One of my last dinners, while I was in Moldova last week, was surreal. I was eating in the kitchen with Elena. She was in the first group of girls in our first Transitional Living Home in Moldova, called the Grace House. Lisa and I began to sponsor Elena when she was 15 years old. I remember her tough exterior. She had been through so much in her young life, and it showed all over her face. I remember her hesitancy around the other girls, our staff and all people, and her stoic expression. But, God…
I remember when Elena finally opened up her heart and accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. This was amazing! Then, I remember being able to baptize her in a lake just outside the Internat 2 orphanage. It was an awesome day with all our Transitional Living kids and Rolling Hills mission team members standing on the shore and cheering her on as she made this public expression of her faith. She began to grow spiritually, and slowly her hard exterior began to give way to a beautiful smile.
I remember Elena struggling in math in school. She needed help, so our JMI staff team found a tutor. This tutor turned out to be a young man majoring in math at the University. Their study sessions kept getting longer :). Until, one day she emailed and asked if I could meet this young man when I was in Moldova next. We met at McDonald’s for two hours, and I loved this young man. Ion was a strong man of faith from a great family. I gave Elena my blessing.
The next summer, I was back in Moldova for the big wedding. Since Elena did not have a dad, she asked me to walk her down the aisle and give her to Ion. I was so honored then (and still am). That day she was glowing (and she still is).
Fast forward, now, 15 years later – I sat in the kitchen of her new apartment in Chisinau, Moldova with her husband, Ion, who has his Ph.D. in math and is a professor, plus their two beautiful children, Lois (age 4) and Luka (age 3). Tears. Wow. Only God. Elena is radiant, and joy fills her heart and home. She, too, is a teacher in a private school. She and Ion are active in their church, and they lead a Bible summer camp for kids every summer.
It’s working! Who could have ever dreamed 15 years ago when we started JMI what God was going to do? Today, we have close to 1,000 kids sponsored and four Transitional Living Homes, plus a JMI Staff in Moldova of over 40 incredible godly professionals. Again, only God!
The stories abound – Tudor, Stella, Ilie, Tanea, Daniella, Edward and the list goes on. Incredible stories of awesome young men and women who have come through the JMI program and are living their best life today. As I met with current and former Grace House and Boys 2 Leaders students on my recent trip, I am just in awe of the way God is raising up a new generation in Moldova. These young adults love the Lord, have a solid spiritual foundation, are active in their churches, speak English and are crushing it at their jobs. It’s working!
Yet, there is still more to do. I started my day in a local village, Carpineni, at the house of a younger boy that Lisa and I today sponsor through JMI. His name is Mihai. He is 14 and his mom left him. His dad is disabled, so Mihai takes care of his dad. The only way he makes it is through JMI monthly support bringing him, and his dad, food, clothes, shoes, Bible studies and more. He lives in absolute poverty, with no indoor plumbing or much of anything, but he has a hope and future by the grace of God and the work of JMI. And, there are many more Mihais out there who desperately need a sponsor. God can use you. God can use us together. It works.
To all of you who sponsor a child through JMI, or will become a sponsor soon, let me say a big “Thank You!” You are truly making a difference. I can think of no greater investment than in God’s Church and His work in the least of these of this world. James 1:27 says, “The kind of religion that God sees as pure and faultless is this: to take care of widows and orphans in their distress…”
I asked one of our JMI Staff – who the next teenagers in our Transitional Living Homes who have the potential to maybe be on the JMI Staff one day. Without hesitation, she said, “Vova is one, and there are many more.” I responded, “Who is Vova’s sponsor.” And, she said, “Tudor.” Tudor who was one of our first boys in our Boys 2 Leaders Home? “Yes, Tudor.”
It’s working!