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.