‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.’ Philippians 1:3-5

This August, we will mark our sixth anniversary in Moldova! As we reflect on our time here, we rejoice and give thanks, like the Apostle Paul did, for all the churches and individuals who have partnered with us, and continue to do so, in the gospel.

One of the ways some of our partner churches have chosen to deepen that partnership is by sending out a small group of people to come and visit us in Moldova and see first-hand what our life and ministry is like here. One such team arrived in Chisinau just before Orthodox Easter, all the way from St John’s Walthamstow, London.

The group of five stayed with us for just under a week and we had a wonderful time together. We wanted to show them what our day-to-day life was like and some of the different ministries we are involved with. The team also came with the aim of supporting and caring for us which they did through babysitting whilst we went on a date night and running a Bible club one day for our children, which they loved!

We were very thankful for the team’s extra help and all their different gifts. We held special meetings to mark Easter with women, children, and teenagers. Some members of the team preached, whilst others shared their testimony and ran games or craft activities. The three ladies in the team stayed overnight at our church with the Ukrainian refugees so were able to see first-hand the reality of life for them in Moldova. The team also spent one morning preparing food packages for Ukrainians which were handed out later that day at an evangelistic meeting.

We are really thankful for their visit and for their love and care. It is very humbling when a group of people are willing to leave their comfort and fly to an unfamiliar country and spend time with some people they don’t know very well. It is also wonderful to have extra people to help us with our ministries. And for us as a family, it was just a really good time of fellowship, laughter and encouragement!

We hope the visit, however, was not just for our benefit, but was a mutually encouraging time. We thought we’d finish by sharing what the team felt were some of the benefits of the trip. Maybe it might spur you and your church to come out and visit us sometime soon – you’d be very welcome!

Team members mentioned the following benefits:

‘The lived-in experience of missionary family life and seeing how some things are very similar to back home, while others are quite different.’

‘Seeing the importance of having a strong grasp of the local language and culture. I think I benefited in seeing how churches in the UK could do much more to engage people in their parish when there are fewer cultural barriers to overcome.’

‘I benefited from seeing the way the gospel has prompted Christians to sacrificially serve Ukrainian refugees. Now to translate that into our church setting!’

‘The trip helped me to re-centre my life on God and face areas of my life that needed attention to make them more Christ-centred.’

‘The trip has strengthened my connection with my own church community and rekindled my desire to serve in church.’

‘Encouraging each other in the work that God has given us; helping each other grow in Christ and learning from one another. The trip helped me to know how best to pray for you and Moldova.’

If you’d like to do a similar visit, please get in touch with Jaki North, Crosslinks’ Short-Term Mission Coordinator.

Visiting well – practical tips:

  • You don’t need to come as a big group! Sometimes smaller is better. We got to know the group of five well, and they got to know us and our ministry. There was time for deeper conversations and for the relationship to grow.
  • You don’t need to go for long! The group came for just under a week, and yet we covered so much with them. People have busy lives and we have lots going on here too, so it’s better to be realistic rather than overambitious, and then find it’s too much.
  • Think about why you want to visit before you visit. The group came with a purpose in mind. They wanted to support and care for us as well as seeing what life in Moldova is like first-hand for themselves, and so they weren’t a burden or distraction from ministry – they simply joined in!
  • Talk to mission partners about the best time to visit – coming over Orthodox Easter meant the group experienced a very Moldovan cultural event and gave opportunities to share the gospel at different events.
  • Be honest and communicate well with mission partners about your expectations and the time before and after. It was really encouraging hearing how the team had benefitted and grown in their relationship with the Lord and each other, and their conviction to share the gospel once they returned in the UK.