Our girls missed the street dogs.

Sounds amazing, but as we drove home from the airport, our girls kept talking about how much they missed seeing street dogs. They enjoyed the time at our bi-annual conference in America, but there are no packs of street mutts roaming Orlando. Their running commentary on the drive consisted of “there’s a pup!” and “look, another dog!”

I never even thought about the dogs while we were gone. Sure, I drive by them every day. I have a couple seconds of sorrow when I see one dead on the road, especially if it is one of the dogs I recognize. But I have never missed the dogs when away!

We each have our idea of normality, and for our girls, street dogs are normal. After 6+ years in Moldova, normality now means: peaches with flavor, roosters crowing at 5 am, squatty potties in the village, passport control lines, walking in the vineyard, people standing shoulder to shoulder, selling produce on the sidewalks.

That is normality now.

It also means friendships with women who used to be prostitutes, lunches with former drug addicts, and ministry with pastors who used to be in prison. It means vacillating emotions of discouragement and faith as we preach in our new language, serve in a different culture, and attempt to do things far beyond our natural abilities.

The normal Christian life is an incredible adventure. There is something about living this journey that makes everything else seem boring. It is exhilarating to see people find freedom in Christ, watch marriages miraculously restored, and observe God’s peace come in the midst of chaos. Normality includes God’s miraculous provision, His supernatural “coincidences,” and His soft discipline.

God desires to use each of us, working through us in reconciliation, healing, prayer, encouragement, or partnership. It might be something as simple as a God-directed phone call or a Spirit-led prayer. It might mean praying for divine healing or supporting someone in a dark time.

Just start living God’s normal life. Step out and ask God to make your life the one He desires. What is God doing in your “normal” life today? What do you want Him to do? Are you ready for this kind of normality?

Your normal missionary in Moldova,

Andy Raatz

PS: Thanks for being a part of the “normal” work in Moldova. We need your prayers and support for the COH outreaches in October, for the daily miracles needed in the Home of Hope, and for the huge church construction in Bubuieci.