A Week of "Firsts"

Sami, youth minister, leading the music

1st grade played the best!

Recently a team from Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, SC spent a week at the Ruth School.  Thanks to their efforts we had a full week of "firsts".  We had our first chapel service where the students learned about the Bible story of Ruth and why the school is named after her. 

The students all received a recorder and learned to play it.  They gave a concert to their parents at the end of the week. (another first - parents open house)

It takes a lot of concentration

The team took the Day Center kids to the zoo and to McDonald's for Happy Meals.  This was a first for the little 5 year olds!  Then it was off to the mountains on a double decker bus for the 1st-3rd graders! This day of "firsts" was topped off with a picnic in the park.

 Our first Sewing Club was fun as the students worked diligently on a fleece scarf project.  They learned to sew straight lines, pin seams, make tassels, and sew on buttons.  They are now eager for cold weather so they can wear their new projects!

Our first Moms' Club of the year was a success with 20 mothers attending.  The school nurse did a program on breast cancer in conjunction with October being awareness month.  One of the team members gave a personal testimony of her survival from breast cancer and some of the mothers were moved to tears.

Yes, it was a week of many firsts - to be followed by 2nds and 3rds as we continue the weekly chapel services, the sewing/craft club, Moms' Club, and the squeaky practicing of recorders.  Thank you Boulevard for a great week!

God Moves in Mysterious Ways . . .

Keith has been recording the New Testament in the Sinti Romany language. The printed version made its debute this spring. We wondered how Sinti, who traditionally oppose having their language written down, would react. A recent message from Germany, where opposition has been particularly strong, states that German Sinti leaders are not only becoming convinced of the need for God's word in their own language (previous attitudes being, "Why do we need that--we can read the Bible in German"), they are also spreading the printed New Testament as language-learning material among their own people. This can only be a God-thing.

An Unexpected Partner

A couple of days ago, we got our reports from CBF of folks who have contributed in the last month. All the names we recognized… except one, a Mrs. Keatts from a nearby city here in Virginia, who had given us a gift. We searched our contact records to see if we might know her by another name. No luck – we didn’t know Mrs. Keatts, but we wanted to get to know her.

So on Monday, I looked up her phone number and called her. I didn’t know what to expect, but certainly didn’t expect the blessing I received in the next 20 minutes!

Mrs. Keatts is a member of a Baptist church in her city, and each week someone reads the names and assignments of CBF missionaries during the prayer time. Our names caught her attention when some names were being a couple of weeks ago, and she decided she would send a check to us.

In our conversation I learned a lot about Mrs. Keatts. She just turned 80 years old, but she said she preferred to call it “seventy-nine-plus-one… that sounds so much better than eighty, doesn’t it??” I caught her just as she’d come in from working in the yard all morning. She has been a prayer warrior and giver to God’s mission work for decades, and she was particularly glad to hear about our work and the trip we will be taking this coming week. I offered to send our newsletter and she told me not to waste the stamp because she’s having problems with her eyes right now and can’t read very well. I told her I’d send the newsletter anyway, and would pray that God would restore her sight. It was a wonderful, funny and encouraging conversation – an unexpected blessing!

I won’t say how much she gave – suffice to say that it was likely a sizable gift for an 80 year-old to make. She didn’t know why our names caught her ear, but we’re certainly glad she heard God’s voice and answered!

Seeing With God's Eyes

Note: This was originally posted by Tanya on our blog on August 7:

This morning in church, Jon’s sermon was about the faith that Peter had to walk on the water (Peter has a bit of a bad rep, but we often forget that he was the only one to even attempt it!). Jon made a connection to the passage in Numbers 13 where the spies are sent into the Promised Land. When they bring their report back, everyone agrees that it is an amazing new land (flowing with milk and honey). While Joshua and Caleb believe that with God’s help they can conquer the people, the other ten are fearful and say ‘we looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes.’

This kind of faith sees life – and ourselves — through God’s eyes, not our own.

With our own eyes, we know we will sink.

With our own eyes, we are small compared to our obstacles.

With my own eyes, I wonder if we will really ever raise the money necessary to follow Gods calling.

But with God’s eyes, everything is different. When Peter started using his own eyes again, he sunk. Because the leaders of Israel saw the land of Canaan with their own eyes, they were forced to wander in the desert another 40 years.

This lesson doesn’t just pertain to someone moving half way around the world. We all have things that God calls us to do every day that take God’s eyes. We must remember the ways that God has already brought us through the wilderness – and longs to lead us into fullness.

May we not wander in the wilderness another 40 years!

May we all see through the eyes of God – and may we be like Caleb and say, “[With God] we can certainly do it!”

The Lord Moves in Mysterious Ways

Challenge #1: the heating system in the Bethlehem Baptist Church, Moldova, does not actually warm the building. Last winter, they met somewhere else for worship.
SOLUTION #1: supporters generously gave to the church's building fund.

Challenge #2: what to do to fix the heating situation?
SOLUTION #2: ask energy expert Willem Jan Oosterkamp, from the Netherlands, who recommends a free-standing heater.

Challenge #3: how to get such a thing from here to there.
Challenge #4: friend from Romania needs place to stay for a few days in the Netherlands.
SOLUTION #4: ask Oosterkamps if friend can stay in their spacious house; they agree.
SOLUTION #3 a: tell God that if He wants it there, He needs to provide a way.
SOLUTION #3b: ask Romanian friend for ideas.
SOLUTION #3b: friend offers to take heater back with him and deliver it to the Romanian/Moldovan border.

CONCLUSION: Praise God, the Lord moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

Ruth School 2011-2012 Year Begins

The 2011-2012 Ruth School year has begun! The students and their parents began to arrive around 8AM to await the opening ceremony on the soccer court. They excitedly lined up by grade with flowers for their teacher in hand. Giggles and shouts of greeting were heard over and over. Our former director, now art teacher, Ms Tita, introduced our new director and 1st grade teacher, Ms Virginia. Each class and their teacher were recognized with applause.

The 4th grade formed an arch way on the front steps of the school. Each class paraded down the sidewalk and into the building through the waving flowers. It was very festive!

In the 1st grade room there were a few tears as parents left their young ones in "big" school for the first time. Ms Virginia reassured them their children would be OK. I was struck by the thought that parents are the same the world over - that first day of 1st grade is traumatic no matter what culture you live in!

It was a wonderful start to a new year. Join us in praying for a great year for all!

Sinti New Testament

Wycliffe translator Armin Peter distributing the Sinti New Testament at a tent meeting in France.

Sinti man reading New Testament to his customers.

Young ladies each want to try reading the New Testament in their heart language.