I have less than 48 hours left in Moldova. On Tues. morning I will fly from Chisinau to Bucharest. I will spend almost a week in Romania before I fly out.
In less than 9 days I will be at my home in Memphis, TN!
I would appreciate your prayers as I say my last goodbyes and do my final packing. Please pray also for peace and calm as I travel.
Thank you!
Blessings,
Shauna
Showing posts with label prayer requests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer requests. Show all posts
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Saying Goodbye
I'm in the process of saying goodbye to all my friends here in Moldova.
It's hard. It's emotional. It's bittersweet. It's necessary.
I try to say proper goodbyes filled with warm thoughts, thankfulness, and well wishes, but each time, I am brought to tears.
I didn't realize how emotional the closure process would be. I think that I will continue to cry as I pack and say my goodbyes. I am not afraid of the tears though. I just wish that I was able to hold them back long enough to have a conversation. I don't get to say all that I want to say because my emotions won't let me. Hopefully, my friends understand and can sense what I am trying to say.
Today I cried while having a debriefing meeting with my mentor missionaries. We decided that I should just send them an email to tell them exactly what I want to say. The conversation with all the words I want to say is just not going to happen in person.
I started to cry while telling my landlords goodbye. My landlady, Nina did cry. It was a sad goodbye. They have been like parents to me here. They have made my apartment such a comfortable place; a place that feels like home.
I have learned so much, grown so much, experienced so much, and changed a lot here. My life the past 11 months has been here!!
This is tough stuff. I would appreciate your prayers very much.
On a lighter note,
today one of my friends was telling me goodbye and she said, "Loneliness kills." She was saying all these beautiful and encouraging words to me. She was telling me what she hopes for my future. And she said, " I hope you get married. Because loneliness kills." I have never heard it said quite like that before.
Then, I met another friend in a park to say goodbye. We walked down(not bad) and back up(the hard part) a lot of stairs. I mentioned that I would be out of breath by the time we reached the top of the stairs. My friend who is really thin and in shape said, " This is easy for me. I do this all the time. I walk everyday."
I'll be the first to admit that I am out of shape.
After some time I said, " Wow. I am out of breath. This is hard. My friend kid you not said, " This is no problem for me. You see, if I were round it would be hard for me, but it is not hard for me. HaHa. Thanks a lot. :)
It's hard. It's emotional. It's bittersweet. It's necessary.
I try to say proper goodbyes filled with warm thoughts, thankfulness, and well wishes, but each time, I am brought to tears.
I didn't realize how emotional the closure process would be. I think that I will continue to cry as I pack and say my goodbyes. I am not afraid of the tears though. I just wish that I was able to hold them back long enough to have a conversation. I don't get to say all that I want to say because my emotions won't let me. Hopefully, my friends understand and can sense what I am trying to say.
Today I cried while having a debriefing meeting with my mentor missionaries. We decided that I should just send them an email to tell them exactly what I want to say. The conversation with all the words I want to say is just not going to happen in person.
I started to cry while telling my landlords goodbye. My landlady, Nina did cry. It was a sad goodbye. They have been like parents to me here. They have made my apartment such a comfortable place; a place that feels like home.
I have learned so much, grown so much, experienced so much, and changed a lot here. My life the past 11 months has been here!!
This is tough stuff. I would appreciate your prayers very much.
On a lighter note,
today one of my friends was telling me goodbye and she said, "Loneliness kills." She was saying all these beautiful and encouraging words to me. She was telling me what she hopes for my future. And she said, " I hope you get married. Because loneliness kills." I have never heard it said quite like that before.
Then, I met another friend in a park to say goodbye. We walked down(not bad) and back up(the hard part) a lot of stairs. I mentioned that I would be out of breath by the time we reached the top of the stairs. My friend who is really thin and in shape said, " This is easy for me. I do this all the time. I walk everyday."
I'll be the first to admit that I am out of shape.
After some time I said, " Wow. I am out of breath. This is hard. My friend kid you not said, " This is no problem for me. You see, if I were round it would be hard for me, but it is not hard for me. HaHa. Thanks a lot. :)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
(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
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
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Unhappiest Place on Earth
Over the last months, I've heard/read that Moldova is the unhappiest place on earth. According to the World Values Survey and Eric Weiner's new book:Geography of Bliss,Moldova is the unhappiest place on earth.(Just google it!) ( I tried to link both of these to a website, but failed. If you know how, leave me a comment.)In the articles I read about this, the main reasons listed for Moldova being the unhappiest place on earth are: the people are poor and miserable.
The reality of this is sad. I see the poverty and sadness all around me. I'm sure there are many practical and necessary things that would improve the life quality/happiness of the people i.e. clean water for all people, money, jobs, etc.. I am not an expert on social/economic issues though, so I will leave that discussion to someone else.
What I do know is that I have hope for these people in Moldova. This hope is found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. I hope and pray that more and more people would come to the knowledge of Saving Grace.
The reality of this is sad. I see the poverty and sadness all around me. I'm sure there are many practical and necessary things that would improve the life quality/happiness of the people i.e. clean water for all people, money, jobs, etc.. I am not an expert on social/economic issues though, so I will leave that discussion to someone else.
What I do know is that I have hope for these people in Moldova. This hope is found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. I hope and pray that more and more people would come to the knowledge of Saving Grace.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
(Bump) Plane Ticket Home (Edited)
I am planning to return to America in early July.
Please pray for my travel arrangements.Please pray that:
1) I would find the return flight home that is feasable for my budget and
2) The flight arrangement is exactly what God would have it to be.
3) For peace and calm for me in this process. This is somewhat stressful for me.
I am making travel arrangements this week. So, thank you for your prayers.
Shauna
*Edited: Thank you so much for your prayers!! My plane ticket has been purchased. It is the exact flight that I want!! It is WAY cheaper than I ever thought or imagined. God totally answered all three of my prayer requests in such an amazing way.*
Thank you for your prayers.
God bless.
Shauna
Please pray for my travel arrangements.Please pray that:
1) I would find the return flight home that is feasable for my budget and
2) The flight arrangement is exactly what God would have it to be.
3) For peace and calm for me in this process. This is somewhat stressful for me.
I am making travel arrangements this week. So, thank you for your prayers.
Shauna
*Edited: Thank you so much for your prayers!! My plane ticket has been purchased. It is the exact flight that I want!! It is WAY cheaper than I ever thought or imagined. God totally answered all three of my prayer requests in such an amazing way.*
Thank you for your prayers.
God bless.
Shauna
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Plane Ticket Home
I am planning to return to America in early July.
Please pray for my travel arrangements.Please pray that:
1) I would find the return flight home that is feasable for my budget and
2) The flight arrangement is exactly what God would have it to be.
3) For peace and calm for me in this process. This is somewhat stressful for me.
I am making travel arrangements this week. So, thank you for your prayers.
Shauna
Please pray for my travel arrangements.Please pray that:
1) I would find the return flight home that is feasable for my budget and
2) The flight arrangement is exactly what God would have it to be.
3) For peace and calm for me in this process. This is somewhat stressful for me.
I am making travel arrangements this week. So, thank you for your prayers.
Shauna
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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
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
Friday, March 28, 2008
Better Late Than Never
Today I blog with not just good news, but GREAT news!! Today, I have another reason to praise the Lord! TODAY... are you ready?
drum
roll
please....
Nancy and I received our LIVING PERMITS. *8 months in Moldova and we finally have them* woo HOOO!!!
The Lord is always worthy of praise, glory, and honor, but today we CELEBRATE the fact that He is in control and that He brings all things to pass in His timing. The WAITING is over. This long process is over. I am not writing with news that we will receive the documents tomorrow or next week. I have the documents in HAND. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank you for your faithful prayers concerning this matter. A huge weight has been lifted and it feels really good! God is faithful.
drum
roll
please....
Nancy and I received our LIVING PERMITS. *8 months in Moldova and we finally have them* woo HOOO!!!
The Lord is always worthy of praise, glory, and honor, but today we CELEBRATE the fact that He is in control and that He brings all things to pass in His timing. The WAITING is over. This long process is over. I am not writing with news that we will receive the documents tomorrow or next week. I have the documents in HAND. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank you for your faithful prayers concerning this matter. A huge weight has been lifted and it feels really good! God is faithful.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Please Pray
Nancy, the missionary wife with whom I work just found out some very sad news about her mom today. She was previously scheduled to fly out in the morning to spend two weeks with her family.Now this news. I am staying the night with the girls as Andy is taking Nancy to the airport in the morning. Please pray for Nancy and the whole family this week. The kids are having a pretty hard time with all of this.
Here is a link to her prayer blog for more specifics from Nancy's own words.
http://raatzmoldova.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Shauna
Here is a link to her prayer blog for more specifics from Nancy's own words.
http://raatzmoldova.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Shauna
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