February 16, we had to say, “See you later” to David’s sister and his parents. It was hard to see them leave, but we are so thankful for the time that we had with them here! I remember reading a quote that said, “Don’t cry because it’s over! Rejoice that it happened!” While there were some tears when we said our goodbyes, we are so thankful that they were able to come, and it was wonderful to connect with them!
Since moving to Romania, we’ve wanted to visit the people who hosted us the first time we came to Romania. They live near Pitești which is a little over 6 hours of driving on less than ideal roads. We were finally able to visit them during the last weekend of February. It was an absolutely wonderful time of fellowship and was very encouraging for all of us! It was a great time of connecting. When it was time to leave, our children didn’t want to go. They so enjoyed having friends their age that they could talk with and play with. Our kiddos do speak a little Romanian now, and our friends’ children can speak a little English. Though our children are attending school in the village, they still do not feel like they have friends here. Please pray with us that the Lord will meet this need!
Two days before we left on our trip to Pitești, as I’m sure you know by now, Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. Many people have been asking if we are safe, yes we are safe, praise God. But that is not the case for many Ukrainians. At this time, we have not been directly involved with giving aid to refugees. If we went to the boarder with our family we worry that we might be more of a burden than a blessing. So we are staying where we are and praying! Please pray with us for the Ukrainian people, for all the leaders involved, for the war to stop, for people to get their physical, emotional and spiritual needs met, for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in Ukraine as it is in heaven! Please join us interceding in prayer for Ukraine! I am reminded that we should not forget to pray for other terrible situations around the world too: Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and the people in Russia are also suffering. The people of these countries did not choose their plight, but have been subjected to it by their governmental leaders or leaders from other countries. With all the terrible things we see happening in the world, it makes us long for the day when Christ will come again and make all wrongs right!
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:19
Saturday the 5th of March, we were able to have our first Good News Club in the village! We had 8 children from the village attend along with our 4 children. Lydia, a sweet lady from the church is watching Timothy during club since having a toddler at a club for elementary age children is very difficult. Two young ladies from the Baptist church in the village helped us with club, as well as Callum King who has been working with Friendship Camp for over 10 years. It’s great that other Christians in the village are involved with the club! We are so thrilled, and we are praising God that the club went very well! Everyone had a great time! We played games, enjoyed snacks, shared the story of Zacchaeus, shared a missionary story, sang songs and invited kids to follow Jesus. No decisions for salvation were made, but we know that God’s word does not return to Him void! Please pray that these kids will have eternal hope in Christ Jesus! In these uncertain times, sharing the love, hope, and assurance we have in Christ is more important than ever!
Before we moved to Romania, we had planned to come back to the USA for a visit in spring of 2022. By God’s grace, we were able to find tickets that allow us to visit for the entire month of April! While we would love to connect with everyone and share with all of our supporting churches, David’s health has not been the best. We cannot have a busy hectic schedule when we visit the USA! We do plan on sharing with a few churches, but our main focus will be resting and seeking medical care. Once we have a firm schedule, we’ll be sharing where we’re planning to speak. We would love to connect with as many people as we can while we are in the USA. Thank you so much for praying! David is doing better, praise God! Lab work showed that he had a severe vitamin D deficiency, so he has been taking supplements and going outside more. We also got his photosensitive glasses fixed, and he has been seeing a massage therapist. The combination of these things and making sure he gets enough rest have really helped and he is doing much better, praise God!
Thank you so much for praying! Here are our praises and prayer requests for this month.
Praises :
- David’s parents were able to visit
- We had a great visit with friends in Pitești
- God empowered us to begin Good News Club in the village
- David is feeling better
- We found good tickets to visit the USA!
Prayer Requests:
- The Good News Club
- Friendship Camp this summer
- Our visit to the USA
- Our continued health
- Ukraine and everyone who is effected by the war.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25