Living Permits

Andy and Nancy have been informed that their living permits are in the mail, hopefully they will arrive soon.

Well, I'm not sure when I will be leaving for Moldova. I'm trying to raise funds but it isn't easy. But I also know I will be there when I am supposed to be there. So I'm just trusting God and trying my best to raise funds.

Email from Andy & Nancy Raatz

"October 21, 2007

I feel stuck in one of those lame spy movies, with a bomb and digital
countdown display planted under my seat. The numbers keep counting
downward toward zero, with only 12 days left.

The countdown is about our living permits. In order to stay in
Moldova, we need to obtain living permits for our family and for
Shauna, the Missionary Associate that is teaching our children. We
have been working on these documents since the day we arrived, so it
isn't because of procrastination! We have all received 1/2 of the
needed documents (the work permit), but have hit a seemingly-
impassible roadblock at the Ministry of Immigration. If we do not
have the permits, we must leave the country for 3 months.

The director of immigration has granted one permit, mine (Andy's).
That is obviously not enough! He claims that he has granted the
quota for the year already (a point of disagreement that there
actually IS a quota, but such is life). It doesn't appear to be an
issue of cash either.

Last Friday, or national leadership had another round of meetings at
this office, with letters of recommendations from other government
leaders. We are expecting to hear back by Tuesday at the latest.

We want to stay in Moldova! This is our home. There are always
projects and ministries that we labor toward. But more than
anything, we want to stay HOME.

I simply am asking if you would pray for us. If you would remember
us in prayer this Monday and Tuesday, we would be very appreciative.

In those lame spy movies, the hero always cut the wire with 3 seconds
left. Everyone is saved with mere seconds on the clock.

But we are in a lame spy movie. Nothing is scripted or packaged.
Yet for some reason, I feel at peace. I am confident in the Christ
that I serve. Jesus' timing is always just right, and we trust that
all will go through this week.

We serve a great God. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Your missionaries to Moldova,
Andy & Nancy Raatz"

Here are some pics from homeless ministry. The first one is me and Alex (one of the guys I've been talking to for about 4 years).

The second one is our group (we go out every Tuesday from 9:00pm-1:00am to Center City, Philadelphia).

Working.

Well, I'm not doing too much...just working. I'm trying to schedule services in between working. I just moved out of VFCC three days ago so I'm in a transition stage right now; still trying to settle in. My prayer cards still are not here, there was a delivery problem. I got them but they were damaged in the process so I had to send them back, argh!

I'm waiting on pastors and boards to meet right now...I'm in a really big lull stage. But I'm not worried, not at all.

I'm home...again.

Well, I got back from Kids Camp yesterday. I had an amazing time and the kids were wonderful. I came back not feeling exhausted at all, but still tired. Dick Gruber was the speaker, he did a great job. The kids really enjoyed him & they understood what he had to say. I think they were able to grasp onto the concepts he posed to them, I feel as if they got a lot out of it.

I'm back to work today and trying to schedule services to share at. I'll be sharing at Grace AG Kids Church, in Spring City, on July 29th. I'm very excited about it, it'll be great to be back at Grace for a Sunday.

Kids Camp

Kids camp is next week: July 9th-13th. I'm going with Grace AG, Spring City. We have a great group going this year, I'm very excited.

Please pray! I so desperately want the kids to get much more out of camp then ever before. Pray for safety as we all run around, you know how it is...kids running in the playground almost always ends up with one getting hurt! Pray also for the other chaperones coming from all across Pennsylvania and Delaware. Pray for peace, compassion, love, and patience.

Back home

Well, I'm back at the Forge. It's nice to be back to my "normal" life, work and all. For now I'll be setting up services to share at, writing letters, and making lots of phone calls.

I feel a lot more prepared after PFO, it was a real confidence booster.

To Remain Awake

"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labour is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake."

-C.S. Lewis (italics mine)

Two Weeks (Pre-Field Orientation)

Two weeks of getting up early. Two weeks of sitting through sessions. Two weeks of trying to listen even when your exhausted.

Two weeks of seeing the passion of God inside people's hearts. Two weeks of listening to testimonies and praying together. Two weeks of much needed fellowship. Two weeks of God continuing to burn the passion of missions inside my heart, and two weeks of meeting some of the greatest people I will ever know. These are some of the best two weeks of my life.

I've sat and listened to some amazing people. People who have served God on the mission field for years and still have His passion in their hearts. Others, who are going out on the mission field for the first time and who have a vision that can only be from the Lord.

I know that I will miss them when I go, but for now I am enjoying their company and I'm desperately trying to learn all I can for when I leave for Moldova.