Mission Makers
“How beautiful the feet that carry the Gospel of peace to the fields of injustice and the valleys of need. To be a voice of hope and healing, to answer the cries of the hungry and helpless with the mercy of Christ.”
As I joined in singing these words from the “Compassion Hymn,” I reflected on how significant they were having just returned from a mission trip to Moldova – a poverty-stricken picturesque eastern European country about the size of Maryland still struggling to find autonomy after the ruin of Soviet socialism. Our team of 14 included volunteers from Meadow Brook Baptist and Fullness Christian Fellowship in Birmingham. We traveled to Dancu, Moldova to put the words of the hymn into action. We served meals to the sick and elderly, did home improvement projects, taught English, played children’s games, baked new recipes, constructed toolkits, ministered to disabled kids, shared testimonies, visited prisoners, provided greenhouse training, prayed, sang, crocheted, and tatted. And that’s not all! The talents and interests of each team member were used to shine the light of Christ.
Our mission: share the Gospel and help create an environment for economic development. The need for a sustainable level of economic stability and job growth is crucial. Moldovans are often forced to seek employment beyond the borders of their country. Human trafficking also entices desperate young girls grasping at the hope of a promised job that doesn’t exist
Our Birmingham team leader recognized the need for jobs and improved infrastructure in 2005 while working on a project for his MBA. God led him to a Baptist pastor in Dancu named Slavic. Over the years, their friendship has grown as has the vision. Pastor Slavic and his leadership team impact the community with ministries similar to American church ministries such as Girls in Action, Meals on Wheels, and youth activities. But Dancu Baptist partnering with Tabita Ministries extends its initiatives into business, agriculture, and specific needs including dairy and cheese production, bread baking, growing/harvesting lavendar and sunflowers, and reaching out to the learning disabled and handicapped. Our team shared the joy of assisting in their ministries and offering others during our weeklong stay.
- Karen Allen, Author of Confronting Cancer with Faith, www.
confrontingcanderwithfaith.com
