Welcome to the Missions Blog!

Our mission teams will be posting events as they are On Mission all around the globe. Join the team by praying - it will strengthen them. Leave 'em a comment - it will encourage them. Join a team in the future - it will change your life.

The archives section tells the stories from our recent trips to Peru, Alaska, Romania and Canada - they will encourage you.
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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Team is home!

The Romania Team arrived safely home last night. Thank you so much for praying for this team and for being On Mission with them!!!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Over 800 miles later...............

Today ends our time here in Romania. We have been touched forever! Today we traveled with Randy, Anna Marie the Hospice nurse, and the team to visit 3 very special young patients at their homes. Each received a Christmas gift accompanied by caroling in 2 languages, many photos, and of course, Randy's balloon creations!
We had a Romanian picnic (fixing lunch out of the back of the van...) before hopping back in and On the Road Again! We saw the most beautiful countryside. Randy drove us to the foot of the mountains for several photo opportunities! It is COLD; the high today was in the upper 30's. No snow yet!! Maybe tomorrow in Hungary.
Thank you for your prayers. The true meaning of Christmas was felt over the 800 miles traveled by the TEAM here in Romania. God is so good.
We'll be leaving early tomorrow for Budapest. This is our last blog. We want to take this opportunity to thank all who helped make this mission trip possible and successful.
We are coming HOME! Love to all.
Pam, Jane, Bobby, Breana, and Mary Lee

Sunday, December 7, 2008

"No room at the inn"

SAT.

The pork killing was an EXPERIENCE!!! The boys have nothing on the girls now.

Word got out that something was happening at the church. The door kept opening and closing and children kept coming in. It was standing room only!!! Remember the story about the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish??...Well He did it again!!!! Our faith was tested but God came through. We even had a few baggies left.

SUN.

We traveled to Girsu Negru for a Romanian church service. The music was awesome. The team members shared their personal testimonies and sang "Silient Night" and "Joy to the World" it's a good thing they couldn't understand us because we are sure it wasn't pretty. Randy gave a sermon based on Joesph and his obedience to God. We think God was smiling...worshiping Him in different languages but all the same messages. After the morning service we were invited to homes in the village for lunch.

We returned for the afternoon worship service. Once again the music and worship was beautiful. They played handbells and sang for us. After the service Pam read Follow the star to Bethleham. We think that the adults enjoyed it as much as the children. It was followed by a birthday cake with candles and the children singing Happy Birthday Jesus in Romanian. Just what Christmas should be about!!

We stayed in the village for handbell practice. By look on their faces you could tell how pleased they were with themselves. Many of the bells are donated by First Baptist Ocala. What a blessing it is to see them being played by young children.

Please continue to pray while we travel to hospice homes tomorrow and our (health we have a few scratchy throats among the group). All in all the team is good and feeling blessed!!!!!!!!! Love to all!!!!!!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Pictures from today (Friday)

This is the heart shape floor in the Children's Hospital that
was put together by one of the FBC Ocala teams who
helped renovate the 5th floor.

Randy brings smiles where ever he goes....

Briana is carefully hanging snowflakes in the hallway at the Children's Hospital


This was in Valani - the last evangelical service for the day


Dr. Miculski, one of her nurses and Mary Lee

Handing out the baggies!!

Pam & Aneta

This was a home next to the church in Valani - little different that ours in the US

This is a plaque acknowleding the work of so many different churches who helped
Debbie & Randy renovate and improve the 5th Floor of the Children's Hospital.

Bobby & Mary Lee decorating the Christmas Tree in the Children's Hospital


Still spreading Joy!!!!!!

Today we decorated the children's hospital. What a blessing that was!!! It is also a tribute to the work of Debbie and Randy, all the volunteers that came before us and First Baptist Ocala.

We visited the remote village of Valani. REMOTE!!!! The children enjoyed the program once again! Pam shared about the true gift of Christmas....Thank You Holly!!!

We were invited to a church members home for traditional Romanian style dinner. We had four courses: Sunday soup (homemade chicken noodle), Chicken legs with potatoes along with pickled peppers and cucumbers, Cabbage rolls (that were outstanding), Walnut bread for dessert. To top the evening off it started to snow as we were leaving.

The team is tired but healthy!!! We are going to bed early so we can rise early for a "pork" killing a tradition to celebrate St. Nicholi Day to bring in the Christmas Season.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Pictures of today's (Thursday) events....

Puppet show...

Sheeeeeps!!!

Wouldn't you know at least one of the school teachers had to ring the bell!

Briana and her story......although she looks a little tangled up???

Mary Lee telling her christmas story using a balloon....

Happy faces!!!


Still another smiling and happy face!!

These are happy faces too....I think they are glad they escaped from the bathroom!!!
What a crew!!!

Spreading Christmas Joy

Today we traveled around 100 miles to visit a school and village church.

Our first stop was Lazareni. We visted the neatest little school for the gyspy children. What a special place! They do so much with so little. The art work done by the various age groups was amazing. They shared some watercolors with us to bring home. The room was filled with laughter during the puppet show. Mary Lee shared her heart box and heart balloon with the children. They loved the balloon and it was a great avenue for her to share about Jesus.

Our lunch stop was a cultural experience at McDonalds in Oreada. I lost one team member in the bathroom and it was not my mother. Just to let you in on the secret..you needed a code to get out and of course it was not in English. We had prayer and half our lunch before we realized what might be up.

We went to Cauasd to a Baptist Church. What a true Christmas experience:
  • A very tiny church, heated by a beautiful ceramic heater
  • Handbells playing Silent Night
  • Happy mamas and happy children
  • Briana told about Jesus being the light of her life and the world using a string of red Christmas lights
  • The excitement of chilren receiving a simple gift from someone far away

As we were loading the van you will not believe what we got in the middle of. A shepherd herding his sheep home. We stood on the side of the road as hundreds and I mean hundreds of woolly sheep trotted by to the shepherd's whistle. Amazing!

The most exciting moment of the day came when Randy decided that eight people dressed in winter coats, boots and backpacks could get in a 3x3 elevator! The good news was we fit and the door shut. The bad news was the elevator died. Panic set in! So badly we did not pray we wanted to take matters in our own hands. Randy quickly realized this and pried the door open. The worst news of all, we had to climb 6 floors to the apartment!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

God is GOOD











Our day began with a circle of women praying together. Mary Lee praised God for his many blessings, lifted Becky our hostess and her husband Sammy up and our day. We should have prayed for our van ride! If you have ever rode with Randy in a loaded van you know what I mean. Wild Ride!

Our first stop was a school in the village of Rupa. The children were very excited about our arrival. We enjoyed visiting with them before the program began. Randy and his team played the handbells and did a puppet show. The joy on the children's faces was indescribable! Lot's of smiles and laughter! Bobby gave a talk using a Christmas Wreath. He told the children what he loved about Christmas and the most important thing was Jesus and how he is our Shepherd in life. The children were given the Christmas Baggies as they left school. Oh my, you should have seen their faces!
The teachers at the school provided lunch for us. As a culture it is an honor for them to serve food. We had pizza; not sure what the toppings were? Everyone was a good sport and tried it!

Before leaving Rupa we stopped by Sammy's 77 year old grandmother's home. What a cultural experience we had!
  • Pam and Briana milked her cow
  • She gave us the milk to make hot chocolate with tonight
  • The team hiked to the top of the hill to be in awe of the most spectacular view of the village and snow capped mountains
  • Hog Pen tour that included piglets
  • Outside oven that baked her bread. She sent home a loaf that is 14 inches in diameter!

We all need a lesson from grandmother on how to be self sufficient. She was so proud to show us her farm and especially her view of the village.

Our next stop was the village of Jepa. Randy and team did the bells and puppet show. Jane shared the story of Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes using her baby doll. The children sang Christmas songs to us. They too loved receiving the Christmas Baggies. What a great way to begin the Christmas Season.

The day ended with the most beautiful sunset and an invite to Ms. Florica's for homemade donuts.

We made our way back to Debbie and Randy's where Debbie had chicken stew ready. It is cold, foggy and damp but no snow yet.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

We have arrived!!!

We had a great flight into London with a beautiful sunrise! Then onto Budapest with another great flight!!! All our luggage arrived safely and all ten (10) tubs!!!! YEA!!!!

Randy was there at the Budapest Airport to meet us. It was a very long ride from Budapest to Oradea and there were quite a few head bobbing incidents that we won't mention any names. We saw phesants, sheep and big doves along the 4 hour ride in the van. We also practiced singing our Christmas songs along the way too!

Debbie had a nice meal ready for us when we arrived at their appartment.We will be working out our sleeping arrangements now and will start our Christmas Baggie Evangelical services and passing out the baggies to the children in the morning. Please pray for us tonight as we turn in and enjoy a quiet night of sleep....at least we hope we sleep!!!

Pam & Team

Monday, December 1, 2008

The Team is on Their Way!


The team headed to Romania departed from Ocala early this afternoon. They are so excited! Stay tuned to hear all that God accomplishes on this trip