Pray for Ana. She has been with us for about a year now. She first came to Jesus last January, and she was baptized in October when she spent 2 weeks with Pam and Kendra. She is a single mom with a beautiful daughter, Diana. 

PRAY that Ana will be firm in her faith and strong in her will to never settle for a man who is not truly good to her and Diana. Pray that she will grow in wisdom and power as she walks every day with Jesus into the future he has prepared for her. Pray that she will have patience to grow where God planted her until that future becomes clear!

Merry Christmas from the Village

These are four of the 160+ foster kids who live
in the village of Pastraveni. This is a key
ministry target for NGO Romania

Merry Christmas from the village of Pastraveni, Romania, the home of two of our key people, Nadia Argesanu and Vali Anusca.

It was a treat to be so deeply embedded in the village culture for so long. It was also a serious culture shock!

I had a front row seat for everything: The ritual pig slaughter; the sausage-making; to visit of the priest; the blessing of the mayor; the visit of the drunken Santa; the heel-kicking Christmas dance; the funeral of the lady who froze to death next door.

I never felt so insinuated into Romanian life -- and I never felt more marooned and separated from my family and my friends and all the things that make a home. I never before felt so keenly how much it costs to bring the light and hope of Jesus to a little forgotten corner. Let me tell you why this corner is worth it...

Our main ministry target for children and teens is the Ion Creanga Orphan Center in Piatra-Neamt, in the county of Neamt. Out of 380 kids in the system, 160+ are in foster homes in this one village. The foster kids actually outnumber the natural born kids in the schools. It is a major industry here, and while many of the kids have a happy situation, most do not. For example, 90% of the foster kids are sent back to the Center when they reach high school age -- what does that tell you?

Our strategy is three-tiered: Build a team of faithful 20-somethings -- mentor the teens -- nurture the kids.

In the village I witnessed the best and the worst of the foster system. In fact, the core of our team is made up of exactly that: Nadia grew up in the worst place, and Vali was a natural son in the best foster home. The children you see in the photo (above) live in those exact two homes. Vali's family was Nadia's lifeline growing up-- they were childhood playmates, and now they are on an adult mission for God.

Pray that the glory of the Lord will fill this village, according to Mary's prophetic song...

...and Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever!

Christmas Love Stocking: THANKS!!

Thank you God for the Christmas Love! And thanks, all you incredible friends who provided this wonderful little car with only one weeks notice, you decided to make do with less so that Nadia and Alexandra and Vali can serve the orphan teens in Piatra-Neamt in 2013.

• The money is all in hand
• The owner Jeremy will sign the car over after the Christmas holiday (nothing happens here in December...NOTHING!)
• Alex and Vali have a driver's license, and Nadia is enrolled in the very challenging driving school
• Nadia will take ownership of the car until we receive our Romania tax ID number, and she has already stamped a deed of donation giving rights to the car to Asociatie Next Generation of Romania.
• The car will be used when NGO board members visit Romania in January, and then by the program staff Vali and Nadia while they prepare to launch in June 2013
• When the program begins, the car will be used for transporting the American volunteer staff girls and for provisioning groceries etc for the 20 kids and staff.
• Remember, the end-game of this summer program is the establishment of a permanent after-school program similar to the Oasis Center established by NGO, Inc in Vicente Guerrero, Mexico. 

St. Nicolas at Ion Creanga Center

Haunting every child in the Ion Creanga center is a tragic past. There is also a brilliant future awaiting them...if they can find it. How will Georgica un-learn her past and discover immortality in Jesus?

Today we arrived at the Ion Creanga Center for Protection and Placement of Childres (yes, that is an orphanage) to celebrate St, Nicholas Day. In American terms, that's when you get stuff in your stocking. Sfantu Nicolae is a patron saint of children, particularly the poor and helpless.

Sorry, we don't snap a lot of pictures when we're with the kids. I'm disturbed by shoving cameras in kids' faces -- we want to be mentors, not gawkers.

PRAY that the Holy Spirit will move the stars and the souls and the hands of time. Time is too scarce to rush things. We do not want to be the people who come occasionally with a bag of stuff. We want to be the people kids turn to when they dream their dreams and face their demons. We want to be the people who demonstrate that God's Kingdom is come, and that those who plunge into it actually join the King in immortality. 

God's Scorecard

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." 

It bothers me not one bit to publish a scorecard on what we pray for. I don't do it to judge God, He has nothing to prove. If anything the "score" indicates how fully we love, how much we bring those we love to God to be blessed by his touch. 

If I didn't get what I prayed for, I'm not embarrassed. I'm not on a game show for entertainment; I'm are on a mission from God. 

Here is a review of my posts to follow how things are unfolding.......

Love and Unity: This is a prayer that never ends, and it is very critical at this moment. Remember this little movement is comprised of single young people. They hook up, they break up, and the clique up. At this moment we are very fragmented by a rearrangement of who's dating whom. There is a lot of "ex-factor" in play. Also need a big breakout with Nadia and Alexandra--this relationship is a key to a dozen things, and they really don't get along well. Pray that God will move the stars to make things right.

Vali: My Wing-Man: God supplied the $$ Vali needed for his surgery. In fact, he got more than he needed and he donated a month's pay toward purchasing the car. He also got his passport. On the down side, Vali is inside one of the cliques since hooking up with one girl and rejecting another. He is a passive agent, and he hates the cliquishness, but he's not breaking out of it either. He is the key man, as always, bu he is too passive. Pray God will embolden him to cowboy-up into his natural role as tribal chief. He won't do it until he lays claim to the salvation Jesus bought him. 

Joe's Language Acquisition: I said before I left for Romania "I will either accomplish a lot of business, or I will lay around and learn the language. I can't do both." They say that if you always expect failure, you'll always be right. Okay, so I was right. But I'm sick of being right. I want a miracle. On the day of pentecost all those gathered we touched by the fire, and all began to speak in other languages. All in the crowd heard the wonders of God in their own tongue. God, I pray for your de-Babel-izing gift. Fill me and rewire my brain. 

Wandering Soul: Gary from Florida went back to America. He left no wiser than he came. He is a classic example of someone God gave over to a reprobate mind. His sexual obsession has totally corrupted his programming. Nadia asked me, "How can God save somebody who has destroyed their own aboility to think and choose and decide and act?" Her question reminded me of what Gary made me forget: "God's ear is not too dull to hear, and his arm is not too short to save." Thank you Jesus for your unspeakable gift. Save him, and restore his soul.

Raluca: Inocent4You: No change. Raluca has "gone silent" and I haven't talked to her. It's happened before...she will be back. That is why we pray "thy will be done on earth." 

Our Church: Fellowship: We cooked for our church potluck at Biserica Cer Deschis/Open Heaven Church last week, and it was delightful to finally meet some people. Still there is a clear need, because an observer would have thought that we are the church's core leaders, not infrequent visitors. We were introducing people to each other, and introducing ourselves, and writing down phone numbers. PRAY they will grasp the significance of fellowship as "speaking truth in love, we grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, From Him the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every connection supplies, by the working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."  And folks, I don't care if you are in Romania or America, that  is the hokey-pokey of it all.

Vertigo: My Health: I hate to say it but even though the critical "crawling on all fours in the mall" incident passed, I still have some intermittent dizziness that keeps me home. Or if I am out, it forces me to find a cafe and sit for an hour. The room is spinning a little as I write this. PRAY for me...I'm just not 100% yet.

Alex: New Job: She has her new job, and it is better than most. But it is hard. She works 10:00am to 10:00pm, and she has worked every day for 2 weeks. She sits in one spot in one room, so she feels a bit like a caged animal after the freedom she once had. PRAY that Alex will find things to constructively occupy her mind, and ways to build a happy community with her coworkers!

Travel Visa for Vali: The process is underway. He Got his passport issues worked out. As soon as it is "eliberated" we will submit the visa application and make his embassy appointment. Everything looks good. PRAY that he can be ready to fly by January 17 so he can travel with Mark Collins. (EVERYbody needs to travel with Mark Collins at least once, it is a rare treat!)

Spiritual: Bible College in Cluj: This is part of building a network of spiritual and pastoral partners all over the country. The visit was cool. PRAY that God will give us working partners and true friends from this great meeting!

Ana B Goode: I still have not met Ana B in person, only Kendra and Pam have. I have one problem: She is a girl. Constanta is far away, and I don't really have a girl and a boy who can take off a couple of days to visit with me. I adopted a "no traveling alone to meet a chick" policy, and in practice it is much more complex than it is in theory. PRAY that God will provide a solution to these chinese puzzles of "who can be where with whom". Its almost 6 weeks since I arrived, and she is still waiting for me to come talk gospel with her.  Well, I invented the policy myself so I have nobody to blame. LOL, it's kind of ironic that I can sleep in a hotel room with a gay dude who actually wants something from me, but I can't sleep in the same city with a single girl who thinks I am old and gross and she even has a cute boyfriend!

Dreams I  Nothing to score...just read and pray
Dreams II  Nothing to score...just read and pray
Dreams III  Nothing to scote...just read and pray

Surgery: Vali S: Surgery complete, recovery in progress. PRAY that his recovery period will afford me time to bond with him, and to bond with his ever-present girlfriend, Alexandra. She is very very sweet and bursting with potential...and pride.

Dreams Pt. III

This is the third of 3 dreams one of our girls had last week:

This is the setting of the dream: Nadia was in the garden (barnyard) of her foster home in the village of Pastraveni. This place was a place of great suffering, but it has become a place of great vindication since she came to Jesus this year. It is also the place where Nadia believes Jesus talked to her while as a little girl she worked in the garden, her "happy place."

In the dream, Nadia was standing in the front garden/barnyard of the village house that was her foster home. A "heavenly man" talked to her and said "Do you want to see some great things? Here, I will show you." She looked across the road from her house to see a scene very much like the photo. She walked across the lane and down into the field, where the white swirling cloud took her up into heaven. In the heavens she saw people worshiping God, singing, dancing, playing instruments, and laughing. Colorful fish were swimming about it mid-air.  She saw a variety of people there, all from her high school days. Her "wicked foster-mother" was among the people, and her face was full of peace. In the cloud she came back down to earth, and again she was taken up. She saw exactly the same scenes, then she awoke.

Dreams Pt. II

This is the second of 3 dreams one of our girls had last week:

Nadia and Joe were in a Romanian cottage type house with two men and two children. The children were miserable and sad. The men became sinister and mocking, and then evil and murderous, trying to kill Joe and Nadia. The children were involved, too. They showed Joe and Nadia a route of  "escape", a garden gate that Nadia recognized was rigged with explosives. Joe went back and killed the men one by one, one inside the house, and the other outside in the garden. He decapitated them, seemingly with bare hands. It was brutal and bloody. After the evil men were dead, the the children were free from the evil, and they were also no longer sad. They played with Nadia happily in the garden, laughing and dancing and singing. Everybody left the place together (well, the live people