Romania ~ Covet Your Prayers

Today is a great day for me to experience God's PEACE. :) I appreciate your prayers. Today I am on my way to Romania for a week of ministering to pastors and their wives, along with my hubby Jeff and our senior pastor. I will have the joy of teaching two sessions daily to a group of about 50 pastors' wives. Jeff and Pastor S will be teaching the men and the evening sessions. I am full of anticipation at the joy of meeting new believers, listening to prayer and scripture in another language (LOVE that!), and in experiencing a taste of heaven as nations mix. Your prayers would be a precious gift and help to us. Here's how you can pray:

What can I say? I'm a mom. Please, please, pray for Jo and Jake as they stay with friends and then stay at our house with a dear friend during the school days. A host of friends will help love on them as Jeff and I are gone during this 3rd week of school. Please pray the kids will have a peaceful week, that Jo will have a smooth time in high school, and that Jacob will manage his school days well with my girlfriends. :) I left them with lots of notes, food in the fridge, insurance cards :(, and notes of love.

Please pray for the 3 of us to be insightful and effective in our teaching times. I will be teaching from I Thessalonians and will give lots of application to women in ministry. I've been preparing for this for almost 6 months, so my heart is full. We so long to encourage, uplift, and equip these laborers in Romania.

Jeff and our pastor are old hands at speaking with interpreters, but this is my first time! I've always managed in English. Please pray this will not be an obstacle to effective teaching for me. Pray that the Holy Spirit will rule and God's message heard.

Pray for the ministry couples who are coming, not to be prevented from being where God wants them to be and that God will prepare their hearts for their time in His Word and with one another.

Pray that our travels will unfold as God desires in our safety and health, as well as in our interaction with people along the way.

When we returned from serving in Asia, I brought home damaged vocal chords and a weak respiratory system. I am thankful for the measure of healing I've experienced, but when I speak a lot, get very tired, or bear a lot of "emotion/passion" in my voice, my voice takes a huge hit. It is my weak link, my "thorn" in my flesh. Please pray for strength to speak when needed, wisdom to be quiet when able, and graceful joy to accept the thorn.

Personally ... my younger sister in VA is probably going to deliver a baby while I'm in Romania. :( Why do babies do that? :) Pray for Carrie as she brings her little gal into the world at God's perfect timing.

I know I'll think of more when we leave ... :) I'll trust the Holy Spirit to prompt people to pray in the right way and at the right time.

Finally, I have to share about a gift I get to take. During the summer the women of our church have given Scarves for Romania... over 300!!! I had to tell them to stop. :) The scarves are different styles, colors, and fabrics. Many are handmade. They are for all ages and settings of ministry. In my final session with the pastors' wives, I will share a very important challenge from Jeremiah and give each woman a scarf. They will take the others back to the women leaders of their churches and pass along the Biblical challenge. Take a look at some of the gifts!

Please pray these gifts will be garments of encouragement and inspiration, sent by loving hands of christian sisters, representing a precious truth of God's Word. I'll share more about that truth later in September.

God willing, we will return September 12th, and we appreciate your prayers until then. Maybe I'll have the chance to blog along the way! :)

Coveting your prayers,