So the first thing I noticed when I came to write this post is that everything is in English again! Before when I was in Moldova all the tabs and links and stuff would be in Romanian and I did my best to guess which button I needed, but now they're in English again and it's exciting!

So I have been home for about 3 1/2 weeks now, almost a whole month. That's really not a whole lot of time, but sure does feel like it has been longer.

The last weeks since returning back to America have been full of adjustment. Adjusting to the time difference. Adjusting to living back at home with my parents. Adjusting to the culture. Adjusting and trying to get a routine and schedule going. Adjusting to being able to understand everything everyone is saying again. Needless to say that there has been a lot of adjustments and I'm still facing many of them.

I was gone so long and was living my life in Moldova and everyone here were also living their lives, and you know a lot can change in 15 months. I was kinda caught off guard on how much different things felt. For a place that I was born and raised in and lived my whole life before moving to Moldova I thought it would a natural thing to come home and feel at home. But this time coming home, I felt like the stranger like the one moving to a foreign land. Wait I thought I already did that I just got back from a foreign land! It was an odd feeling to have.

BUT even through the hard and overwhelming adjustments, and missing my Moldovan family so much the Lord has continued to stretch me and teach me and bless me.

He just never gives up! It doesn't matter that I left Moldova and am not on the mission field there anymore, I'm on the mission field ALWAYS! He will use me just as much and even more here if I am obedient to Him. I know the Lord has so much in store for me while I am home and beyond that and I truly believe He used Moldova to help prepare me for what He has for me next. I am NOTHING without Him no matter what country I am in.

Since coming home I have picked up some of my old babysitting jobs, and have been getting involved at my church here in Midland. I have been keeping in touch with some of my Moldovans, and they seem to be doing well, busy with the new year at seminary.

A very awesome thing happened a couple weekends ago. Hellen ,who if you have been keeping up with my blog was a huge impact in my life and will forever be a sister to me, was baptized! As well as two boys Vanya and Sasha who were in Tanya and I's English/Bible class. It was so cool to see the pictures of them taking the next step in their faith. I'm so excited for them and can't wait to see what God will do with them next!

Well I promised a post after I got home so this is all I could come up with.

Blessings to everyone and thank you to everyone who was praying for my coming home!

Bethany

Well this is it!

I'm upon my last hours in Moldova. I sit on my bare bed looking at an empty room and packed suitcases. Many emotions are going through my head right now, and not really sure how to process them yet, so I have a feeling more blogs to come when I get home to the states.

I am so thankful for my last 15 months here in Moldova, and can't really even begin to describe how much they really have meant to me. This year has shaped me in so many ways, and I will forever be thankful.

Thank you God for bringing me here to Moldova and using me to bring glory to your Kingdom. I know you're not done with me yet.

Blessings,

Bethany

Next time you hear from me, I'll be in the states!!!

He Never Stops.

I come to this post broken, but in a good way. A way that I can only thank God for. The last few weeks really have been a whirlwind. We had kids camp with a team from Arizona and Montana, and then my church from Midland brought a group and did an inner city sports camp, and this week we have been preparing for the youth camp which we leave for on Saturday.

I felt the Lord working so much in my heart and life, which is partially why I haven't sat down to post because I've been trying myself to sort through all my emotions and thoughts and such.

Basically what it comes down to is I have finally said yes to something I have running away from for a while now. I kept saying, "O I'll take this year in Moldova, the Lord will show me a lot, I'll go home go to college and get a job maybe in the arts, photography or even teaching or counseling", sounds like a pretty well laid out plan right? ha well that was MY plan not God's, that's for sure. I Wonder when I will finally realize that I can't make my own plans, He rules in my life and His plans always end up being better anyways! So I am officially devoting my life to full time ministry. It's scary, confusing, exciting, and joyous all at the same time. I know that a life of full time ministry can be difficult but there's nothing else I could see myself doing than serving our Lord and Savior. All of His children are called to serve Him, but what Moldova has showed me is that I'm meant to serve Him in all I do no matter where I am, full time. I had felt this call before and always seemed to push it away, but after serving here in Moldova I don't want to push it away anymore, I must embrace this call. Things seem so much more clear now. Anything I wanted to do with my life before never felt right but I just have this feeling right in the pit of my stomach that this is right, and my heart is so heavy with Joy. I know the Lord is in this, and I'm anxious to see where He will take me next.

I went on an adventure today with a group of girls and when we were driving back to the city tonight my mind was swimming, as it had been all day, well for the last 2 weeks actually. I turned on my music to a group that was a free download off of a Christian website Come and Live, and hadn't listened through the whole album. Of course the 1st song struck me and I'm even listening to it on repeat as I write this post.

These are the lyrics that particularly struck me-

Great Awakening- Explore

"I am determined to know nothing but You, demonstrate Your truth

I am set on spending my life on You, there's nothing to lose

Can I explore the depths of Your kindness

What else could I do,

I'm moved with a love, there's nothing to lose

My mind is made up, I want to stay unglued,

living to see You move

Nothing can hold me back anymore"

I'm amazed at how many different ways God makes His ways sure to us. I have seen a lot of confirmation the last week or so and it's overwhelming and amazing.

So please pray for me as my "original" plans have taken a turn, but one that I'm excited about, because they aren't my plans anymore, they're His. I want to do this His way, not mine. I'll still be going home at the end of August, but instead of starting at Midland Community College in January as originally planned I 'm going to look into some different options, more than likely a Bible College where I can get more specific education for ministry. I know I need more knowledge in order to serve Him as best I can. It's in God's hands and we will just see what He does next!

Blessings to you all this week,

Bethany

I know where I'm going

Having been here in Moldova over a year now I feel like I'm looking through different eyes than a year ago. I leave my apartment and don't have to second guess which direction I'm supposed to go. I go to the grocery store and actually know what is in what I'm buying. I walk in the park or in the mall and see a familiar face. I feel at home when at church despite the language difference. I don't feel like I live in a foreign country anymore. Now Moldova isn't another country far away from home that I moved to for a year, it is my second home that holds a special place in my heart.

This makes me think of my relationship with God, and how I want the same things between God and I. I want to know which direction He wants me to go and not second guess Him. I want to live my life to glorify God. I want the familiar faces around me to know that God is hope and the reason for my smile. I don't want God to feel foreign to me, but my best friend, Father, and hope. I want to be close to Him, not far away. I want to know without doubt that I will be going to home to God. My real and true home is with Christ.

I love how things I notice everyday no matter how small are used by God to show me something else. I feel like even if after Moldova I go to school for 10+ years it won't compare to the what God has taught me here in Moldova.

Gearing up for camp next week these next couple of days. I will be going with the early group on Saturday to help prepare everything for the kids arrival on Monday. The American team from Arizona arrives on Saturday, so please pray for their safe arrival. I pray that God will completely surround the camp next week and the His truth will prevail.

O and we had a great 4th of July celebration on Monday. Claudette, Ashley, and I went to Irene's for home made cheeseburgers, french fries, Coke, and ice cream sundaes. It was great to spend the holiday with my Moldovan mom and my fellow American roommates. Good times in Moldova!

Much much love,

Bets

Something YOU can do!

So if you know me you know that I have many t-shirts of an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms. They are a non-profit organization who aim to present hope and find help for those who struggle with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

TWLOHA started just a few months after we lost my brother to suicide over 5 years ago, so what this organization does means a lot to me and I love seeing the difference they make. They aren't advertised as a Christian organization, but it's obvious that the Lord has used their desire to help others to make a difference.

Something you can do today if you have a Facebook account is click on the banner below and vote for them to win 250k through the Vivint Givesback Project!

Something that I really care about, so I thought I would help get the word out!

Hope everyone is having a blessed week!

Bets

Click below to vote!

to learn more about TWLOHA go here:

To Write Love On Her Arms

Humbled and Blessed

Christina (who I met last summer) and her dog Beam

Nicedia playing cards

Hellen sharing the gospel

Prayer

Hellen and Tanya sharing the gospel with the evangecubes

Showing Nadia a map of the states and where Texas is!

A group of us on the 2nd day

beautiful Nadia

Vanya!!! Love this kid

The Moldovans playing baseball

Volleyball

Basketball

Food deliveries to the elderly

Lidia Claudette and I

Artiom packing the food bags

So my time here in Moldova in general has been full of humblings moments and blessings, but I really felt that this was the theme for last week. Last week was our first project of the summer. We didn't have a team come in for this one except for Ashley's (the new intern) father. So it was up to us Moldovans! (and yes I do consider myself a Moldovan now)

We delivered food in the mornings to families that Claudette and the elderly ministry had visited before and then in the afternoons we had a sports camp at one of the nearby schools.

One of the most humbling and biggest blessings about it for me was watching Hellen. You all have heard me speak about Hellen before. Last summer she accepted Christ at the youth camp and since then I have formed a special relationship with her, as well as she has with the church and others. She helped us out for the week and was so eager and excited to do whatever she could. On Wednesday afternoon at the sports I was playing basketball with some kids when Serghei called me over and said "I need you to take pictures now, Tanya and Hellen are sharing the gospel to those kids." I was a little caught of guard, but looked over and sure enough they had a group of about 10 kids around them and were sharing the gospel using an evangecube. I immediately just got this feeling of the Holy Spirit and how it was moving through these 2 sisters. Hellen was translating Tanya's words into Romanian, but then the next day Hellen used the same cube and did it herself to another group of people! This is a girl who is the same age as me and a year ago she didn't even have a relationship with God and here she is sharing the gospel to kids and teens. Amazing and definitely one of the highlights of the week.

I could probably go on and on of all the things that happened last week, but I figured I would share some pictures. You know because they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

We have this week next week and then on the 11th we have our kids camp 2 hours away near a city called Orhei. Please pray that preparations for that go smoothly and as planned, and that God would bless that time with the kids.

God Bless to all,

Bethany

Well I made it!

It has officially been 1 year since I arrived in Moldova last summer! This past year has flown by, and the Lord has done so many things through this country and it's people in my life and in my heart. There were times when I didn't think I would make it through the year and that I wanted to go home. And then there were other times that I felt time was going too fast and I never wanted to leave.

The Lord has shown me more things about myself and other people and most importantly HIM than I could have ever imagined.

This year has truly been amazing and I will never regret it and wouldn't trade it for anything. I may be a bit behind in college, but the lessons I have learned here in Moldova aren't even comparable.

I made this video that starts with the present, pictures from just a few days ago, all the way back to a year ago when I first arrived. I hope you enjoy taking a look at this journey that God has had me on all year.

To you who are reading this and to those who are not, Thank You. The prayers, encouragement, kind words, advice, and support has been amazing and more than I could ever ask for.

God Bless to you all.

I pray that God blesses these last couple of months that I have in Moldova as much as he has blessed the last 12.

Much love,

Bethany

Changes

I have been thinking about changes a lot lately. And obviously in the past year I have encountered many changes in my life. I'm coming up on a year in Moldova and have been thinking about the big "1 year blog post" that I promised my mom, but while thinking about it and what I will write I decided that this one had to be written first.

Nearing the end of my journey here in Moldova I've been trying to sum of my time here in my head. A lot of it doesn't make sense and I know I will be processing these last months for a while. But I look back to a year ago and it becomes difficult to remember who I was then. Yes of course I was an 18 year old with a severe case of senioritis who was ready to have high school in the past and move on to something new. But I feel like I was a completely different person compared to who I am now. And I feel like a major reason for that is because I have discovered who in am through God. I am not my own person, I am God's. More than anything this year I have learned that I have to stop being my own person and start being God's. He created me as His child, for His glory. I mean just the fact that I have been in Moldova for almost a year is because of Him. Not because of myself, my church in Midland, the church here, the seminary here, no it all is because of Him. He is the root of it all.

I have learned more about my weaknesses and strengths. Discovering things that I appreciate about myself and things that I do not. I cannot not say that I have changed all for the better, because I know that it's just not the truth. There always seems to be a good and bad side of things.

But really I wouldn't change this experience for anything because I know that without it I wouldn't of been able to discover what it means to be God's person and live the life that HE has given me.

I know this time is not up yet and I am looking forward to the last few months here in Moldova to see what else God will reveal to me and use me in.

So that is all for now, now I can start working on the 1 year post which will be up on the 7th, since that is 1 year since I arrived here in Moldova.

So until then,

Blessings to all

Bets

O and just to update and what has been going on here in Moldova. Seminary is over for the semester and we are gearing up for all the summer projects now. We have gone to the camp (2 hours away) 3 times already to do some painting and get things ready for when the kids come.

Also we have a new intern here named Ashley. She arrived last Saturday, and it has been really cool to be able to show Moldova to her. I remember back to when I was seeing Moldova for the first time, and it has been cool to see another person experience that, especially someone who is on fire for the Lord and ready to help with what He is doing here in Moldova.

So pray for us and the church as we prepare for the summer and such.

More next time, B.

Nothing But the Blood

Today is Easter and although we should remember what Jesus did for us on the cross everyday, today we remember it even more. I had a great Easter in Moldova this year. Will post pictures of the service this morning later this week.

God Bless to you all.

This video is just a little reminder of why we celebrate Easter.

Bethany

It this what spring is supposed to feel like?

So in order to try to make up for the fact that I haven't posted in a while, I knew that pictures would be a good idea. A lot has happened since you all have last heard from me. English lessons, kids and youth meetings, seminary classes, drum lessons, my 19th birthday! Most of them the normal things, but also some exciting things along the way.

My biggest question these days is if the sun if ever going to come back to Moldova. It has been overcast and quite chilly almost everyday for almost 2 weeks now. I will never complain about "too much sun" again, or at least try not to. For a girl who is used to Midland, who only has 3 types of weather, hot, really hot, and windy with an occasional cold front and very occasional rain, this 4 distinct season thing is hard to understand! But I know the sun has to come back sooner or later so my T-shirts sunglasses and flip flops will wait for that day!

I am currently finishing up a class at the seminary on teaching methods. Since a lot of my ministry here is teaching, this class has been very helpful! And this is definitely my type of class we have been doing all sorts of different activities to learn and apply the different methods, and it has been very hands-on, which is definitely my preference. Alina and I are on a team and we will be presenting a lesson on Proverbs 3:1-12 for adults tomorrow to the class, so pray that God uses us tomorrow.

Also for prayer please pray for the upcoming camps this summer. We have a had a little trouble getting teams from America to commit for all the camps, so please pray that God would bring the right people here. We love doing the camps and spending time with the kids, but we know that we wouldn't be able to do any of it without God providing all that takes to do it. Also for anyone who has either been to Moldova before or if you have ever thought about coming please get in contact with us, we have many dates this summer that we need to help with and would love to have anyone who feels that God is leading them to serve!

I continue to remain thankful to God for all that he is revealing to me here in Moldova. I discover something new almost every week if not every day. He is showing me more and more what it means to live through Him. I can't do this by myself. I must follow his path not my own. The times I try to take my own path lead me to calling out to Him looking for help, but the amazing thing is that He is always there to guide us back. I have had people come in and out of my life, but knowing that Jesus Christ isn't going anywhere is the source of greatest hope for me. I'm uncertain of where exactly He will take me next, but I am slowly learning to be ok with the uncertainty, because He knows what He is doing, which as I've said before I'm thankful for because there are many times that I have no clue what I'm doing. Remain faithful to Him, His will for your life will be revealed. Even in times of despair and uncertainty He has his merciful loving arms wrapped so tightly around us. He won't let go of us.

Well all for now enjoy the pictures and I pray that your week is full of blessings,

Bethany

O Vlad, he has quickly learned to play bass and been such a blessing to the ministry. He is always so eager to help where needed, and to pick on me, but don't worry I pick back. This is a candid shot, it's difficult sometimes to get a genuine smile from some people unless I catch them laughing like I did Vlad ha

This was an amazing night. After Friday prayer meeting a few weeks ago Tanya and her fiance Serghei took Hellen, Artiom and I to this spot in another district about 20 or 30 minutes away. You can lierally see the whole city from this spot. This was the best I could get since I didn't have a tripod, but definitely a cool night.

These 2 men came from the states to teach a week long course on being a chaplain. Chaplains are an unknown thing here in Moldova. So what these guys do is travel to different country training people in hopes of establishing chaplaincy teams. It was a very interesting class, and will be cool to see the outcome of it.

Tanya and Kate taking notes.

This was about a month ago when it did seem like spring was coming and Hellen and I went for a walk in the gardens in Botanica (the district I live in) We left as the sun was setting and as you can see it was a pretty one for sure.

Hellen was the photographer that day. She was trying to figure out how to use my camera, she decided she'll let me be the photographer from now on :)

This is from the awesome bowling party we had for my birthday! We had so much fun and it was such a blessing to get to spend that time with all my closest friends. There was 15 of us there, and it was full of laughs, gutter balls, and fun. This is Maria, myself, Claudette, Nadia, and Hellen

Claudette and I battling it out, who do you think won?

Uliana!! I have grown closer and closer to this amazing friend/mother/wife/incredibly woman of God. She is so eager to learn more about the Bible and God and it's cool to see how excited she gets. I have really loved getting to know her and even spent last Sunday at her house playing with her adorable 2 little kids Nick and Anastasia. I hope to get some pics of them outside once everything is bloomed again, they are so cute!

O Irene I love her o so much. And yes that is a homemade from scratch double chocolate chip cake! She knows me all too well, and knew exactly what to get me for my birthday! Irene gives the best hugs and makes the best cakes. I know this will be a friendship I will have for the rest of my life.

So for the last couple months Eugene, the church drummer, has been giving me lessons. I have been playing drums for a couple years, but I haven't ever had actual lessons. So this has been so helpful because drumming is definitely something I want to continue to do no matter where I am. So thank you Eugene!

Me trying to act like I know what I'm doing ;)

And last but not least my awesome English class! Sasha and Victor aren't in this picture, but the rest are. These kids love getting their picture made so it was hard to pick just one, but I felt like this one showed how fun they can be. Thank you Tanya for letting me serve in this ministry with you! From left to right top to bottom is: Anya, Nastia, Kate, Tanya, Andre, Susha, and of course on the bottom Vanya. Love each and every one of them!

Aftermath

I spent the last 30 minutes reading past posts from my blog, and noticed that I have had this blog for over a year! Crazy to think, but really is 1 year even that long? It seems like years flash by before our faces, but they are packed full of events, memories, occasions, losses, gains, relationships, emotions, adventures. Some that we will never forget, and some that we won't even remember, but all with a purpose.

My mind has been recently swimming with the months I've spent here and what I think the future will look like. Whether positive or negative thoughts my mind always comes to the (awesome) fact that God is in control of that. He has gotten me this far.

I've taken a couple of classes at seminary so far this year and am currently focusing on Russian, and I have come to a conclusion about Russian, it is really hard. I've never had/wanted to learn another language before (other than the 2 years of Latin I took purely for credit sake), but obviously living somewhere else makes that pretty important. My study habits could be better, but so could my patience level. I understand more and more why I was in speech therapy when I was younger haha So I would ask your prayers for patience, and understanding. I have found that I understand a lot more than I can actually speak, which is good but also not. I know I have the capability to learn the language I just need to put forth the effort that takes.

In other news I am really looking forward to the summer! Not only for warmer weather, but because even though it's crazy busy, it's so exciting! New people constantly coming and going, and all the camps and opportunities to spread the Word, now that is just exciting. So please be praying for the camps and all the people who are beginning to commit to coming this summer from America. I've seen God move in mighty ways through the different projects, and I know that this summer will be no exception.

I want to end by sharing some lyrics to a new Hillsong United song. It's called Aftermath and is from their new album also called Aftermath. I found it to be great inspiration this week.

The skies lay low where You are.

On the earth You rest Your feet.

Yet the hands that cradle the stars. Are the hands that bled for me.

In a moment of glorious surrender. You were broken for all the world to see.

Lifted out of the ashes. I am found in the aftermath.

Freedom found in Your scars. In Your grace my life redeemed.

For you chose to take the sinner's crown.

As You placed Your crown on me. In that moment of glorious surrender.

Was the moment You broke the chains in me.

Lifted out of the ashes. I am found in the aftermath.

And in that moment You opened up the heavens.

To the broken the beggar and the thief. Lifted out of the wreckage.

I find hope in the aftermath. And I know that You're with me.

Yes I know that You're with me here.

And I know Your love will light the way.

Now all I have I count it all as loss.

But to know You and to carry the cross.

Knowing I'm found.

In the light of the aftermath.

This is what they have to say about the meaning behind this song in the digital booklet on Itunes, which I just discovered and also want to share.

"The cross is a paradox. What was a symbol of failure and death is now established forever as a symbol of life and victory. The crucifixion was a gruesome and traumatic event and at the moment of surrender as the storm clouds gathered and the skies went to darkness it would have seemed to all who were witnesses, especially His followers, that all hope was lost - the so called 'Son of God' humiliated and tortured, dying as He hung upon a cross. But unlike any historical that has ever taken place before or after, this moment would change everything - Forever. Because of the cross we no longer have to live entangled in the fallout and the wreckage of our lives, or the worst the world can throw at us. We have been lifted out of the ashes and into the LIGHT of the aftermath. We find hope, peace, freedom, and life, and we can know with assurance that He is with us no matter what comes out way."

Often when you hear the word aftermath what follows is a description of the result of a disaster. In this case the aftermath is what has saved us and put us into a saving relationship with the Father. I like how they said "entangled in the fallout and the wreckage of our lives, or the worst the world can throw at us". This may sound negative, but it is so true and a great way to describe our lives without Christ. The world throws so much at us in this life that causes us to be entangled in all this confusion. But Jesus, He is the master at untying knots.

God I give my knots of this life for you to untie, because I can't do it without you.

Blessings to you all,

Bethany

I love these kids.

I know I said the next post would be about the class I just finished taking in seminary, but I had these pics and just wanted to share a little about these awesome kids.

I've talked about how I teach english at a Sunday school type meeting on Saturday mornings, well we have been meeting again this new year and I leave every meeting tired but so thankful! All 6 kids have been coming these past Saturdays (which is rare to have all 6) and I have just grown closer and closer to each of them. They all have their own personalities and quirks that always seem to make me laugh.

We usually start by praying with the kids and this past Saturday we had a prayer in Russian, Romanian, and English. Every time that happens it just blows me away because I know that God understands every single word! I shared with the kids right after how cool I thought this was and they agreed. One boy Sasha even went on to say how God is all-powerful and all knowing, that of course He understands all of us, even when we're all talking at once. I wish I had this kinds of wisdom at age 12!

After the meeting from 10-12 we have the kids club at the church at 2 and they're always there and yesterday Sasha who usually runs the meetings let the kids be in charge. Which I wasn't so sure about, but they did great! I see God changing every single one their lives week by week and it just brings me joy.

Here are some pics of these cool kids, and I ask that they would be in your prayers: Sasha, Victor, Vaunya, Katie, Anya, and Susha

Much love and blessings to you all,

Bets

Susha

Katie, Anya, and Susha

Emily, another American who helps us

Katie

Helping Katie with the glue ha

Anya and Susha

they eat a lot haha

o Vaunya

Victor and Sasha

Sasha