It's Been a Week

Well, I have been in Moldova for one week now, minus a few hours. Things are going quite well as I adjust to life here and seek to know the place God has for me. I've spent this week getting to know the public transit system (which deserves another blog entry itself), running general errands, meeting with people at CERI, studying the language A LOT, and going to the orphanage in the afternoons. Until today I did not have a language tutor, which was beginning to become somewhat of a worry, but this afternoon I finally got in touch with a lady who tutors for the Peace Corps in Moldova. I'll have my first lesson Monday afternoon, which is good because the more I study, the more I realize I do not know. I am also realizing that knowing the language will be of utmost importance for ministry here as translators are not available very often and as the children do not speak any English! So, my main task for the next few weeks will be to study Romanian as much as possible. I will also be spending time with the kids at the orphanage playing sports, conversing in broken Romanian, and just hanging out. My prayer is that my presence there might speak of who Jesus is to these kids even when I do not know the words to share Him with them yet. I am also praying for tangible ways to demonstrate God's mercy and justice to them. Any ideas?

I was able to sit in on a band rehearsal at the orphanage this week, and they actually sounded better than I expected! The band consisted of four trumpets, one clarinet, four baritones, and three tubas. I was not able to say much to the teacher, but when I told him that I play cello, he got very excited! I am hoping that, in a few weeks, when my Romanian is better, I will be able to share with him some of my ideas for teaching a basic music appreciation class.

Personally, I am doing well. Living here has required quite an overwhelming adjustment as I encounter culture shock and other differences. But in general, I am happy to be here because I know it is where I have been called. God has been faithful to remind me of this, especially each time I see the kids at the orphanage. They never fail to bring a smile to my face.

My biggest prayer request is that I might know clearly what God would have me do here. I already have people asking me to teach English in different villages on the weekends and others asking me to invest in ministry opportunities with teenagers in the city, but I want my ministry here to be of high quality and not just high quantity. Pray that God would show me which things He has for me to do, and to which things He would have me say "no."

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins" (Psalm 130, NIV).