Sunday night on February 22nd, God would not let me sleep. I tossed and tumbled, my spirit stirred. I would pray a while and ask God questions but no answers came, nothing. There was uneasiness within me. I felt that I wasn’t hearing something that God wanted me to hear. After a very long time I finally fell off to sleep and I dreamed that God was calling my name. He would speak to me but as He started talking it seemed that He was so very far away. I would say, “God, I hear you talking to me but I cannot understand you. You are too far away, God.” Suddenly the phone rang. Lyn called from Romania. Her call startled me at first. All she said was, “Rita, we have been praying. I need to tell you something. Listen to God.” Then she hung up! I knew right away that God was up to something. For Lyn knew nothing about what I had just been dreaming or that I was battling with God about our ministry projects. At 5:00 a.m. in the morning I locked myself in my study, I pulled up the blinds on the window, and sat in the dark before the Lord looking out into the eastern sky. I said, “God, I understand that when I cannot hear you clearly that it is nothing to do with YOU but everything to do with me. So it must be that I have something that I need to work on. God, the last few weeks I have felt that YOU have been bidding me to come closer to YOU. YOU have placed prayer on my heart as never before and I have daily been seeking YOU and YOUR will for my life, my family, and the ministry. Lord, You have even placed fasting on my heart, and Your Word has been so full of revelations. But God, why is it that in my dream the answers seemed so far away and I could not hear YOU? Why did YOU prompt Lyn’s heart to call me at that hour? She never does that, God!” As I sat there before God I said, “Lord, I am not leaving from here until I have the answer to why I cannot hear.” As I sat there I poured my heart out to God. Suddenly HE said, “You lack the faith, Rita, to do what I have placed in your heart to do! Why are you so afraid?” WOW! What would you do with an answer like that? Probably what I did. I picked up my Bible and I prayed, “God, help my unbelief” -which led me to see what project I had been afraid to tell God I would do.

Those of you who have received my newsletter for some time know that I spoke in our letter for November 2003 about wanting to help build a foster/daycare center in Ileanda. This center would offer Ileanda families regardless of ethnic background maternal assistance in caring for their children while they work. After talking with the mayor and other officials and seeing the building that is in need of being remodeled, I had sort of put it on the back burner of my mind, thinking that it would be almost impossible to get accomplished. However, God never forgets! God has pressed my heart that the childcare center must not fall to the ground. He has challenged me as He did David in regard to the material for the building of the temple about gathering the needed materials to get this center built. I said to God, “But David had all kind of princes, officials, captains, and rulers that he was able to secure help from. I have nothing like that God. How can I do this work you have set in my heart?” Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “No, you do not have all those kingly figures as David did. Rather, Rita, you have more. You have the help of the King Himself and His children. You have His Kingship on your side; and with Him and His army on your side, how can it fail?

Lately God has been leading me through the scriptures about the building of the temple in 1& 2 Kings and Chronicles, and I noticed that when David was in need he asked for others to join or to help him so that together they all could fulfill the work- God’s plan. While reading this passage I saw that David asked the people in 1 Chronicles 29: 5, “Now who will offer willingly to fill his hand (and consecrate it) today to the Lord? (AMP) Verse 6 says, they “offered willingly.” In other words, they gave from their heart as God led. The work of the temple was indeed completed because everyone willingly worked together to accomplish God’s plan. You personally might not be able to come to help build this building, but you could help us get the work done through your extra gifts and through your prayer support. My desire is that I will not let my fear of seeing through the natural eye limit the power of God moving through me. In the natural this project had scared me and I did not want to think of it as a project on God’s agenda. But it is on God’s agenda because God’s heart is in reaching and ministering to the people - touching those who are in need, those who are hurting, and those who cannot help themselves. So, you might ask why my lack of faith would keep me far from hearing God? Lack of faith causes us not to hear, because God is Faith.

Last year God placed on my heart the need to collaborate with the Romanian officials so that we could get the work done that would prove to be most beneficial and efficient. God showed me that just like David I too had to trust in Him and that I had to ask for help. He showed me that I have a strong Kingship behind me, which is called “The Body of Christ - His children.” So, now I need your help! My heart has been pressed to challenge everyone on our mailing list to give $175.00 each above your normal love offering, and then there would be enough money to build the center.

This center would serve the community of Ileanda and its families. Constructed near the kindergarten, there would be a natural progression from the center into school. The children would be able to receive at least one meal a day and in collaboration with our foundation we would be free to facilitate Christian volunteers to go to the center and take the message of Jesus and His principles for abundant life to the children from poorer families. Primarily Romanians would staff the center. It would provide jobs for certified and non-certified childcare workers of Ileanda that is essentially a rural area. The local community in conjunction with the Department of Child Protection and other non-governmental organizations would pay salaries. What better way could there be to change Romania than through the families who would work and bring their children to this center? Romania has a tongue in cheek saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” In a country that has been fed corruption and deception under communism, what better way to affect change in a community or even a nation than by beginning with their children? What better plan could there be than to teach them God’s principles, God’s love, and demonstrate that love by helping to provide for the center that is so badly needed in this community? Everyday I see how we as Christians can affect change by ministering to an individual’s physical needs. I have witnessed many people become born again and their lives changed as we have worked in villages distributing humanitarian aid. Extending a helping hand can make a difference in the lives of others. God allowed me to see something else too while doing this study on David and Solomon...something personal. He showed me that Israel was saved because of the faithfulness of one man’s relationship to God. God remembered David and His promises to him even after his death. Later when God’s anger was turned toward the Israelites, He did not destroy them because of His promise to His servant. After reading that I thought about my own life. I asked myself, “Rita, when you are gone would it be that God would remember a promise that He made to you and be moved to fulfill His Word? Do I walk with God in such a close relationship that my life could still be on God’s heart after I am gone from this earth? I hope so and pray that this would be the prayer on all our lips.

Please understand that it is not easy for me to write this newsletter asking you for your help. I am not one who likes to do this. I think if I recall correctly, I have never in all our time of being on the mission field ever asked any of you to give us a certain amount. For one reason, I know your heart and that many of you already give sacrificially. You work hard for what you make and out of that you give unto the Lord as best as you can. However, God has pressed my heart towards this center and that is why I must seek your help. However, if you cannot give the amount I am asking then I understand. But I must ask because I see this as God’s heart and not mine. God wants to use us to reach HIS children, HIS families, and do everything that we can even if it means to humble myself before each of you and ask for your help and support to get this task accomplished. God is able to accomplish everything that I listed last month in my newsletter. Pray with us for this project and that God will meet the needs to construct this building.

CMO Annual Meeting:

On February 6 – 7 Freddy and I traveled to Bristow, Indiana to attend the annual board meeting at Calvary Ministries. During that weekend we were able to complete business for the forthcoming year and to hear about the work that Pastor Gene and others are doing in Kenya, Zambia, and of course Romania. It is always a joy to sit and listen to Pastor Gene and Mrs. Sherri talk about their life on the mission field in Kenya. I stand in awe of their faithfulness to answer God’s call during the times when being missionaries did not have a lot of the conveniences that we missionaries have today. They faithfully followed God even though they had small children and allowed their call from God and their move to Kenya to become their top priority even though they knew Kenya would be a rough country to live in. Now after all those years of serving they are still giving their lives and funding to help others. They went to Kenya with nothing and now they have a Bible school that graduates 100 Kenyans each year. They have medical clinics that are helping meet the medical needs of Kenya’s poorer people. I personally have never gone to Kenya but I do feel the heart of Pastor Gene and Ms. Sherri every time I am with them and see their willingness to serve others. If it weren’t for Calvary Ministries’ willingness to serve others we would not be on the mission field today. Calvary Ministries gives of itself daily to assure us that everything we would have need of while we are on the mission field is done. They give and help in ways that few other mission boards do. Each month they give of their time to print, fold, stamp and mail our newsletters, tax receipts, or whatever is needed. They call people for us, and daily pray for us. All of which is free of charge to us. In the years of serving on the mission field through their mission board, they have never taken one cent of our support money to cover the costs of their work. In fact they continuously give to our needs but have never taken. This month I am asking that you would pray for Pastor Gene and Mrs. Sherri, and that you would specifically ask that God would freely give back to them as they have freely given. In my opinion, there is no other mission board that would work as they do and never ask for anything in return. The Throops are as rare as they come! We love you Pastor Gene and Mrs. Sherri and truly felt led to let you know that you are most appreciated for all the work you do for the Kingdom of God and for us. Thank you and your church and the generous offering towards our ministry! God bless!

Thank you all for your faithfulness to serve God through your giving each month. You are those who I mentioned earlier –those who offer willingly! God sees and believe me it will not go unrewarded. When you give into His work and into His Kingdom, you will reap a harvest. Thank you so much! We love you all!

Yours in Christ,

Freddy and Rita

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