Look at the picture clues 

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

and guess where I spent Friday! Actually, the majority was on a 747. But having a 7-hour layover at Heathrow airport meant we had time to ride the underground train into London where we saw the sights – Buckingham Palace, Big Ben (we heard it bong at 5:00 P.M.) and the House of Parliament (you can see it, too, if you look on a bottle of HP steak sauce).  Then came the return hour-long train ride to Heathrow amidst commuters heading home to the suburbs. Oh my. Imagine standing…in the heat…squished by other passengers…after being awake for nearly 30 hours. Call it an adventure! We ended the day with a 2 ½ hour jaunt to Budapest, Hungary.

We reached our hotel around 1:00 A.M., grateful that the team’s 22 suitcases arrived intact and thankful for a room with air conditioning. It felt soooo good to crawl into bed. Talk about exhausted! And now we’re up and at it again, after about 5 hours of sleep. Today we’ll drive from Budapest to Resita, Romania. That’ll take at least 7 hours, I believe.

You might be wondering what we’re doing this time. My husband and I are leading a team of 9 volunteers to partner with five career missionaries. We’ll host a camp for young adults facing various challenges in life. We’re bringing craft supplies, hygiene items, snacks and Bibles. We’ve planned games galore. And we’ll be sharing insights from God’s Word to encourage the kids and reassure them that they’re loved and not forgotten. I can hardly wait to see the kids we spent time with last summer, and to make new acquaintances.

Re: craft supplies. I was especially blessed a week ago when a little girl named Joanne celebrated her 8^th birthday back in B.C. In lieu of gifts, she asked her friends to donate money to buy soap and deodorant for these kids in Romania. The donations topped $180 so she bought candy and elastic thread for beaded bracelets, too. Then she came to our house with her mom, grandma and two sisters and helped assemble the bags of goodies we’ll give to each camper.

Last year we had wireless at the camp venue. I’m hoping the same will be true this week so I can continue posting about our experience. Stay tuned for more!

When preparations for upcoming speaking engagements, writing deadlines or missions trips overwhelm me, I find huge encouragement if someone says to me, “I’m praying for you.” Those words bring added encouragement if that individual actually prays for/with me via phone, email or in person. The reassurance that someone cares about me lightens my worry-load.

I remember one instance in particular. Last July, I was one hour from leaving for the Vancouver airport enroute to Romania. My husband and I were leading our first volunteer team to a camp for young adults living with HIV/AIDS. The prospect excited me, but I felt a little anxious about details such as how the team would mesh, how travel details would work out once we landed in Budapest, how effective we’d be, etc. Then the phone rang.

The caller was a local pastor – a man with whom I’d attended Bible college in the late 70s. I’d had no contact with him since because our lives had taken different directions. He was calling in response to a magazine article I’d written about dealing with the fear of financial insecurity. “Thank you for addressing this topic,” he said. “Where did you gain your insights?”

“From life experience,” I said. “My husband and I are missionaries, and we deal with it all the time.”

“Really? Tell me about your ministry,” he said. And so I did. I started by telling him that we were headed for Romania later that day. Guess what he said? “Let me pray for you right now.” Those words, spoken at that moment, stripped my worry away. They were like a hug from heaven, a divine reminder of God’s presence and blessing on us.  

Perhaps you can relate. If you’ve experienced an encouraging word, please tell us about it. I guarantee – your words will be an encouragement to those who read them.

In the meantime, here’s a word for you today: “There is no one like the God of Israel, He rides across the heaves to help you. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you” (Deuteronomy 33:26,27).

Have a great weekend!

It seems like forever, not a mere 12 days, since we visited the "Mother-in-Law" bridge in Odessa. These padlocks are posted by young couples to signify enduring love.

"Mother-in-Law Bridge" in Odessa, Ukraine

What’s often our natural tendency when we hear stories like this? We change the channel or flip to the next page. Surrounded by our North American creature comforts, it’s difficult for us to grasp what’s happening in the world at large. We can’t identify with the captives of modern day slavery. We can’t feel their anguish, or perhaps we feel it so intensely that we shut it out because we don’t know how to deal with it. We can’t fathom making a dent in the problem. And so, we do nothing.

“God, break my heart over what breaks Yours,” prayed Bob Pierce, founder of  World Vision. That’s become my prayer, too. I don’t want to live my life looking the other way. I’ve been blessed, so very blessed and God holds me accountable for what I do with the freedoms and material goods given to me.

For me, Christianity is about so much more than attending church on Sunday mornings, developing a safe place within my weekly small group, and knowing that I’ll go to heaven when I die. It’s about being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are suffering here on earth. It’s about loving them in practical ways. It’s about walking the talk even when there’s sacrifice involved. This morning I read Amos 5:23,24, which served to reinforce my feelings: “Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music; no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.”

God wants His people to get involved on behalf of the defenseless and less fortunate. He wants to see a flood of justice, a river that will never run dry. That happens when everyone does their part.

Some can sponsor kids through humanitarian organizations. We support two – a boy in India, and a girl in Nepal.

Grace and Gene with Ankit in India

Some can pass out hot chocolate and sandwiches to street workers. Others can befriend seniors forgotten by family, locked away in nursing homes. Or write letters to persecuted believers in prison.

Last summer my husband and I led a team of 9 North American volunteers to work among Romanian young adults living with HIV/AIDS. Lord willing, we’re planning to do it again in 2010.

Our career missionaries visiting HIV/AIDS-infected youth in a Romanian hospital

As I was writing this entry, a missionary friend emailed to say she’s handing out 500 blankets in two gypsy slum villages in Slovakia today. If I were to go downtown this morning, I’d see numerous volunteers standing beside Salvation Army kettles collecting donations. The options are endless because the needs are endless, too. “God, break my heart over what breaks Yours!”

 How can you represent Jesus to those who are suffering?

Roma (gypsy) church in Lunik IX

We woke in Kosice, Slovakia this morning. Had breakfast with IM missionaries Brad and Karla Thiessen – enjoyed their company as always – and then Brad took us to Lunik IX. This is the name of the largest gypsy ghetto in Eastern Europe. We visited there in September 2007, when I had the privilege of interviewing the pastor for a Power for Living article.

Lunik IX is a collection of perhaps a half dozen Communist-era apartment blocks, housing approximately six or seven thousand people. Windows are smashed out, garbage is heaped anywhere anyone feels like throwing it. There isn’t a single playground toy to be seen. The ground is parched. And yet, there stands a little church. Surrounded by two chicken-wire fences to prevent vandalism, it invites those who are spiritually thirsty to come, drink, and be filled.

This morning a group of 35-40 believers met to worship. The pastor, himself a converted gypsy, is a songwriter who has recorded his music digitally. He pressed a button and the first song began. I wish you could have heard the congregation sing! And wow – do they have a sense of rhythm!

The pastor and his wife

Each time I have an opportunity to worship with believers of other races and languages, I catch a wee glimpse of heaven. Someday people from every tongue and tribe and skin color will stand before God and worship Him in song. And for these brothers and sisters in the gypsy ghetto, and for the Romanian young adults infected with HIV/AIDS discrimination will no longer exist. They are the poor, crying out for justice on earth, questioning why God put them on earth if only to suffer. And yet someday, they will reign with Jesus in His heavenly kingdom. Surely they have a hope.

Another spoke of the difficulties she’d faced since being diagnosed with HIV – especially the lack of proper medical care. One talked about his dad dying, and about nearly losing his mom. He said that he and his brothers prayed that God would not let her die, and He answered. Years later, she’s still alive.

Then the gal who committed her life to Christ last night spoke. With tears in her eyes, she addressed our team and said, “Thank you for coming. You came from so far away just to spend time with us. You have loved us and treated us like normal people. You’ll never know how much this camp has meant to us.”

How does one respond to that, except to thank God for providing the means and the opportunity to serve in this way? We wish the need for this ministry didn’t exist, but so long as it does, we pray that God will raise up the volunteers and especially career staff to build it and bless it.

Andy and Claudia drove the kids back to the day center – about 2 ½ hours’ drive one way on a very windy mountain road. At one point, they had to pull off to the side because everyone had to get out and throw up due to travel sickness. Poor kids! Poor Andy and Claudia!

They returned to pick up the team around 6:00 pm, and then it was our turn to travel on the windy road. No vomiting, but a few queasy stomachs. At one point after darkness fell, we drove through a fairly large town and I noticed that there were few lights on in the apartment blocks and houses. Tony explained that this area used to have a booming economy based on mining. Now the mines are closed and nearly everyone is unemployed and can’t afford to pay for electricity. Hence, the dark windows. Sad, sad, sad. Again, we in North America have much to be thankful for.

Funny how jet-lag hits mid-afternoon. I think nearly everyone took a nap enroute. My daughter Kim put her head on my shoulder and slept for about an hour; I must have slept, too, for suddenly I woke with my head on hers.

We went out for dinner with two of our four IM missionaries to talk about today’s agenda. Tresha, one of the wives, and her two wee children are home sick right now. They never get ill. Why now? Why am I not surprised?

Tresha’s husband, Andy, encouraged the team simply to love the teens to whom we’ll be ministering. And that’s exactly what we plan to do. Can’t wait to see these kids again – Gene and I have met most at the day center on two occasions already.

After dinner we walked in the city’s main square where the 1989 revolt began that resulted in the downfall of Communism in Romania. At the end of the square is a cathedral marked with memorials to the children who were shot and killed by army soldiers during that revolt. We sat on those steps where about a dozen children died only 20 years ago, for the sake of freedom. What a sobering moment.

Now it’s our turn to bless the children of Romania. Once camp begins tomorrow, we’ll be having two Bible lessons per day with a craft or activity to reinforce the message, crafts, sport activities, games, and boat rides. We brought marshmallows, Hershey bars, and graham crackers to teach them how to make s’mores. We have balloons, streamers, sparklers – to celebrate July 4 for the sake of our American team member, beads and hemp for necklaces, Mary Kay product for a spa afternoon for the girls, a rocket launcher built especially to blow off 2-litre pop bottles, and more. What a privilege to know and love these teens, all of whom have HIV/AIDS.

In the past 56 hours, I’ve had approximately 4 hours of sleep. Gotta do something about that right now! Good night, all.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/community/49044306.html

The Joshua Project offers free dental care to kids with HIV/AIDS

Journal Entry for Thursday, February 12, 2009

I woke this morning with great excitement at the prospect of visiting our teens with HIV/AIDS in a city about 2 hours’ drive away. I hoped that many of the kids we met last year would once again visit the day center so we could see them again. I was not disappointed. Nineteen teenagers showed up, about a dozen being the ones we met last March!

Some speak English; some don’t. Some are embarrassed to speak it around us. In an effort to build relationship despite the language barrier, I invited a half dozen to play “Uno.” It worked. We had great fun together at our end of the table while Gene played “Connect Four” with others.

Tony and Claudia Udrea are Romanian IMers who helped found “The Joshua Project” with Andy and Tresha McKnight. They spent the day with us, acting as translators. When Gene stood to share a devotional, the kids asked him why we returned. Aren’t you afraid of us like everyone else is? they asked. And why do you always tell a lesson from the Bible when you come? What a perfect lead-in to explain that God loves them (and so do we) and wants to communicate with them through His Word.

A highlight of this ministry is that the government has finally approved their application to hire a dentist who’s willing to treat these kids. Thanks to an American donor, the day center is equipped with state-of-the-art dental equipment, and finally…after three years of wrestling with bureaucracy…a dentist has arrived. What an answer to prayer!

Our drive home was anything but fun because it had snowed all day with no let-up in sight. Roads were slick, and many cars were either parked off to the side or in the ditch. “Thank you, God, for a safe return to River of Life, and thank You for loving the kids at The Joshua Project. Please draw each one to Yourself so they won’t go into a Christless eternity.”