Pinocchio, Teens, and Jesus Talk

 Teenagers, my favorite age group! (Well, sometime with my own 3 teenagers I understand why animals eat their young, but they are still alive...) It was my pleasure to be their teacher and mentor along with several amazing leaders. Our mission was to talk about our purpose in life and how God uses our pasts to minister to others in our future. I shared my own story of being poor and sometimes not having food and heat in our home. Of the time I was asleep and I woke up to a rat scratching my back and using my face as a race track as he ran to get away from my wrath! I know you all just died... But imagine the impact my childhood story could have on a child living in low income conditions and we take the time, effort, and money(thank you all) to come see them. We talked about how God could use our current circumstances to grow our faith and later use our lives to serve him. To share God's amazing grace and how he could use any one of us for great things!
  I then shared about my business and how we run a supportive friendly environment based on God's love. When we have a godly support system we can lift each other up and help our friends who are down. I told them that one of these women was in the room and has now become my best friend. I asked the teens if they could pick our that person. A girl by the name of Daniella points to Sara and says "Sahrah(insert Romanian accent) because of the way she looked at you while you were teaching.". How cool was it that Sara loves me THAT much a teenager saw her love for me.;)
 That then led us into sharing how God's love for us and His faithfulness is when we follow His will. The MOST exciting thing was learning these teenagers had never heard about Jesus and they were so receptive to His word! How AMAZING is that?!
 Later we spent the afternoon in a troubled girls home. We spent quite a bit of time dancing, laughing, and testimony sharing. The look of lightness and excitement in their eyes was truly a blessing. When they receive love, attention and kindness they truly blossom.
 In closing, 700 teenage boys now are my Facebook friends saying "ooh lala Jeshie". I can't wait till they read this;)    Lots of Love from Romania! Jessie

  




 

From the eyes of a child

Blessings from Romania my dear church family and friends.  

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

This is the message that I hope to share with the children here in Romania.  These children need to know that GOD loves them and values them.  The kids struggle everyday for the love and attention that we take for granted and don't always appreciate.  Most of us have family to love us, share our day with, parents to help with homework, to take us to piano, dance, football, soccer, practices, take us to church  and teach us about Jesus, see that we have clean clothes and food to keep us nourished.  The kids here in Romania don't get these daily hugs and kisses from their parents.  I guess this explains why 20 girls ranging from the ages of 12-14, greeted members of our team, who they rememberd from last June, with huge smiles and hugs.  You could visibily see the pure joy that was exchanged between them.  AND to my delight were so eager to connect with us who are here for the first time. While the guys left with a group of boys to enjoy an afternoon of getting shownup by 10 year old boys in soccer, the ladies stayed back for an afternoon of bonding with some amazing young girls. Our time together started out with praise songs that we sang in both English and Romanian.  The girls sang so beautifully and you could feel the room feeled with love for Jesus.  I was in total awe!  Jessie and Sara did a short session with the girls showing off their Zumba skills.  The girls absolutely loved it and quickly picked up on the steps and joined right in.  Some of the girls were eager to show off their dance skills and talents with us.  One girl in particular, Carmen, showed us her ballet skills.  She was absolutely amazing!  Two other girls demonstrated their love of "street dancing".  There was not one girl that did not participate or who was not enjoying herself.  The room was filled with such energy, and excitement.  The team of us, shared our testimonies with the girls.  After I shared my testimony, a young girl by the name of Georgianna came up to me and shared with me that her baby brother died when he was 1.  She was asking me questions about Joe.  She gave me a huge hug and the look in her eyes, I will never forget.  They were eyes filled with love and total understanding of heartbreak. This young girl came over to comfort me.  I am here on this mission trip to comfort these broken children and here this child was comforting me.  How amazing is that?   She noticed my necklace and asked me what the charms meant.  I explained the initial "J" stood for Joe, the word "blessed" represented the tattoo he had on his arm, and the cross was a symbol of his Faith in God.  She told me her sister had a cross necklace but she did not.  A dear friend of mine from work, gave me a beautiful poem about the cross with a small cross attached to the poem for me to share with the members of the team.  Right away I knew I was to give Georgianna my cross.  She was so thrilled.  I was so thankful that GOD provided this cross for me to share with her.  A little later she came back up to me, and in a gentle voice, asked if I would take her home with me.  I was shocked!  I didn't know what to say because I didn't want to disappoint her. My heart just melted.   I started to tear up and I told her if I could I would like to but I didn't think I could.  She grabbed hold of my hand and told me it was okay.  We sat together holding hands comforting one another.  Here again she was comforting me. When the afternoon ended and she left, I was regretting that I didn't share more of Gods word with her.   I look forward to seeing her later in the week so I can tell her that God loves her and share Jeremiah 29:11 with her.  

This was day 2 and God has already touched me and opened my heart to something special that I know will be apart of me for the rest of my life.

Blessing from Romania,
Dawn

Emmalees Blog Post. Our Day Off.

In the last week we have traveled to the city Vijayawada for a day of rest and tourism. We went to a clothing store where the people were very welcoming in helping us figure out how to tie our saris and which colors are best. Each of the girls on the trip purchased one after trying on and retrying on of them multiple times. We also visited a hotel where we had a buffet lunch. Unsheltered by the chef at the orphanage who uses mild spices in comparison to traditional spicy hot Indian foods, our mouths were burning. We also tried traditional Indian desserts whose names I have long forgotten (and by long forgotten I mean the second I stepped away from the nameplate at the buffet). We also took a ferry to an island where we did a rope course through the trees and a good scenic walk. Baskin Robins ended our day happily with a taste of home.

-Emmalee

Blog Post Carries Thoughts

I'm not sure what day we are on or even what day of the week it is, I guess that's not important.  All I know is my heart has been touched in so many ways. I look around this orphanage and see the face of God all around me. That along makes it worth the heat, the crazy driving, the differences in the food, ALL the people (which is ALOT), the sacred cows the water buffalo that are EVERYWHERE and the fact that most of India does not even like Christians.
   
    The time in the churches was amazing, witnessing people come to know Jesus, young kids on their knees praying..... All these experiences this far are more than I can put into words. Thank you for all the support and mostly the prayers. God is for us! Carrie ;)

Blog Post for 7/6

Blog post for 7/6

We are on day 5 in country and we have already seen so many God moments and have learned many new things about the country, people, and the overall culture of the area. I will tell you a little about what I have learned and experienced.

We have taught in 3 buildings. 1 village church, 1 ministry church, and the ministry center. In all services I have played the guitar for the kids and prayed for alot of people. It was very interesting to pray for a mass and I really did not expect to do it.

I will be honest though, this no beef thing is very difficult. Although I have found new alternatives that are quite tasty. Anywhere from lamb to Nan (a type of bread crepe thingy). Anyone who knows me can say that I love food and I have enjoyed all of the many new flavors and spices!

My overall rating I give this country is a 5 star with 2 enthusiastic thumbs up! I am excited to see what the rest of the time will unfold!

-Justin

Journal Entry From Saturday the 4th

Journal Entry From Saturday the Fourth.

Tonight was a night I hope I never forget. The day was kind of hard. We were planning our teaching time with the children later this week and then later we planned what we would do visiting churches. I felt like I just needed time alone to think and plan, but that doesn't really happen on trips like this. I also feel like I don't know what to do with the kids. I don't know what to say to them because they don't understand me, and I don't have any fun things to do with them except show them the iPad, which seems pretty lame.  So it wasn't the best of days.  But did God ever turn it around. We drove to the village church. The guy driving us is from the orphanage, and I've dubbed him Jeff Gordon.  We went on the narrowest road we've been on yet, between busy storefronts in a small town, which by the way is packed with people.  Then we were on country roads half done. Finally we turned on a single lane dirt road and stopped after one hundred yards or so.  We walked back a raised, dusty path in the dark to a church that might have been twenty feet by thirty feet, packed with women and children.  Of course they all sat on the floor but honored us by bringing us chairs.  It was perhaps the hottest place I've ever been.  I could hardly hold back the tears. They are so poor, but they listened to every word with rapt attention. I love them. I haven't felt such love for the children at the orphanage, but I couldn't stop thinking how amazing and beautiful these people were.  After the service, Kiran asked if any of them wanted us to pray for them, and every hand went up.  He lined them up in rows and told us to go to a row.  I knew which one I was going to right away...the one with my favorite bright eyed smiley girl in the front and the woman who had nodded in agreement the whole service right behind her. I knelt down and smiled, folded my hands over hers and prayed.  I didn't know what she needed and she couldn't understand me, but we were both crying.  God put specific prayers on my lips for her. I've never felt anything like it, and the same thing happened with all the other women in my row.  Praise the Lord.  He is good, and I can't wait to sit with these sisters at the banquet feast in heaven. After prayer, we were shown the home of the pastor...a thatch roofed hut that might be ten by ten, if we're being generous.  Five people live there, and just this morning a king cobra slithered out of the roof and into the hut, where his beautiful and bright daughters often sleep on the floor. Ten thousand dollars would buy him a new house with two rooms and a bathroom. Not to mention that not long ago this pastor went to help put out a fire in a nearby hut, inhabited by Hindus who had recently beaten him for sharing the Gospel.  He had Kiran call the fire department and also helped with the building of their new house.  They have since become believers.  I can't tell you how good the Lord is and what power there is in praying with His people.  Thank you so much Father. I love you.

-Patty

Landed in India

Well, we are finally here after 16 hours on two planes. Things went well and we are trying rest up before exploring Hyderabad. Its 11 am here when this is posted.

-GUM General Update Manager