Moldova Mission Trip 2011 #9...

The day started at 6:00 AM when seven team members rose to prepare for their trip to the airport.  All went well until the time came to unload the checked bags from the van.  One bag heading to Richmond, VA was still at the team house.  But a taxi was called and the bag was delivered in time for everyone to check in and get through security. 

My day continued with breakfast and a drive to Jesus Savior Baptist Church.  Since it is the first Sunday of the month, it was communion Sunday.  And because it's August, the youth choir sang - 3 numbers. One song was CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS. Terrific!

The service began with the congregational song, HOW GREAT THOU ART and a little later the next hymn was OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS.  I tried to follow the Romanian words on a screen but sometimes sang in English.  It's always a worshipful experience to share familiar hymns with brothers and sisters singing a different language - a little taste of heaven.

A lady with an excellent voice sang a beautiful song accapella.  Guests in the service introduced themselves and shared greetings from their home churches.  Three girls and a sax player lead singing during the offering.

This week another newly engaged couple was introduced to the congregation and there was admonition and prayer for the whole church family.  This couple is part of the deaf ministry of the church. 

Jesus Savior Baptist Church introduced a newly engaged couple from their deaf ministry. 
The interpreter shared with them the admonition to the congregation to encourage and mentor
this couple and then the prayer for their marital preparation.

The main sermon of the morning was brought by a man from Warsaw, IN, Jim Mugg.  He was in Moldova for the umpteenth time at a conference training and encouraging Moldovan missionaries.  He's been coming here since 1991.  I had heard his name from a Facebook friend who is in the same church with Jim so I was thrilled to get to hear this man preach in English which was translated to Romanian and to meet him afterward along with his friend, Bruce Shown.   They had brought DVD's in Russian which have recently been created by my friend, Lane Anderson and the ministry he heads, InterComm International.

Communion Service begins.

Pastors and Deacons serve the wine.

 Following church, we headed to Andy's Pizza for lunch and to meet Elena and Valentina, the twins we sponsor.  But I soon learned that Valentina was in the hospital with partial paralysis of her face (from what I think I'm being told) caused by 'sleeping in a strong draft'.  Elena and an aunt arrived for lunch and I learned some more details.  The girls had been at their Grandmother's in a village quite far away.  Valentina started noticing swelling in her neck on Friday.  She began to develop facial drooping symptoms by Sat. so they boarded a bus for Chisinau.  Sat. night about midnight they called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.  Dr's apparently think treatment will correct the problem so Elena was headed to a pharmacy after we ate to fill prescriptions.  They have talked to their mother in Italy and she plans to send them money for "treatments".  This is quite frightening for Valentina which certainly is understandable.  A CERI employee went with her to the pharmacy.  Before we parted, we found a relatively quiet place on a park bench where I could pray with Elena and assure her of my continued prayers.

Andy's Pizza was just across from this huge flower shop!

So elegant!!!

Added a bit of site-seeing to the afternoon.

Impressive Monastery I hadn't seen before!

Flower box #1

Flower box #2





Flower box #3  -  I love flowers!

Found a wedding in progress inside the chapel.

Couldn't understand the Gregorian Chanting.

Fairly recent restoration with government funds.

Our day included the evening service at Bethel Baptist, the oldest Baptist Church in Moldova.  It celebrated it's 100th anniversary a few years ago.  Enjoyed the wonderful music, the Russian language everything and a guest speaker, Jim Mugg.  Great sermon the second time too!!!

Will have breakfast in the morning then head to camp to pick up 2 girls we sponsor in order to spend the day with them along with Mark and his boy.

Another gorgeous day in all ways!  Now to get some needed sleep!