We left for Moldova, a country in Europe, but still very two-thirds world, with a not quite 2 year old, a not quite 4 year old and a good solid 7 year old–all daughters.   Medical systems in Moldova are not of the standards we know in the West and I wondered what would happen if something went wrong.  I didn’t trust the medical system.  I had to trust God.

We were in Moldova maybe 6 months when Lauren, then 2 years old, climbed up on her sister’s bunk bed.  I knew what she’d done when she came tumbling down, landing on the hard cement floors on her arms,  and she began to scream.  I scooped her in my arms as I watched her arms turn red.  Andy wasn’t home and wouldn’t be that night.  I didn’t know what to do except pray.   I called a good friend to pray also.  For about 10 minutes I held Lauren my arms as she screamed in pain and I cried out to God.  Suddenly Lauren stopped crying, jumped off my lap and said, “I’m fine.”  That was it.

God showed me that night how he is with me always, even to the ends of the earth.  He is with us each step of the way.  It is not easy to go into missions with children and trust that they will be fine.  But God continues to teach me what it is to trust him.  He cares for my children more than I do.

There are many stories of learning to trust God to care for me, care for my children, care for our ministry and each one is a baby step toward really learning the true hand and true nature of God.

A man that I have known for about a year came up to me recently and asked me a question. This is a man who has grown up as a Muslim. He is also someone to whom I gave a Bible about six months ago. He recently asked me, “If I wanted to become a follower of Jesus like you, would I have to tell anyone, or could I keep it hidden?

I answered, “You wouldn’t have to tell anyone, but you won’t keep it hidden. A light on a hill cannot be kept hidden. Everyone will eventually know.” He left.

The next day he came to me again, “Now that I have decided to leave Islam and become a follower of Jesus, will you help me learn how to do everything? I need to know as much as possible so that when I tell my wife and my kids and my father, I can answer their questions and help them understand.” I said, “Yes.”

A week later he asked me if the international church in town, the one that I attend, had meetings in Arabic. I said that the government wouldn’t let us, so no. We had been talking about how churches work in various parts of the world, so he asked me if I would then be willing to help start a new church with him, in his house, just as soon as his family came into the family. I said, “Yes.”

In the past month he has memorized more than 15 scriptures. We have spent two and three hours at a time meeting together and discussing what the Bible teaches about prayer, fasting, giving, love and a large number of other things. I gave him a Bible that I smuggled into the country. After reading it, he told me, “If everyone in my country had a copy of this book, this would be a different place–Jesus is so amazing, everyone would want to follow him.”

I am definitely not a tourist.