The little girl in the photo was in class at a Christian school hosted by one of the churches that we visited the second day. Note her cross that she was coloring. All these kids were smiling at all of us, probably thinking, “who are all these guys with coats on??” They were happy to see new faces, as was the teacher. She was also telling of the needs of the school. The church rents out a space within the school to teach the children lessons ranging from regular topics to focused bible teaching. The goal is to reach the parents by reaching the children. It breaks your heart to see the children and the conditions of the school. No heat. The school was probably a chilly 55 degrees. After awhile that can get cold. Nearly every building we went into had no heat, perhaps a standard in most areas of Moldova due to the high cost of heating a building there. Again the most important thing about this school, was the singular focus of the church to bring parents to Christ. It wasn’t education. It was reaching the parents through a vehicle such as education.

Nearly every meal we have sat down to has been an incredible spread and wonderful show of Moldovan hospitality. The pastors are truly glad we have come to visit. We have been so welcomed by everyone there. The food is all what you’d find grown or raised. Nothing store bought. Tomatores, cucumbers, fruits, vegetables, grape juice, milk, cheeses. Truly an honor to eat with these pastors!

One thing that we’ve kept hearing is that the pastors are in need of encouragement due to the large numbers leaving their churches .It’s not what you’d typically think. Many of the pastors have incredible hearts and great vision for reaching their community. Moldovans are simply leaving the country for work. There are few jobs in Moldova. Of a population of 3 million, some estimates put the loss of population at 1 million, which is staggering. Farmers are having to sell their cattle because the recent drought caused the vineyards to produce 90% under their previous output.

They are leaving behind families, and elderly parents. Many of the middle aged population is leaving behind young adults to fend for themselves. This is a crisis in Moldovan Churches. Without people, it is hard to carry out ministry on a scale envisioned. Pray for the Moldovan churches, and that people would put down roots and commit to to rebuild Moldova.