As I sit here trying to reflect on the last week to share with you...my brain is a blur. So many moments occurred this week that took my breath, brought a smile, or broke my heart. I think this Monday stands out the most for me, though. We took our guests to Straseni (sounds like Strah shane) orphanage. This complex once "cared for" over 300 children. Now, there are over 100 there. Many of our girls and guys came from this orphanage. Some of the most precious people in my life grew up here and Monday was my first time to visit. I had heard about it-but seeing it first hand was so different.
Several of our girls from our house went with us to Straseni.  These girls are family to us. All three of these girls had grown up there. 
We entered through the gates and I was overwhelmed with how much this place reminded me of something out of a scary novel. There was no life there, just concrete buildings surrounded by trees that seemed to mourn the fact that they were there. Everything seemed concrete and gray...but then we stepped off the bus and were swarmed by this humming buzzing packs of kids who wanted to see the Strainii (foreigners). The group of about 40 kids that surrounded us consisted of children mostly 9-13. They were timid and yet curious all at the same time. They were longing for interactions with others but not quite sure how to approach us. Brian instantly made friends with a little chap named Vasille. His choclatey brown eyes lit up when Brian started using his Romanian skills to speak with him. Several kids came up and as we asked them (in Romanian) "what is your name?" They got creative:) Would you believe that Michael Jackson, Spiderman, Superman, IronMan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi (futbol players) all live at Straseni? 
After spending some time just visiting and talking with the kids outside, we stepped into the halls of the Straseni Orphanage School. My sweet, strong Liuba lead us on a tour. It was the saddest school I have ever been in and I was struggling to reconcile how that energetic group from outside was the same group that filled these cold classrooms. We walked from room to room and spoke to the children. The teachers rarely smiled at us or the students. When we walked into one of the classrooms, an 'afternoon" teacher walked through us and one of our girls visibily shrunk in size as this woman passed by. The girl's eyes went cloudy. She whispered to one of us that this teacher used to beat her regularly. Guys, it is probably good that I was not made privvy to that until after we left that woman's room-I was ready to take off my jewelry and take it to the mats with that woman. I was filled with a righteous anger ,guys.
We continued on through the school and entered more classrooms.  One of the girls then wanted to show us the library.  This girl is so dear to my heart and she loves to read just as much as I do.  We went into the library and she lit up and spoke with the librarian who had been there for a long time.  She then told us that she had spent so much time in there.  I am sure it was a haven for her.  The girls joked that she had read every book there.  I said a prayer of thanksgiving to God for that library and that librarian.  I thanked Him for letting me see a place of sanctuary in the cold and drafty building.
We then toured the buildings where the younger children (ages three to five) went to school and lived.  My heart broke thinking of three year olds living there without a momma to hold them.  I was so over whelmed thinking about my girls (because these girls are our family) being there in that place for most of their lives.  My dear sweet spunky girls.  I held back the tears and I stepped outside away from the group and I prayed that God would rain down His love and His spirit on that place in such a mighty and palpable way.  I thanked Him for bringing our dear girls and guys through this place and for using it to make them stronger in Him.  I thanked Him for allowing me to see it and for breaking my heart...and burning His holy fire in me.  I should tell you about the conditions in the bathrooms and kitchen.  But, I won't.  It would make your stomach turn.  Its so unbelievable some of the things that exist in this world...that we don't realize.  So many children live in conditions like this or worse.  They are pushed aside, forgotten, and liven in subhuman situations.  I want you to feel a righteous anger for the disenfranchised of the world...whether it be in Africa, Asia, Moldova, or in your very own community.  People still feel voiceless.  People are still oppressed.  People are still lacking hope.  I just want to open your eyes up to it...ask God what He would have you do.  

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Hi Friends!  It has been a while since we have talked.  We just got Internet in our flat yesterday, so we are excited and hopefully I can blog a little more regularly.  We are officially legal in Moldova now.  We received our residency decision a few days ago.  Something REALLY beautiful happened as we were leaving the Residency office (and all of its craziness) -as we were walking down the bustling streets of Chisinau we heard familiar music...when we slowed down to hear it....it was Hillsong's Oceans playing on the outside speaker of a cellphone store!  You can read more about God using that song in our lives on a regular basis here.  He just poured that music into the speakers and into our hearts.  It was such a lovely feeling of peace and assurance that washed over us.  Brian and I both laughed as our group walked ahead of us....we got a little teary eyed that God let us hear it and used it yet again to confirm our journey here.

So anyway,Yeah for RESIDENCY!  We will have to reapply in July, but we have that first one under our belt!  We have had some pretty busy and amazing weeks.  (Tomorrow is our official two month anniversary here and Moldova is definitely home).  We are learning the sporadic public transportation here.  We are learning the language (Brian is the teacher's pet in our class-seriously-she calls on him all the time and says Bravo Brian!  Super Brian!)  Anywho, our days are filled with a variety of things and time is passing by so fast.  Today we had an amazing mission service at our church (which is lead by our girls and guys).  It was such an encouraging message and it just spoke to my heart.  Afterwards, we did our usual visiting and Brian did some math tutoring.  Sundays are fun.  We were invited by some of our boys to tag along to an "adventure park" -i think it is like an old soviet amusement park with a Ferris wheel, carousel and maybe go carts.  Anyway, we had a lot to do for supporters at home, planning our English classes for the week, studying Romanian, and watching our church back home online:)  So-we decided to stay at home.  I'm not going to lie, I felt like I was missing out.  When I saw the group laughing and smiling at the bus stop, I felt like I was missing out...and I longed to go with them...to change my plans.  But, I didn't and I am so thankful that I didn't go.
   Halfway through watching our church service online, we had a knock at our door.  It was one of our sweet girls.  After about ten minutes, another one of our girls came to visit.  The work we had been doing, and the sermon all took the backseat to time with these girls.  Because our preacher was speaking on John 13:34 today and loving one another....we decided to love the ones who were right in front of us.  We had a lovely visit and one of the girls stayed for quite some time.  We could tell she wanted to talk but was struggling to decide if she would talk or not.  She eventually shared her heart about things that are challenging here right now.  We spent time just listening and looking at scripture....and just reminding this sweet, beautiful, and amazing young woman how much we love her and how much Our God adores her....and that she has done NOTHING to earn that love....and that is OK:)  Brian and I held this girl's hands and we cried out to God on her behalf.  Then we wrapped our arms around this girl and reminded her of all the love she has in her life.  As she closed the door to walk back to her room, I thanked God for not letting me "miss out" on being a part of this girl's life....for not letting me "miss out" on being an ear to listen and arms to hold.  Nights like tonight leave Brian saying..."that is what it is all about"  Impromptu prayer times with the girls are the treasures we store up in our hearts.  So thankful we didn't miss out on the journey here.

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Long time, no see devoted friends and readers!  Brian and I have been in Moldova for over six weeks.  The time has flown by.  Our days and nights are full and so are our hearts.   Once our girls and guys returned from Camp, we hit the ground running preparing for the new school year.  Here is a quick update-  I had the opportunity to take some of our new girls shopping at the piata (which is kind of like a tent shopping center with various wares and goods).  Brian and I had the opportunity to attend a Moldovan wedding.  It was an amazingly beautiful ceremony and the food was spectacular.  The food in Moldova is generally delicious to us.  We celebrated Brian's birthday.  I think it may have been one of his best birthday's yet.  If you follow us on Facebook, you already know his favorite part of his day was spending prayer time with some of the girls and guys.  We stepped outside a busy restaurant in to the cool, dark and busy streets of Chisinau and we held hands and we prayed in two languages.  God was there in the warmth of our hands as we prayed and the cool breeze on our cheeks and the sounds of the city that seemed to lean in towards us and want to know more.  It was a really beautiful experience. 
Two nights ago, we moved in to our new flat.  It has a kitchen and a room that doubles as bedroom and living room and it has its own bathroom.  It is lovely.  It has the best view of all of our ministry houses here.  Like I have said before, God has ordained every single step of us getting here.  Especially this lovely home.  It is an over the garage apartment and there is a lovely garden full of roses and gerbera daisies and honeysuckle.  It is just amazing.  At night, we sleep with the windows open and the breeze (which is now cool) laced with the smell of flowers is blowing in....it settles our minds and our hearts.  God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
Yes, there are trying times and frustrating moments, working with people is never easy because we are all flawed.  But, in the trying times, He whispers to me in the sparkle in the girl's eyes and in the beautiful ringing sound of their laughter and always with the breeze (whether it is laced with flowers or burning trash:) ).  Ha!!


My prayer for Team Jones is that God keeps our eyes open to the opportunities to show His love-whether it be here in Stella's House or out in the country.

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So...I have a secret.  I have been wearing the exact same clothes for the last five days.....and they are COVERED in paint.  We have been painting from early in the morning to late at night for the last week.  We are doing some repairs and much needed upkeep on one of the houses while the girls are at camp.  We have a LOVELY team from the UK here helping us.  They love my accent (I don't think I have one)...and I of course have adored their accents.  Interestingly enough....we speak the same language but find ourselves having to figure out and translate.  I have spent the last few days in confined spaces with this group and they have just poured love and encouragement in to me.  They were our first official group to help host here in Moldova and they have set the bar so high.  They love this ministry.  It shows in everything.  After long days of painting and construction, they load up and ride an hour to spend time with the kids at camp only to load back up and ride another hour back.  They go to bed late and get up early and do it with smiles on the faces and love in their hearts. 

We have had the opportunity to ride with them to camp a few nights.  Let me tell you about this camp.  This camp is being done by our girls and guys.  They are leading worship, leading workshops, feeding people. and loving people.  They are using this to reach out to their friends who are believers and to the ones who are not.  The first night we were able to join them, our guys did a complete passion play throughout the camp.  It was so incredibly moving.  The crowd of campers was quiet and reverent as they moved through Christ's life all the way to His death on the cross (His resurrection was the next night).  It was powerful.  My favorite night at camp so far was last night.  We arrived and some of our kids that we have known for at least three years greeted us.  One in particular is a young man we have known since He was about 12.  He has grown in to such a warm and wonderful young man.  He talked with me and told me (in Romanian) how glad he was that we were in Moldova and that He was ready to learn English with us.  He then caught us up on his summer and his life.  Later in the evening, he asked us to sit with him at worship.  We did and God just spoke to me in such a beautiful way.  I love when He just washes over me.  We were under the chapel tent and the air was cool.  We began singing a worship song in English.  As I closed my eyes to sing, I heard this precious young man's voice singing beautifully  (and with perfect English pronunciation) about his love for His savior.  I said a prayer of thanksgiving that God gave me that moment and that He gave this country a place for amazing young men to come to know Him.  Y'all this young man's parents abandoned him when He was young.  Her survived on sugar and stale bread.  He and his two younger siblings have been in an orphanage as long as they can remember.  He has never known the love of His earthly father....but He KNOWS His heavenly Father loves him.  He has a heart for God.  I am so thankful that God is letting me watch this young man grow.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself.  God wants us here.  He thinks we are worthy to be a part of the lives of some pretty amazing kids.   He shares these beautiful glimpses of His glory with us.  I pray that my eyes stay every open to moments like these.

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It is almost eight o'clock in the evening here.  Although it has been raining this evening, it is still bright out.  The hillside out our window is beautiful and gray and misty.  When I open the window, the smell of rain and chamomile blow in.  It is so peaceful.  Over the last few days we have been so busy so I am just soaking up this moment of peace and quiet.  I am sure in a moment I will hear a knock at our door and some sweet girl will want to play a game.  So, while I have the time, I want to catch you all up. 

Brian and I have both driven in Moldova now, its been short distances...but we are proud.  Today I drove in the rain and remembered the path to our deposit.  I was very proud of myself as were the two sweet girls we had with us.  The rain storm today came up rather quickly but it was a welcome relief from the heat.  The last few days have been the hottest this summer.  Sunday was a squelcher, so on Monday we went to the Metro (discount club similar to but also very different from Sams).  We purchased 18 fans for the three houses...one for every bedroom.  The girls  and guys were so excited.  We bought ourselves a fan for our future home as well.  Speaking of future homes, we may be moving into our permanent residence some time in the next two weeks and we are so very excited.

This Sunday, I was asked to share a word of encouragement for the church.  The topic was courage.  Y'all, that is NOT a word I would use to describe myself.  I am not fearful...but I also don't think I am courageous.  I felt rather ill equipped to discuss the topic.  But then I read the passages from Esther that would be the topic of the sermon and it made me think.  Sometimes courage is acting even when you are scared...or nervous...or unsure.  I used the example of a recent zip linning "adventure" Brian and I went on.  Brian and our friend, Kimmie enjoyed the zip lines tremendously.  They loved every minute....and I thought I would.  But, apparently I am afraid of heights...more specifically I am afraid of hanging from a line high above the ground.  It was the first time I have ever truly felt fear of something.    It was terrifying for me...jelly legs...heart racing...stone in the pit of my stomach terrifying.  At the very last zip line (which was also 80 ft. in the air), my husband and friend encouraged me to climb up with them.  I did.  I got to the top...and I felt paralyzed with fear.  I was on all fours on a platform 80 feet up in the air.  I wanted to just get in the fetal position and make it all go away.  But, I knew that ignoring the problem was not an option at all.  I HAD to act to move on from the fear....and that act took courage.  I had to step off an 80 foot platform and trust that I would live to tell you this story.  Courage is like that....it isn't lacking fear...it is acting in spite of fear.  I used the passage in Mark 6 when Jesus is on the land praying and he looks out on the water and sees the disciples in the middle of a treacherous storm.  He can see their fear.  He can feel it even from far away.  He then goes to them, and as soon as he is near...their fear is gone and the storm is calmed.  He is the one who gives us courage.  When we cling to Him, He helps calm our storms and our hearts.    He helps us move through our fears of failure or heights or inadequacies or whatever it is.  That was so profound to me....He doesn't say I have to be courageous.   But, He knows that I can be.  As I finished sharing this story, I looked in to the faces of literally the most courageous people I know. Children of God who had the courage to keep on living, even when their family didn't know or care that they existed,.  Sweet girls who have the courage to be different from others because they want what God has planned for them and not what the world has planned.  Young men who have the courage to be passionate about their creator and about serving others even when they live in a ego-centric world.  These kids have the courage to get up every day and face it with grace and strength and patience.  They are courage...they are so much more like Esther than I every will be. 
I am so stinking blessed to be a teensy weensy part of the lives of these dynamic young people.  They are teaching us so much already. 

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Well hello friends!!! We have had a pretty productive few days.  Brian got to sharpen his handyman skills yesterday.  He replaced the toilet seat in the apartment where we are staying....and he replaced some light bulbs:)  Baby steps.   He is rockin it! 

Today we made a LOT of progress towards our "Visa" (Residency) applications.  We got our paperwork and the morning went very smoothly.  Several of you, my sweet friends, were praying.  It helped.  We had lovely people helping us all day today.  We were oh so thankful that the only medical exam we needed was a blood type test.  Our friend Mia took us to a nice international hospital for the blood tests.  Then we went on to make all the gajillion copies of our documents that we had to make.  It was a pretty smooth day if I do say so myself.  Our little team of four had a wonderful day of bonding. 

We are so incredibly grateful that we get to be here and be a part of this ministry.  Please continue to pray for our "Visa" process and that we maximize our time with our sweet sweet girls and guys here.  We are daily learning from them.  Continue to pray that God will open up our eyes to every single moment.  Sorry for the short post, but I want to go spend time with the girls!  We love y'all!

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Today was a good day.  I am still struggling to adjust to the late nights.  It doesn't get dark here until like 10 at night it seems.  We woke up and took care of a few little things around the house.  Brian "cut" the grass at both houses with an electric weedeater and did a WONDERFUL job.

We began working sorting through items that are donated.  What a blessing it is to have people donate to this wonderful ministry.  Believe me, your gifts are important.  The ministry shares your donations with the girls and guys here and with children at other orphanages.  It was such a treat to see the support people have offered in so many different ways!  The deposit itself is a cinderblock building that is rather warm:)  We stopped and got a treat of Moldovan ice cream on the way back from our toils.  Moldovan icecream is sooo very delcious.  The one I chose is actually made here in Ialoveni.  Actually right up the road.  It does not look like a factory that makes delicious ice cream, but indeed it is:) It looks more like a run down old Army Post...they have guards in Fatigues.  Apparently protecting the Moldovan Ice Cream recipe is the real deal.  It makes me nervous whenever we walk past the place it also makes me think of Slugworth in Willie Wonka.  But, they make good stuff behind those walls.  If I could send you all a box of Moldovan Ice Cream, I would.

This afternoon, I spent time with one of the girls who is studying for the music academy.  She and I sat in the church and sang and I listened to her play the piano...and I could hear how much she has learned just since last summer.  She is amazing.  It was such a special moment to be in the church listening to her play.  God is so big and He always shows up and shows out for me through music.  After talking with this sweet love about my musical past (french horn in high school, marching band, drum major, etc).  I felt the need to really show her what a marching band is (apparently they only do marching bands for funerals here).  I pulled up the Auburn University pregame show and I may have even been singing War Eagle with the crowd!  She thought it was very cool.  It was fun to share something I love with her.  Thank you Jesus for helping me connect.  Please pray that God continues to reveal ways for us to connect with the girls....to share common interests....to show them that we love them sooo much!!!!

This evening we got to share dinner with two sweet girls from the house.  We went into the city to an "italian" restaurant.  The girls loved it and so did we!  We all brought home leftovers and lots of laughs.  My goal tonight is to be in the bed by midnight...but it is already 11:00 and I have several more things to accomplish....but I want you to know...Moldova is feeling more and more familiar and comfortable.  We are adjusting to some of the things that are unique to this culture (i.e.-not smiling at people on the street -its tough for me.) We have been complemented many times by the girls saying "that is very Moldovan of you".  I pray that we can assimilate in to the culture here and yet still be who we are.  You can join us in praying for that as well.

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Many of you have asked for an update...this is too much info...but my brain is still processing.

Well....We have been here  a week and it has been a whirlwind!!!!  We have Moldovan Phone numbers now (that was pretty exciting but it made all my imessage stuff go crazy:(.  Here is a brief and simple recap of our time here so far.

Tuesday-We arrived to the open arms and smiles or our beautiful Moldovan friends.  When we arrived at Stella's House the girls had decorated the gates for us.  It made us feel so welcome and so at ease.  There were pictures posted all the way up the hall to our room.  It was lovely!  Later that night, our friend Mia took us to KFC in the Malldova.  (That's right, the Mall in Moldova is called the Malldova.  I just love that).  KFC in Moldova is delicious because they serve a yummy garlic Mayo with everything.  It makes your breath stink....but it is good.  After dinner, we were both so exhausted...but we still stayed up until two in the morning visiting and processing:)  (I also burned some strawberry cupcakes within my first few hours here...me and gas ovens and celsius are not pals yet.

Wednesday-  We went on an adventure in the city with a friend who needed to pay a parking ticket.   Our friend laughed when I brought my umbrella (there was an 80% chance of rain).  I brought it anyway....we could not find the place to pay tickets and ended up walking about a mile to the office and the sky got darker and darker and darker.  At the ticket office, the bottom fell out and it began pouring with no end in sight....so we decided to just go for it.  We walked about a half a mile to the place we needed to go to get our new SIM cards.  That's right-we have Moldovan phone numbers now.  After walking about another mile in the rain we boarded a bus to head back to the car.  It was like monsoon season here.  It was crazy.  We were so soaked...I cannot even remember what we did the rest of that day.  No clue.  I just remember being soaked.  Oh and that I still couldn't get myself asleep before three in the morning:) 

Thursday- On Thursday morning we did a tour of the two new homes and some basic shopping.  Thursday evening, I lead a Bible Study for the girls.  We talked about one of my favorite characters in the Bible, Ruth.  I shared some of my most favorite things about the book of Ruth and what God has taught me from Ruth.  Then we discussed how Ruth and Boaz are heroes and that lead in to a whole discussion of the heroes in our life.  Several of the girls shared different people who had inspired us....many of us shared that our brothers were heroes to us.  I guess that is not that strange....but we all have been inspired by our brothers...I guess girls are just built to understand the importance of the older brother figure. 

Friday- Brian was very excited on Friday because we got to spend the day doing some mapping of the new homes.  He got to use Excel.  A day with an Excel spreadsheet is a good day for him:)  We spent a good part of the day doing that and then we got to go to Youth Group with the girls.  It was a small group because most of the kids are working camp out at Providence.  At Youth Group we again discussed heroes and their profound impact on our lives.  One of the pastors shared a beautiful story of his mother and all that she went through as a Christ Follower under Soviet Rule.  She was oppressed and mistreated and still called on God daily.  She won so many people to Christ and was such a wonderful doctor that eventually the Soviets realized they just needed to leave her to practice medicine and follow her god.  We then talked about people we may affect in life....it gets you thinking....we are in a place now where every decision we make can impact the lives of some amazing kids...it can be a good impact or a bad impact....I am praying that God gives me the strength to make every decision count for Him and for others.    Friday night our friend Mia made us some delicious Mexican food.  It was wonderful and we shared a game time with a dear Moldovan friend.  Moldova already feels like home.

Saturday- We spent the day out at Providence (aka-one of our favorite places in the world).  It was water/mud day for the kids.  I ended up being the videographer and escaped the mayhem.  Brian was covered with water and mud but had the biggest smile on his face.  He rocked the wheelbarrow race and was very proud of himself.  Of course, his team won.  Here is a picture of him at water day....You can't even see how muddy he truly is...He said and I quote... "I have mud in my teeth".  Up until yesterday I was still cleaning the mud from his ears.  It was a wonderful day spent with wonderful people.  The Simon s House Boys are amazing at coordinating the fun activities.  They have a heart for the kids.

Sunday- We worshipped with the girls (which is our favorite place to be).  We then spent the remainder of the day celebrating our friend and fellow missionary's birthday.  We had a lovely day.  Went to a Moldovan pool....went bowling (they don't really oil the lanes) and then we shared dinner with friends.  Our dear friend Sergiu is now back in Moldova so he spent the day with us and invited Brian to his home while we were off having girl time.  Brian was spoiled and told Sergiu and his mother that she has southern hospitality:)  Lovely day.  We ended the day very late eating a strawberry cake that I made (and did not burn)for the birthday girl.  The girls were all silly and laughing and it was a beautiful end to the day.

After today I won't give you a play by play of everything....but just wanted you to see all the things our first week here entailed.  We had an amazing team meeting last night and made a to do list that was a mile long.  Hope you are all well!  Te Iubim!!!  We love you!!

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Well....the day finally arrived when we would load up all of our belongings and head to Moldova.  The last six months have been so busy, Brian and I haven't had much time to process.  We have both felt like we were watching all the events and time with family happen....like we were onlookers.

So on Sunday, We rode to the airport in rainshowers all the way (Brian in the car with his parents and me in the car with two precious friends)....we waited in the ticket line forever....we were given special baggage rates (thanks for praying for that friends)....and then we said goodbye.....and it still didn't seem real.  Our friends and family left the airport...  and we waited for it to start feeling "real".  We still had to rush about to get to our flight and grab a bite to eat.  We boarded the plane and then we waited for it to feel real....

Somewhere half way over the Atlantic Ocean, it finally processed through our brains.....This..Is....REAL.  Then I began to cry.  I cried because it finally hit me how much I am going to miss all of those amazing friends that I told you about.  I cried because I was thankful that God gave me those friends.  I cried because I realized I wouldn't get to hug my momma or my best girl friends for over year.  It got real at 30,000 feet in the air. I am sure the people around us were wondering what all the sniffeling and ugly cry faces were about.  We cried and we let the tears flow....and then....we felt that peace that only He can give.

After being awake for over 30 hours straight....I feel certain I could cry about anytthing right now.....and I know that I will have sad days and long for the love of my family and friends in the U.S.  But I will continue to hold on to the promises of the One who loves me.

We arrived in Munich 30 hours after our original flight (we had a 19 hour layover in Munich)....We spent a rainy day with our dear friend Raegan, sight seeing and attempting to stay awake:)  The weather was very wet and cool....but the company was wonderful....and the German food did not disappoint.  Brian had Schnitzel and I had Spaetzle.  All yummy.  We then headed back to the Hotel and we passed out.  (Brian fell asleep in two different churches in Munich during our sight seeing...so he was ready for rest).

Today, we arrived in Moldova...and came through customs and were greeted by by dear dear dear people.  They had signs and letters and flowers for us.....but most of all they had warm open arms.  Nothing like a welcome home hug...and that is where we are now....home.  Its strange....but true.  We are both exhausted right now...but wanted to take a minute to let you all know how things are.  We will post pictures soon!  We love you our friends.  Nopate Buna Si Vise Dulce!!!!  (Good night and sweet dreams!!)

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This week it is real.  For the last six months I have felt like I was simply an onlooker to all the changes God is making in our lives.  But this week....it is all so real.  My brain is sleep deprived....my heart is all mixed up....so my apologies if this does not make sense.

We had a time of prayer/time for goodbyes with our friends and family on Thursday night.  We were so incredibly touched by all of the folks who came out to pray with us.  My sweet PKS work friends came out, our nearest and dearest chosen family (our amazing close friends), family, mentors, and just other precious people.  They all came together to come show us love.

I closed my eyes and steadied my heart and tried to tune everything out but the Holy Spirit moving in the room.  He pressed down on my spirit and let me feel the love emanating off of our beloved gathering.  He spoke to me in the whispered "amens" and sniffles.  God has always shown Himself to me in the most beautiful and powerful ways in the people in my life.  I have never felt more aware of His beauty, majesty, and power then when I am looking into the eyes of a dear friend and sharing a special moment without words.  (Or laughing til I cry at a shared memory). Our God is so amazing...If you don't know that then you need to look around you....or come and meet my friends.  (I digress).

Actually, perhaps I am not digressing...perhaps I am just filled with awe at the beauty of our Creator and how incredibly talented He is at making each person such a unique work of art.  It may sound corny...but we all know I am not great at truly conveying overwhelming moments.  I am in love with our Creator...and I love His creation...the world around me....especially my friends.

Speaking of being overwhelming..one of our friends prayed the most beautiful of prayers....I had told her that we were feeling a little overwhelmed....and her prayer was something like this....
       Lord where there is anxiety...OVERWHELM them with your peace
                where there is fear....OVERWHELM them with your presence
                 where there is sadness....OVERWHELM them with joy.

    Do you see how amazing our friends are?  That makes goodbye a whole lot more difficult.  Over the last few days we have said goodbyes...or see you laters....We have all kept it together quite well....Today I just had to have my own little come apart in the closet.  I literally went and locked myself in the closet in the guest bedroom at Brian's parents house and I experienced some emotions....I felt crazy...I felt anxious....I felt sad...I felt out of whack....and then after some sad times....God turned those ashes into beauty....He reminded me of how much He loves me...I need that...He is my heavenly Father and even though the family we chose for ourselves will be here and we will be way over there.....Our Heavenly Father promises He will be with us....that doesn't take all the sad away.....but it provides a warm embrace and a place to shed tears.  He is good all the time.   All the time I tell you!!! 

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Last days are both wonderful and horrible. I don't care what cool quote or sentiment you put with it(Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened,i do love that one:) etc)-there is still some sadness. They are just a big ole crazy mix of emotional highs and lows. Brian and I have had several "last days" over the last few weeks. We are so humbled and excited to be following God's plan for us in Moldova...but we are saying goodbye to friends and family...and well, that part is tough...because we have some wonderful friends and family. Brian has been a Quality Engineer at small company in Montgomery for the last thirteen years. He is a hardworking, smart, and kind man and they, of course will miss him. I am so glad they celebrated him for this last two weeks. They took him to lunch, had a surprise lunch for him, and just generally loved on him and encouraged him. They took the time to share their respect for and appreciation of him. That makes this girl smile. If you don't know my husband, you should. He is quiet, incredibly witty, generous, kind, driven, loving, and thoughtful...(he is also incredibly cute-but I digress-I can talk about Brian all day long). Because Brian is a man, his "last day" wasn't quite as crazy emotional as I was. He felt loved and that was that:) Crazy emotional Kathryn on the other hand....My going away party at work was at the end of May (I am was a special education teacher at an all Kindergarten school..its like Disney world....with 500 five year olds). My coworkers friends did an amazing job surprising me. If you are my friend on facebook, you saw all the pictures and felt the love, I am sure. It was such a joyous feeling to be loved on and surprised like that...but ya'all, I did the ugly cry for real ( and my goal has been to NOT ugly cry in front of others...but ALAS, a rock star party did it to me). I was so overwhelmed with emotions for my sweet friends I even tried to leave my own surprise party...they kept turning me around and sending me back in. I wanted to have my ugly cry in peace:) It was an amazing party and given by people who know me so well. It was a beautifully up lifting "last day". My actual last day of teaching was a struggle. So much of who I am has been tied up in being a special education teacher and I'm not gonna lie, it was another ugly cry kinda day. But, this time I got to ugly cry by myself :) We have so many "last days" ahead of us over these next 17 days. Each "last" moment is beautiful and sad. I am praying that God helps me store them all up as treasures in my heart. So that when I am feeling sad, alone, forgotten, frustrated....I will remember that I am loved by Him...and one of the ways He shows us love is through the love of friends and family.

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The tickets are purchased...time is drawing closer. After three years of praying, planning, and believing-Team Jones is finally heading to Moldova. Please pray for us over the next few weeks as our time is short and our to-do list is LONG. Our blog will be changing soon to include more information on our story, how to support us, and how to pray for us. Keep watching and consider "following" our blog. You can click on " follow" over on the right hand side of this page------>

Countdown Clock

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Greetings Agents- Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read this blog about the COOL things that happened to us this week:)

We were invited to share with TWO special churches this week and I want to share the experience with you.  I am "spying it up" a bit to match the Lifeway VBS theme they were both using:)

Monday-1800 hours.
Destination-Heritage Baptist Church Prattville, Alabama
Code Name- Penny Wars
I was invited by my awesome friend(and coworker from Prattville Kindergarten), Tammy Horton, to share with her church's VBS crew.  She has rallied behind us and has encouraged her church to support us prayerfully and financially.  As part of their VBS time, the children took up an offering called "penny wars".  It was a competition between the boys and girls to see which team could accumulate the most weight in currency (coins weigh more).  On night two when I spoke they already had a total of almost twenty pounds in currency.  AMAZING.  I got to worship and share with the AWESOME and ON FIRE kids who were learning about how to be an agent of the One True God!!  Their worship service was amazing and their skit was priceless...seriously-Lifeway should hire the two guys that did it to write their stuff...it was hilarious-but I digress.  I got to share a little bit about our mission with the kids...and teach them a little Romanian (the national language of Moldova).  I reminded them that as Agents of God...they needed to be able to share HIS love and remind others that God loves them NO MATTER WHAT.  To hear 75 kids shout DUMNEZEU TE IUBESTE (God Loves You) was awesome!!!   I felt so welcomed and loved by this sweet church.  Thursday night, my friend Tammy called and shared the total with me...it was amazing that they raised such a HUGE amount in coins! The special agents at the church shared so generously and helped pave the way for us to make it to Moldova.   Thanks Heritage Baptist Church!!!
Here are some pics from their "penny wars".

Boys bringing change and filling up the bucket for Team Jones in Moldova!!

The Girls are winning!!!!

Side Note-Because they reached their monetary goal for the week all of the ministers got pies in their faces!!

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Today is one of those days that I truly wish that I could clearly convey the beauty of moments with my words.  I have waited four days to blog about our "going forth service" at church in hopes that my brain would suddenly realize how to tell you all how truly incredible this service(s) was.  But, alas my brain is still incapable of communicating how immense and beautiful and powerful it was...so you just will have to forgive me.


This Sunday, our church (Frazer UMC) had a going forth ceremony for us and another missionary family.  (In case you are not up to date-we are moving to Moldova in July to work as missionaries alongside Stella's Voice.)  We spent the morning running back and forth between six services.  At each service, we had the opportunity to share a little bit of our story with our Frazer Family and Friends.  My sweet, shy husband was incredible.  He generally does not enjoy speaking in groups larger than three....and he was holding a microphone and addressing between 100 and 500 at each service.  That is a God thing.  God has done so many cool things in the life of my wonderful husband over the last four years...him speaking to hundreds was just icing on the coolest cake ever:)  As usual, I am getting off topic.  My apologies :)  Anyhow, at each service, after we had finished sharing our hearts with our church, our pastors invited our church family to come up and lay hands on us and pray for us.  We circled up with our new friends the Stevens (who are moving to Haiti-you can read more about them here.)  Then our church family proceeded to leave their seats and come pray for us and with us. 


This is the part that I wish I could truly convey.  At each service, when our church family came forward to lay hands on us.  I felt so overwhelmed with peace.  Their warms hands on my back and shoulders radiated God's love, their sweet whispered prayers felt like the most beautiful sound my ears had ever heard.  I truly felt like our church family was one body and that one body was wrapping us up in the most wonderful embrace ever experienced.  It was humbling and overwhelming.  To have my family and Brian's family join us in this embrace made it even more incredible. 


At our very last service, our friends rushed to be near us during this time of prayer.  One of my dear friends, Kimmie, ran to join hands with me.  We were truly surrounded by some  dear friends.  One of my amazing prayer warriror friends was holding my hand and another friend had her hands on my shoulders.  During the prayer, I stilled my heart and my spirit and just opened up my heart to the amazing experience God was giving us.  During the prayer, I again heard the whispers of my friends lifting our names up in prayer.  I could feel God embracing me and holding me in the middle of our church.  In the midst of this beautiful moment, I felt a drop on my hand....then another.  The drops were tears from my friend Kimmie's eyes.  God was giving me this incredibly sacred moment with my friend. Her tears felt like rain from Heaven washing over me.  I was surrounded by hundreds of people....and yet I felt like it was just me in a supernatural embrace with the creator of the universe....and He decided to share his beauty with us and His peace and His strength and He flooded us with it.  Then these beautiful tears of my friend reminded me how much God loves me...and I heard these lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

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