PRAYER UPDATE FOR MUSTARD SEED [JERSEY]– FEBRUARY 2007

WHAT NOW THAT ROMANIA HAS JOINED EU?

After much uncertainty, contradictory reports and confusion as to whether it is still possible to take aid to Romania now they have joined the EU (1^st January) or whether there will be an import tax now, we plan to take our next truck load of aid to Romania at the end of March. We are not completely certain that there will be no import tax, but because the need is there we are going ahead and we will see what happens.

(Nicu Gal has spoken new paperwork requirements and of a resulting long delay before they could unload a container of aid from USA. He is working to find out exactly what we need).

Please remember this in prayer.

NEXT TRIP

The driver will be GEORGE PERCHARD who will take his wife SUE with him in the lorry as passenger. Because of the uncertainty PHIL and I are going across in either car or minibus as well the lorry.

The planned dates for the trip are March 24^th to approximately April 5^th.

Please remember us in prayer and anyone else who may join us for this trip.

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS FROM ROMANIA

GIZELLA and her mother – disabled and unwell living in poor conditions – pray our plans to provide them with a garden shed to live in will be successful and really help them.

Pray for success for the KALAUS family now living in a house Mustard Seed acquired in a village – pray they will fit into the community, that he will find regular employment and that they become self-sufficient.

GUIDANCE in the choosing of another needy family to have the chance to live in a house in a village which one of our supporters has purchased and is happy to let us use for this purpose for 5 years (almost certainly from the community living in the disused factory warehouse).

GUIDANCE for Alex Stroie selecting another young man to join the Boys Hostel.

Pray for MORE SUCH PROPERTIES to become available.

RODY STROIE for guidance for employment.

Pray for success for us in Jersey sourcing some of the items that have been requested by our friends in Romania to send on this lorry.

THANKSGIVING

We have been thrilled by the response we have had recently to various small appeals in the media for comparatively minor but quite specific needs.

Another cause for thanksgiving is a new volunteer who has the needed computer know-how to be able to sort out our collection of computer parts!

My brother Mark is working on a web-site for Mustard Seed [Jersey] – I have been trying to find someone to do this for a long time. Mark was loathe to volunteer as he feels others could do it better, but when he realised it was not happening offered his help.

I personally was thrilled at God’s timing a few weeks ago. After weeks of unsuccessfully attempting to contact Vasile in Moldova with a view to sending a lorry of aid to his charity in Cahul, Moldova I finally heard from them but the news was not good and he advised against any aid lorry for the present to Moldova. But the same day that I received that email, I received another email from Sorin in Cernovtsy, Ukraine (a friend and colleague of Alex Stroie) saying that they would be thrilled to receive aid and providing me with a list of needs that really fitted what we were likely to have available. [What encouraged me most was the request for 2 photo-copiers; in all the years we can only ever have had 3 or 4 offered or given to us, but we had just received and packed two and were uncertain who to give it to, when Sorin’s email arrived]. It reminded me of Isaiah 65 v 24 where speaking of believing people enjoying His blessing God says “Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear”.

MOLDOVA:  I received a very concerning email from Vasile to whom we have donated a number of loads of aid over the last 4 years. He requested that we pray for them in Moldova, saying that the government had introduced a number more requirements for humanitarian aid; there was currently so much confusion and uncertainty that he positively advised against any aid lorry until later in the year, possibly September. He expressed the opinion that it seemed that the government did not want any more aid, but he explained that the need was very great.

Please pray for VASILE for guidance and for those his charity assists and that the political situation regarding aid may be resolved.

JERSEY PRAYER REQUESTS

We still need more volunteers with knowledge of building procedures, what tools and other items are in usable condition and will be useful, how to repair bikes, wheelchairs, etc. We have a huge amount of stuff that has been given to us that needs some repair and sorting before we can send it overseas. (We are loathe to dump anything that might be useful to people living in poor conditions).

OUR FUTURE PLANS

Our 2^nd lorry is planned for Ukraine in June.

We hope to send a lorry of aid to Moldova in September.

Depending on the outcome of the import tax issue with our March/April trip to Romania, we would hope to send a further load in the autumn to that country.

We hope to send Christmas shoeboxes in December – destination not decided yet.

A trip for supporters is planned for the end of May / beginning of June – prayer supporters would be welcome.

There is much uncertainty on a number of matters. So please pray for CLARITY and GUIDANCE, that we will know exactly what God has in mind for us in Mustard Seed Jersey as we aim to reach out and assist people in deep need overseas. Jeremiah 29 v 11 reads “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, to give a future and a hope”.

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