“Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
After Christmas has come and gone in the U.S., it remains alive and well in Moldova. If you walk down main street in mid-January, you can see festive lights, vendors selling toys, ornaments, decorations. You can still see Santa in the square and get your picture taken at one of ten stations for your Christmas card. In fact, you can even find yourself surrounded by a group of children who will sing you a carol or two (for a small fee of course.)
While helping to take down the decorations at our apartment, I received a phone call from the pastor of a local congregation. He was inviting me to deliver Operation Christmas Child presents to a public school. I excitedly agreed to go. Not only did we deliver presents, but the school allowed the pastor and some people from the church to do an hour presentation of the Gospel. When the last present had been given, the school was filled with smiling faces as the children opened their boxes, revealing what they had received. It touched my heart.
After distributing the gifts, I asked the pastor if they planned to do this again. I was excited to hear that they had one more school to visit the next day. Pastor Vitale asked if I would like to prepare the presentation. I jumped at the opportunity. The next day we piled several hundred presents and six volunteers into a small SUV and headed off to the school.
What a blessing it was to have an open opportunity to speak about Christ in a public school. I shared the love of Jesus with over 150 students through games, magic tricks, songs, stories and drama. The main theme of the presentation was that God had a special gift for each of them, Salvation. While I could not give an altar call, I did talk with several students after the presentation.
When the event was over, the school director invited us to her office for tea. While meeting with her, she said I am “A friend to this school.” She invited me to come back the next week and share again. I have now been to the school five times, continuing to share the Good News with children. The Moldovan leader of our Saturday Kid’s Club helps me with the school outreach so that as the children receive Christ, she can disciple them at Kid’s Club.
This ministry has made me appreciate Proverbs 19:21 all the more. We can make the best-laid plans, but in the end, it is God’s purposes that prevail, not our own.
I don’t think I can say it enough, thank you for your part in sending us here. I believe your prayers are helping God’s plan for us to come to pass.