Planting Seeds

Vacation Bible School (VBS) holds a special place in some people's hearts. When I wore an old VBS t-shirt to work on the church's gardening team, another gardener responded enthusiastically. He's a college student from Aruba, studying for a time here in the Netherlands. VBS was the way he became connected with the Baptist church his family now attends in Aruba. When he goes home this summer, he'll help his mother as she once again coordinates the craft section of their church's annual VBS.

VBS is what first brought me to Moldova. Keith was going with a team from Virginia which included two women. The men were going to help finish the Baptist church building. The women were going to do a VBS program for the kids. I went along to help. We began with about 20 kids on someone's enclosed porch. We ended with about 100 kids in the village school. The school principal was thrilled. He rarely got that many kids into the building during the school year.

The program had a lasting impact. Debbie Emery, one of those first volunteers, continues to pray for the people she met there. (Photo, 2001, left to right: Debbie, Moldovan translator Constance & Mary)

I got hooked on Moldova and continued returning, first with the Virginians, later with Dutch, American, and Romanian volunteers, and am still partnering with the pastor and people of that church. 

Alina, a Romanian who joined us as a Romanian/English translator, made connections that lasted a life-time. A woman in the village organized an online Bible study and asked Alina to teach it. 

Ruslan, whom I remember as a child in VBS

(this photo from 2016) . . . 

. . . is now studying to be a church leader

(photo from baptismal service this past February; Ruslan is at the mic).

We pray a blessing on all those who will attend and who will volunteer with a VBS program this summer. The Spirit continues to work!

t

P.S. Can you pick Ruslan out of this photo of a 2025 session of the Gypsy Smith School, held at Project Ruth in Bucharest, Romania?