Şase Luni - Six Months!!!

June first marks six months since I moved to Romania! In some ways I can't believe it has already been six months. In other ways I can't believe all that has happened in the last six months. Looking back on this time there has been...

the expected and unexpected

a big black eye!

joy and pain

Sittin in the ER waiting room

struggle and growth

learning to love and live with 7 girls who grew up without families

confusion and clarity

moments of pondering how such incredible beauty
is paired with such deep pain

new experiences and embarrassing moments 

going snow skiing for the first time
and falling on my butt ALOT!

Romanian, English and Romglish

Ania and I speak Romglish quite often!

Old friends and new friends

Kelly, my apartment-mate from my first trip to RO

Friends, coworkers and people I now see as family

Jen, my roommate for almost 4 months

tears and laughter

Emily & I laughing on my birthday!

I have yelled in frustration; I have sang for joy. I have loved and I have torn down. I have asked for forgiveness and I have forgiven. I have ran from chaos in search of peace; I have stood among the chaos and found the peace of God. I have been a listening ear; I have needed a listening ear. I have laid in my bed sick and tired; I have ran, hiked and danced with energy to spare. I have held, hugged & loved hungry children, both young and old; I have needed hugs and encouragement myself. I have stepped out in faith; I have held back in fear. Through it all I have been blessed by a Father who never leaves my side and somehow uses some of my mess for His good purposes.

This has been a time of great paradox. It seems life is full of polar opposites. Just when I feel at home here, I miss someone desperately from home. I'm so thankful I was warned of this paradox in my training at MTI... that "pair-of-ducks" stuff was right-on. The "Yay Duck" and "Yuck Duck" have definitely made their presence known in the last six months. While it has often felt like a roller coaster of emotions, I have definitely held onto the positives and used them to help me ride-out the valleys.

I am definitely a glass-half-full kinda girl and I like to look for the positives in every situation and every person. For every negative I like to match it with at least one positive truth. It's a way, not only to keep myself positive, but to keep the conversations around me positive. I remember my mom teaching me something as a kid. She said, "If people around you are gossiping about someone. The easiest way to change the conversation is to say something positive about the person they are talking about." She explained that confronting them about their gossip usually just makes them defensive and can even fuel the fire. However, saying something positive and true has a much greater power to change the conversation and tug at their heart without causing those defensive reactions. My Mom also displayed this truth and how it could go above and beyond gossip. She helped me learn to look for the good in every situation. She was always telling me to stop whining and pointing out my blessings. (thanks Mom, you're the best!)

I've found the wisdom my mom shared to be true in many circumstances: in conversations about people, culture and life. Speaking positive truths holds the power to sway a conversation, a mood or a whole day. Sometimes, this can mean speaking truths over my thought life. If our God IS truth, then speaking truth over our thoughts is inviting God to cover them. Filtering our thoughts and words through God's truth can really help clear our vision.

So, as I reflect on my first six months living in another country I'm reminded of my need to abide in my Savior. I'm remembering the joys & struggles, while looking forward to many more in the next six months, and beyond. I know God has been working here and I trust Him to continue; my prayer is that He would choose to use me in His work here. I want to be a part of sharing His love, hope & truth and bringing glory to the Lord of All Creation alongside the people of Romania! Thankfully, my Savior is in the habit of using the least likely of candidates.

I also want to say thank you to all the family, friends, supporters, churches and church family both at home in America and here in Romania. I wouldn't be here without all of YOU! Thank you for encouraging me, praying for me and blessing me beyond my wildest imagination. I cannot tell you how much you all mean to me. I often get the chance to share with my friends here in Romania how great all of my family, friends and church family are back home (in other words, I brag about how awesome you all are, a lot!) I am also constantly amazed that God has so richly blessed me with friends and family here in Romania. I wouldn't survive living so far from home without the blessing of friends who make me feel right at home here too! I don't know why God has blessed me so much, but heck, I'm grateful. I hope I can use that blessing and turn around and bless others, for this blessing is not mine to hoard.

~Daughter of the King