God has His plans

In many ways Moldova is a unique country. It is one of the smallest countries in Eastern Europe, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. There are constant struggles because the population’s allegiances are divided between Russia and Europe. Unfortunately, it also has the dubious title of being the poorest country in Europe.

However, what makes Moldova unique in the world today, is the great openness that exists for the Gospel message. Despite its Soviet past, a period in which every effort was made by communist authorities to remove all references to God from society, people are very open to speak and hear about the Bible.

The work of CMIAID was established in Moldova in 2009. In the lead up to this, many short-term visits were made. During these visits it was evident that there was much need in the southern part and that very little was being done there.

In 2009 the Lord opened up the possibility of buying property in the village of Zirnesti; this has since been developed into the CMIAID Base. A few years later, in 2012, a five-storey apartment block, also in the village, was purchased. The objective was to establish a Christian Centre which could minister to the needs in the community and which could become a place for various Gospel outreach activities. The building was in a state of disrepair because many years earlier it has been abandoned after the fall of communism. Everything had been taken from the building: wires, pipes, windows, doors. Attempts had even been made to take tiles off the walls!

In 2013 work began in earnest to renovate the building which was later named Bethesda Centre. We thank the Lord for providing amazing teams of volunteers who, over the next four years, renovated the building and transformed it into a modern, cheerful, and warm base for the many ministries that the Lord had opened up.

It has often been remarked in relation to the Lord’s work that we have our plans and God has His! This was certainly the case with Bethesda Centre. When the building was purchased in 2012 we had a very clear vision of how it was going to be used. Now, seven years later, we often look back with amazement and see how very few of the things we planned for the building have happened, yet God has opened doors that we could never have imagined possible! What a great Master we have!

Opportunities with children

Many who have followed the work of CMIAID are aware that much of the emphasis of the ministry is on children’s work. CMIAID runs summer camps each year at our campsite. Bible Clubs are also held on a weekly basis in villages in the area and two groups for children, Busy Bees and Our Father’s World, are held each week at the Bethesda Centre. Although we envisaged the Centre becoming a base for the children’s work when we purchased the building, we never imagined that many thousands of children would come through the Centre each year and hear the Gospel. But this is the opportunity that God has opened up.

In December, four years ago, we started presenting a Christmas Program in the Centre. Teachers and children from local schools were invited to come to view the presentation, have a snack with us and receive their calendars and Christmas gifts. The first year the Nativity story was presented. In following years we presented To Save The World, Pilgrim’s Progress and Through the Pages of Scripture. During the 2018 season just over 4,000 children and adults went through the Centre and heard the Gospel. In May this year we had a visit from the Director of the Education Department for Southern Moldova. He wanted us to put on Through the Pages of Scripture for the 52 Directors from the schools in the area. This was organised, and they came. There was much enthusiasm among many of the Directors to bring their students, and in the 2019/2020 season we anticipate between 8,000 – 10,000 people going through the Centre and seeing the presentation of The Lamb. We give thanks to God for such an open door in Moldova. We can only stand back and join with the Psalmist in saying, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23). The Directors’ visit in May has also led to CMIAID signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Education Department agreeing to the provision of various types of help to schools including the Camps and Bible Clubs we conduct each year. One very exciting addition to the agreement was the provision of BibleTime Bible courses to schools to use in their religious education classes. We pray that this will result in many Moldovan school students beginning to study the Bible in school in the coming year.

Three years ago, we were able to open a Teachers’ Resource Centre (TRC) in the Bethesda Centre. The Centre provides resources such as computers, printers, and laminators, to be used free of charge by school teachers from the schools in the Cahul region. Most schools are very poorly resourced, and teachers’ wages are very low. We are encouraged that over 200 teachers have now registered to use the TRC which is open every day; it is now not uncommon to see all workstations busy with other teachers waiting for their turn! It is encouraging to see how much of a practical help the TRC is to teachers, but even more encouraging to see how this has led to a much closer relationship with them, leading to many meaningful conversations about the Lord Jesus. The TRC was never on our initial plans for the Bethesda Centre but it has now become an integral part of its activities!

Opportunities with hungry and ill

As mentioned earlier, Moldova is a very poor country. Many people live in poverty and the need to provide much practical help in the community continues; each year quantities of firewood and potatoes are distributed to needy families and the elderly. One of the very first ministries established in Moldova was the Bethesda Soup Kitchen. Every day hot meals are delivered to the homes of needy elderly people in the area – those who struggle to cook and provide for themselves. Although the food help is very much appreciated, we often notice that what the recipients enjoy most is the daily contact with CMIAID workers who deliver the food. What a joy to be able to speak to them about the Lord Jesus Christ! Coupled with the Bethesda Soup Kitchen is a Nursing Program, providing basic medical care such as applying dressings, cleaning wounds and distributing medication. Many of the those who receive help through the Bethesda Soup Kitchen have diabetes or other illnesses, or are confined to bed, so there is the constant need for changing ulcer dressings and similar treatments. The basic medical care also includes hygiene; workers have become quite adept at using the mobile bath, cutting hair and trimming toe nails!

We are currently working on plans to start a simple medical clinic in the Bethesda Centre which will provide basic treatment to some of the people we meet through the various ministries. God willing, we plan to open this in 2020.

The practical help CMIAID has been able to give also extends to institutions. Over the years large quantities of medical equipment, consumables and furniture have been donated to various hospitals in the area; this has enabled them to improve their facilities. We thank the Lord for the many donations of goods from abroad that enable us to provide this help.

Opportunities in public services

Another unusual area of the work is the CMIAID Fire Service. When the work started in Moldova, there was nothing further from our minds than a fire service! However, we are constantly reminded that sometimes God wants us to think outside the circle for the sake of the Gospel. In 2012 when we purchased the Bethesda Centre, we met a man who lived in the building before it became derelict. It turned out that he was also the Fire Chief for the Cahul Region. In the course of our conversation he told us about the needs of the fire service in the area and how they lacked good equipment. Obviously, seizing the unexpected opportunity, he asked if we could help by providing some fire trucks for the service. In the UK we were able to find some good retired fire trucks, and these were driven out to Moldova. Two were for the government fire service and one for our village. Our Mayor was keen to see a fire station established in Zirnesti because of its distance from the main town. The two trucks given to the government fire service were immediately put into action, but nothing materialised about the station in our village. After some consideration it was decided that a number of CMIAID workers would be trained for firefighting. This was the beginning of the CMIAID Fire Service in 2013. Today, we continue to provide this service to the community and attend an average of 70 incidents per year; these include fires and car accidents. We praise God for the way this ministry has opened so many doors within the local community. Through the Fire Service, contact has been made with police and it is encouraging each year to see groups of children, belonging to fire-fighters and police, coming to Summer Camps or to view the Christmas Program. Also, each year, a special Gospel Calendar for fire-fighters is distributed to every employee of the Moldovan Fire Service (approximately 4,000).

Opportunities to plant churches

God is faithful! He guides, provides and saves. Each year brings its challenges and difficulties but, as we look back over the years since the work was established, we give thanks to the Lord for His great faithfulness. We feel that God has given us such a privilege to be part of what He is doing in Moldova.

When we first arrived here our desire was to see a local church established in Zirnesti. Although CMIAID acts as a wonderful vehicle to move resources from various countries to Moldova, bringing together Christians from many countries to serve Him, we know that when people are saved it is God’s desire that they become part of a local fellowship. There they worship and grow in their relationship with Him and in the truth of His Word. As a result, when the first two people were saved in 2013, the Zirnesti Christian Assembly was established. It is encouraging to see that over the following years God has added to the assembly with new Christians being saved and baptised. One of the most recent was a lady named Maria. When we first met her, she was an alcoholic living in appalling conditions and with a terrible reputation around the village. We added her to our Soup Kitchen run because of her desperate need and later she was admitted to the nursing home we were running at the time. During her stay there Maria came to know the Lord Jesus. She has not touched alcohol since. In May this year she, along with another lady called Angela who also lives in Zirnesti, was baptised. God is faithful to save!

Opportunities to work together

In closing, we would like to thank Medical Missionary News for the tremendous practical support they have given for the ministry in Moldova by providing warehousing facilities for CMIAID goods, handling our orders and organising their despatch to Moldova. This year five containers have been dispatched from Wickford with another planned for later in the year. MMN have also hosted the visit of several fire trucks which came to the warehouse to pick up goods. We give thanks to the Lord for the unique and very practical ministry of MMN!