Safely Back in Texas....

Donna Hinton came to pick us up...

Just arrived at our home in TX.  Travel has gone very well today - no long waits in airports, no lost luggage and church van was in San Antonio when we arrived there.  

A very welcome site an hour ago tonight...

We slept a little on the planes but pretty much are really tired after 26-27 hours of travel today.  

How wonderful to have answered prayers for safety in travel!  And 4 team members with Delta Medallion  status were upgraded to business class for the flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta!!!!  I could get used to that!!!

All is well in our home and we're off to bed   - no alarm being set!

Sunday Highlights...

At JSBC with Lena...

Miss Sonia was sitting right behind me...

We returned to Jesus Savior Baptist Church today where Lena and Maria R, 2 girls we sponsor, joined us and the translators.  

As I sat down, I heard a voice saying, "Linda, Linda!"  I turned around and saw Miss Sonia.  I had met her on my first trip to Moldova and have seen her most years since 2005.  It was a nice reunion today.

Young People's choir leading the singing...

Gary Bunning picked up a guitar and shared a beautiful song.

Saturday Service and Sites...

Warm welcome at a shelter about an hour out of Chisinau...

Woke to another beautiful day here and headed to a children's shelter in a nearby village.  CERI had located a very welcome and meaningful service project for our team today.  

Finishing Strong on Friday...

We are finishing our day and our week at the camp.  Many children came to the groups today - somehow knew this was the last day and there'd be gifts.  There were happy/sad faces but mostly active, excited, joyful children.  Team members all reported having a great last morning with their groups.  

I was able to connect for a conversation with Ms. Lucia, the camp director.  She expressed great appreciation for all that we had done during the week.  She also said that she had learned useful things from our schedule and methods which she will use in the future.  She is a public primary school educator.  

We conversed some about her background.  She has always wanted to be a teacher.  She seems to be well respected by the other camp staff and she knows all the children well it seems.

She mentioned that she sat in on our sessions and had not heard anything with which she disagreed so told us we were very welcome at the camp.    She was very helpful to us during the week.  

We drove away at nearly 1pm - some tears, much gratitude, memories to treasure.

Now for photos to describe and share the day.

Lena joined us for the first time this week.  She's a girl we have sponsored for a couple years.

Crowd in the Gazebo...

Joseph meeting his brothers...

Kids helping Elena lead the singing...

Everyone gathered for group photo - except the 21 oldest boys who came a bit later...

2nd Gazebo Time with Miss Martina leading the Memory verse review and rewarding some prizes...

21 little boys lining up for gift bags...

Gary, John and Stephen plus Danic prepare to give gifts to the middle boys...

Alisa and Galina with their sweet middle girls.

Lesley and Martine's oldest girls are getting their gifts...

Marjorie, Natasha and Cristina giving little girls their bags...  One of those girls told Marjorie that her favorite item in the gift bag was the album with a couple photos, the memory verses and some blank, colored paper on which to draw...

John wanted to get his boys there today so planned and executed a sausage and bun cook out at a fire pit on the edge of camp. His plan worked.  He was 5 bags short with gifts - another Plan B situation which he tactfully solved -2 left over bags from another group and a future opportunity with a CERI staffer for an outing.

Evening appreciation dinner at La Tai Fas...  National food - delicious...

They call them "pies"...

Beautiful presentation...

Being serenaded with very talented musicians...

Sharing gratitude...

Full team - Americans, Moldovan translators and sponsored girls of team members...

Worden 4 plus 3 girls we sponsor...

Some fatigue is setting in so I'll sign off for tonight.  Thanks for prayers - they are benefiting us and we greatly appreciate them.

A long-time friend sent a short but poignant note to us yesterday which shared a loving thought.  I share his words to close this report:

"You are creating ripples of His Grace.  Tides will emerge.

Onward with active hope . . ."

Thanks, Robert Pavlik...

Getting Through Thursday AM; Thriving Through Thursday PM...

Thursday morning was a bit of an uphill climb for many of us.

• kids were kept from participation due to cabins that didn't pass inspection
• match box cars broke
• electricity temporarily disrupted to Gazebo
• older boys think they know all the stories about Joseph already



John's boys hovered around waiting for Gazebo time to start...

• girls don't like recreation when it's hot

 But what would be expected when we wanted to present the "Plan of Salvation?"  So we carried on with those who joined our large group / small group presentations and activities.  We have some very sweet, interested children and we are pouring our love and His love into them the best that we can.

Since tomorrow will be our last day at the camp, we packed many things into today:

Eager children waiting to "shop" in the dining room...

• Usual morning activities
• loaded all clothes and shoes after lunch to take back to camp with us
• laid everything out in dining room and then had children come to chose a couple of items
• ran out of boy clothes and shoes but covered the girls with lovely, practical things



Gary sang and played while puppets participated...

• held evening Gazebo time with singing, drama, puppets and Adam Raccoon
•  packed gift bags for all children after dinner
• inserted group photos, team photos and some individual photos into albums with memory verses
• organized everything for tomorrow...

Happy boy...

Finding treasures...

Goofy kid!  Didn't keep these...

Chick-fil-a shirt...

I'm working not shopping...

Little boy receiving outdoor slippers we purchased for 10 campers...

Catea Babin transported our clothing bags and stayed to help and enjoy camp...  She's the new CERI Moldova Dirctor.

These guys love their acting careers at camp this week...

Joseph's brothers arrive in Egypt...

Adam Raccoon ready to go...

Packing gift bags for tomorrow...  Stephen helping his Dad...

Checking it twice...

Gary helps Alisa finish...

So it's nearly midnight and I'm ready to post some photos and get some zzzzzzzzzz's.  

Will spend our last morning at the camp tomorrow.  Not sure any of us are ready for that emotionally.  God has created so many precious people and many of them live in Moldova.

Wonderful Wednesday...

Rose in the garden of our residence...

Prayers were answered today as things started and continued with so much less distraction and difficulty.  When we arrived, the children were not involved in other activities and we were able to set up quickly and begin the day.  The only glitch I can think of is that the gazebo had no power at the end of Gazebo Time so our projected ADAM RACCOON story didn't happen.  Gary Bunning sang and accompanied himself on guitar which we all enjoyed.  That was planned but I had forgotten it - good thing the circuit breaker had popped off. 

Full-time camp staff - mostly public school teachers.

During small group time I was able to meet with the adults working at the camp this summer.  A few of them were here last year and a couple of them remember me from a few years ago.  We shared for about 35 minutes. 

So many things happen each day and so many things need to be remembered and planned that I can't report it all but the photos will hopefully share how things unfolded today.

Alisa is winning...

Little girls rehearsing with puppets to a song they all know...

Ice Cream treat day...

Face painting during free time...

Lesley with translator and young lady...

Sharing the tract  THE WAY TO GOD which we have in English and Romanian...

Maria gives a big hug and a brief interruption for John and 2 of his boys...

The audience grows...  Really great way to share the plan of salvation.

James rehearses the Samson drama he has written...

Puppet performance was so fun for the little girls and all of us...

The fat cow in Pharoah's dream...

Getting into costume for prime time performance...

Middle-aged boys can't wait for the stage...

Danic, the translator, surrounded by his guys.  He chose and coached and directed their performance presentation!!!  He's our hero.

On the van away from camp, Danic told me the boys were so pleased that they GOT to perform and participate in costume.  They acted out the scripture sharing Joseph interpreting the Pharoah's dream and being released from prison to be made 2nd in command in the country!  So pleased with these guys.

Now he's wheat waving in the fields...

Failing to interpret the King's dreams...

Danic did the casting, directing and narrating!  Then thanked me for the privilege!

Handsome Joseph interpreting the dreams as God had revealed to him...

These guys were excellent actors with one rehearsal...  Notice the crowded Gazebo for our time there this evening.

Dessert after our delicious supper...  Baked ice cream!!!  Wanna sign up for next year?

I had taken the last of group photos today so got those selected and put onto a flash drive for one of our translators to take for  developing.  Tomorrow we'll be putting those into the photo memory books we're making for each child.  More fun ahead.

So our day is ending and we are full of gratitude to God for all that transpired today.  The team has blended really well - our time together is very sweet, helpful, supportive, giving...

Thanks for all prayers.  We know we are being sustained during this trip.  And the weather continues to be terrific!!!