Moldova Mission Report 2010

 (Psalm 105:1) 

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name, make known among the nations what He has done”

I am writing this report out of the overflow of a grateful heart…that God would call and provide what is needed for Joy of Abiding to be a ministry which is making known among the nations what He has done. Our mission team spent the first 8 days of November in Moldova where God had prepared the places He would have us to teach His Word. I was thrilled to see the fruit which was evident from the women’s conferences we led in 2008 and 2009. Women in the villages had caught the vision of ministering to women with Bible study, fellowship and prayer. Some ladies from Crossover Communication International (CCI) church plants had invited ladies from their communities to attend a mini-conference at two different churches in the villages. On Tuesday we were in the village of Renzeni and on Wednesday in Dubosari, a village in the region of TransNistria in eastern Moldova. Many of the women in the villages who could not have attended the weekend conference traveled several miles to attend these mini-conferences. What a privilege it was to encourage these precious ladies with Bible teaching and music.

On Friday afternoon, women began arriving for the two-day conference at the Missionary Training Center outside Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. I was thrilled to see the diverse ages and the excitement of the ladies. Some were older women with scarves on their heads. Some were young mothers with children in tow. Others were younger women with heads uncovered and dressed in more modern attire. God had brought His audience to the conference.

This year’s theme was “Hungering for God.” The women eagerly listened and took notes as the teachings were translated in Russian. There was also a group of Romanian speaking ladies in attendance who had their own translator. How thrilling it was to watch the Holy Spirit speaking simultaneously through these three languages! Some of our team led workshops during the weekend and One Purpose led us in beautiful worship through song. There was also a wonderful Moldovan praise team each day.

On Sunday we attended Lord’s Resurrection Church where Fyodor Lupanciuc, president of CCI Moldova, is the pastor. He led the congregation in the observance of the Lord’s Supper, which was a most fitting closing to our weekend study of the “Bread of Life,” the One who said, “This is my body broken for you. Take and eat.”

Indeed we are seeing that God is blessing the JOA Moldovan ministry. One church has already begun having its own women’s conference patterned after the JOA model. They produce their own beautiful booklets and make sure the conference is centered on deep Bible teaching. (So many times while we were there I heard women say, “This deeper Bible teaching is what we want and need.”)

Thank you to each one who prayed for our team and to those who helped to cover the cost of our calling to go.

I see you as Paul did the church of Philippi when he said, “But though I appreciate your gifts, what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you will have because of your kindness”(Philippians 4:17 TLB).

I thought of our supporting team as I did a Sunday afternoon prayer walk through Cruzesti, a small village near the MTC. If you could have walked with me, you may have been touched, as I was, by the simplicity with which these families lived. I walked by chicken coops and haystacks. I passed cows in the streets and heard pigs in the small barns. Each little house had its own garden and many had their own wooden barns. Chisinau looks much like an American city, yet most Moldovans live in villages like this one. My hearts cry is that we share Christ and God’s Word with them, but not the materialism and self-centered living that is so characteristic of our western culture. I long for them to know Christ and to make Him known.

Thank you for your prayers that our fruit will be Godly and that much spiritual fruit will grow from the investment you have made in this mission opportunity in Moldova, a country where not so long ago the study of God’s Word was forbidden. Please pray for continued opened doors for ministry into other countries in the region around Moldova as well as other regions of Moldova. The JOA team has positioned ourselves to obey God. We are saying, “We are planning to go, yet willing to stay, according to Your perfect will.”

I have attached a few pictures to give you a glimpse of the team and the precious ones we served.

Praying gratefully and expectantly to our Amazing God,

Delaine