OK friends...many of you may have never even heard of Moldova...but now I hope you will ALWAYS think about that country and her people...Just in case you didn't already know...Moldova is a tiny country (the size of the state of Maryland...situated in eastern Europe between Romania and Ukraine (which I call THE Ukraine for some reason...I can't stop myself).  Some 20 posts in to this blog...and I FINALLY tell you where the country is...I'm just that awesome at delivery:)    Here is a map for those of you who haven't already Googled it.

God is just so amazing...if you go back and read my first few posts you will learn more about Moldova...and Philip Cameron Ministries.   Ok...I am off to a rocky start with this post....bear with me friends.  I just want you to know...3 years ago...I had never heard of the country...now...I promise, every time I turn around God is bringing this country in to my sight...in some way...on TV, on Facebook, at Church...etc.  We have been back from Moldova for almost a month now...and our hearts continue to burn for the people there...we want to share His love and His good news with them.  Everyday we think about and pray about Moldova...

Guess what God did this time?  He is so cool.  He brought Moldova to us! 

This week at VBS...(our theme was the Big Apple)  That was apparently "THE" VBS for the summer. 
Every year at VBS, we have a mission.  My friend Jennifer was in charge of the mission this year.  Do you know what she chose?  MOLDOVA!!! Seriously!  All 850 kids at VBS this week learned a little bit about Moldova each day...and they brought in Pajamas, socks, and underwear for the kids there.  The girls from our mission team (me, Elizabeth, and Heather) got on stage and shared with the kids at VBS about the kids in Moldova (actually-Heather shared with them....Elizabeth and I smiled and clapped).  She did a great job!  ANYWAY...We gathered PJS and such for the kids at Providence.  It was awesome.  Jennifer said we got over 721 items.  (each pack of socks=1 item, each pack of underwear=1 item, etc).  Isnt that amazing?  But it gets better...today...at the finale rally...Some of the girls from Stella's House who are here for a summer tour came and performed for the kids!  Elizabeth, Heather and I were beside ourselves with excitement.  We've been back less than a month and we already got to see our friends Stella and Marnika...and meet some other girls too!  God is just going to keep on bringing Moldova to the forefront of my mind and my heart.  Friends...He means business :)  Keep praying for us! 

P.S.-Here is a VERY fashionable way that you can support the AMAZING work of Philip Cameron Ministries -Stella's Voice shirts...and yes...I already have the yellow one...and I am buying the gray one:)  Click on the Stella's Voice link above...to shop:)

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Hi friends!  I must admit I am so excited to see that I have 7 followers.  While I hope people continue to view this blog for its general awesomeness (cough)...I feel that today's post (as well as my 2nd and 3rd posts) really gets at the heart of the matter....The kids...They are why we traveled across the world to a tiny little country.  I am not going to use the girls names in today's blog...just because I have posted their pictures on this site.  The reality of the situation is ugly and I am not sure that I am capable of conveying the pain...but I know that God has put a fire in my heart to tell people about Moldova...so I am praying that He will use my words.

To raise funds for their organization PCM brings some of the girls from Stella's House to the states for the summer for a tour of churches and organizations.  The tour generates funding to help save more girls.  This tour also helps raise awareness of the dire situations in Moldova...and it reminds people that Slavery still exists...and girls are bought and sold in to Sex Slavery EVERY day in Moldova (and around the world).   Don't ever forget that. 

After our tour of the village, several of the girls shared what they called their "Human Video."   It's amazing to see the joy on the girls faces as they share through dance and music what God has done for them...The song that they shared with us was amazing...it was about brokenness.  No words could convey...These girls are broken....but in Him they are whole. 
After the "Human Video" several girls wanted to share their stories...
I can't begin to convey their stories to you.  All I can tell you is that my heart aches to think of these beautiful young women being victims to such ugliness...such evil.  Some times the pain was too intense for the girls to continue telling their stories....so I don't even know the severity of the events that occurred in their lives.  They find peace and hope in knowing that their past is NOT their future.  What the girls were able to share was painful even for the listener to endure.  As a Christain...even just as a human...you never want to hear that any human being has been abused...mistreated...marginalized...oppressed...especially not by their parents.  Many of these beautiful girls came from families with severe alcoholism and abuse.  They were beat themselves repeatedly and were made witnesses to the beatings of their siblings and mothers.  After repeated abuse, the families often simply took them to the orphanage...Many of the girls were just abandoned with no reason.  Dropped off at an orphanage for someone else to care for them.  The abuse didn't stop once they reached the orphanages...neglect and mistreatment continued...Then, when they turn 16...they "age out" of the system...The completely horribly ironic thing is that Moldova has chosen its "National Children's Day" in June as the day that all orphans who have turned 16 must leave.  They must leave the orphanages...They are given a little money and sent on their way...the perfect prey for Sex Trafficking predators...They are promised a job...unknowingly they accept. 

There is hope for these girls...Philip Cameron is building more homes to help rescue more girls. 

My daily prayer is that God will break my heart EVERY day for Moldova... I don't want to grow accustomed to my comfortable way of life and my daily routine.  I don't want to become so numb with "normal life" that I forget what is going on...its so easy to do...Pray for me friends...While the pain in my heart for this country is sometimes unbearable...it is nothing compared to what these children encounter every day.  Pray that my heart continues to ache every day and that I can NEVER EVER be the same.  Pray that God will continue to use this ache to spur me to action.
If you have been blessed to experience their stories in person...you are FOREVER changed....Just thinking about what these beautiful girls have been through breaks my heart and tears have been clouding my vision as I write.
To help you understand, here's a video created by Stella's Voice to tell the stories of just a few of the girls...please remember there are many more girls and many more stories..
I will most likely place this video in MANY posts to come...its also on my facebook page....please watch it...

http://vimeo.com/pcm/stellas-voice

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Kathryn, Marchika, and Heather in front of the school

The well...the girls get their drinking water from here.

Cherries!

Alabama Girls and Stella's House Girls...We are soo cool!

Apartment Building in Ialoveni

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