet Tavi.  He has been ministering for several years in the village of Maruntei, where there are no believers and no church.  While still laboring for this village, he was torn because he remembered how carefully he and his friends (including his now-wife, Nico) had been shepherded by older missionaries in the church when they were teenagers.  He asked the leaders of the youth group now if he could join them in their ministry, because he doesn't want to miss an opportunity for this next generation to be raised up as future leaders.  So he is now balancing ministry in Maruntei with ministry in the youth group, while also helping with the worship band and working as a leader of the church and as a coordinator of short-term mission teams.

Annual picture with Tavi and Nico

Meet Nico.  According to Tavi, there are 25 families in Maruntei with whom he and Nico have strong relationships, and he credits nearly all of those relationships to Nico.  She does kids clubs and invests in the lives of both the kids and their parents, as well as doing other house visits with Tavi.  She is also raising 2 beautiful girls, with a 3rd baby on the way, and spent much of last week in the hospital while her eldest had scarlet fever, and still she invited me into their home and refused to allow me to help with cooking or with dishes.  Spending time with Nico never fails to be encouraging.

If you met these people, you would surely love them as I do, and perhaps you too would grow in love for the God who made them, and who made them who they are.   I'm thankful tonight for the kindness of God in providing me with these friendships and with the opportunity to once again be with these friends face to face.