Every time I set foot in this country I fall more and more
in love. The history of this country is enough to make me want to go visit the
home of every person over the age of 30 who can remember what was like under
communism. It would be an honor and a privilege to hear and share in their
stories with them. So much has gone on in this country in the last century.
Every time I hear stories from things that went on here under communism my
heart breaks more and more… and yet I still feel more at home in this country
than almost anywhere else in the world. To say that my heart is for the people
of Romania
to find the redeeming love and justice of the Lord is an understatement. I know
that the justice of the Lord has begun and will continue to fall on this
country and its people.
The Lord is jealous for this land and I can feel it in my
bones. I can feel it in the depths of my heart that He has a longing to just
reach into the soil of this land and repair it from the ground and rich soil of
the countryside to the heights of the block buildings in the midst of city life.
I can see with his eyes the beauty in the blocks. I can see the individuals
that windows in each block represent and I can see the desire for the Lord to
be among each family in this country. I have a longing in my soul to see
Romanians full of the joy of the Lord and filled with his Spirit. This longing
goes even deeper than that. This longing goes deep enough for them to know that
they cannot buy their way into heaven and the things they do as they drive or
walk past an orthodox church are not things that will guarantee them the
freedom that comes in Christ.
My heart burns with passion and joy and heartbreak and
prayer as I walk the streets of this city. Today we learned that the city of Pitesti held one of the worst prisons in the country of Romania during
communism. The things I saw and heard and felt today included so much
oppression that it made me silent in reverence for the things that went on here.
The secrets buried within the soil of this country are immense, grander than
anyone could imagine. I am sure that no one other than God knows the intensity
of these secrets. There was so much fear and intimidation used by the
government that it was hard for people to make a connection between the
corruption and the safety that should exist from the government. That hurts my
heart that the very people who should have been able to protect and fight for
the people were the ones inflicting this pain.
I am not ignorant to the corruption that is still in this
world today. I know that things are still going on around the world. I know
that there are governments that I will encounter in the next seven months that
are not willing to grant their people the kind of freedom I have experienced by
growing up and living in the United
States. I just want people to be able to
experience freedom and if the people who are supposed to protect you are not
doing their job properly, then that just makes it that much harder to accept
that freedom can happen to you.
The people of Romania are trapped between
planting and harvest, but the growth is hard. It takes dedication to tend to
the weeds and the muck. Can a people so rooted in this despair and spiritual
darkness find hope in this season of spring for their country? Can a people so
drenched in the past, look forward and find hope in the future that the Lord
has already given them? I believe that this is absolutely possible. With enough
people who are willing and ready to fight this battle, though it will be long
and hard, it can be done. The people of Romania
can be moved, shaken, and rocked for the kingdom of God
and it begins now. It begins here. In a city rooted in secrets and wickedness,
known for the pain inflicted on so many people from the prison. It starts here.
It starts now. A revolution is waiting to happen in this country.
Dear Romania,
The soil and water flowing through you are ready for this.
The earth beneath my feet cries out for freedom. I can feel a revival coming.
Welcome with open arms the presence of the Lord. There is an inheritance
waiting for this country, accept it
With love,
-Amanda
