May 11, 2005

Mission to Moldova

Back in February I had written about making a mission trip to Moldova with my church to work with orphans there. I had also asked for donations in this endeavor, and a couple of people graciously donated to help out. The deadline for most of the money for the trip (a total of $1000 remaining) is due by the end of this month (the actual trip is in July for nine days).

I'm not much for blegging, but if some of my readers would like to donate to the cause, it would be wonderful and will go a long way in helping me get to Moldova. The largest part of the cost are tickets. The rest goes to translator costs, supplies, etc.

You can read my extended entry about the trip here, and there was even more information regarding my church's efforts in Moldova here.

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe (see map here), and much of their culture is still suffering from being under Soviet rule. On this trip, we will be working with one of the orphanages near the capital city of Chisinau. We will be taking supplies (clothing, socks, school supplies, etc etc), working directly with these kids, and sharing God's love with them.

It's a sad state there with the orphans in Moldova. Once a child turns 18, they must leave their orphanages and fend for themselves. Within a couple of years of leaving the orphanage, the stats for these children are shocking:

7 out of 10 of the girls will be trafficked into prostitution.
7 out of 10 of the boys will end up in prison.
1 out of 10 overall will commit suicide.

These statistics are shocking, and whether you are religious or not, doing something to help can go a long way. Read the prior entries, and if you feel so inclined, you can donate two ways...Paypal or Amazon (buttons for each on the left column)...or you can email me for an address if you'd rather send a check. I would be eternally grateful.

I also plan to do some blogging (or attempt to depending on the connection) while there to update everyone on the progress and what's happening. I'll also hopefully post pictures as well.

I've always felt that if you are going to help the poor and those in need, you should just do it...no matter if it's right here in the Nashville area or half-way around the world. This is what my church is doing, and I plan on helping by going.

Thank you.

More: The Main Point blog points to a program helping Moldovan kids in another way...providing beds.

Child trafficking in Moldova

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