October 8, 2016 Update

The month of September has been a good one; we began the month with a team retreat to Bulgaria. There we were able to spend more time with one another outside of the context of ministry and Brad was giving some teaching about the importance of unity and building good relationships with one another. This, he was saying, is critical for the people of God because disunity is the main way that the devil attacks the church. It was a beneficial time.

The school year began on September 15, so ever since then the routine of going to Chiselet for the Kindergarten has begun again. You can see some photos by following this link: Chiselet Kids Program Photos.

I can see that the people in Chiselet have been really glad for my involvement there, they’re glad for my willingness to come and to serve. I can see a lot of ways that the ministry there can grow and I want to see what my part is in helping them grow. Certainly Chiselet has some material needs to be filled, so I want to look into providing more resources for the ministry, especially the kindergarten-- puzzles, books, educational games-- things that are not in large supply there. It’s nice to be in contact again with the same kids each week, especially since the Summer felt like I was always here and then there, never consistently in the same place.

When the year began I had my own plans in mind about what I might do in Calarasi, how long I would stay, yet didn’t know specifically what I would be doing or what to expect. I have seen the realization of involvement with the Kindergarten, and teenage girls in the area, and it has been good. Over the course of the last two years or so God has begun to show me some ministry needs besides Romania including local ministries in the U.S. that reach out to many different internationals. I know he has directed me to continue my education, which I have been doing through Moody Bible Institute, and I plan to continue towards that goal in the coming years.

The reason I bring all this up is before coming here I had it in mind to come to Romania for about a year and over the course of that year be praying for the Lord’s direction. I knew that he could guide me to stay in Romania or lead me elsewhere. There were people who advised me to continue my education because of that possibility of life taking us in many directions, and having more education would be beneficial toward being prepared for more of life and not just one setting. I don’t know where God is guiding at this point, but I’ve seen some events take place in my life that will require some sorting through from home. I spent months of prayer over this question of when to come home, and for several reasons, including my finances and my family being together for Thanksgiving, I chose to return in November.

I have been communicating with Brad and Nora about all these things in the process as well and was looking for the wisdom and advice of people who are mentors to me, so it wasn't an isolated choice. I would appreciate your continued prayers regarding future direction for me and how I can continue being a blessing to the work that's going on here.

July and August 2016 Update

    July was a full month with three trips, to Arad for a friend’s graduation, to Tirana, Albania, for a missions trip with Illyricum Movement, and a trip to Baia Mare with my friend Lydia whom I know from Chinese Christian Church of Milwaukee (CCCM), and a family from Betel Romanian Church in Chicago. These trips were a time of encouragement for me because I got to be involved in ministry in other contexts, and it was a change of pace and a change of scenery for me. All three trips provided some welcomed mountain scenery and in Albania I got to go to a baptism/beach day in the Adriatic Sea with members from Disciple’s church.

    I was also encouraged to connect with people from Woodridge Community Church (in New Berlin, WI), and some people that Pastor Chu from CCCM visited earlier in the year. The purpose of my Albania trip was to be a part of the kids’ camp that took place at Disciple’s Church.

    While in Baia Mare I had the opportunity my abilities in Romanian in a new light. I found myself translating for my friend Lydia, and the Tamasan family expressed to me their surprise at how well I do in the language and their appreciation for the work I am doing here in Calarasi. We were holding an English camp and a VBS in two separate villages. I got to see how good Lydia is at multi-cultural situations, and how not being able to speak the language didn’t stop her from diving right in. That’s good because she’s planning to go into tribal missions through New Tribes and her ability to connect with people despite the language gap and learn phrases from them will be important for her. Seeing the close friendship between Lydia and the Tamasan family was also really awesome to me.

    I enjoyed my time leading the girls ministry in Roseti with Zoica. I didn’t know what to expect, certainly I felt a little overwhelmed beforehand about taking on this responsibility, but with God’s help I made it through and enjoyed connecting with the girls in a new way. When Amber came back we threw her a surprise party since I could see how much the girls missed her while she was away.

    The end of July and most of August were kind of a series of  miscellaneous ministry events, which is pretty typical for OH Summers. There were teams from Vienna, Norway, a camping trip with the youth ministries in the area (Chiselet, Oltenita, Chirnogi, Roseti, Calarasi, Bogata), a trip to the Black Sea with kids from Caramidari and the visiting team from Norway, and now the entire OH team is nearly done with a much needed two week vacation.

    For me vacation means I indulging my nerdy side. I got a break from people and constant events, so I took advantage of the time to study for my College Writing course that just begun and to work on learning Mandarin Chinese. I’ve also gotten to sleep in every day, so it has been great! As for learning Chinese, I began some months ago, maybe March or April, but wasn’t able to find a good method until more recently. When learning Romanian I was able to depend a lot on reading and writing, but with Chinese it’s important to work on hearing and speaking first, adding reading and writing later. The reason for this is that you have a separate character for each word and focusing on that loses the overall patterns of speech, bogs you down and makes the process discouraging. I’ve found that Spotify actually has a lot of audible lessons in many languages, and that forming basic conversations with a native speaker helps tremendously.

    I have ample opportunity to use Chinese since there’s a pretty special Taiwanese guy I keep in touch with who can tell me if I’m saying things correctly and teach me new vocabulary. Last week I talked to his family through a video call and they were surprised that I could say a few things to them and I felt pretty pleased to understand a few words from their conversation such as you, yours, I, mine, that, thank you, no, dad, mom, brother, sister, and want. But mostly I rely on translation.

    In the coming month I’m looking forward to a trip that some of the OH staff are taking to Bulgaria, and then schools here will begin. I plan to continue my involvement in the Chiselet After-School program and Kindergarten. I have some extra money that was given me so I want to buy materials for the Kindergarten. They don’t have many story books, games, craft supplies or activities for the younger kids, so I want get them good materials for the future.

    Since it looks like my time here is coming to a close I want to focus on giving the kids something that is more difficult for the locals to offer such as English classes, arts, crafts and such activities. This works because I come just two days each week and Alina teaches them the other three days, so my involvement would offer a variety that the kids aren’t normally receiving. The kindergarten class can vary from one to fifteen kids, from my experience, so I never know what to expect, but I’ve found it’s extremely helpful to do a lot of preparation beforehand.

    I ask you to pray that God will lead me in his perfect will because the unexpected happens frequently and the plans I make for the future seem always to need adjustment or to be put aside entirely. Much has happened that was unexpected this year, and I want His guidance to be evident, and I want to follow that guidance with confidence. I know God will lead me because He is faithful and He has never failed to guide me. Also pray for the ministries that are beginning this Fall, that this will be a very blessed time, that I will be able to pace myself well, not take on too much while also not wasting my time. Pray also for the people that God brings across my paths, that they will see Christ’s love and care reflected through his people, that they will know our Lord and how good he is to those who love him.

June 23 Update

I left off in my last post by describing some of what my Summer will consist. Here I will also share with you some photos of the Kindergarten and After-School Program in Chiselet as well as some scenes of Romania, etc. if you follow this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/k94okb3ncq4fvnx/AAC_ZTL-NwOOZ6SAGo4HOHAua

In addition to leading a girls' ministry in Roseti I will be taking three trips in the month of July. The first will be to Arad and through other parts of Romania for four days. This will be for the graduation of a colleague/friend here at Outstretched Hands. I will be traveling with her, her family, and my roommate. We will get the opportunity to see some of Romania's scenic sights in this trip, so I'm looking forward to that.

I will be taking a trip to Albania for a week to join a ministry called Illyricum Movement that my church, Waukesha City Church, and my parents' church, Woodridge Community Church, have ties with. I will be helping with a kids' camp, so it is similar to what I do here in Romania during the Summer, but I don't know any of their language. I'm looking forward to make connections with the people there and hopefully that will also be a good opportunity to tell my home church a little more about the ministry there from another perspective, even if they may have heard about it before. This will increase my expenses between air travel, hotel, and food, but I think it's worth it.

I am planning also to visit Northern Romania because a friend of mine who is studying at New Tribes Bible Institute and whom I met at Chinese Christian Church of Milwaukee will be in the Baia Mare area with friends of hers from Bethel Romanian Baptist Church in Chicago. I will probably spend a week there and be involved with one or two VBSs they will be conducting. I would also like on this trip to make a stop in Arad to connect with a pastor there that I heard about through an older gentleman that I met at the Chinese church. The nice thing about traveling by bus in Romania is it doesn't cost much, and for this trip most other expenses or arrangements such as food and lodging will be handled by the family from Bethel church.

I can't say I know what to expect for these trips, but July will be pretty busy for me with all of that and leading the girls' ministry in Roseti. I really want to use these opportunities to network with other believers who are involved serving the Lord through missions. You can keep these things in your prayers as well, that God will work, that I will be an encouragement to others, that these travels will be an encouragement to me as well, and I will be able to pace myself well between all these things.

June 22 Update

Tension. That's one word that in part describes my Romanian abilities. Sometimes I surprise myself by doing something I didn't know I could do, like teaching a kindergarten, yet other times I feel a little lost with the language, especially during a long sermon or with those who don't speak clearly. Usually I understand what's happening around me, but then I might miss that one, all important word or expression upon which the meaning of the sentence or conversation hinges. Situations where my native language is almost useless are mentally exhausting, and yet I enjoy them. Listening closely becomes key, then, to understanding my surroundings or the conversations and atmosphere around me. I think this is the reason I sometimes lose energy faster than expected.

Probably most beneficial to my language growth has been my times in Chiselet because there I use a lot less English than where I live in Calarasi. Each week I have been staying in Chiselet for two days to teach at the kindergarten in the church's after-school program, and also spending another morning of the week to sit in on the kindergarten class at the Hope Centre here in town to observe what happens there. In Chiselet the only times I use English is with a couple of people who practice their English with me or when practicing English with the kids. I seem to have a differnt personality while in Chiselet because I listen to what's happening around me rather than interacting as much.

Many have asked if I have been teaching the kids about the Bible or sharing the Gospel with them. The answer is both yes and no. Usually there are others who are presenting the Bible teaching each day, but I will typically have my kindergarten class pray together before we begin the lesson. Also, teaching the kids to speak kindly and to treat each other well are a practical side of biblical teaching. These kids still need to learn what it looks like to live out the will of God in our lives, that is how to love each other, how to respect each other, and how to be obedient. Yes, we're helping them gain an education, but central to all that we do is Christ.

Summer season has just begun for us here at Outstretched Hands because school here in Romania has just finished. So no more kindergarten until the Fall, but rather Summertime events and activities such as tent events, and kids clubs. Summer is also the busy season for Short Term Missions, so we have a lot more visitors this time of year.

This Summer the lady who normally leads several girls' ministries in the villages is visiting her family in Pennsylvania for two months, so I'll be leading the girls' minsitry in Roseti while she's away. Teaching the kindergarten has been a preparation for this, I now have the experience of preparing lessons in another language, finding resources, activities or whatever is necessary to prepare a beneficial time for those to whom I minister. I will not be going to Roseti by myself, but will be accompanied by someone who is bi-lingual, not so much for translation as to have someone there who will fill in the blanks of my understanding. This, I feel, is important especially for teenage girls since they have more complex issues to sort through than a five year old from the kindergarten. 

Please be praying for this ministry as it will certainly stretch and challenge me. I'm thankful for the opportunity as well because it's the kind of challenge that will require me to be curious about the language, to keep asking questions, and keep studying to be able to express the ideas I want to communicate.

I will have to write a secone part to this update, but for now this will do. When I write the other one, I will provide you with some pictures as well so you can have something visual to refer to.

About (some of) those with whom I work

Kirsty, my Irish friend who busks, draws, and teaches children

Recently some of the team members of Outstretched Hands took a trip to northern Romania for the wedding of Eci and Roxana Biro. This was a very nice time for me personally because I got to travel through the mountains and see some old cities where you can see more of the history of this country.

Typically when I write I tell you about the people we reach out to as a team, so I thought today I would write more about some of those with whom I work here in Romania, or have worked with in the past.

This picture on the left is of me with my friend Kirsty. She came just for the wedding, but I know her from my last two trips to Romania. She is not only a good friend that I keep in touch with, but also very multi-talented. I would say that many of her interests line up with my own, so it's helpful having someone with whom I can talk about art, someone with whom to brainstorm about teaching the kindergartners in Chiselet, etc. Not to mention she's just loads of fun. She is leaving today, so who knows when I'll see her next, but I was happy to spend a few days with her.

Ghiuler and Mirela

Here is a photo of Ghiuler and Mirela. Ghiuler is from the neighborhood of Caramidari and her testimony is a rather fantastic one. When the O.H. team first began to know her she wouldn't smile, she wouldn't talk or open up, she wouldn't let you hug her, etc. She was sent to beg on the streets, her family would beat her, etc. After the passing of years she is an entirely different person. She knows Christ now, she lives in Chiselet and hosts me each week for two days in her room and makes sure I have food and am comfortable. She's a very good hostess, and she's very sweet. She still hasn't learned to read much, but she is a transformed young lady.

Mirela is a lady who studied in Bucharest for a degree (I can't remember for what off-hand), but God brought her back to her own village of Chiselet. There she takes part in leading worship in the church, she leads a girls' meeting each week with teenage girls from the village, and she pours her heart out through the week serving the kids who come to the church for homework. She coaches with homework, gives them showers and clean clothing when they come covered in dirt, etc. She is a joy to be around. Be praying for her because she has chronic pain that makes it harder to work or to get through the day. There is a possibility that this could be fixed with a surgery, but we still don't know that for certain.

This is Chrystal, my roommate. She is from California and is a nurse. She is very involved here and is working to begin a medical cabinet here in town along with some other nurses and a doctor who are on the O.H. team. She is a really cool person to know and I feel that I'm learning a lot from her. She's also really fun to travel with because she is an adventurer and explores new places. So when the Common Joe would want to go sit at a restaurant or shop at the mall, Chrystal is the one who walks down another road and discovers it on her own. She also knows how to separate from the crowd a little way and enjoy a scene in silence just looking around and listening. She also has a big heart for God, a big heart to serve people with her medical knowledge, and she urges me to be competitive when playing any kind of a game, which is not my norm.

In short, these are some of the many people with whom I interact regularly and it's a joy to be here with them.

April 2016 Update

I want to begin today's update with a big thank you to all of you who have had any part in my coming here. Thank you for your prayers, support, encouragement, and practical assistance. I couldn't be here without all the people who have taken a part in this mission with me.

Coming to Romania again has been a big blessing for me, although I also felt the pain of saying goodbye before I came here. I have also missed being near to some of the people with whom I've recenlty built good relationships at Waukesha City Church where I attend, and at Chinese Christian Church of Milwaukee where I've been going to a Bible study each week. I enjoy thoroughly being with the people here, speaking the Romanian language and eating Romanian fare all the time.

Towards the end of March I was able to take part in the Pro-Life March here in Calarasi and also in Oltenita, a town about an hour away. The actual events were just a few hours on two separate days, but I spent the week prior making posters and banners for the event. I couldn't have done it without the help of some local girls who came and helped me paint through the week. Actually, these girls are local high school girls and most of them are not really involved in the ministry here and don't really speak English. So I was realizing how big a blessing it is to have prior experience here, to know of people I can ask out of the blue to help me with a project, and do it all in another language.

There were probably about 200 people present at the march in Calarasi and possibly closer to 500 at the one in Oltenita. Many of those present in Oltenita were Orthodox priests, so it's encouraging to see people coming together to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

A challenge for me has actually been the language because often I search for the words to express a thought and can't find the Romanian vocabulary to do so. If I have to talk about an object that and don't know what it's called, or if I want to express some deeper thoughts that go beyond typical conversation it becomes doubly difficult to speak easily. I also have times where I don't understand people because of slang or speaking really fast. Sermons are long and are littered with new vocabulary, so even if I understand the idea of the message, I will lose a lot of information due to the language gap. This is just evidence that I need to challenge myself with Romanian, continue asking how to say things, ask what some word means, continue studying in my free time, and putting myself in situations where I am forced to use the language.

I had my brother with me for the last week and a half. He visited me after finishing staffing the Bible School of the Nations through YWAM in Tanzania for the last eight months. It was a pleasure to have him here, to spend time with him, etc. This also gave me the experience of translating between Romanian and English. I'm not a good translator, but this way there was some understanding rather than none. Officially, translating is hard work and I now have a deeper respect for those who do it regularly for meetings, church services, visiting teams, etc.

There were many benefits to having my brother here with me. I learned a few Swahili words from him, heard about the things God is doing in Tanzania and Zanzibar, received a few gifts that he bought me, and most importantly I got to see some of the ways his relationship with Christ has grown. My friendship with my baby brother is such a blessing. He also got to experience the team that was visiting from Norway consisting mostly of Philipino students from a Bible school in Oslo. One of the girls on that team told us that when she found out that we're brother and sister she cried because she doesn't have a good relationship with her brother and he's been in and out of jail. So we prayed with her that God will bring her brother to himself and restore the relationship between this brother and sister.

In two weeks Outstretched Hands will be holding a Pro-Life conference, so be praying that it goes well, that awareness of this issue will grow, that the peoples' mindset toward this issue will change, and that people will begin to value the lives of the unborn.

I am finding opportunities to be involved in the lives of young girls in the area who need one on one relationships with someone who can challenge them and who has a good relationship with Christ. They need the encouragement to make their faith their own, to make their walk with God personal and not let it consist soley in more and more church meetings, etc. So please also be praying for that, that I will have wisdom and be able to speak into their lives in spite of not always having the words I want to speak to them on the tip of my tongue.

Pray also for me that I will understand God's direction on my life in the following months. Often the decisions we make today become formative for our lives in the long run, so pray that I will understand clearly where and with whom he would have me be.

Back in Romania: March 9

I've now been in Romania for about a week and I have really been enjoying my time here. I have not jumped into ministry right away, but it was suggested that I start up again slowly and ease into ministry. This is nice for me because this gives me the chance to catch up with people I've not seen in over a year and a half.

Sometime soon I will be having a talk with the director of Outstretched Hands of Romania, Brad Hayes, and we'll be talking about what my role and responsibilites will be in the ministry during my time here. We talked briefly about this the other day, but since it was his day off we didn't go into much detail. What I can tell you at this point is that I will probably have some responsibilities regarding supplies and I will have the opportunity to give some art lessons to kids. I will largely be working in other locations besides Calarasi and the neighborhood of Caramidari.

So this week I've been catching up with people and yesterday that meant visiting the Hope Centre in Caramidari. I am really amazed by how many of the kids remember me, which also means they were all asking me to draw their portraits as I have done in the past. I think I drew the faces of six kids and then the face of one of the team members who volunteers at the Hope Centre. There were others who wanted to be drawn, but it takes awhile to draw each portrait and eventually it was time to send the kids home.

I want to ask for your prayers that God will give direction about how to spend my time here, how to be most effective, and that he would allow me to bless others. I also want to ask you to pray that God will give me direction for my life in the bigger picture, where he is directing my life in the distant future. Also, pray for good relationships with the team members, clear communication and unity. Pray for some of the girls I know here, Bianca, Ana, and Ghiuler in particular. I'm thanking God as well for two very good roommates, Chrystal and Kelsey. Here in Romania it is already Spring, so this has really contributed to me having a good mood. I love walking down the road and smelling the flowers and seeing the villagers getting their gardens ready. It's the simple things in life, you know?

Mid-December Update

I'm back in the saddle again! I had a compulsory week off of any fundraising efforts because I mislaid some materials I am particularly dependent on and then I got sick for a day. So today I am back to work contacting people and writing updates.

I have a month in which to raise about $900 in monthly support. This will take an act of God, because in my two months of fundraising $300 in monthly pledges have come in. But to be commissioned by God means to be dependent on acts of God, so I'm expecting him to act while also realizing the part that I have to act in all of this.

I'm asking for prayer today for

• God's provision as I prepare to move to Romania
• Courage and perseverance on my part
• That potential supporters would catch the vision of what I'm a part of in Romania
• For the team I will be rejoining, unity and effectiveness in bringing the Word of God and the Love of Christ to the people
• For the people of Calarasi that they will respond to the call of Christ to follow Him

If you are interested in giving financially, all the necessary information can be found towards the end of my "October Update" post which is featured above.

Vision Night Q&A Time

I've finished the Fall semester at Moody Bible Institute Distance Learning! I've been pretty busy with babysitting, meeting with people and fundraising, attending Bible studies, visiting churches in the area, and drawing for people who have commissioned my work. I was privileged to attend Outstretched Hands' annual Vision Night and see a lot of my friends and other familiar faces that I know from years of OH events

At the end of November I had an art sale to raise funds for Romania. It went well, I was able to raise approximately $1,000 through the sale and through purchases that took place after the sale. Below you can see one shot from the art sale and a photo of my handmade business cards.

Artist Trading Cards used as Business Cards

Art Sale

With Christmas coming we all have much to anticipate and extra things in our calendars, but I'm enjoying this season and I hope you will too! Merry Christmas, and God bless!

--Rachel Richardson

Update on this Last Day of November

I was just noticing today that it is already the very end of November and as I write this December begins in only an hour and a half. Time flies!

As some of you may know already, I am planning to leave for Romania in February in order to work with Outstretched Hands of Romania for a year, but I hope and fully expect to stay as a long term missionary.

As I'm writing this, I have raised most of my needed one-time expenses like the cost of a plane ticket to Romania, a Romanian Visa, and enough to buy a plane ticket in the case of an emergency. For this I am very thankful, but I still need to raise $920 of monthly support. This covers living expenses as well as school tuition as I am working towards my Associates Degree in Biblical Studies through Moody Bible Institute -Distance Learning.

If you are interested in knowing how you can be a part of this mission in Romania, please leave a comment so I can conact you!

I have been asked often what I will be doing in Romania, and I want to make sure to answer all your questions here.

My main focus will be Children's ministry.  This includes teaching kids from the Bible, helping them with their homework, and playing games and other activities with them.  I look forward to this since I really enjoy being with kids and investing in them, helping them to become the people that God has created them to be.  Children's minsitry ties directly into the work that Outstretched Hands, or OH, does with planting churches in this largely un-reached part of Romania.  The vision of OH is to raise a generation of people for Christ who will take the gospel to yet others, and that begins with the children. Here is a picture of kids from the village of Caramidari graduating from kindergarten at the Hope Centre in June of 2014.

I also want to be involved in Pro-Life ministry through OH.  They are in the process of beginning a mobile pregnancy center in a van with an ultrasound machine and a nurse who is certified in ultrasounds, etc. This way we can go to villages and counsil people, help them understand that abortion is the destruction of a human life, and stand alongside them in keeping their babies and raising them to adult-hood.  This is a very important issue because 3 out of 4 pregnancies in Romania end in abortion.  People don't talk about abortion much in Romania, and that needs to change.  This link will show you a video about a woman who had an abortion and her story:
Pro-Life Video, Adriana's Story

I look forward to being in Romania again. I was just reminded this weekend of how many close friendships I have with the OH team and how much I love being there and using the Romanian language to communicate and interact with people. I still have much Romanian to learn, but Lord willing I will get there soon!

Lastly, I want to say that I know it is God who has put this wonderful and unique country on my heart.  In March of 2012 the Lord began to stir my heart for this place, he has given me a love for the people and the culture, and he continues to put it on my heart.  Not all of my experiences in Romania have been good or easy. The last trip I took in 2014 was especially hard for me because of some discouragement I experienced and some of the hard situations that friends of mine found themselves in.  But I know that this is what God has placed before me, and I want to follow him in this.

October 19th, 2015

God works in mysterious ways.

It's really awesome to see how God can use one thing to lead to another and how the family and community of Christians locally and globally can be used to bring the body of Christ into closer unity.

For many years my mom has received missions updates from the church where she used to attend, a Lutheran Brethren church, in Montana. For many years she prayed for the people who work in other parts of the world to bring the good news of Christ. One family in particular lived among and reached out to people in China and has long since retired, but their daughter almost 20 years ago went to do the same. My mom found out that this lady and her husband were going to be at a Chinese church in Milwaukee this past weekend and so she, my sister and I went to this event. We knew very little about what was going on, we knew nobody there at all, and yet everyone welcomed us in and made sure we weren't wondering where to go or what to do. They had a meal before the service and they directed us right away to the food and seats around the tables. Several came and introduced themselves asking how we found out about the church and why we had come. When they found out my mom "knew" the missionary lady, they told her right away and she came and sat with us at our table.

My mom had brought a photo album of pictures my great grandfather took in China and Taiwan probably back in the 50's or 60's all in black and white and meticulously labeled, which she showed the missionary lady. It was awesome to see her reaction to this little artifact. It was also awesome to hear about her and my mom's common connection with the Lutheran Bretheren church and to see how they've never met, but that there has been a type of connection that existed between them for many years.

Now maybe I'm just obsessed with all things foreign, but I loved sitting through a service where they translated into Chinese (whether Mandarin or Cantonese, I know not), singing the songs together in two or three languages at once, and to see the Chinese characters all over everything. Of course most of us have been exposed to Chinese culture even it the full extent of that is having a meal at a Chinese restaurant.

As it turns out, we were visiting this church during their missions festival and the missionaries that we were there to see were only a few of the several that were visiting this weekend. I was looking through the bulletin and found out that there were also missionaries to Nothern Africa, Japan and Thailand visiting. The missionaries to Northern Africa I know already, and the missionaries to Japan were the same couple my friend stayed with when she went to Japan for three months about two years ago and they also know some friends of ours who have been in Japan over the years. So I was priveleged to meet the people my friend had talked so much about, and made it a point to see the lady who I know since she was coming on Sunday morning.

As I have said, I was so welcomed there, it was amazing! When the people heard I have known this woman, they made sure I got to eat lunch with her. (They have a meal after every service at this church) This lady I got to see again (I hadn't seen her in almost two years) has been through a lot of hardships, losing her husband to cancer was one of them, and now she and her three teen-aged children have to cope without him. They have been very busy, but they are back in the States now to get some rest, to take the time to grieve, and to find ministries and outreaches to be a part of locally.

Another lady came and invited me to their young adults Bible study on Friday evenings and even suggested that we could carpool together. She made sure to introduce me to a few other people and I began talking to them as well. The church service had ended at 11:30 and by the time I left it was already 2:00! I hardly knew what had happened to the time.

I love to see churches with this kind of a heart for missions and for being intentional about reaching people around them for Christ. I have a hope that somehow there will be some very good and worthwhile relationships formed with this body of believers and that these would be blessed and wonderful friendships.

October Update

I now find myself poised to return to Romania for the fourth time, this time for a long term duration rather than just a few weeks. Many have asked me when I'm heading back, and my aim is to return in February.  My ambition as The Lord has given it to me, is to be more invested in the ministries of Outstretched Hands, especially in children’s ministries, girl’s ministries, church plants, and pro-life ministry. I have three more online classes to complete my Associates degree in Biblical Studies, which I can complete while in Romania. I also hope to continue deepening the friendships and relationships I have already formed. Through your prayers, financial backing, and your encouragement you can also invest into this ministry!

My budget of $1,240 per month can be attained easily with as few as 24 generous individuals:

Number of People Monthly Commitment
2 People                 $100
3 People                 $80
7 People                 $60
7 People                 $40
5 People                 $20
24 Sponsors Total $1240 Total Donations

Your tax deductible support can be sent to me in care of Outstretched Hands in either of the following means:

• Checks made out to
Outstretched Hands of Romania
PO Box 510052
New Berlin, WI 53151
Please write on a separate piece of paper that your gift is for Rachel Richardson.

• PayPal at www.handsofromania.org (click on the Donate Now button and indicate that funds are for Rachel Richardson.) Monthly automatic withdrawal is available through this option

Please contact me and let me know if this is something you're considering and how much you're able to commit to so that I know how much support I've raised and how much I still need to raise. It would also be nice to hear from you to know how you're doing and how I can be praying for you.

Please also be praying that God will continue to give me his direction and that I will have the perseverance to do all that is required of me in order to continue missions work in Calarasi.

Thank you, and God bless!

Rachel Richardson

No News is Good News

Are you going to read news about the mission field on my blog today?  No.  No news.

Today I went to church.  It's a pretty typical thing for a Christian in our society to do on a Sunday morning.  As I sat through the song service, I became aware of a train of thought that bothered me.  Have you ever had that feeling like you haven't even a thread of faith left in you?  Well that was me.  Sometimes in church I get a little inspiration and if I pull out my sketch book I am able to develop an idea that is swirling around in my head by writing little phrases or Scriptures that concentrate on a theme or stand out to me.  It's not sermon notes, they're not neat enough to be that, but it's the closest I've ever been able to come.  Well today I wasn't inspired but I noticed something that I felt a lack of, namely faith, so I began writing Scriptures that I remember that address faith, what it is, how to gain it, etc.

I always love those times when the Holy Spirit decides to work on something in my heart by basically responding to the prayers and thoughts I have through a sermon, even the half-prayers that I never quite got around to praying.  So as I began to write these things that were on my heart, the speaking begins.  I went to Elmbrook today with my little brother and they were commisioning a new pastor, for the third time this morning, with a guest speaker - a pastor from Nairobi, Kenya.  As he began to speak, there was one theme that stood out to me, and frankly to everyone else in the audience, FAITH.  God is faithful, God is trustworthy, God is our provision, God is near and real and wants to work big things.  He was commissioning the new pastor, but I needed that message like you wouldn't believe.

This Kenyan pastor spoke about how we pray, we pray such boring prayers that are so easy for the Creator of the entire earth the fulfill he can do them in our sleep.  He asked a question: How often do you ask of God a big, hairy, audacious prayer that will make God sweat?  How often do we challenge God?  Oscar went on to speak about George Meuler who founded an orphanage not as much to care for the children who were left without caretakers as to prove to his generation the faithfulness of God.  If God can provide for a poor man to take care of children who had no connections in the world without even asking people for money, then he could show people just how faithful God really is.  George Meuler and the orphans for whom he cared would some days wake up, sit around the breakfast table, and with nothing in the pantry and no means of buying any such thing began to thank God for the food he was about to provide for them.  Every time some baker or somebody would come by and say that God had laid them on his heart and that he'd gotten up early that morning with a sense that he needed to do something for those small children.

Like I said, I needed to hear that sermon.  I was beginning to feel as though no sermons are really affecting me or that I am really hearing the voice of The Lord.  It felt like the four hundred year gap between the last prophet in Israel to the coming of John the Baptist.  What kind of a post would this be if I didn't interject here:  But God is FAITHFUL.  He knows exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it.

So God was faithful to me today, he provided for me a sermon about faith, and mustard seeds, and being able to throw a mountain into the sea, and I came away understanding that God has heard my thoughts this week and he decided to answer me through a guy who traveled here from Kenya to commission some guy as pastor of a church.

I was also blessed to be a part of a worship service where some people were playing music and a ton of little girls, my niece being one of them, who are learning ballet were dancing there.  Now contrary to what you might think, it wasn't weird, but was actually a very refreshing time of just being able to sing to God and to move around and dance, if so desired, without that churchy feeling of "oh gosh, everyone's staring at me."  It's strange, but I've found multiple instances where I was dealing with a mindset and a worship service of just singing to God and expressing myself to him with a group of others doing the same has been just the cure to bring me clarity of mind and to be reminded of who our God is.  Our God is awesome, amazing, huge, never ending, eternal, and he is powerful.  Not only all this but he loves each of us immensely and is a Father to us.

God is good.  All the time.

All the time, God is good.

October Update

Happy Weekend!

It's been awhile since I last posted on here.  It's been hard trying to determine what to write because I've been in such an in between place recently that I didn't feel I could say anything definite about much of anything.  So here's what's been happening:

I've been studying my coursework through MDL (Moody Distance Learning) and job hunting "because contrary to popular opinion [I] have to eat" (from Three Guys Named Mike*)  In the meantime my plans for Romania have been set slightly to the side because of the more pressing matters of turning in school assignments and finding a way to pay for school bills and groceries.

I am pleased to say that I have found work as a back waiter at Andrew's Restaurant where my sister works as a chef.  I have been asked to stick around at least till after New Years since the holiday season is so busy in the food industry.  I'm looking forward to the things I will learn from working this position.  It's a very classy restaurant and they don't do anything sloppily.  I must say that it's like a breath of fresh air compared to working in fast food.

I'm not sure when I will make it back to Romania, but if I remain persistent and diligent in fundraising and if The Lord wills, I will be returning to Romania sometime towards the beginning of 2015.

That brings me to another point.  For me it is very difficult to "put myself out there" whether in job hunting, fundraising, or selling my artwork, all of which are tasks that I have had to do at some point or another.  I would really like to request your prayers that God would give me the boldness, confidence and courage to do whatever is necessary at this time and in the times to come.  I want to be sensitive to his guidance, to be flexible and willing for his purposes, and often discerning God's direction can be a trying experience.

Another topic that God has really laid on my heart this year is Iraq.  The situations with ISIS and the persecution that the church in that area is suffering requires a lot of prayer.  So keep them in mind and ask God to continue to strengthen his people.

Your prayers are appreciated for Romania, for me, for my family (my parents, siblings and I have experienced a lot of transition in the last year), for the Outstretched Hands Team, and for anyone else you may know of who needs extra prayer.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support as friends and as partners in the work of Christ.

God bless, and take care.

Love, Rachel

(*Three Guys Named Mike is an old B&W film starring Jane Wyman.  If you ever feel like killing an hour or two with a good, old, classic movie look it up)

Photos from May-June

Some of these are photos from my trip into the mountains. Traveling to the mountains pretty much made my year, since I've been wanting to visit them for ages.

I got to tour an old castle called Bran Castle. It's famous because an author named Bram Stoker said in a book of his that this castle is where he lived. Poor Bram was mistaken, but the fame still exists. The man with the legend of Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, built part of a different castle, but was imprisoned for a time in Bran Castle.

I had thought that I was already seeing the mountains, and then a little patch of clouds moved over.

Sorry about my finger at the bottom of this shot.

Bran Castle as I was walking up to it. But seriously, the other side has a much more interesting facade.

I loved seeing poppies growing on the side of the road like a weed. 

Looking accross the courtyard in Bran.

Camping without the C is AMPING!

A fortress on top of a hill. No idea which fortress.

Some shepherds were herding their sheep up the mountain. These donkeys were carrying up some essential things for them, such as Coca-Cola

Kindergarten graduates at the Hope Center in Caramidari

First year kindergarten students are on the left. Rebecca received flowers and gave a speech all in tears. It was really a sweet moment.

More students.

My 'sister' Ana and I.

Everyone has a crazy selfie moment, right? 

Sunset over a lake on the road between Chiselet and Calarasi

Gypsy camp

Sunrise at the Zece Nivele (Ten Levels) apartments

Vica and I

A pro-life sign I designed for distribution. The text means Abortion Stops A Beating Heart

Scenery from Bran Castle. (sorry the order of my photos is kind of mixed up.)

At the Hope Center with kids from Caramidari

Eating dinner with some of my friend's classmates

Sunflowers in a field. One of my last sights of Romania

 

Back in the States with our all-American activity: camping.

Month of June

Over the month of June I had some very exciting opportunities and experiences.

The first two weeks was centered on worship and prayer.  There was a week of evening prayer meetings at Bethany Church in Calarasi and the next week was worship and work week for the Outstretched Hands team.

A very unique experience was getting to go to the graduation for some of the Caramidari kids who finished their grade level.  I helped paint faces because they were dressing up as characters from a Romanian fairy tale.

I also got to attend the kindergarten graduation at the Hope Center.  It was very adorable to see these little kids finish either one or two years of kindergarten, depending on which class they were.

It was also very nice for me getting to move into the Zece Nivele apartment with two girls from the Milwaukee area and later in June two friends of mine from Ireland joined us as our room mates.

While most days I was busy with ministry, helping at the Hope Center, or odd jobs wherever I could be made useful, there was a day that I got to go into the mountains and visit two castles, Peles [pel-esh] and Bran.  I also got to go inside of Bran castle, which pretty much made my year.  Peles is a very beautiful castle; it would have been nice to go inside, but the day we were there they weren't open for tours.  I also got to visit the Black Sea for one day which resulted in some sunburn, but I enjoyed it just the same.  I went with a busload of kids from Caramidari and we played all day in the sand and the water.

The last weekend in June for me was like a grand finale because I got to spend a lot of time with the team from Norway passing out invitations to the tent event in Chiselet and at a worship night at the Hope Center.  My last day was made extra special because it was the last day of the tent event where the Gospel was preached and many kids came to know Christ.  It was also made special because of my birthday that everyone made efforts to make special for me and by the end of it I was rather overwhelmed.

Saying goodbye to everyone was very difficult for me, but I believe I will be back to Calarasi again soon, so I have no reason to feel too sad about it.

Roseti Kids' Club, June 1st

On Sunday we had a Kids' Club for the kids in Roseti. Basically like a VBS, but this time it was just for one day. Sunday was also Children's Day here in Romania, so it was good timing to hold a kids' event.

What we did was we met the kids in the school yard and sang songs, played games, gave a Bible teaching, made a craft, and since it was Children's Day we gave them all some cake.

It was a good experience for me because I could see God working to make this event come together smoothly in several ways. First the weather here has been very rainy lately and, as forecasted, Sunday afternoon it seemed like it was going to rain again. So Elisei marched around with the kids saying "we don't want rain, we want the sun to come out." The clouds went away within five minutes, it became very sunny and even quite hot for the whole time we were in Roseti and it didn't get cloudy again till after we left.

Another way God helped us is that the girl who was going to lead the music didn't feel well and almost didn't come, but no other musician could come instead so she decided to come afterall. As soon as we got to Roseti she felt well and was able to do really well. The kids were all glad to see her too because she's been gone at Bible school for quite some time, but she knows a lot of these kids and they know her.

Lastly, I could see God working for us is in how many kids came. We were expecting probably 50-70 kids, but for sure more than 110 came. We only had two cakes with us and not enough plates and forks, so we sliced it very thin but there was enough because at the end there were three extra pieces left over.

It was really a nice time and I understood at the end that it might seem like a just a few hours with no lasting impact, but seeing how God was preparing things for us so that we could do what we came to do showed me that He really values this and that this is an opportunity for kids to hear about God who rarely or never have the chance to hear. It's the planting of a seed, and God can bring fruit from this.

Pro Life Conference Update

The last few days brought a challenge: What will l do with the issue of pro life? I can pray for the end of abortion, but what more can I do? The Pro Life conference showed me that it is necessary to be a voice for the unborn and to help people who are considering abortion, to show them we are here for them  and they aren't alone, and with God's help and provision they can raise their child.

I've been praying a lot about the conference; for a change of hearts and a powerful affect on people. I didn't really realize I was praying about myself.

I can do much more than I've done before. As much as I hate to admit it, the abortion issue becomes old hat, and dull to my ears because I've heard it my whole life. Knowing someone who is considering an abortion brings it closer to home.

Yesterday a friend told me his sister is pregnant. I know her, I think she's 19 or 20, probably unmarried, and I know multiple people in her family from church. My friend said many people think of an unborn baby in the early stage as nothing more than a piece of meat (somehow this struck me stronger than "piece of tissue") and how he told his sister the things he heard at the conference; that very early the baby already has arms, legs, nose, gender, eye color, a heartbeat, etc. Hearing these things, she said she doesn't want an abortion.

Personally this challenged me because I could be either judgmental and accusative, or I can look for a way to help her keep her child. She can experience a lot of shame if she keeps her child and I don't want to be the one making her feel ashamed. She will feel much more ashamed inwardly if she aborts. If she has done wrong, there is a mercy seat in heaven and she can approach it in repentance and receive forgiveness. I want to be someone willing and available to encourage her, help her, and support her in a decision to keep her baby.

One thing that makes me want to do more in Pro Life ministry is my name. It took my parents quite some time to choose my name and I went a month or so without a first name. Finally the name they chose was Rachel Esther. In Matthew, the book of Jeremiah is quoted at the time that Herod commands all boys two years and younger to be slaughtered. It says "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted because they are no more." Esther was a woman who became queen over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia by marriage and discovered a plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. She opened her mouth for them and their lives were saved.

Please continue praying for these things, that I would know what God wants me to do with this and that I would continue to be challenged, not stagnant or complacent. Pray for the saving of unborn lives, that God would make himself present through our efforts and that he would be the one helping people and making things right in this land where 3 out of every 4 people are aborted.

Bittersweet Farewell

How much do you love your church family, your work, friends, school and everything around which your life revolves?  What if suddenly one day you picked up and left it all to begin something new on the other side of the world?  That's where I am right now.

I have been immensely privileged to have a wonderful job over the last few months taking care of a little girl whom I like to call fetitsah. I know many wonderful people at my church who have nurtured me, children there I have nurtured, and people with whom I've grown and lived for many years.  I have such lovely friends and family and the house in which I live is very beautiful.  I have been blessed to live with some other young-adult women of God all of whom I love and respect very much and consider them all my sisters, although two of them were born that way.  When leaving it all to go to another place, all these things take on a different meaningfulness.  I love the people among whom I live.

Nevertheless, I am not too sad about leaving because I know I leave on good terms, not because of altercations or bad things happening, but because I go on to something else which God has put on my heart.  I can't say that I love my native home or Romania more, but I have a great love for both places.

I said I'm not very sad about leaving. It's true, but I will still miss the people here.

To what am I going?  Well one might say I have family in Romania as well as here.  No, I didn't grow up with them, they're not the same race or bloodline as I am, my involvement with them and theirs with mine is all relatively recent, but I know such wonderful people there.  I like the way my friend Amber says it, we have the same Father.

Caramidari

Street Scene, Calarasi

Kids in Roseti

Ten Levels high rise apartments, Calarasi

Support Letter

Hello Friends,

I am writing about what God is doing in my life towards missions and Outstretched Hands of Romania, (OH). I have been studying the Romanian language over the last year and a half, and have been to Romania twice, a month in
2012 and six weeks in 2013.

Because I feel called to long term missions in Romania, I am looking for people who will commit to prayer and financial support from the home front. Prayer support is essential; pray that I will be led by God, that I will recognize His will, for the OH team that we would work in unity and out of love for God, and for the Romanians who receive this ministry. Financially, I need $700 per month; if 50 people commit to give $14 a month I will be at full support.

I have also applied for an online course in Biblical Studies through Moody Bible Institute. This would cost about $4,275 per semester if I study full time. I can earn a certificate in one year or an associates degree in two. I plan to apply for grants and scholarships. Please pray that God will provide for this as well.

I will be leaving for Romania the 5th of May and returning to the States on July 1st for my sister's wedding. After this I plan to return to Romania to stay there until God would put me elsewhere.

Financial gifts can be sent to Church of Acts 900 S. Grand Ave Waukesha, WI 53186. Checks should be made out to Acts Missions and make sure to MARK CLEARLY that it is for me.

Please contact me if you'd like to know more. Thank you in advance for your partnership with me in God's work.

God bless,
Rachel Richardson

Fishers of Men

    Last Summer in Chiselet there was a baptism. Everyone met at the church earlier than usual and we went down to a little lake on the outskirts of the village. As we went down the road, we sang the Romanian version of "No Turning Back," the same song that I remember singing at my own baptism. Some of us were riding in carutsas, a cart-like, horse-drawn wagon. The driver was shouting to people along the way things like "Come to the baptism!" and "Praise the Lord!"
    As I was photographing the baptism, I turned and saw someone fishing in the lake. It reminded me of when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John. He said, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
    I was privileged to watch these six people declare that they have decided to follow Jesus and will never turn back.