How does a country that I never heard of until Rolling Hills went on it’s first international mission trip in 2003, grab the heart of a church and not let go? The answer is pretty easy to figure out when you look at the pictures and comments that we post during our visits.

Today, in my first interview with a 14 year girl, I asked her to describe her best day. Immediately, tears started to flow out of her eyes and she said, “there are no best days, when you are an orphan.” I looked at Boris, my interpreter, and said that it was going to be a long day. The stories of these children’s lives continue to show a hurting group of kids that have done nothing wrong. Yet, they have to live in a world where the actions of their parents or others have brought consequences on them that they can not understand and certainly don’t deserve. Their overriding wish is to get their family back together and to be like normal children in a normal family. We provided a lot of gifts this week, but none of them were the gift that they are praying for.

I came back to Moldova with a list of things that I wanted to accomplish…interview children that need American sponsors, see in person what is happening at the Grace House, talk to Sasha and Lucia about taking in some boys for a Hope House, spend time with my Moldovan son, Igor and lastly, give out Christmas presents to children that don’t normally get a gift. I accomplished all the things on my list this year. But, what I wasn’t expecting was how God has shown me, with increased intensity, the importance of what Justice and Mercy International is doing in this country. How do we at JMI get this message out to the people who can help?

If you are reading this blog and are not sponsoring a child, please pray about starting. If not us, who will take care of these children. Their parents have are either dead or can’t afford to keep them. The orphanage that they live in gives them food, shelter and an education, but it doesn’t give them all the love they desire or need. If you sponsor someone, tell a friend about the blessing it is to you and your Moldovan child and see if they will join in with us. If you’ve never been to Moldova, pray about making one trip to see for yourself how we are brightening up these children’s lives for at least a couple of days a year in their world where there are no “best days!” You will get to put smiles on the children’s faces that don’t have many reasons to smile and you will look at the blessings in your life in a whole new way.

Dave Shurson

Posted in Winter 2009-2010Tags: Christmas in Moldova | by Becky Loyd No Comments

Last night we wrapped gifts for 50 children at the orphanage in Straseni. We also organized sweatsuits by sizes in preparation for the day today. We came prepared to give a new sweatsuit to every child at the orphanage, so we knew today was gonna be really fun before it even started! We arrived at the orphanage and started the day with crafts about the Christmas Story. They loved the crafts! We also made a photo frame that they each meticulously worked on. Then it was time for the gifts!

We were able, with the help of all of the generous donations, to give every child there a new sweatsuit. This was our second day with these kids and they were wearing the same clothes from the previous day that were pretty worn and torn. I was in charge of the smallest sizes and picking the right suit for each of the kids. It was so amazing to watch their faces light up as I held up the suits to them to make sure they would fit. You would’ve thought they’d just been given a million dollars. I’m sure that no hollywood actress has gotten any more excited about a new oscar de la renta gown to wear to the oscars as much as these kids were excited for new sweatsuits. It was quite humbling. They were so excited that they immediately started stripping down and putting the new clothes on.

There was one child, Sardu, who kept grabbing a pair of corduroy pants that I knew were going to be a little too small for him, so I kept trying to give him another pair. He started to get really upset with me, so I asked the interpreter to tell him I was trying to give him some pants that would fit well. She then asked him what was wrong and he said that he wanted those pants because they had pockets. They were one of two pair of pants that I had with pockets, and I’d already given the other pair to the smallest boy in the orphanage. All of the other pants were sweats. So after he got so upset I gave them to him and he immediately tried to put them on and make them fit. I made sure and let him keep them and gave him another pair also. I was so humbled and amazed at the fight that he’d put up for pants with pockets. He wanted them desperately. I’m not sure that I even notice when I’m trying on clothes whether or not they have pockets, so I guess that’s another small thing that I’ve always taken for granted. It was so important to him. He proved us all wrong and wore the pants anyway, even if they were a little too short. It was so great to see them all in the new clothes!

Then we passed out toys! They all opened them and it felt like christmas morning. I’m not sure whether they wrap presents in Moldova like we do cause it seemed like the kids almost didn’t know what to do with them. It may just be that these kids don’t get wrapped presents very often, I’m not sure. So we helped them unwrap toy trucks, dolls, scarves, hats, gloves, games, etc. They had an amazing day, but i think we may have benefitted the most. It was a great experience and a day filled with smiles that I’ll never forget.

We ended our day with 5 of the girls who live in the Grace House, a mission house started by JMI to give the teenage girls a place to live when they are too old to be in the orphanages. These girls were so thankful for everything that they’ve been given by people through JMI and Rolling Hills. It is amazing to see the opportunities that these girls have been given because of the grace house, and sad to think of what their circumstances would be like otherwise. It was a great ending to a great day here in Moldova!

Susan Loyd

Posted in Winter 2009-2010 by Becky Loyd 1 Comment

“Break my heart for the things that break God’s heart.” -Bob Pierce  (founder of Samaritan’s Purse & World Vision)
That has been exactly what has happened to me this week.  My heart has been broken into pieces so many times. This week I have interviewed dozens of children, many with sad stories and without families, but today I interviewed one child whose story especially broke my heart. His name is Andrian and he is 15 years old. A year ago, his family was celebrating a birthday at the river and his mother went in for a swim. She began to drown and his father went in after her and he drowned too. Since then he’s been in several orphanages and finally he went to a placement center where he stayed for about 5 months. He wasn’t able to see his 17 year old brother, Fiodor, the entire time he was there. Andrian was just taken to the orphanage in Straseni and today was his second day there.  He shared his fear of something happening to his brother and him being left alone. Despite his circumstances and his past, he dreams of having two children to help them grow up.  He was very open to talk about his past and despite the past, he was hopeful for the future.

One of the questions we ask the kids in the interviews is “What would you like to be when you grow up?” Many of the children I interviewed had a hard time answering that question or didn’t answer it at all. That made me realize how important a parent’s role is in their child’s life. I remember as a child, my parents always supported me and my dreams, no matter how unusual they may be. They encouraged me to reach for my goals. These orphans don’t have that kind of figure to support them and encourage them to reach for their dreams. That’s what a sponsor would do for a child. The sponsor would step in and show the child that they are loved and that they can rise above their circumstances and build a future for themselves. These children are hungering for someone to take notice of them, love them, and communicate with them.

This week, I’ve been reminded of the importance of family. It’s easy to take family for granted when they’re nearby and you can see them whenever you want. Imagine if all of your family was gone and you had no one. That’s exactly what so many of these children are dealing with. Some children have family but don’t get to see them often, if at all, and they dream of the day when they’ll be united again. I feel ashamed that I’ve taken my family for granted so many times when these children so desperately want a family.  I’ve been overwhelmed with unconditional love from these children when I’ve done nothing to deserve it. They may seem like they have nothing, but really, they have it all. They know what’s really important in life and they appreciate the simple things.

I’ve met so many precious children who are dear to my heart. I wish I could bring them all home with me, but I know that’s not possible. I am determined to find sponsors for as many of these children as I can, sponsors who will invest in them, love them, communicate with them, and give them hope for the present and for the future.

Sara Sanders

Posted in Winter 2009-2010 by Becky Loyd No Comments

Wednesday Dec. 30th

Snow, snow snow!!  There is snow and ice EVERYWHERE here!  But I love it.  I think that we are all acquiring new skills on keeping ourselves upright as we try the simple task of walking.

Today we went back to the Falesti orphanage for our second and final day there.  I get this little wave of excitement as we pull in again, and we see kids watching and waiting for us to arrive.  I learned yesterday through the interviews with the kids that so many of them describe their “best day” to be the days the Americans are there with them.

I am in love.  Her name is Adela.  She is 13, but she looks no older than 10.  I found her yesterday as she was sort of hanging back from the crowd.  She is not one of the kids that you would notice first, not an attention seeker.  But when I caught her staring at me and she smiled, showing these deep cute dimples, she had me immediately wrapped around her little finger.  It broke my heart to find out that she is without a sponsor, even though her other three sisters at the orphanage have sponsors.  I made her a promise that I would find her a sponsor, and in all reality, it will probably be me!

I found a scarf, gloves, and hat to give to her as a gift from me.  I pulled her aside and told her that I wanted to give this to her because I like her very very much.  Again, those dimples when she smiled was the most beautiful thing.  She is the most beautiful thing.

Leaving today was hard.  Adela and her friends said goodbye to me, and when she told me how much she enjoyed meeting me, would think of me often, and she LOVED ME, that’s when I couldn’t hold back my tears.  She followed me to the van, and was the last child to wave goodbye as she drew hearts on the van window as I was sobbing.

It is amazing how God ordained this moment in time to bring Adela and I together… to bring us together with all these kids.  The hardest thing for me is to let go, and realize that God will protect and provide for his children.  He is their Father, and he will love them unconditionally.  I am just thankful that He has chosen to use me in this moment to help the kids understand this amazing love.

And on a final note, today I watched the Little Mermaid in Russian and watched Dana get hit in the head with multiple snowballs.  I also looked over and saw Steve lying face down on top of a kid in the snow.  I saw the kids get as excited over getting an apple and banana as American kids would get excited over a new ipod.  I saw smiles and love everywhere I looked.  Today was a “best day” for me!

- Stephanie Dykes

Posted in Winter 2009-2010 by Becky Loyd No Comments

Tuesday Dec. 29th

Today was the first day in the Falesti orphanage. Just pulling into the parking lot made me anxious. Walking into a gym full of kids I was completely overwhelmed.  I work with kids everyday, and yet I had no idea how to interact with them. The language barrier was only part of the problem. I just kept thinking, how can I relate to these kids, because I knew that there was no way to talk to them about the things that you and I would normally talk about. I was able to spend the day interviewing kids individually to get information so that they can find sponsors back in the States. The very first child that I interviewed was a 4 year old named Mihai. He has been in the orphanage for two years and told me that he was there because his mother does not want him. Just listening to him and seeing his sweet face pretty much brought me to tears. He told me that the one thing he most prayed for was to be brave and not afraid. It breaks my heart to know that there are 4 year olds out there who are afraid because they are without parents and know that they may never come back for them. Most of these children worry about how they will survive after they leave the orphanage, versus kids in our country think about all the choices they have for their future. The children have very few choices, and their dreams are for things that we see as simple health, seeing their parents, and perhaps a Barbie doll or toy truck. They don’t expect ipods, dvd players, or cars on their 16th birthday. They will be lucky to even have their birthday acknowledged. When Mihai’s interview was over he gave me the biggest hug, he almost knocked me over. That was when I did cry. It was so overwhelming to know that this child, who I have just met, could love me this much. I have been thinking about sponsoring a child and I know that I have found mine. I would take him home in my backpack if I could (and he would almost fit)! This is only day one, and I can’t wait to see what else God has to show me and teach me. So far I know that I will never look at the children in our culture the same way again.

Colleen Clark

Mihai and Colleen

Posted in Winter 2009-2010 by Becky Loyd No Comments

For all you moms who are checking this blog, you’ll be happy to know everyone made it to DC and we haven’t had any problems so far. We are still scheduled to leave at 5:29 and our airplane is here, so it looks like we’ll leave on time!

Here’s a little info on our itinerary for the next few days:

• When we get to Frankfurt tomorrow morning, we’ll be taking a train into the city and spending some time in the city. Our flight out of Frankfurt into Moldova doesn’t leave until 3:00 PM.
• When we get to Chisinau, Moldova tomorrow night at 6:30 PM, we’ll grab some dinner and begin the drive to Balti (about 2.5 hours away from Chisinau).
• We’ll spend Tuesday and Wednesday hanging out at the orphanage in Falesti, then head back to Chisinau on Wednesday night.
• Thursday and Friday we’ll be working at the Straseni orphanage and Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be at Internat 2.

We may not have internet access in Balti, so this may be the last you hear from us for a while, but we PROMISE we’ll update as soon as we can!!

Posted in Winter 2009-2010Tags: Christmas in Moldova | by Becky Loyd No Comments

Well, we leave tomorrow morning, and there’s a lot going on. There are a couple of people who are going tomorrow who aren’t feeling well, there was an attempted terrorist attack, which means more time and difficulty in airport screenings, and there is supposedly a lot of snow on the ground in Moldova! So we need your prayers! Here’s a guide to help you as you pray for our team on this trip

Pray for traveling safety and logistics – on-time flights, no lost luggage, no re-routing. Here is the travel schedule for our group:

Sunday, December 27th
8:56 AM – Leave BNA on United Airlines Flight 7297 to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
11:42 AM – Arrive at IAD
5:26 PM – Leave IAD on United Airlines Flight 916 to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)

Monday, December 28th
7:10 AM – Arrive in FRA
3:00 PM – Leave FRA on Air Moldova Flight 864 to Chisinau (KIV)
6:30 PM – Arrive in Chisinau, Moldova

Monday, January 4th
5:05 AM – Leave Chisinau on Air Moldova flight 863
6:40 AM – Arrive in Frankfurt
8:10 AM – Leave Frankfurt on United Airlines flight 945 to Chicago, Illinois
10:35 AM – Arrive in Chicago
1:10 PM – Leave Chicago for Nashville on United Airlines Flight 7029
2:37 PM – Arrive in Nashville

Pray for sleep – Moldova is eight hours ahead of US Central time. Most of our activities will take place between 1 AM and 10 AM Central Standard time, which will be 9 AM to 6 PM in Moldova. Needless to say, it is important that our bodies adjust to the time change quickly so that everyone can have enough sleep to function.

Pray for spiritual understanding – Some of the circumstances and situations we will encounter while in Moldova will be hard to understand. Our experience will be a far cry from our everyday lives in the US. We will be face to face with children who are orphaned or abandoned, people in extreme poverty, women who have been enslaved by human traffickers. We need to be able to process all of what we are experiencing with spiritual eyes so that we can know how God has called us to be his hands and feet to these people.

Pray for health – We will have a nurse on the trip with us, but we want to pray that every member of our team stay healthy through out our entire trip.

We’ll be trying to update the blog as often as we can while we are there. See you guys next year!

Posted in Winter 2009-2010Tags: Christmas in Moldova | by Becky Loyd No Comments