Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Bayfarm Visit 2009




It was great to have the team from Bayfarm with us again from 2-9 October. Their pastor Jim Meyer came with them this time. He hasn’t been since 2006 and we used every spare moment of his time.



He preached at a wedding we had on the Saturday when Viorel from Pascani and our own Aliona were married. Then he was the preacher at our Sunday morning service and here he is speaking at a conference we had for our pastors from the South – around 90 came the first day and some 50 on the second day. Jim taught and answered questions on “handling conflict in the church.”
There were quite a few who came for individual help after the meetings and we also went to visit some others






Jim was also our main speaker to 50 of our teachers from Gotesti on National Teacher’s day which we held in the pizza parlour and later that day he preached in our mid week meeting following on from Sunday’s topic of forgiving one another and why it is sometimes hard.


Teachers day is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation of our teachers who do a very difficult job for very little pay. A free meal once a year isn't exactly life changing for them but at least it gives us the opportunity to give something back to them. However much to our surprise the teachers felt they would like to bless us and here is Oleg the head teacher giving us a gift of a flower


We also took Jim with us on our trip to the church plant in Pelinei where Jim was the preacher in their meeting while his wife Kim took the other half of the team to Baurcii.
The team were of course as busy as ever they have been while in Moldova.


Here is Bob Wilbur giving out aid to one of many needy families that were helped with food while other homes received wood for the upcoming winter when it can get down to -15C.



Every winter hypothermia brings untimely deaths.



Christine and Bob Wilbur were the new recruits this year and here Christine is giving here testimony in a meeting. It was a very moving story of traumatic and abusive experiences in childhood and youth and how she found Christ to be her saviour and then friend and comforter in the midst.

Bob used his guitar playing gift in the visits to kindergartens and schools and also gave a powerful testimony in the meeting in Pelinei after recovering from two days of flu that left him confined to bed.




Kim, Jim's wife, was, as always, the
driving force behind the trip.

She had just recovered in time from a virus that looked stopping her being on the trip and here she is sharing at the teachers meeting with Mari translating.

Her fortitude in dealing with the main physical ailments that she has to contend with is an example and inspiration to all.



Chris Modic is the other veteran of the Bayfarm trips having been on all so far.




Here he is standing beside the Soba sponsored by Bayfarm that Ilusa built for the Constantinovca kindergarten.






Chris also led the men's meeting.



He is much loved by our men as he always shares honestly from the heart - warts and all.


He shocked us all by telling us his method of stopping a conflict with his wife getting out of hand



When the conflict is getting too hot Chris begins .................


If you're reading this Chris I felt this was just too hot to put on a public site but if anybody e mails me I'll be putting them in touch with you



Pastor Mark