Dear Family and Friends,
This past weekend, I visited a city, Sigihsoara, in the center of Romania. It is a very old, German built city that has much charm and beauty. I was blessed to visit a friend of mine, Florin, that is now pastoring a church is a neighboring town. I ask you to please pray for Florin as his family is going through much adjustment since their move from Oradea. He knows that God called him to the church where he is pastoring but the change was difficult. Par of his vision is to establish a medical clinic in the village since they have no doctors in their village. Please pray for him and the vision God has given him.
I also met with another Romanian pastor this weekend. The pastor, Pilu, has a heart for working with the gypsy people and integrating them into the community. God has given him tremendous success in this area as well as establishing projects and other churches among the gypsies. It is so awesome to see a Romanian reaching out to his gypsy brothers and sisters!! And, man oh man, my gypsy brothers and sisters know how to praise and worship the Lord! Please pray that God to continue to expand Pilu’s territory and bring the resources he needs for doing the work.
On my way back to Oradea yesterday, I met Pilu and some other missionaries in the city of Tigru-Mures. While Pilu and I were walking towards the car and talking, a street dog shocked me by biting my on the back of the ankle…very hard!! I didn’t even see him. I only felt the pain. (For those of you that have been on my email list for a while, you will recall that I have been bitten once before. Street dogs are a tremendous problem here. The news stated this weekend that 22,000 were bitten last year in Bucharest alone!) I praise God that I had on jeans and thick wool socks. He barely scrapped the skin but caused a large bruise. Praise the Lord I didn’t have to go to the hospital and get 80 shots for rabies!!! Thank you, thank you, Jesus!!
I am sure many of you wonder if I am sincere about praising the Lord when such trials happen. The answer is ABSOLUTELY. Part of being a growing believer is knowing that we must be acceptant with joy in the face of adversity. Being joyous is a decision that we must make, not random circumstances that cause it. Praising God during adversity is a tremendous test of faith and always a time of refining. While I do have my moments of weakness in wanting to abandon it all and work renting kayaks on the coast of New Zealand, reality becomes apparent and I realize that Jesus never said this would be easy. He only said it would be worth it. (Matthew 6:20-21 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.)
I have a few other pray requests as well. I did not get permission to release their names so I will list the requests:
- I have a friend that is having surgery soon for a “complex ovarian mass.” She has a husband and a 9 year old daughter.
- I received another email today from a sponsor that is having surgery for uterine cancer.
- One of my closest friend was diagnosed with Lupas right before I returned to Romania. She and her husband had a baby boy in November.
- My grandfather that had a massive heart attack last week.
- My grandmother that had a stroke this past weekend.
- Pray for a meeting that we are having in Oradea next week to propose some new legislation for child welfare in Romania.
- Pray for the new administration of Romania and the US as they work on resolving international adoption issues.
I received a phone call today from the people adopting our twins in France. They told me that they would be coming next week to pick them up. We are all excited but sad that our “joy boys” will be leaving. For those of you wondering, our ministry does not do international adoptions and we have no voice or choice in our children getting placed internationally. Only God can open those doors for us.
I thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. May the Lord shine through you today!
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
Posted on February 6th, 2001 by Michelle
Filed under: Michelle's Journal