Moldova … the last week

 

Greetings  from Moldova,

My last week here has begun.  It's rather bittersweet.  It's been hard and challenging... but with that came faith, confidence in God, courage to face what I needed to, and satisfaction at jobs well done.  I've realized that though I am weak, God's sufficient strength shines through for what He wants to accomplish through me.  And that is more than I could have asked for.

My lessons finished on Friday.  My students all improved, even though some don't see it.  Two of my students voiced how they were discouraged because they did not learn all that they wanted to.  It's sad knowing I have taught them all that I can, especially knowing that they have so much more to learn.  I guess that's one of the points where teachers must dedicate their students to God.

God has taught me so much from being here among the Moldovan people.  He has taught me to show love through the small things, like offering a cup of tea; to pray in faith and to act on it in expectation. I am so thankful for the chance I have been given, and for all the supporters that have helped to give it.  I am also so very thankful for all of you who have surrounded me and the people here in prayer.  I pray God's blessings on you all.

Please continue to pray...

• Pray that I finish well and continue to be a blessing in this last week.
• Pray that my students will be encouraged to continue to learn English.
• Pray for the girls in the small group that they will continue to seek God.
• Pray for the church, that they are given the grace to reach out to their community for the sake of the glory of God.
• Pray for the people of Moldova, that they will turn to the truth of the gospel.

Thank you sincerely,
Naomi

Moldova–with God’s help

 

Greetings from Moldova,

This past week has been a blessing.  This past Tuesday, Michelle took us and  three girls to Soroca.  Soroca is in northern Moldova, it is home to an ancient castle and is right at the border of Ukraine.  We enjoyed the trip immensely (though by the end, we were all wiped out).    We climbed 635(ish) steps to and from a landmark.  Right underneath the landmark is a ten foot wooden cross that looks out across the landscape.  It reminded me that God loves this land and is calling it to himself.  Afterward we climbed a steep mountain on shifting sand to reach a large stone of limestone.  I put myself in  God's hands as I grasped at exposed roots and flowers for leverage.  God provided pure spring water for me to drink (I forgot to prepare a water bottle for myself)... no stomach problems, so I was grateful.  We then walked by a river and gazed at Ukraine on the other side as we headed to the castle.  I got the chance to become better acquainted with one of the girls.  She recently told me that she enjoyed the walk with me, I was very happy because the Lord had laid her on my heart.  She is drawn to the Lord, but her family is very cautious regarding her interaction with the church. They do not hinder her, but she does refrain from much participation out of love for her family.  On our way to the castle we sang (rather out of key) to rock songs that we both liked, then laughed at how bad we sounded.  We enjoyed being tourists at the castle.  Our tour guide, who was a sister to one of our friends, invited us to her house for some soup.  We gratefully accepted, and we rested and enjoyed each other's company.
My students are doing well and nearing the end of the lessons. I was not sure how far I could bring them, and unfortunately, I don't think they will get as far as I was preparing. Lack of practice is becoming clearer to see the more advanced the material becomes.  But aside from that, God is taking the lessons into His hands.  I am realizing my weaknesses and I am learning to give the classes to God, for Him to do with what He will.  I am also learning to understand my own teachers... I hope to be a better student this coming year of classes.  I am thankful for all of the training that I have been given because it all comes in handy here on the field. I have cultivated friendships with a handful of my students.  Before coming I chose to be an English teacher on a "why not" basis, but recently I have realized that I truly do love teaching.  I am so excited when my students have "AHA!" moments.  Thank God for His grace.

• Please pray that I finish my classes well and continue to bless my students.
• Please pray that my being here has been an encouragement in someway to those I have come to know.
• Please pray for me, that I stick to my tasks and not fall into procrastination.
• Please pray that God would continue to mold, stretch, and teach me.
• Please pray for my teammates, that God will grant them more ways to be blessings to others.
• Please pray for the girl (above) that God will call her to Himself and that she can be a living testimony to her family.
• Please pray for the church as they are going through a time of transition with leaders and goals.
• Please pray for Moldova, that God will continue to draw its people to Himself.

Thank you for your prayers and support, they are so encouraging to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann

[For more information about Moldova and its prayer needs, visit http://www.operationworld.org/mold]

Moldova update

Greetings from Moldova,

I apologize for the tardiness in this update, this is from last week

This past week has been rather fast-paced. On Monday, Michelle, Emily, and I and five girls from the small group went out to a small town.  There we aided a local church in their ministry for street children. Our goal was to help and work alongside the Moldovan people, hopefully spurring them to continue going on trips like these in the future. In Cornesti, flexibility was a grace given by God.  The girls had planned outdoor games and activities for about 50+ kids.  We were also told that the language of the village was Russian.  We all planned for an evening program where we were to share our grace stories, show a skit, etc... It rained the whole time we were there... so the outdoor games were a no go (the indoors was too small to hold them).  The number of kids that came were about 20, half of which were older than what we had prepared for. More than that... the language was completely Romanian (not Russian).  The girls who had prepared the lessons spoke mainly Russian so they had to work hard to translate all that they had prepared.  The evening program became us attending the local youth group.  The power went out right before we were to show our skit, so we could not use the music and had to improvise with Emily's iPod.  But God moved in our hearts.  The girls changed their plans and lessons without any complaint.  Michelle, Emily, and I learned to be servants of our fellow sisters in Christ.  I learned most of all that God can move to show his love beyond the barriers of language and culture.  On the morning of our second day there, we went to the house of 5 kids.  Their parents had left them.  They rely partially on the church for support.  The oldest is 15 and he acts as a father to his much younger siblings.  We helped with cleaning their two room house.  I mostly helped with washing the mountain of dirty clothes that had been festering for quite some time.  One of my favorite little boys is part of that family, his name is Pavlusha.  He is six years old and washed dishes in hot water.  He helped us clean the house and was wonderfully behaved during the lessons.  But, just like any young child, he enjoyed making faces, funny noises, and imitating me.  This reminded me that though life may be harder for some, God can give them joy in the small things.  A lesson to us all.
The day we came back to Chisinau, I had no time to rest because I had two English classes to teach.  God has kept me going, and has been strong in my weakness.  I continue to learn to give all to Him to handle as I prepare for it, because I can do very little but He can move mountains.  In the midst of loss and grief, God gives comfort, strength, and hope.
Please continue to pray for me...

Please pray that God will continue to teach and stretch me through my last few weeks here.
Pray that He will bless my English students with understanding.
Pray for Emily that she gets a good grasp of what to teach for the children's curriculum that she is writing.
Pray for Moldovan people that they would step away from nominalism and see God for real.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, they are encouragements to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann
P.S. Happy 4th of July (belated of course).