Voices from the Field

As I’ve mentioned in the past, travel for my ministry with NAB Gateway has been non-existent for the better part of 2020 and 2021. That all changed in a big way over these past two months as I’ve been able to get back out ‘on the road again.’ But it hasn’t been easy; COVID protocols are different depending on the country…

August and September saw Jeff working closely with our partners on some major issues related to persecution, as seen later in this newsletter. This time frame also saw Sonya operating in high gear.

The beginning of this season of living in Romania started in 2015 when God brought us here on a two-week mission trip to Camp Falcon Rock. It was on this trip we fell in love with the people and the country and began to sense God was calling us to something more.

I love autumn! I love the colors. I love the smells. I love the tastes. I love Thanksgiving. I love the imagery of the trees letting go of the past year’s leaves and settling in for a ‘down’ time before the next year’s growth.

With our academic year drawing to a close at the end of December, the last five weeks have been a whirlwind of testing. Each resident is expected to sit for a written exam (pictured above), an oral examination, and a practical bedside examination.

You remember the water projects we are doing with the two Roma/M*sl*m villages, Meksiko, and Tribagremi? Well, after lots of starts and stops due to wildfires, land issues, material shortages, fundraising needs, and a need to rework the Meksiko plan, the clean water will be turned on this week in Tribagremi!

I arrived safely at Narita Airport on October 4 and was greeted by my coworkers, Paul and Melissa Ewing, who had generously given up a day to make the round trip from Osaka to Tokyo and back. The protocols here include a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

We have met a young lady who had depression for years. We name her Daisy. We met Daisy at a coffee shop while she had just lost her job at that time. She was sensitive, upset, emotional, a bit angry, and lacked confidence. We invited Daisy to meet regularly, and she shared her disappointment from daily living, unpleasant emotional life, and previous stressful jobs.

Last month was a very productive and exciting month, with some women events that were able to finally happen because the emergency state was lifted!

“Happy fall, y’all” is a phrase I often hear in Missouri. Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons, including the Advent season. Across the world people are crying out and searching for hope, and as Christ’s church we have a beautiful message to share about Christ’s coming.