Dear ,
Jesus told them a story showing
that it was necessary for [his followers] to pray consistently and
never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city
who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow
in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'
"He never gave her the time of day. But
after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what
God thinks, even
less what people think. But because This
widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that
she gets
justice-otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her
pounding.'"
Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he
is, is
saying? So what makes you think God -- who is
infinitely just and compassionate -- won't step in and work justice
for his chosen
people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't
he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his
feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will
the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" Luke 18:1-8 Message BibleWow! What amazing promises! God, compassionate and just, hears our prayers and will work justice for us, His chosen people! But, there is something that cannot be overlooked here. This passage tells us that we are heard when we continue to cry out for help. And Jesus goes on to question how many people He will find with this kind of faith when He returns. What is it that He is looking for? Bulldog faith! Like a dog with a bone, this kind of faith latches on to a promise and won't let go until an answer is given. This is what is required of us. Recently, as we have become more involved in dealing with issues which require interacting with governmental offices, we have begun to relate more to the widow in the passage above. Governmental bureaucracy is extreme in Romania. Resolving issues is often very frustrating and time consuming. Sometimes it seems like we are making no progress and it would be easier to pack up and go home. But we always come bA disabled beggar
 | ack to the reason God sent us here. There are so many who have never been told about a loving, compassionate, just God that wants to be involved in every detail of their lives. So many are broken, hopeless, desperate, and know nothing of the Father's love. How could we leave them? As we wHomeless adult orphans
 | ork through the bureaucratic red tape, we remember faces and stories of despair. These are not just stories for us anymore, they are people we know; people we care about. Now it's not so easy to walk away.
Young Romanian women working as prostitutes
 | Regardless of frustrations, we must continue to cry out for help and trust that, in God's perfect timing, He will answer our cries. We believe God has us in Romania to be
ambassadors of His kingdom, a kingdom which so many know nothing about. They need to know that their lives can be different!
Please pray with us that God will open doors that no manGypsy beggars
 | can shut, and shut doors that no man can open, so that we can minister to the needs of those that are desperate. We are in need of His divine intervention and we all have a promise that He will work justice on our behalf.
Going (and staying) for Him,
Stephanie and Leslie
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