(Bump) Special Prayer Request (Edited)

Special Prayer Request

Hello Dear friends!

I just wanted to mention here on my blog this simple prayer request:

I am planning to go to Romania and join a group from my home church before heading home in July. In Romania, we will work with children. I am looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store for each person on this missions trip and for the kids that we will meet and minister to. Sometime back(last summer/fall) my dad heard about this trip and wanted to be a part of it. He has been in prayer about it.

Well, when I heard about the trip, I wanted my dad to be a part of it as well. BUT, I also thought that it would be really sad for him to come all the way to Romania and not make it to Moldova(Moldovan and Romania are neighboring countries) to spend a couple of days with me. (Maybe I am selfish.:))

Then, a couple of months ago, he mentioned to me that he would like to come to Moldova to help me pack up, see Moldova, and travel with me to Romania in addition to joining the missions team in Romania.

Now, the time has come for him to purchase his ticket and he has struggled some to get all the finances together for this flight and other trip costs.

My dad and I both trust that if this is indeed God's will that He will provide all the resources and finances. So, we are waiting and trusting. We only want what God wants in this matter.

Please join us in prayer that we would be obedient and content with whatever the Lord wants concerning this circumstance and that we would have joy regardless of the outcome. Please pray that God would grant my father wisdom in figuring out what the available resources are.

Thank you for praying.

**Edited: My dad is planning to finalize his plans this week either way(to come to Moldova/Romania or not). If my dad comes to Moldova he would most likely need to fly in on June 26th, so it is critical that he purchase the tickets ASAP. Please continue to pray that the Lord grants wisdom and finances as necessary. God is in control.

Shauna

Special Prayer Request

~My Dad~
On his birthday last year...

Hello Dear friends!

I just wanted to mention here on my blog this simple prayer request:

I am planning to go to Romania and join a group from my home church before heading home in July. In Romania, we will work with children. I am looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store for each person on this missions trip and for the kids that we will meet and minister to. Sometime back(last summer/fall) my dad heard about this trip and wanted to be a part of it. He has been in prayer about it.

Well, when I heard about the trip, I wanted my dad to be a part of it as well. BUT, I also thought that it would be really sad for him to come all the way to Romania and not make it to Moldova(Moldovan and Romania are neighboring countries) to spend a couple of days with me. (Maybe I am selfish.:))

Then, a couple of months ago, he mentioned to me that he would like to come to Moldova to help me pack up, see Moldova, and travel with me to Romania in addition to joining the missions team in Romania.

Now, the time has come for him to purchase his ticket and he has struggled some to get all the finances together for this flight and other trip costs.

My dad and I both trust that if this is indeed God's will that He will provide all the resources and finances. So, we are waiting and trusting. We only want what God wants in this matter.

Please join us in prayer that we would be obedient and content with whatever the Lord wants concerning this circumstance and that we would have joy regardless of the outcome. Please pray that God would grant my father wisdom in figuring out what the available resources are.

Thank you for praying.

My Decision

I don't think I have updated everyone on my decision regarding whether or not to stay in Moldova for another year or return to America.

So, I will take the opportunity now to share.

After a lot of praying, talking, thinking, weighing all the factors involved(and there were a lot), and wise counsel, I decided not to return to Moldova in the fall. (There are too many details regarding how I made my decision to go into detail here. Just know that my experiences in Moldova have been wonderful and life-changing. I had to make a decision though and this is the one I came to.) I will be staying in America for the time being. Who knows what God has in store? Only God right now. I am still seeking and praying about any further plans.

I will most likely return to Memphis sometime in early July. I will most likely be staying there for at least a couple of months. I have some ideas in mind, but that is all they are-just ideas.

I look forward to seeing family and friends, sharing about my time here in Moldova, and transitioning back into American life(although I think it might be difficult now that I have life experiences outside of America).

It is strange to think about coming home and not really having any plans. I have had a plan or known the next step since I was in high school (2002). I knew I was going to college. I knew which college. I had my degree to work towards. Since 2006, I had Moldova to plan and look forward to. Now, I have no for sure plans, but to go home. So, this is both exciting and scary at the same time. I look forward to what the Lord has in store.

Thank you for your support, encouragement, and prayers.

I still have 3 months of this exciting journey. The journey is far from over!!

God bless,
Shauna

New Shoes

These came all the way from America...
Thank you to my parents for sending them and a dear friend who purchased them. I like them a lot. I first saw these shoes online back in October and I wanted them. I never lost the desire to have these shoes. Now, I have them on my feet here in Moldova. My mom thinks they are ugly. We have opposite taste in shoes! I had only seen them online. So, she saw them before I did. She told me that they were so ugly. I said, "Then, I know that I will LOVE them!" And I do. They are fun and I am excited to wear them this spring/summer! The picture doesn't do them justice. So, check them out online at:
http://www.skechers.com. They are called: Dimple and they are in brown.

7 months in Moldova...and counting.

March 1st marked seven months in Moldova for me. I still have days where I cannot believe I am here(even though the signs are all around and obvious). There are still days where I miss the comforts of home. And everyday I am thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Everyday I am aware that this time is part of God's plan for my life.

I wanted to jot down a list of things that I havent' experienced in 7 months. Some of these are obvious, but it's my list.

It's been seven months since I've:

sat foot on American soil

driven a car

held my neice

attended a church service where the entire service was in English

eaten any American fast food other than McDonalds

seen my Memphis/Millington/Missouri family and friends

picked up my cell phone to call my mom at anytime of the day

eaten my mom's cooking

been to Walmart

listened to K-love

used an American dollar to pay for anything

drank water out of the faucet

So, this is just a partial listing....I could go on, but I won't. This isn't supposed to be a sad, Shauna-is-homesick-today-kind-of-post, but I just wanted to share what I was thinking about. I think it's interesting to see the little things that we give up to experience something else. If I was still in Memphis, I wouldn't have experienced the richness of what God has wanted to show me and teach me in the last seven months...and counting.

In the last seven months I've:

flown overseas for the first time in my life

taken public transportation for the first time in my life

immersed myself in a culture and a language other than my own

used a foreign language in conversation outside of a class in school

made many new friends

lived in an apartment for the first time ever

learned to cook (something I didn't know I could do)

learned to appreciate all the comforts I've been afforded growing up in America

faced my fears on a daily basis

boiled water to drink for the first time ever

experienced God's faithfulness and mighty hand at work in my life and those around me

Thank you for reading and God bless!

For Mom and Dad

Robbie, Shauna, Debbie, and Rex

Mom and Dad celebrated 31 years together on Jan. 30th! Congrats! Love you!!

This pic was taken at my send-off party before I left for Moldova.

It's really hard to put into words what I want to say, but hopefully this will be a small tribute to my parents and a huge THANKS and PRAISE to the Lord for being who He is in our lives.

For 31 years, my parents have loved and served each other. They have experienced many trials and many joys. Their love still remains strong after all these years. The Lord gave them two miracle babies and now their newest joy, Montanah (Robbie's daughter).

I praise God for who my parents are and for the privilege of being their daughter. I am so blessed to see them live out their faith for Christ. No matter the struggle, hardship, or circumstance their faith has not wavered.

My parents are two of the most fun people I know. They make me laugh.:) I think my parent's ability to laugh is so important to their happy marriage. Another key reason my parents have a strong relationship is that their marriage is based on love and in that they accept each other unconditionally.

What I love about my dad: My dad is honestly hands-down the hardest working man I know. Very rarely do I hear my dad complain. My dad is a huge people-person. He has such a love for people and a big heart. He would go an extra mile and then some for a complete stranger. My dad has a huge laugh! I am so blessed to have an earthly expression of Fatherly love from God the Father. I have a taste of the Father's love for me in the way that my dad loves and cares for me.

What I love about my mom: My mom is the toughest person I know. She takes care of so many things(i.e. cooking, cleaning, shopping etc.) so that the rest of us can have life a little easier. She does so much for us despite her many health problems over the years. She struggles with quite a bit of pain in her day to day life, but I very rarely hear her complain. She is very caring and encouraging. She loves to talk with people. I am blessed to see Christ at work in her LIFE. This is evidenced in the way that my mom has joy (is found in Christ, not based on circumstances) despite her pain. It is very apparent that God is always at work. She's a trooper!

My parents live out a great example for my brother and I through their actions, faith, and words. They have always shared openly with my brother and I about their life experiences and mistakes. We learned a lot from them, including some really funny stories!

God bless you, mom and dad! Don't ever forget what God has done in and through your life. If you were to look back over your marriage and life together, you could never count all the blessings. He has been faithful. Prayer changes things. May you have many more years together. I love you.

Shauna

Christmas in Moldova (No, this isn't late...Christmas is Jan. 7th here)!!

The Raatz' Christmas Tree. Quite the difference from mine and Kelly's! It was really pretty. For Christmas, my roommate and I spent the night with the Raatz family. We had a wonderful time the next morning opening our stockings from Santa :) and watching the girls open all their presents. It truly was a wonderful time and it definitely felt like Christmas.

My Christmas gits, stocking stuffers, and cards. Thanks for the Christmas cards, friends! Some of my gifts included: headbands(which I will need to wear to church here), gloves, movies, a wonderful necklace, notebook, and a wrap. My parents sent a special surprise package. I didn't know anything about it until Christmas morning. I almost cried. It was really special. Thanks Mom and Dad! Thanks also to the Raatz who made my Christmas extra special. God Bless!

me and my roommate kelly by our "charlie-brown-christmas-tree"

I'm sporting the polka dot pjs!!

Scroll down to previous posts for more Christmas Day fun!!