The Word of God is Living & Active!

Joyfully receiving his family's Bible

As I reflect on the past week I am reminded of Isaiah's words (below). Please reflect on these pictures and this passage and pray for the hearts of the Gypsy people in Romania. Pray that the Word of God would be living and active in each of their lives! Pray for the village of Sighet, where they do not even have a church building, but they DO have believers! A nearby preacher is seeking to bring the Word of God to the people of this Gypsy village, but he is largely alone in his endeavors, since most Romanian Christians do not think reaching the Gypsies is a worthy calling. We were able to go there for a church service, but had to travel nearly 4 hours to get there. Pray for the many families this last week who received Bibles, that they would have a hunger for the Word of God which they now have access to. Pray that those who cannot read would humbly seek the help of those who can. Pray that the Word would take root in their hearts & lives!

  Isaiah 55:9-13

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
   come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
   without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
   and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
   will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
   will clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
   and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
   for an everlasting sign,
   that will endure forever.” 

Church service in Sighet on the path.

 

Praying over new believers! Praise the Lord!

Hands & Feet

This little girl's name was Allyssa too = instant friends :)

As I reflect on my first full day in Romania so many emotions course through my heart and mind. I got to visit two of the gypsy villages today & meet so many children! 

I'm stunned by the way such a beautiful place that God created can have so many people who don't know the love and truth of Christ.

I'm humbled that God would use me as His servant in this place.


"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15b

I'm amazed that Christ would choose to use these hands and these feet.
 These hands. My hands. The hands that the little gypsy girl Arysa called soft and as she held and admired tenderly.

These feet. Feet that have only walked in this country for a day. Feet that have run miles & miles. Feet that become sore and ugly from use.

How? I ask myself. But quickly I realize; these are hands and feet made by the loving Creator, my God & Almighty Creator. How can I doubt what God would do with my hands and feet, with my life? 

  So I'll walk. I'll walk through villages. I'll pray that my feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). I'll hold dear little hands. And I'll pray that out of these little  hands and feet mighty warriors & strong disciples would be built up for the Kingdom! I'll pray that the hearts that guide those little hands and feet would be filled with the Holy Spirit and made alive in Christ!

Arysa & I

The girls all rushed up when we arrived and clung to someone's hand.

Fueling up Before Departure

This was one of the trails I would run on :)

My mind is fairly bursting! I was blessed by an incredible week of training at Team Expansion's Emerald Hills, a beautiful prayer, retreat, & learning center. I know I am much more prepared both mentally and spiritually for the challenges I am sure to face during my time in Romania. My days usually started around 5:45am with a run on the beautiful trails in the woods (they didn't require this, it was by choice), getting ready in the beautiful home of our host family the Carters, breakfast, and devotions started at 8am followed by a myriad of classes and activities.  After all our classes and wonderful  meals supplied by a local church we would finish the night with a little hang time.  This all usually lasted until 11pm after which I would return and crash at the Carter's so I could start it all over the next day!

Needless to say they packed lots of learning and growing time into that one week. The classes prepared us for the unique challenges and exciting experiences we will face during time in another country seeking to reach others with the love and truth of the Gospel. We also got to take language acquisition classes which helped boost my confidence about learning Romanian. We met with the head of global security for a class as well as personal sessions to discuss any necessary security measures. However, Romania is a fairly mild country and the place I am going is reasonably safe. Other classes included evangelism, cultural differences, team interactions/conflict, etc.  I was able to get to know other young people spending their summers in different countries throughout the world. They were all such a blessing to learn with and from.

One of my favorite fun activities was the team building time that included a low-ropes obstacle coarse (see pictures below).  It was an incredible time of digging into God's Word & learning from missionaries who have had lots of experience on the field. I appreciated the wisdom and encouragement they shared. Team Expansion is a ministry simply drenched in prayer; the example of praying without ceasing that they displayed there was a huge blessing. I thank them and all of you for your prayers encouragement as I continue to prepare for my time in Romania. Praise God for blessing me beyond measure and I pray that I will in return be a blessing to the people I meet in Romania! The countdown is 12 DAYS!

Low Ropes: balance & teamwork were key.

 

 

 

Human Knot Challenge

A strictly NO talking challenge!