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Online Journal - July 2007 Archive
July 31, 2007 -
Tuesday -
Two weeks since our last post! Have the Dunns
dropped off the planet? Well, it has been a busy time of
travel and transition back to Romania. Here's a quick
catch-up...
Saturday, July 21, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Paula's parents, Elton and Kathleen Moose, along with many friends and family. Elton and Kathleen's marriage is a testimony to the power and grace of Christ to help couples thrive together in a broken world that only wants to tear marriages apart. Praise to the Lord!
Sunday, July 22, was a full day of travel and speaking at two of our supporting churches in Ohio. First we spoke at both morning services at the Galion Free Methodist Church. We enjoyed the help and encouragement of a team from this church visiting us in Romania last summer, and it was great to reconnect with everyone. Many thanks to Pastors Paul Walter and Jerry Gillespie for their warm welcome and to the Schaffner family for having us over for good old American lunch of hamburgers and smoked sausages on the grill
We then traveled to Akron, Ohio, for a special missions service at the Cornerstone Free Methodist Church. Associate Pastor Rob Blair put together a rockin' time of worship after which we shared an update of our work and introduced Laura Andres and the Oaza ministry to the church. Again it was great to reconnect with so many people who pray, read this blog, give, and support us in so may ways. Thanks to Pastor Brenda Young, Pastor Rob and all the people crazy enough about missions to come out on a summer Sunday evening to get involved!
Tuesday,
July 24,
was
our travel day back to Romania (arriving in RO on the
morning of the 25th). We praise God for NO problems
(cancelled flights, missing luggage, etc.) this time as we
returned. Laura Andres and her daughter Claudia had a
wonderful first visit to the USA, and we were very pleased
to be their hosts for the 20 day tour. Our time in the
States was great--encouraging and somewhat restful--but all
of us were glad to return "home" to Romania. We noticed a
mental transition that has occurred for us in these last 18
months: we now go to the USA for a "visit" and we go "home"
to Romania. Hmmm.
Wednesday-Saturday, July 25-28 - Just as the space shuttle goes through an uncomfortable "re-entry" phase while returning to earth, we also go through a re-entry phase to Romania. It may be "home," but we're still foreigners here...always will be. Now remind me...how do I ask for bread, count money, ...and WOW, are the driving "rules" different from America! :-)
Sunday, July 29, was my turn to preach at our local Free Methodist church here. A message that Bishop Roger Haskins shared at General Conference (see page 3 at this link) sparked an idea in my mind to trace the cloud of God through the book of Exodus. My study has led to a two-part series. You can read my manuscript HERE if you're interested.
Monday, July
30, was my day to reconnect with the New Shalom house
construction project that I've been managing. The kids, new
house parents, and staff have been living in it for almost a
whole month now (see July 3 entry below). Although we had
and have some kinks to work out (every new building has
them), the house seems to be working out great. Major
projects remaining to be done are: 1) gas line installation,
but this is being done as I type this! Soon the kids and
staff will have hot water for showers, cooking, etc. 2)
completion of the perimeter fence and gates (also in
process), 3)
exterior
insulation and stucco, and 4) finishing of the yard/garden
with parking areas, play equipment, grass/
flowers/bushes/trees, sidewalks, etc. (see sketch at right
for some of our ideas). Items 3 & 4 are on hold until we
receive more donated funding.
And now...it's August already! Scott
July 17, 2007 - Tuesday - Since returning from General Conference on Friday evening, we have been staying with family in Springfield, Ohio. We visited one of our supporting churches on Sunday, the Huber Heights Free Methodist Church. They are a smaller church with a big heart for missions, and we enjoyed a great visit with them. They also enjoyed meeting Laura and her daughter and learning how they might assist the Oaza ministry in Arad.
Yesterday we
enjoyed an afternoon of
swimming at the
Hilliard-west
pool (near where we used to live). Yesterday was also
Paula's and my wedding anniversary (19 years!), so we
enjoyed a nice dinner out together. I thought our web
readers might enjoy a before-and-after pair of pictures just
for fun (apologies for the fuzziness of the wedding
picture...no digital cameras back in the old'in times).
Today
we enjoyed a day at the
Columbus
Zoo with Laura and Claudia, Paula's parents, and Paula's
cousin, Marlin, and his three boys. The weather was perfect
and we had great fun together. Scott
July 11, 2007 -
Wednesday -
We've
been in the U.S.
for one week now, so jetlag has pretty well
worn off. We're continuing our time in Spring Arbor,
Michigan, where we are participating in our denomination's
quadrennial General Conference. To view complete reports of
daily activities, we invite you to go to
www.freemethodistchurch.org and to our friend and
colleague's, Larry Winckles, excellent blog at
www.winckles.typepad.com.
We are here
primarily to accompany Laura Andres, a leader from our
Romanian church and also Director of
Oaza, a
ministry to abandoned children in Arad, Romania. She is
participating as an international observer, and she is also
building awareness for Oaza among Free Methodists in the
USA.
Yesterday
Paula
and I spent the morning with 25 missionaries in training. These "VISA" missionaries will all
soon be going to various places of ministry around the world
to serve 6 month-2 years in a variety of ministry roles.
They have gathered here in Spring Arbor to take part in what
is called Voyager Training, which is running concurrently
with General Conference. We
had been asked to teach about culture shock and language
acquisition. Since we have been through both so recently
(and continue with the language acquisition!), the topic was
quite fresh for us and helped us share effectively (they
said). The teaching was actually fun to do, and it gave us
opportunity to reflect on the abundant grace of God that has
carried us through the last 18 months of transition and
adaptation. We praise God for this. Scott
July 3, 2007 - Tuesday - We were finally able to move the Oaza kids into their new Shalom House yesterday! I (Scott) was so busy with last-minute fixes that I didn't get to enjoy the moment very much. But today I had time to stop by and just watch and enjoy the kids, staff and new house parents making a home out of the bricks and plaster that I've been managing the last few months. I must say, it was quite satisfying. Here are some pics I snapped while there. Click to view the whole album online.
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| New Shalom July 3_2007 |
Yesterday was also my birthday; it was kind of nice to be busy and not think too much about the age I turned. Since I am starting to count backwards this year, I just turned 38 (and you'll have to do the math to figure out how old I really am). :-)
Tomorrow (Wednesday) our family, along with Laura Andres (director of Oaza and one of our church leaders) and her daughter fly to the USA to participate in our denomination's quadrennial General Conference. It will be Laura's and her daughter's first visit to the USA. Pray for our travel and for good connections at the meetings. Thanks! Scott