Saturday in Moldova Dec. 20 - Last day to share...

It is 10:25pm. I and most of the team are nearly completely packed. We will leave the Team House at 6:30am tomorrow morning for the airport. Flight leaves for Frankfurt at 8:30am. Arrival there is 10:15am. Deanna and I will check in for Chicago and a flight that is scheduled to leave at 2:15pm. We are getting some reports of storms in the midwest and northeast so keep praying for safe travel.

This has been a sweet day. The great college group we have joyfully volunteered to head to the warehouse this morning to help with some cleaning and organization. That took 90 minutes. They returned about noon and we all headed to Andy's pizza for lunch and then shopping at the outdoor market and places near there. Temperature was about freezing - cloudy and slightly drizzly - so quite endurable.

We returned to the Team House shortly after 4pm. I got organized and ready to join a half doozen others for supper with Dorel and Olga until 7pm. That was sweet as we shared their lovely home which they completed building this year in order to move in during the spring. Little David continues to grow and be a sweet child who loves to have company. His mom said he couldn't take a nap as he was so excited about visitors coming.

At 7pm we had some team debriefing and preparation thoughts about returning home. Many are expressing that this trip has been life changing and that it won't be possible to view life in the same way as was done previously.

So following that some packed, some played games and some wrapped up other end of trip activities.

We are all pretty exhausted but we're so thankful that we've been here and that the huge task that was tackled has been accomplished. So many people have made it possible. There are those with the vision; others to implement the vision; people who give, pray and go. All the bases have been covered and we are about to head home. We leave here knowing that many little and not so little feet are warmer and more ready for winter than they were 3 weeks ago. Those who have been doing these trips for many years tell us that they see a big difference between conditions of the facilities and conditions of feet from what was the situation 9 years ago. There were no buildings without heat on this trip. 9 years ago many of the orphanages had no heat!!! There used to be signs of frost bite but those signs are nearly gone. There is more joy on the faces and regular food seems to be served so the children appear healthy. The work of CERI on behalf of orphans in Moldova is having a profound effect physically and we pray that spiritual growth will continue as well. It is a ministry in which God is honored and glorified. I consider it a huge privilege and blessing to have been part of Team Awesome for Operation Knit Together 2008.

This will be my last post from Moldova. We will head to the airport in 8 hours! Thanks for continued prayers - weather could be an issue as we travel.