S-a Nascut Cristos

 Christ is born!

Sweet little Hana

Oh Christmas day, you have come and gone so quickly. Yet, your fragrance lingers still. For Christmas is not just a day. It is a celebration of the glorious gift of God's very own Son. And that celebration deserves MUCH more than a day. In fact, it deserves our thanksgiving every day of the year.

For if Christ had not come we would not have the freedom that has come by His name. For He fulfilled the prophecies, lived to show us the perfect way, died a willing sacrifice for our very sins, and rose again in triumphant defeat of death and sin! Oh the marvel of His unending love!

Laughter, Joy, Love! 

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Throughout the last couple weeks leading up to Christmas I was at times tempted to feel sorry for myself. I wanted to give myself an excuse to be sad about being away from my family at Christmas.

Yet, I didn't get much chance. As soon as these thoughts began to cross my mind I only had to look around and see my new friends here. Many of my new friends grew up in orphanages. I couldn't exactly complain to them about missing my family! I have had the wonderful blessing of 24 Christmases with my loving family. Many of these girls have never experienced Christmas like I have. Not a single year.

So, what business do I have whining about being away from my family for Christmas? What do I have to complain about? Well, now that I think about it, NOTHING.

What I have is a heart full of thankfulness. Thankful that my parents worked so hard to create wonderful Christmas memories for our family. Thankful for our fun and silly family traditions. Thankful for my little brother, Alex. Thirteen years ago he was the best earthly present we've ever received! Thankful for technology that allows me to talk "face-to-face" through a computer screen with my family on Christmas. Thankful that I was able to sing happy birthday to Alex. Thankful that I got to see the smiles and hear the laughter of my family on Christmas day.

A few of us after Christmas Eve service

I'm also thankful for my Romanian Christmas. I'm thankful for the wonderful family who welcomed me  into their home. Thankful for the laughter, smiles, hugs and joy that we shared. Thankful for the children's program at the Christmas Eve service that brought me to tears; I watched with awe as little children displayed the WHOLE story of our loving Savior. Thankful to learn Christmas songs in Romanian and worship my Savior in a new language. Thankful to go caroling to the elderly, needy and heartbroken. Thankful to come home to a warm home and yummy Romanian food. Thankful to learn new Romanian words about Christmas. Thankful for a cuddly dance with little Hana. Thankful for silly tickle fights with Maria. Thankful for cards games with Ada. Maybe even thankful for the boys that are always picking on me, haha. And OH so much more!

Christmas caroling!

However, most of all I'm thankful that I was able to celebrate the birth of our Savior with my brothers and sisters in Christ! Thankful I was able to worship my Savior who is alive and active all around me. May our Savior be lifted high as the worldly Christmas bustle fades, may our joy and celebration stay strong as we seek to bring our Savior glory each day before us!

S-a Nascut Cristos(Christ is born), Allyssa

See Ya Later

Not long ago I made the mistake choice to ask someone to pray that I wouldn't hide all my emotions during this time of saying "see you later"... much later. It's still up for debate in my mind whether that was a good prayer request or not!

Usually I don't like to cry and I don't like people to think I'm sad. Because I AM so excited about my next adventure in Romania. I'm excited to follow God's leading and head out into this great unknown. I love adventure, change, new experiences and I love Romania. Most of all I am excited to be a part of God's ministry to the lost in Romania! At the core, my heart is at rest in following God's call. I trust my Lord and Savior to be with me every step.

But... I know it's important to be real during this time. The real truth is that it IS sad. It's hard to leave all the people you love and care about for an entire year. It's hard not to know the next time you will live even live in the U.S. for more than a few months. I hate to think of all the changes in people's lives that will happen while I'm away. Holidays, births, moves, sickness, decisions, birthdays, accomplishments, and all sorts of other things I'll wish I could be present for. So, yes I've been getting teary now and then, okay I even cried a few times. I know I need to though. It's part of a healthy transition.

It's hard to believe in five short days I'll be in Romania again! It's been a long time coming. the word: FINALLY is often associated with my departure. Yet, God's timing is good...really it's best!


See Ya Later!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."    Proverbs 3:5-6

Loving & Living, not Waiting

The other day a friend shared a link to a blog post with me. A post titled: “I don’t wait anymore” The first couple sentences said, “When I was 16, I got a purity ring.  And when I was 25, I took it off.” This woman wasn’t saying she gave up on being pure, but she did express that she wasn’t waiting on love, but embracing the love of Christ. She confronted the Church’s part in misleading many young women to believe that God just asks us to follow a recipe for receiving a husband. She confronts the misrepresentation of God and His character in the lives of many young adults. You can read more of her post here. This post led me to think about my own life…

As I stare at the “true-love-waits” ring that has found its home on my left ring finger for the last 6+ years I began to wonder what it really means to me now. In the moments after reading that post I was tempted to take my ring off in a surge of emotion. Yet, I stopped and calmed myself down to think and pray over the feelings that had risen up within my heart. These aren’t all new thoughts and feelings. In fact, they are thoughts and feelings that I have trudged through with God over the last year or two.  In the process of accepting God’s call to serve Him overseas I had to face the fact that this would greatly diminish my chances of getting married anytime in the near future.

Through much time with God, in the Word, in prayer and in much, much surrender; I am now able to truthfully say that I trust God with my single-hood. I have chosen to surrender my desire for a marriage because it is far from the top of my “most-important” list. I could name many things that rise above getting married in my mind. To name a few: serving God with my life, sharing the salvation that comes through Christ with others, teaching about the love and truth of Christ, and loving the friends and family God has already placed in my life are among the most important desires of my heart.

What I’m realizing more and more is that while I’ve worked through a lot of my feelings and thoughts with God on this whole matter, my friends, family and fellow believers do not understand the journey of surrender I have chosen. Throughout my journey of raising support and sharing my vision of ministry in Romania I have been frustrated by the responses of many believers. More often than not, responses from believers point to my lack of a husband and/or their prediction that I will find some Romanian husband while I am there. It’s as if they view me as incomplete because I don’t have a husband. It’s as if I haven’t truly arrived into a mature Christian adult because I’m not married.

It is depressing that my fellow believers are more concerned about my marital status (or lack-there-of) than they are about the people in Romania who have never heard of the love of Christ. They seem more concerned with the lack of a rock on my left ring finger than they are about the lack of food on the tables of my friends in the Roma villages. I keep asking myself: why do so few of them ask about the people and the ministry? Do they really think I’m going to Romania to find a husband? Do they think I’m only serving in Romania because I think I’m an old maid who’s given up on marriage?

To put it simply,

I’m not waiting on love; I’m living in the love of Christ!
 
I’m not waiting to serve a husband and family; I’m living to serve Christ!  

Razvan

One week in Romania we were doing a VBS in a village called Marca. We drove out of the Romanian part of Marca parked beside a hill and then hiked over the hill. In the valley below we found the Roma village.  Many children raced out of their homes and up the hill to greet us. Instinctively placing their little hands in our own and guiding us into the village.  

 Razvan grabbed my hand and held on with all the might in his skinny arms. From that point on, my hand seemed to belong to Razan; if anyone else thought of holding it they were in for it! There were actually a few times I had to reprimand Razvan for being unkind to other children if one of my hands wasn't available for his.

Razvan

Razvan was about 6 years old.  He rarely parted from my side that week. He sought me each morning, followed me, clung to me, laughed and talked with me.  His single-minded devotion reminded me of how I should cling to my Heavenly Father: with unyielding determination to draw close to Him.

I'm sure Razvan had no idea how much he was teaching me. He was simply being the child God created him to be.

He wanted to show me each time he did something well and struggled to face me when he knew he had done wrong. However, he would never worry long. He knew I would still love him, even if I had to correct him. My attitude should be similar toward God; a realization when I disappoint Him, but in the realization needs to come the acceptance of His forgiveness. Too many adults I know, myself included, ask for God's forgiveness, yet struggle to forgive themselves. How can we even dare to refuse to forgive when someone who is perfect and just in every way chooses to forgive us!?!?

When I consider the behavior of children in ANY culture, I'm always reminded of Jesus' words in Mark 10:14-15  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  Children are usually instinctively trusting.

The faith and confidence little children so freely give is exactly what Jesus asks for as our Savior and Lord. 

My prayer is to have childlike faith, to have single-minded devotion to my worthy God, to repent to my Lord and forgive myself with the understanding that God has forgiven me, to run to meet my Savior each morning and let Him guide me through each day. All because, I my childlike faith leads me to steadfast faith and trust in Him.

Marius, Alina & family

Marius, Amalia & myself

I stepped off the airplane in Budapest, Hungary after about  18 hours of traveling, made my way through customs, and found my giant bags (so thankful for those giant carts!). I then pushed my way around a sea of Asian tourists and toward the door that would lead me to those awaiting my arrival. I scanned the room for my red-headed friend and found her with little trouble; I breathed a sigh of relief and returned Kelly’s smile as I made my way past the gated area they heard arriving passengers through.  After a welcome and hug, we passed off my luggage the man who had accompanied Kelly to the airport. We then went to freshen up and find some water. Arriving at the car we found my luggage being loaded into the car by the man. Kelly introduced me to Marius, the first Romanian I ever met outside the U.S.; I said, “Hello” and he laughed at me. I’m quite sure I blushed, ashamed that I was still too scared to use the little Romanian I did know. Piling in the car we began our 5+ hour trek to the town I would call home for the summer. Kelly had warned me that Marius was a bit of a crazy driver, but I was too tired to care. I still fell asleep.

I had no idea that day who Marius really is. He spoke with Kelly in Romanian on the drive, shook me awake at the border to get out my passport, and got me safely back to Kelly’s apartment. Yet, throughout my time in Romania I found out that Marius has a very important role in God’s ministry to the Roma people. I got to know his family and quickly fell in love with the smiles and antics of his beautiful little girls, as well as the smile and warm hospitality of his wife.

Marius is often quiet, yet he has what I call an ornery streak. He teases the people he cares about. He takes his responsibilities seriously, but he also laughs loudly and smiles often. I was quick to gain a nickname from Marius, although I have no clue how or why he began calling me Marishka. Marius works hard both at home and in ministry. He adores his little girls & treasures his wife. I know he is a great role model for the Roma believers as they seek to become men of God.

Alina with Amalia

Alina, Marius’ wife, is one of the hardest working mothers I’ve ever met. She loves the Lord and serves Him. She is intentional about her family being her first ministry. She is warm and hospitable. Her smile and laugh are contagious. She always made me feel welcome and loved. The love she has for her daughters overflows moment by moment. Her daughters are so blessed to call her mommy! They will be blessed to become women of God just like her!

Amalia is the spunkiest little girl you’re likely to meet. She is active and energetic, constantly ready to run and play. Activities that frequent her days are: bike riding, changing outfits, giggling and running. We played lots of games this summer and had fun running around the park. She even came over one day to the apartment and we watched Tangled (in Romanian)! I pray that Amalia will grow in the knowledge that she is loved, not only by her family and friends, but by our mighty Savior and King more than she can imagine!

Esthera

Esthera is a sweet and beautiful baby (although I’m not sure how much longer I’m allowed to call her a baby)! We became fast friends shortly after my arrival. Playing peek-a-boo (Romanian style) and smiling shyly at newcomers were some of her favorite activities. From the pictures on Facebook, she is growing quickly and still looks as sweet as ever! My prayer for Esthera is that she will grow into the knowledge that she is loved by family, friends and has a Heavenly Father who loves her more than she will ever know!

Thank you for praying for this wonderful family. I can't wait to get back to Romania and spend some time with them. I miss them so much!

Christ at Work in a Roma Family

I was blessed to get to know the family of Iosef & Maria this summer. They have three sons: little Iosef, Marius & Anthony.

Iosef helping with camp in another village.

Iosef is the worship leader at the church in Nusfalau. You rarely see Iosef without a smile, although it may at times be a bit mischievous. He was always teasing me and making me laugh.  He liked to practice his English with me even if it was just a few words.  His honest heart when he led worship was a blessing each Sunday, even if I didn’t understand all the words of the songs. It was also incredible to see him participate in reaching out to another village with the truth and love of Christ.

Maria and Anthony (Anthony is wearing bracelets made
by the children at Westview!)

Maria is a beautiful woman whose love for her family has no bounds. Maria always greeted me with an eager hug and a cheerful smile. Even through the language barrier I was able to have little conversations through my broken Romanian with Maria. Each Sunday I looked forward to spending a little time with Maria after church. She blessed me in ways I cannot describe and made me feel welcome and loved. 

Little Iosef playing the Jimbay for worship.

Little Iosef with his bright eyes always pierced my heart with great hope. This boy who is blessed to have parents who both love Jesus has a bright future. Already Iosef plays the jimbay (drum) during church and sometimes sings with his father. It’s not difficult to imagine Iosef becoming a leader of the church as he grows in stature and in faith. Iosef took to calling me Sister Allyssa (as many of the people in the church did), but it always seemed special from Iosef. He loved practicing his English and learning new words. He would ask me about my brothers at home and laugh at my broken Romanian. I have hope that God will use Iosef in mighty ways to bring the Roma people closer to Christ and hopefully to take the truth and love of Christ out to people beyond their village or maybe even country. 

Marius :)

Marius is quieter than his brother, but no less energetic. He was always a bit shy around me. Yet, he is one determined little boy. He’s always trying to keep up with his big brother, whether it’s playing soccer or racing to the end of the block. He isn’t one to give up easily. My prayer is that he would continue to choose positive role models & grow in the love of his family and Christ. 

Little Anthony is the spitting image of his father and smiles just as often. I made quick friends with this little man the first Bible study I went to with Kelly. While I was there Anthony got sick and had to go to the hospital. It was always a bit vague and confusing to talk to people about medical terms, even those fluent in Romanian had trouble understanding what was truly going on. From all reports though, Anthony was very sick and even unconscious for a day or two. We prayed and prayed for that little boy to be blessed with the healing hand of God. God did heal little Anthony and he was soon home recovering.  Before long Anthony was as good as new. By the time I left he was walking and gabbing all over the place! His smile will forever be imbedded in my mind. 

This is just one family that has been blessed with the saving knowledge of Christ as Lord. My hope is that there would be more and more Roma families just like them who choose to live for Christ & let Christ live in them. 

Little Iosef and I being silly