First, I would like to address all of you that might have gotten scared about our news last month. Many of you have called or emailed your concerns and voiced that your prayers are with us in our need. We thank you very much for your love and concern. I assure you all that Freddy is fine. In fact he is doing really great health wise. However, we still covet your prayers! Like all families we are going through a time of regrouping and reconnection and self-examination right now but it is nothing that God is not able to work in. Thanks for all the love that has been expressed to us. May God richly bless you is our prayer.

This month starts our fifth year on the mission field! As I think back over all God has accomplished these last four years I stand in awe of God. However, a few days ago God reminded me that as His servants He will allow us to see His great acts and accomplishments but with the mighty acts comes great responsibilities. For sure that is what God has taught us in this walk of faith that He placed our feet upon. We are daily learning our responsibilities to the path of God. I personally can say at times this path is not the easiest of all paths. It is a path of waiting what seems endlessly for God to work when we want the answers and resolutions to our situations and needs to be instant. Yet we learn that the scriptures teach us much about waiting upon the Lord. This year is one of those times of waiting upon the Lord, putting our entire trust upon Him for He sees all, hears all and knows all. It is a time of seeking the face of God and pressing towards His Divine Will.

As you all know from my last newsletter I told you that I had to return home for a family emergency. And it is a family emergency – one of reconnection and reaffirming. Yet even in this time God is teaching us all about “TRUSTING HIM”. Sometimes we get so busy in God’s work that we fail to look at those closest to us. We fail to realize that for years we have devoted ourselves to the Lord’s work and have become so intense in our desire to win the lost for the kingdom of God that we cannot see that our own family is hungering for us too. God led me to the passage below a few weeks ago and through His precious words He began to bring His cleansing to my spirit and soul. Hebrews 4: 10: "For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. (Vs. 11) Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Whose example of disobedience? The children of Israel! In verse 2 of Hebrews 4: it states “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”(NIV) The Israelites heard the message but did not combine it with faith, which caused them to fall into disobedience. We can hear God’s word but unless we mix it with faith it is of no value. Paul tells us in vs.11: Make every effort to enter that rest, so that you will not fall into disobedience. I have meditated upon this Word and what a beautiful picture His Word can give when we allow it too. In Genesis 2: 2-3; we see that God took time out to rest on the seventh day. I could almost see God sitting back and taking notice of all the beautiful things He had created. I can picture God looking at the trees and then seeing the fruit on it and thinking this is good and beautiful to behold. In meditating upon this an excitement entered into my spirit. I began to think about the years Freddy and I have been on the mission field laboring for the Lord and missing many major events in our children’s lives. I began to look upon the beautiful things God has blessed me with, such as my husband, children, 2 beautiful grandsons, family and friends. As I thought I began to praise God for loving me enough to allow this time of rest. Even though it took a crisis within my family to get me to stop and rest, God has truly shown me that HE is in full control. When we who profess faith in Jesus Christ take the time from our own work to enter God’s rest then we won’t fall short of seeing or hearing from God. Therefore this time at home is a period in our ministry that God has said, “Take time to rest from your own work! Look upon that which I have given you and enjoy their love, and their laughs, just embrace this moment.” So indeed that is just what I am doing - embracing the moment.

In this moment of embracing I have decided to give my daughter a house warming. I was not here when she married, or when both of our grandsons were born so she did not have a wedding or a baby shower. So, I feel it is long-time over due. She and Micah (our son-in-law) have just purchased their first house so what better time to show those whom you love that you truly care. Also, God is allowing me time with Andrew (our son). We have had moments together to share our hearts. When we left for Romania he was only 18 now he is 24. He has lots of questions upon his heart about God and God is allowing me the time to encourage him in his Christian walk. I had the awesome privilege to witness on February 21^st God opening up a major door of opportunity for him. The group he plays with went to north Alabama to play and sing live on Christian T.V. What joy flowed from his heart as God opened

this door of opportunity for him. When Freddy and I left for Romania Andrew was just beginning to teach himself the guitar and now he plays in the praise and worship band at our church and on T.V. WOW! God has shown me that there is much to sit back and take notice of just as God did after His creative handy work of art. Also, this time is allowing us to see that God uses these times of rest to show us “HIS” plan. We all desire to know “God’s Will” yet knowing comes with resting! That is why the Holy Spirit used Paul to teach us how we were not to fall into disobedience or fail to see God’s DIVINE PLAN. We are to take time from our own work, Paul says, that we won’t fail like the Israelites and so that God’s vision remains our vision.

Praise Jesus for faithful volunteers and staff such as Lyn Dennis, Barbara Caver, and Corina (our secretary). They are always so willing and gracious to serve Jesus and carry on the ministry while I am with family regardless of the cost or how difficult it can be. Lyn made her return back to Romania just fine and has been running full force ever since. Corina and Barbara were troopers while Lyn and I both were here in the States. They handled all the ministry opportunities and believe me they were many! Lyn is doing really well health wise and it seemed like the time in the States visiting her family and friends even brought greater healing. She is scheduled for her regular doctors’ appointments at the first of March so be praying for more exciting news. We are praying that her tumor earmarking count lowers to 35. She spoke with her doctor the second week she was back in Romania and was told that the tumor count was looking good.

Thanks to the Lord God Almighty! For two long years it has seemed that the very word ADOPTION in Romania was a bad word and we could get little information about processing the adoption request for Alex and then for Sarah. For two years it was hit and miss, hit and miss. However, this year it started off with a bang! For all of you know Freddy and I can be a little strange at times. Yet, we love the joy that come from being obedient to God. Let me explain: This year on New Years morning the Holy Spirit woke me up at around 4:30 a.m. (at that time I was in Romania.) He spoke to my heart that I needed to blow the “Ram’s Horn” and call forth the finalization of the adoption. I heard Barbara in the room next to mine playing with the girls so I knew they were awake, but Lyn was still sleeping downstairs. However I pursued the task God had assigned. Barbara, Lyn, and the babies had no idea of what I was about to do. Yet, in obedience to God at 5:00 o’clock in the morning I went downstairs to sound the horn. Lyn was awakened by the blast but just lay there laughing and then I heard Barbara laughing upstairs because when the girls heard the sound they darted under the covers for their dear lives. By being obedient to God despite the fact that we might seem a bit peculiar we have seen His mighty works this year for the babies and the adoption. This last week Alex and Sarah's parents signed their waiver of parental rights and a person from “Children’s Protection” was present this time overseeing the task. As of March 19th, Sarah will be adoptable! (Alex has been adoptable for a year now.) Sarah was born on Barbara’s husband birthday, and she will be available for adoption on her dad's birthday! Isn't God's timing amazing?  Both Barbara’s husband and dad have gone on to meet with the Lord and that is why these dates are so special to Barbara. The people from Bucharest have already made their trip to the Zalau office to observe Barbara with the babies so that the home study can be finalized and we are now working on Barbara’s trip to Bucharest to get fingerprinted. Thanks to your faithfulness to pray things are moving ahead. Continue praying that this year the adoption will be completed.

We all thank you for your faithfulness to our work in Romania. We praise Jesus for such thoughtful co-labors like you that will pray and intercede on the behalf for our personal needs and for the ministry.

Yours in Christ,

Freddy and Rita

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