After listening to Jeannie Barfield's experiences in Moldova last October 2006 when she spoke at our International Supper in December, the seed was planted. When I was approached about participating in this mission trip this passage in Matthew became an important part of my prayer life. My questions were,"Lord, can you use me, a retired educator, to bring the Word and salvation to people in another country? Can I help build your kingdom? " The answer was "Yes, Go!" So with the help of our church family, Jeannie and I were able to "Mission in Moldova" this year.

We joined fourteen other Reboboth Association church members for eleven days of a wonderful mission experience in Moldova and finalized our trip by touring Turkey and the seven churches of Revelation. Now we know the Lord has special ways to teach us His lessons. On day two of our trip, we discovered the real difference between our wants and our needs! As we arrived in Moldova the message was received that about half of us had lost luggage, Jeannie and I had lost four large suitcases and they were still in Rome to be delivered at a later date, four days later. So the Lord showed us that our plans were not necessarily the plans He had for VBS and school visitations and witnessing with tracts.

We immediately worked on plan two, His new plan, improvisation. We wore and washed the same clothes for four days. We gave our testimonies, sang with a guitar that one of our team members brought, used sign language to help with songs, played soccer with an Upward salvation ball or sat in the shade and witnessed, and, of course, like all children we ate ice cream together, which is good news in any language.

The church of Philadelphia, being sponsored by the Rehoboth Association, was at our central location in the Anenii Noi area and sponsored one of the free health clinics. We participated in the revival services on three nights, visited the schools, and participated in special needs home shut-in witnessing, and street witnessing while our other group of eight people worked in the northern section of Moldova in the Belts area with four free health clinics, and visitations in prison ministry, orphanages and youth detention homes.

We were ministered to by the only Hand Bell Choir in Moldova and were privileged to attend the largest church there on Sunday night where Rev. Tim Millwood presented the evening sermon. He, Rev. Andy Cook, Charlie Johnson, Dr. Cesar Padilla, and Hershel Standard presented sermons throughout the whole trip while the others of us gave our testimonies. The worship services in Moldova aren't the one hour services we are so used to here in the states.

Their services began with an hour of music and testimony, a beautiful 50 to 100 person choir, and at our service an instrumental group, Patmos, with violin, keyboard, and pan-flute performed. An hour of sermon worship followed and no one was checking his or her watches. The services were two to three hours. The Moldovan people are hungry for the Word!

Thank you to our churches and the Rehoboth Association which sponsored our trip. Because of your support more than 280 people received medical treatment, and more than 60 people came to know Christ. Numerous tracts and Bibles were distributed and any unused materials ( which was a lot considering our luggage mishap) were left to be utilized by the churches we went to serve.

Yes, the Lord sent us to bless but we returned home the blessed, He sent us to teach and we were taught. We left to serve and were served. This quotation is so true, "The task ahead of us is never greater than the power behind us."

And I discovered this statement to be so meaningful for me, " God doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called. He doesn't give all the instructions, just the plan; He then says to report to duty!"

Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord!